Woodside Show

Today I was at Woodside winter agility show with Barney and Pebbles. It was great because the venue was in Broxburn which was only a 30 minute drive from home so it was not too early a start - only 6.45am!!

First up was Barney in Combined 5-7 Agility. He did his usual jump off the bottom of the dog walk and then was eliminated at the last jump when he went straight on instead of going right over the last jump. Otherwise I was really please with his run and he was running quickly and flowing well. Then it was Pebbles over the same course for smalls. She did a lovely round and was working away from me well but knocked the pole down on the second to last jump! Looking at the times she would have finished 5th if she had not got 5 faults! I am happy with that though since time wise she is back in the mix, at the last show she was a few seconds off the pace so progress there.

Then it was a jumping course for Barney Combined 5-7. It was a really tough course with lots of twists and traps. Barney did really well and only made one small mistake pausing at one jump to give him 5 faults. Pebbles did the same course. I knew that the best and quickest way to do it was for me to do a cross behind and for her to turn right - a move she is not good at but needs to learn. So I did not take the easy option and try and cross in front but made her do it. As predicted she protested and stopped and barked at me! I made her go over the jump and I crossed behind but this got us 5 faults. Not that it mattered since she got eliminated later on! On exiting the tunnel I pushed her out then raised my hand too early and this sent her back through the tunnel!!

Then it was onto Barney's last run - Combined 4-7 Jumping. Again it was a really tough course but he managed to go clear - clever Barney :-) And he finished 5th. It was a good round and he did really well to avoid the traps. He was working well and really listening. He is still a bit off the pace of the higher grade 7 dogs but it was not his kind of course.

Finally Pebbles did a Combined 4-7 Agility and it was the craziest course I have ever seen. Put it this way 30 or so dogs all Grade 5 and above and only 3 dogs went clear!! Pebbles protested at the wall (4th jump) by running past it and it went downhill from there! I think she was eliminated about 3 times! Not my type of course at all - lots of changes of direction and no flow at all.

So all in all not a very successful day results wise but I was happy with the way they were working. I don't think they really like indoor shows - no caravan, stuck in car between runs and they don't work well on the indoor surface. They seem much happier outdoors on grass when they are in the caravan.

That's all the shows now until February which I am quite glad about - it will be a nice break and give us a chance to get some training in.