I can't believe I have a trial this weekend. I can't even remember the last time I trialed, maybe DOCNA in mid-February. On the one hand I was hoping Strum's weave poles would be further along but on the other hand they're looking pretty fabulous so maybe I'm worrying over nothing. Multiple snow storms this past month put a damper on our training but still we got to the point of one jump rotating around the clock and 6 poles. We've done this exercise ad nauseum, with sends, recalls, me on both sides, rear crosses previously but Strummer would sometimes struggle with the more difficult entries, especially onside entries, and after starting out o.k. at trials for some reason had a complete meltdown with them in January/February. So I've been retraining using Mary Ellen Barry's twist on the 2x2 method and so far it's worked great. Strum now seems to have an understanding of entries that he didn't have before and couldn't quite get with the regular 2x2 method. Apparently something about those rotated poles was blowing his brain because he breezed through the training with the straight poles. I was hoping to be further along in the proofing process before this April trial but Mother Nature had other ideas.
We ran a few dogwalks and A-frames this past week and he was great, I'm not too worried about that. Again would like to have done some more dogwalk proofing but can't worry about it now.
He's running a full slate of classes in P1 (no tournaments though). I even entered Pairs. I harassed this poor woman with a nice calm Aussie all the way back in January to team up with Strum. He knows the dog from classes and practice so I'm hoping he'll behave. This will probably be his last USDAA trial for a while. I'm irritated with USDAA for a slew of reasons, the main one being the whole hassle they've put me through over measuring. I wanted to go down to Pueblo last May to run Lola and have Strum measured by the CMJ on Sunday but they won't let an unentered dog be measured and I couldn't enter him because of the 2 rings/no barriers issue. Despite 3 measurements under 21", the CMJ in August measured him at 21 1/4" so now I need 2 more CMJ's to measure him under. So far this year there are no CMJ's scheduled, next possible one is in August again. And who knows if they'll have one. So I've had to wait a minimum of a year for another measurement, who knows how long for the second if the first measures him under. What a pain, this could have been settled in either May or August of last year but now who knows how long it'll drag on and all for a stupid rule. USDAA sure doesn't like to make it easy for their customers. So I can spend the year hoping he measures into CH 22" (and what happens if he doesn't?) on a per trial basis or put him in Performance and start from scratch in Championship if he ever gets the lower measurements. Jumping him at 26" is out of the question, I refuse to do it, USDAA can bite me on that one. If he ends up in Performance then there's no vet program for him. I guess I can bite USDAA on that one. I'm also having issues with them dragging their feet on equipment/safety issues (24" poles, displaceable tire). Given my limited funds these days I've decided we'll be focusing on DOCNA. I'll enter Lola in Gamblers and Standard at the local (40-50 minutes away) trials to try to finish up her championship but I'm not traveling for USDAA this year and I'm probably not going to spend the money entering Strummer at all.
Lola is only entered in 3 classes at this trial. I don't want to deal with conflicts again between the 2 rings. I may have at least one on Saturday but none for sure on Sunday. I've been practicing her table in the backyard but little else. She's come up limping at least once in the past 6 weeks for no apparent reason so I've been resting her and then building her up again with walking/off leash running but no equipment. I'm sure she'll be fine for 3 runs over 2 days.
There will be sardines?
Yes my dear, there will be sardines for good little girls who lay down on the table all smiles and grins and waggy tails and stay there until instructed otherwise.
Would be great to pick up those 2 Standard legs for her Perf. MAD but no big deal if we don't. For now we enjoy every run we have left.
Sometimes I'm sad we don't trial, and then I read stuff like this and think ... meh, probably for the best.
ReplyDeleteThat measurement thing is funny. I think it was with Boost on our 1st 2 measurements we got exactly the same number, but the 3rd was much taller. I commented to the judge that that was weird since it had been only a couple of months. She remeasured and agreed witht he first 2 measurements. Guess that doesn't always happen that way, though.
ReplyDeleteGood luck this weekend! May there be plenty of sardines handed out.
Good Luck this weekend Elayne. I am not going to this trial this year. Sick of dealing with the weather. So you know it will probably be beautiful this year :-) It sucks about the measuring thing. I will really miss seeing you at USDAA trials. Hope Strummer hits all his weavepoles this weekend. Look forward to the video :-)
ReplyDeleteWe'll miss you at the trial but I don't blame you for not wanting to deal with the weather. I-70 is closed right now at Vail Pass due to snow/ice though I suppose you don't come that way but still, WY is often worse. You never know what you'll get this time of year. We had sunshine and little droplets of snow at our lesson tonight and thunder and rain at my house before I left for my lesson.
ReplyDeleteI think I made the right decision. It snowed yesterday and supposed to snow tonight.
ReplyDeleteHope the agility is great for you though. Please post how you did when you get time.