by Doranna
Yup, the new comment system is up and running, with all the old comments back in place. I still have to tweedle and tweak things around, but I’m already having fun with it and I hope so are you!
Agility trialing in New Mexico generally means dealing with at least three seasons, usually all in the same day. When I show up at the trial site, it’s with a full complement of winter gloves, coat, and hats over sweats…at least two different pairs of shoes…sweats, several lightweight layering jackets, and–of course–shorts. And, oh–baseball cap, shade hat, and sun block, plus cooling coats for the dogs and the $5 Home Depot garden sprayer of water.
This past weekend, I used them all. Typical! But nothing got too extreme–if you don’t count the moment the microburst charged through the trial, prompting the dreaded warning–“Grab your shelters!!”–and we all dove for the shelters as the wind tumbled through, taking out a series of shade shelters along the way (and prompting many of the rest of us to pull the canopies off).
Still, this weekend the permutations stayed relatively mild (as opposed to 20F or 60mph winds), and although Dart and I experienced some so-sad almost Qs (tear hair, rip clothing, wail), in general we had a really good weekend. Which we all really needed, so there you are.
Plus, we took pictures.
In the end it was Dart’s best weekend so far, with four of six Qs earned, a completed Excellent Standard title (finally!), and a completed Masters Jumper title. Good boy!
Plus, did I mention…we took pictures?
In which Dart demonstrates that he has no issues with core strength
I like this one just for the little Beagle butt disappearing around the inside curve of the tunnel…
And this one for his speed up the A-frame!
A moment at the start line. Good boy.
Some WHEE! at the end of the course…
I love this shot (well, of the dog, ahem) because it’s everything I want to see in him–drive, a beautiful slice, and the obvious understanding of the handling–not just the rear cross, but the 180 degree jump pattern to follow.
Love him in this one, too–driving for the finish. (The hand is compensating for a funky angle on the final jump. Or at least, that’s what it’s supposed to be doing. He made it, anyway!)
Go Dart Go
Fascinating to watch him get sniffier at the end, as the contact obstacles have piled up on him. That’s just him getting concerned–and a reflection of the fact that while I’m still having to place myself to support him emotionally, I can’t place myself to give him information as timely as it should be, and he needs that forward-based handling. I’ll have to experiment with that!
Wow, that’s a lot of good work by dog and dogmom! Congratulations to both of you. Love the pictures, thank you!
BTW, in the fifth picture (first jump picture) is the dog outside the ring watching Dart watching in an aggressive way or just an interested way?
Weird, I responded to this once, but it doesn’t seem to have taken. Hmmm. Anyway, thank you! And the speckledy dog in the first jump picture is just very interested. Her body language is relaxed, and I have an edge–I happen to know she’s a fairly laid back girl. 8)
Ah–couldn’t tell sex, but thought the gaze was intense w/pricked ears. Thanks for info. (I do not have your experience with, or ability to “read’ dogs.)
Yeah, her eye is still soft, and she lacks that stiff, intense look; her tail–which is docked, so this is hard to assess–would be more straight out behind her if she was being aggressive. But she is *definitely* interested! 8) For whatever reason, Beagles really do seem to catch the eye of other dogs. The flagging tails, maybe…
(But this is one reason I’m really proactive about having other dogs under control when we’re sharing practice space. “My dog has NEVER done that before!” isn’t a phrase that impresses me any longer, and I don’t think I should have to hear it. Again.)