Another Video: Stout Learning to Wrap

Wrap jump stanchions, that is! (not presents...)

(view larger)

This is the last week of our online class with Silvia Trkman. I cannot recommend it enough! We have had a blast!

Stay tuned for more videos in the coming days, plus a graduation video featuring all the tricks we've learned in the session!

Marshmallows & Mosquitoes

Took a little Memorial Day camping trip in the Vanagon...

Flaming marshmallow? Porter says "Yes please!"

"Another one please! Maybe less flames?"

"Delicious!"

On our way home the next morning.

Porter says "Happiness is a belly full of marshmallows & a night of barking at fireworks."

(Please ignore the very large bruise on my leg -

I need to be more careful moving agility equipment around!)

New Cruiser for the Brew Crew!

After much struggling to fit both corgis in our sedans (and much research into different models), I finally broke down and bought a new car...

Mazda 3

(See the house across the street with the recliner in the garage? He did our financing. Small world!)

This is where the corgis will ride, once we buy Stout a regular sized crate.

No more puppy crate!

But this is where they rode when we took them on the inaugural trip for ice cream!

And here's a little example of why Stout needs to ride in a crate...

He likes to use the "Stout perch" between the front seats.

We took them for Doggie Sundaes at Bruster's

It was Stout's first time  :)

Then we came home & watched Zero roll around in the catnip

2 QQ's & An MXP!

After a very, very long dry spell, Porter & I earned our 2nd & 3rd QQ's at the Hamilton Dog Training Club's agility trial!

Actually, is it even called a dry spell if you were never "on a roll" to begin with?  :)

Anyway, our first & only QQ previous to this came last year at this very trial. Obviously this is now our favorite trial (it was before too, due to the awesome running surface).

 

 

What made it even better, is that we finally earned our MXP too! 

It was kind of an MX party. Megan and her corgi Dally earned their MXP2, and Jodi & her chihuahua Maya earned their MX! Yay for the Small Dog Posse!

Megan was kind enough to film our QQ runs on Sunday:

Our Standard Run (larger)

Our JWW Run (larger)

 

2 Creeks in 2 Days

With the warm weather the last couple days, it was the perfect time to hit up our 2 favorite parks with creeks!

The water was so low that we were able to walk on the dam. Usually water is flowing over it.

Stout is finally getting comfortable in the water. He even played a little fetch:



(view larger)

We also checked out the new mountain bike trails. I tried to get the dogs to run real fast and take the banked corners...

We enjoyed the other park the following afternoon.

Porter loves the abundance of groundhog holes here. Stout is really getting the hang of finding them too.

But sometimes we get bored and just have to wait around for Porter to give up hunting so we can continue our walks.

One final cool-off in the creek before we go.

When we got home, the Roomba was on the prowl:

(view larger)

CWCCA Specialty Agility Photos - Part 2

Thank you again to Perry Photographic!

His jowls in this one crack me up!

CWCCA Specialty Agility Photos - Part 1

Time to update everyone on our agility runs at the Specialty! And post some photos from Susan & VW again!

On the first day of agility, we had to race from the obedience ring inside the hotel all the way out to agility to barely make our first run. They were kind enough to hold it for me & let me do a quick walk-through. Unfortunately, the first class was FAST and it's not easy to do a quick walk-through!

I did some quick math in my head (and the judge helped me by pointing out the highest point obstacles) and away we went. Well, almost. It was so windy that the judge was offering to hold the teeter for dogs so it wouldn't blow up against the wind as dogs tried to jump onto it  :)  Luckily it didn't seem to bother Porter to have the judge standing right there.

Porter went on to earn his first Q in Excellent B FAST & qualified in Excellent B Jumpers (his MJP title!). Porter thought we were lure coursing in his Excellent B Standard run and took a wide turn out to the fence to chase a stray sheet of paper… The judge called it as a refusal (although I didn’t think he passed the plane of the jump…). So we were <this close> to earning a QQ and our first ever QQQ. Oh well  :)

If you look closely in the above photos, you'll see the rubber bands holding the jump bars in place. I don't think I've ever been to a windier trial! All the cones were staked down, the jump stanchions & wings were staked, and even the chute cloth was staked at the corners (so it ended up being more of a straight tunnel as opposed to the normal chute).

The course was even turned 90 degrees so the dogs wouldn't get blown off the dogwalk!



 I love these 2 dog walk ones above!

The next day Porter qualified again in Excellent B JWW, but took an extra jump in standard. But I didn’t care because he actually got his weaves in every run both days! That was good enough for me!

Stay tuned for even more agility photos!

 

And before you think Porter & I were some sort of Q’ing superstars at the Specialty, notice I didn’t mention our Novice obedience runs… :)  Those were pure comedy. Let’s just say that Porter is quite good at heeling on both sides… I'll post those photos eventually, I'm ok with humiliating myself again!