AXJ Streak

This past weekend went quite nicely. Streak earned her AXJ on Sat and then went on to win EXB Jww 24″ on Sunday. She won by over a second. She is really being amazing. No double Q on sunday due to a poor plan on the handler’s part- OOOPS! but things like that happen.

Pirate and Psyche did nicely as well. No Qs, but I’m not surprised as far as Pirate goes. The dog is forever changing… and in a GOOD WAY! I have never seen her do the dogwalk as fast as she did on Sunday. I was completely taken aback and just wondering, “Geez! Where did that come from? ” She is really developing into something. It’s quite phenomenal to watch. Love the Rescue Dogs!

Psyche held it together as well.  Minus one refusal, which I understand how it happened, she ran the EX Std course in lovely fashion. In Jumpers she took one bar, however I was not disappointed with the run. Yay Red dog!

This weekend is my boyfriend’s, Cameron, birthday. So the dogs and I will be taking a weekend off to go play at Glen Highland Farm. They are very excited.

The lull since Nationals

Perhaps not so much of a “lull” but a definite slow down in productivity due to the fact that I’ve been so BUSY! Does this make sense?

It has been a week short of a month since Nationals. I do not know where the time has gone. I have shown every weekend since Nationals and returned straight to teaching my full schedule. I definitely have reflected upon my performance and experience in NC and have come to the following conclusions:

* I am proud of what I did.

* I have accepted the fact that sometimes shit just happens- You are never in control of everything in Agility. Neither you nor the dog is a machine and shit just happens (ie: doubles fall!)

* Some courses are your courses, and some just aren’t. I ran the challenger’s course as best as Jaq and I could. Given our current training and combination, it could not have been done any better. It just wasn’t our course.

* I handled myself with poise and in good sportsmanship like behavior. Even when I wanted to cry.

* I can do this.

So overall- I was thrilled with the Nationals. Considering I wasn’t even going to be going! The goal is now to get to Nationals next year in Tulsa OK with one of MY dogs Streak and Cheers! hopefully. Streak only needs one more AXJ leg before she can start accumulating double Qs. She already has two MX legs, i have very high hopes for her. I am running her at 24″. Cheers! has 1 DQ. Let’s hope.

I will continue to run Jaq until Diane’s knee is recovered. She already has 4 DQs for next year. Let’s get her qualified. She is also finally happy and excited and accustomed to me running her. Which is new and nice.

And onto more shows…

Nationals Report-

It came and went. And that is that.

First off- I got very sick the weekend before. We were scheduled to leave for NC on Wed. I spent ALL of Monday and most of Tuesday in bed sick. Very bad timing. I was still very weak, tired and still coughing on Wed. But managed to feel well by the start of the competition.

I wanted to thank everyone for their support and encouragement for my trip to Nationals. Overall I was very pleased with our performance.
 
Jaq, Diane Bauman’s dog, and I competed at the AKC Nationals in Concord, NC this past weekend.
 
While we did not make the finals run, Jaq and I only missed it by .2!
 
On Friday in the state tournament we got the kinks out. Clean run in Jumpers but a knocked bar and refusal in Standard. Fortunately that is what Friday is for.
 
On Sat. The real competition starts. Round 1 was Standard. We had a phenomenal run. It was in the main ring and being broadcast live online. We ran it beautifully and ended up 2nd in the Class! First place beat us by .3. It was amazing feeling.
Round 2 was Jumpers and I ran conservatively. Having the placement in Rd1 assured me a spot in the challengers run if I could get another clean round. So that was my mentality. Just run clean. And we did! No placement, I do think we ended up in the top 10 or around there, but this is a game of consistency over three rounds. So cumulatively, after Rd1 and Rd2, I was seated 2nd!!! Great place to be.
 
On Friday: Round 3. All I need to do is go clean to assure my spot in the finals. I was at the very end of the class. I had a good plan and was confident I could get through this. We ran beautifully and 4 jumps from the end… Jaq knocks down the double! Heart break. It was just an unfortunate thing. It wasn’t my fault, I didn’t call her name in mid air, I wasn’t in her way, she just knocked it. All that hard work and one bar ruins it all. I was sad, but hey- I still had my chance in the challengers round and now I was pissed so NOTHING was going to hold me back in that run.
 
For those of you not familiar with the workings of Nationals. The top %of dogs over three rounds of competition advance to the finals. However, they have a Rnd 4 called the “Challengers” round in which dogs who had two good runs (At least 2 clean runs with one top 4 placement) are invited to compete in an all or nothing round. The winner of the round gets a spot in the finals.
 
So Challengers round was my chance. I ran second to last. A very good competitor ran before me but I didn’t even watch. I was just focused on Jaq and what we needed to do. Our run was spectacular. I was running my heart out. Jaq was perfect. We were ahead at the split… and finished in a great time. Unfortunately, we were .2 short! The course lent itself to a running dogwalk. It was just DW straight to the last jump, so a dog who could just RUN down the Dogwalk had NO extra time. Jaq is trained to stop and even though I did not make her stop, the simple fact that she slowed a tiny bit to adjust her stride to make sure she hit the contact cost us. I’m pretty sure that is where we lost it. Oh well. We could not have done it any better. It was fabulous. Plus I made the DVD as they are making a DVD available for purchase of the Challengers round and Finals. So that is cool.
 
Needless to say I am disappointed that we didn’t make the finals. We were SO close. But stuff happens, that is the nature of Agility. I am very proud of my performance, especially given that it’s not even my dog! I do not run her regularly nor have I trained her. So overall I am proud of my, Diane and Jaq’s accomplishments.
 
And now to qualify with my own dogs for Next year!

Judging for the Home Crowd

This past weekend I judged for Paws in Motion’s USDAA show in Swedesboro, NJ. This is the second trial this group has put on and let me tell you, USDAA is taking hold in NJ. We had 2,600 runs over two days and three rings. I judged 804 runs- the most I have ever judged in one weekend. The trial was held at the fabulous “Dream Park,” the same equestrian center at which we have been showing for the past several weekends. It is a fabulous site. The most interesting part of the weekend was that this was a local show for me, one which I would have attended had I not been judging. As a result, I was judging my fellow weekend competitors, many of whom venturing from AKC to USDAA Agility. I thought people handled the stress of many conflicts, long days, and simultaneous classes very well. I had many people step up and volunteer – always a plus as it would not have been a good to get cranky. Fortunately nothing of the sort happened. Overall the quality of agility was very high. It was a pleasure to judge and watch the handlers and dogs. Agility in the NJ tri-state area is quite impressive.

This weekend it’s back to Dream Park. The final show before Nationals next week…

A Pirate’s Life for me…

The Border Collie is a fascinating breed of dog. Bred over the years for their ability to herd stock, Border Collies possess unique qualities that make them exceptional performance dogs. However, these same qualities render them very ill-suited to a “pet” life style. Thanks in part to exposure through movies and a reputation as being the smartest dogs,  Border Collies’ popularity exploded… and we all know where that leads: to an excess of these dogs in shelters and rescues.

Pirate

 

 

In her former life, Pirate lived with a well meaning family with two kids and a yard. However, she was confined to the garage 8 hours a day, and then was reprimanded for chasing things when she was let outside. I met her former family- I got in contact with them while searching for her puppy records and ABC registration. They even came out to see her compete at a dog show. They were blown away at what she could do. As I said, they were well meaning, but sadly oblivious and out of their league with such a dog. This is very typical, unfortunately for the dog.

Pirate was lucky. She landed at Glen Highland Farm- a Border Collie rescue unlike any other in the country. Located in upstate NY, this sprawling 175 acre property has to date placed over 1000 dogs in their forever homes. The owners of Glen Highland Farm and Sweet Border Collie Rescue program have dedicated their lives to these dogs. They love them, care for them, and make sure that each dog finds it’s loving home. I encourage you to visit their website. You will be amazed at not only the quality and scale on which this rescue operates, but also at the number of dogs that are constantly being brought in. As part of the dog performance world, I think it is our responsibility to acknowledge the other side of what breeding dogs for sports and the reputations they earn creates.

In the summer of 2007, I had just graduated from Princeton, already had Psyche with me and wasn’t looking for another dog. I was teaching Tracking in conjunction with Diane Bauman at Glen Highland’s summer Canine Country Camp. On a walk to the field one morning, I spotted this long legged, long necked, tall, black and white smooth. All I could think of was “WOW… Look at that Smoothy!” So Diane and I asked to see her, work with her, and watch her move. While she was impressive in the moving category, working with her was anything but. She responded… somewhat. She did things… kind of. She was much more interested in watching, chasing and herding other dogs. But Diane kept telling me there was more to her and if anything, we could find out more by fostering her.

So after camp, and with one more dog, I began the long journey of “discovering” who Pirate was. That wasn’t her name of course. But I thought the name was great and would fit her. So I went ahead and called her that anyway, under great thread from Lillie, the rescue’s owner (she was not impressed with the name and I had no right changing it since it wasn’t even my dog.) Let me tell you, it was a long journey. Pirate is a classic example of a dog that had no idea who she was. She had been told all her life not to be a Border Collie and all of a sudden I was asking her to be one.

Me and Pirate

 

 

We started slowly. Just getting her to move with me, pay attention, realize I was engaged with her and needed her to be engaged with me. I discovered very quickly that she was sound sensitive. She ran out of the ring in panic after hearing the see-saw bang. Wind and fluttering tarps scared her, beeping noises and camera flashes. I discovered that last one at a PHOTO SHOOT for a dog food. Great… Five hours later and a lot of desensitizing, we got the shot. She seemed to lack obvious personality, but I kept seeing flickers.

Now I can’t lie and say I knew I was going to keep her from the outset. I did not. Had I not had Psyche, or had she been my first BC, definitely would not have bet on her. But Diane kept telling me there was more to her, and that it was important that I go through this process. “You have no idea what this dog is capable of”… and she was right. I got her hips xrayed and fostered her a month before I adopted her. I think I definitely shocked Lillie who had no idea I was intending on keeping her. We took it slow. I believed in the potential and needed to see if I could bring it out of her.

Pirate is almost unrecognizable in terms of her personality and drive from then to now. Those who saw her at the beginning still don’t believe what a transformation she has made (except Diane of course who always seems to have a sixth sense for these types of things.) She continues to amaze me. Day by day, her personality emerges, and with that the drive and intensity that was initially subdued. I still don’t have the final product, she is still evolving. But I’m so excited to see and be a part of this dog’s transformation. I can’t wait to see how far she’ll go.

A note on rescue performance dogs: They do exist. It is very possible to find a dog in rescue that is able to compete and perform at the top levels of sports. I intend to personally prove this. I encourage you not to rule out a rescue as your next performance dog. It is a very different relationship from one with a puppy who has always been with you. Pirate knows life can suck. Psyche has no idea. But Pirate is eternally grateful and happy to be with me- and I can feel it in our relationship and it’s a feeling unlike any other.  

Phase 1: Passed!

This weekend I competed with my dogs at Delaware County Kennel Club’s AKC Agility Trial in Swedesboro, NJ. Held in a large horse arena, this three day, three ring trial was more like a three ring circus with me as the star of each act. I ran with a total of 6 dogs. The teenage ninja Border collie trio: Psyche, Pirate, Streak. The Cocker Spaniels: Pogo and Cheers. And the surprise dog, Jaq- not so much a surprise as I knew I would have to practice running her before nationals, but back when the entries for this show were made, I was only the backup handler, not the primary. Needless to say once it was decided that I would be the handler to compete with Jaq at Nationals- this trial would be the first test.  

One the first day Jaq and I NQed in both runs. Communication glitches between a handler and dog who have not been trained by each other. Yes we have been practicing, yes Diane and I utilize similar handling systems, and yes Diane is coaching me, but Jaq is still not my dog and I am still not her trainer. While we are coming together in practice, you only get one shot in competition.

Day two however, was a different story. My heart was pounding, I could feel a knot in my stomach, but I ran that course. And not only did we Qualify, we won. Coming out of the ring- I was in adrenaline overload. My knees were shaking, my body was tingling- what a rush. We repeated the feat in JWW. So a win and Double Q. I was very pleased- it means I can at least do it two times in a row.

By day three, I wouldn’t say it was natural. I still got very nervous before each Jaq run and experienced an adrenaline rush after the run. Yet we double Qed again. I was thrilled, relieved and encouraged. I can do this. Jaq can do this. Now all we have to do is do it when the time comes. We have one more trial to, shall we say, rehearse… before Nationals. It is becoming very real and I’m feeling ready.

Count Down to AKC Nationals

It’s official. I’m going to the 2009 AKC Nationals. Nationals are in one month, how could I not have known before? Well- I’m going as part of a team- a team of three: dog, handler, coach. Due to my mentor and training partner’s, Diane Bauman, post knee surgery recovery, I will be handling her border collie JAQ at the event. I am very excited.

I attended the nationals in ‘07 and ‘08 with success. Though I did not reach the final round of competition, Luca (the border collie I was showing at the time) was the top NJ dog in the ‘08 Team Tournament and we had some very nice runs. I consider those first two trips to Nationals as invaluable experiences- you cannot recreate the nervous and anxious energy emanating through the entire building. The rush and excitement of dogs successfully negotiating tricky sequences and the butterflies flurrying in your stomach as you walk to the line. I’ve been there, I survived, I did well. I’m going to do even better this time.

Jaq and I will be competing in the 16” division. I am working her regularly so that we become synchronized and in tune. Diane is our coach. He advises me on Jaq’s tendencies and helps me strategize for optimum course execution. She is also very good at keeping my mind focused and nerves at bay. I think we have the ultimate team and hope that our efforts will come through.

The countdown is on…

Psyche’s Story

Me and Psyche

The Long Awaited Psychelicious

My first agility dog was a mutt my family rescued from a local ASPCA. Now it took a good solid year of me nagging and flat out demanding a “dog I could do something with” before my parents acquiesced and Mocha joined my life. Mocha changed everything.

When it became clear that I was into agility to the point of no return and that Mocha and I had maximized our competitive potential, the idea of the Border Collie of course came into my head. I saw it as the natural progression. However, I was about to leave for college on the other side of the country- just not the proper time to get a BC puppy. So put that thought on hold.

Through college I managed not only to stay invovleved in agility, but to fall even deeper into the vortex. I was going to shows, training, learning, judging… I even managed to go to AKC nationals! The lack of a dog was no excuse. The only problem was that it wasn’t mydog. I loved and trained my agility partners- shared in the victories and the screw-ups- but it just wasn’t the same. It probably made me a better trainer, but Mocha could bring me to tears in a moment of brilliance or catastrophe. I missed that.

 

Mocha

Having grown up in California, I befriended early on a now top agility competitor whose family bred BCs. Naturally I always believed my first BC would be from those lines. As I neared the midpoint of my senior year in college, the long awaited breeding was to take place. OK- only a few months too early. I was of course living on campus, playing varsity water polo and writing my thesis, but whatever. I’d be damned if that was going to prevent me from getting the dog of my dreams! I’d been waiting for four years. I’d make it work. Which is exactly what I did.

Now Psyche is not actually the dog I thought I’d get. That particular litter, the one I had my eyes on for forever, turned out to be very complicated pregnancy and delivery. Long story short, there were only two puppies and none of them were going to be mine. But as Diane Bauman in her infinite wisdom always reminds me, “things happen for a reason.” There was another litter on the ground the day I went out to visit. I wasn’t the exact lineage I was wanting, but it was close. And there was one puppy available. One little red female puppy. And that was that. She flew back to New Jersey with me the next day.

The name “Psyche” wasn’t the first on my list. I have a long list of cool agility dog names and a short list of five or so names which I fully intend on using. Name #1 got stolen during the four years in waiting and name #2 had been mentally assigned to the puppy I didn’t get. “Psyche” was #3. Oddly enough, and in a way very fittingly, “Psyche” was the original name on the list. Back in tenth grade, I read “Mythology”- a collection of Greek myths. There was one myth entitled “Psyche and Eros,” Psyche is the nymph who falls in love with Cupid and follows him into the underworld. All I could think about was “that is the perfect girl BC name and I’m going to name my first BC that.” Crazy right? The “Psychelicious” part is a result of that oh so catchy and infectious Fergie song “DeDelicious”. I must say, when I came up with Psychelicious, adding “licious” to the end of EVERYTHING was not as wide spread as it is now. I was clearly ahead of my time.

And so at seven weeks of age, Psyche came to me. Rather, I flew her back to Princeton and completed my last four months of college with a smuggled BC puppy in my dorm room. It was awesome! She got so much attention; all these grown up college dudes rolling around on the floor with this little puppy. She had about twenty boyfriends. She had her morning ball play with me and afternoon and evening walkers on demand. We had “Psyche Watch” to make sure she wasn’t discovered during fire drills and room inspections. She was one of the eating clubs’ pseudo mascot, went to parties and barbeques and loved eating the frisbee gold frisbees. In retrospect – it was quite a feat that I managed to pull of. Could have been bad, but it wasn’t, it was great. So Psyche graduated right along with the Princeton class of ‘07. She’s in the front row of the class picture and attended the first reunion last year.

Psyche is now two years old. Her agility training is going very well. I have nothing but high hopes for this dog. She is

Psyche at 2 years old

driven, intense, funny, extraordinarily cute, willing fast and cuddly. All the things I dreamed my first BC would have. But the most important thing is the feeling and connection I have with her. She can make me cry in a heartbeat, for good things and bad. I’m a good enough dog trainer not to let her get away with shit simply because she is cute and I love her. No sir. But I love her to death and through the challenges and successes I will always cherish her not only as my first agility BC, but as my true first dog. Definitely worth the wait.

Mocha is still alive. She is an old lady and still lives with my parents in CA. She goes camping, chases squirrels and imaginary cats, vacations in Pebble Beach and sleeps on couches. I hope to see her and spend some good time with her before she dies. She is the reason I am doing what I am doing today.

You gotta start somewhere

Just as every story has it’s beginning- I guess this is where I’ll start. At least it’s my “officially recorded on line debut.” It has been a year and a half since my graduation from Princeton, I’m still in NJ and I’m making Agility Training my full time job. I own two and half dogs, run five at in competition, and try to attend the full slate of competitions per season- not an easy feat in NJ where we can easily show almost every weekend. I’m teaching some classes and have a growing group of “regulars” who train with me. I’m enjoying teaching, I’m enjoying training, and I’m very ready to get out there and kick ass on the competition circuit. It has been a long time coming, at least in my mind, but finally I’m at the point where I believe my dreams may take flight. I do not expect it to be easy, I have some pretty lofty goals, but I know in my soul that I will not be a full-filled person until I at least try to achieve that which I believe I can. You gotta start somewhere and though it is not the chronological beginning of my story, it’s as good as any to start recording…