Class Photos

Someday these youngsters will earn a cake!

Flower of the Week

Hydranga

Successful 3 day Weekend!

The weekend began on Friday with Excellent Only running from 5 p.m. to 8:30! The 24/26" dogs ran LAST.

It was worth the wait with Inc running clean for his 1st leg in Excellent A Jumpers at 24". Donna picked out a green monkey to go with the blue ribbon.

Saturday morning Merlot earned her Excellent Jumpers Title and a BIG toy to go with her many ribbons.

Now you are in Excellent B where there are no faults - period!

Sunday was Zorro's turn to title with a second place ribbon for his Open Jumpers Title! Needless to say Christy was thrilled!

Welcome to Excellent A where all you're allowed are time faults and get to walk the course with the crowded 20" class!

CONGRATULATIONS to all who Q'd

and to those that gave it a good try!

Happy Birthday!

To Kerry!

Here he is as a puppy and

his 1st Birthday
photos by Jennifer Burns

Flower of the Week

Lantana

Happy July 4th!

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Flowers of the Week

Foxgloves and Dianthus in Williamsburg, VA

Happy Birthday

Cricket is 11 years old today!

Cricket is Inc's mom.

Top photo was taken in 2001 and the bottom was taken in Dixon.

New Titles!

Congratulations to the following dogs and handlers on their new titles!

Helen Marie and Merlot earned their Excellent Standard Title on Saturday with a 1st Place ribbon.

Later in the day, Christy and Chudleigh earned

their Novice Standard Title. The best part --NOW they won't have to stay all day !

On Sunday Jennifer and Kerry earned their Novice FAST title. They were the 4th to last dog of the day and the temperature was 100 degrees!

top photos by Charlie Rose; bottom photo by Jennifer Burns

Flower of the Week

Lavender

Open Book Quiz

This September AKC agility will have some rule changes.

You can find them at the link

http://www.akc.org/about/board_minutes.cfm

now complete the quiz.

1. Prior to running your dog, who is responsible for verifying the jumps are set at the proper height ?

a) judge;
b) bar setter;
c) handler;
d) judge and handler

2. Weaves - How many attempts are allowed in Novice?
a) As many as you want
b) 3 attempts;
c) 2 attempts
d) 1 attempt

3. Weaves - Will you be faulted for reattempting in Novice?
yes no

4. Weaves - In Novice if dog pops out before he completes the weaves:
a) you can put him back in if you remember where he came out
b) you must go back to the beginning

5. Pause Table - Will the count restart if dog changes position but stays on the table?
yes no

6. Pause Table - Will the count restart if dog jumps off table while the judge is still counting?
yes no

Flower of the Week

Magnolia

Happy Birthday

photos by Jennifer Burns and Sydney Nazario

My big girl is 8 years old today.

Birthday wishes to her brothers Jimmy (Marcie's) and Jet (Julie's) too!

Flower of the Week

Gazania

Fun With Jump Grids

Good Job Everyone!

Hope to see you at the next

Jump Grid Class

on July 24.

Flower of the Week

Happy Birthday & New Title!

Chudleigh is three today!

Happy Birthday and Congratulations on earning a second Novice Jumpers leg Sunday.

Check out the comments section for Christy's Birthday present from Chudleigh!

13 yrs Young!

Happy Thirteenth Birthday

Magnum

AM, NTL, INTL CH

STARLINE'S "MAGNUM"

CHAMPAGNE

UDX, VER, RAE, JH,

NA, NAJ, OAP, AJP

First Points!

Congratulations to Striker on his first Championship points!

He took Winners Dog and TWO points in Vallejo.

The previous weekend, he took Reserve and Best Brittany Puppy.

Flower of the Week

This cactus was labeled - Hedgehog.

Flower of the Week

Indian Paint Brush

This and other wild flowers were viewed on our climb up to the top of Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rock National Monument outside of Santa Fe.

Wednesday May 18, 2010

Class, I will be there, it's so hard to tell what the weather is going to do. If you chose not to come I will understand. Donna

Flowers of the Week

Can you name which flower is:

Wild Rhubarb (Curly Dock)

Scorpion Weed

Coyote Willow

Happy Birthday

Rollo

is

1 year old

today

Flower of the Week

photo by Sydney Nazario

Bearded Iris

Sam'n cookies

For those who were at class on Saturday, this is what

Sam'n cookies look like.

Sam plays his version of "It's yer choice" with the dogs. Check out how well young Ube did last summer waiting his turn!

Saturday's Class

photos by Sydney Nazario

As you can see the dogs were very athletic!

March Winds & April Showers!

photo by Jennifer Burns

Bird of Paradise

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for the wind and rain to stop.

Flower of the Week

photo by Sydney Nazario

Sparaxis (harlequin flower)

Saturday Photos

The dogs enjoyed jump grids and some play time afterwards.

photos by Donna Golemon

Kerry & Ube share some shade and water with Coffee.

Flower of the Week

photo by Jennifer Burns

Remembering Derby

Derby was Donna’s 2^nd Aussie. April 14 would have been his birthday. Derby loved eating the plums off this tree! If the branches weren't low enough, he would put his feet on the rail and stretch to pull the plums off. Absolutely EVERYTHING Derby did he did with great enthusiasm!

Now when you pass this tree you can be prepared to - Be enthusiastic, work hard and reach for the stars!

P.S. Derby is the "dirty" face Aussie in the Tandem photos at the bottom of the blog.

Value and Reinforcement

This is an exercise for the beginning class but anyone can play the game.

Value and Reinforcement - The VALUE is for building value for ONE JUMP. The REINFORCEMENT is for the staying and releasing at different distances from the dog. Below is a video for the VALUE. We are having technical difficulties with the second video.

VALUE - To built value for the jump you want the dog to take the jump, without luring the jump. If you were to lure the jump you would throw the cookie or toy over the jump prior to the dog looking/moving towards/looking away from you. We are not doing that. Instead, we want to reward the dog for moving forward over the jump and not looking at you. Start by doing some type of relationship value exercise (tug, touches, crate games, etc.). Then walk over to the jump, turn your shoulders towards the jump and wait to see what the dog does. If the dog just looks at you, wait, when the dog looks away at anything, toss the treat over the jump. Try to toss so that the dog sees the treat. Continue until the 10 treats are gone. Watch the video for help.

The next exercise is the video we are having difficulty with. Here is the description and we hope to get a video up soon.

REINFORCEMENT - We are teaching the dog to follow the line of jumps and to STAY while the handler gets into a lead out position. This is where you are building value for the dog STAYING until released no matter how far away you are. There are three positions with this, dog is sitting - 1. toss toy ahead, release and move with dog to toy; 2. leave dog, drop toy even with you, release dog to toy, no forward motion by you, you are already even with toy; 3. toss toy behind dog, release dog to toy REMEMBER IN ALL THREE SITUATIONS THE DOG IS TO BE LOOKING AT THE TOY OR TREAT before the release. If the dog does not look at the toy, be quiet and wait for him to look in it's direction and then say your release word. Put a leash on the toy if your dog like to play "keep away".

Remember in two weeks we will be moving on to the next step of the one jump. So built that value.

Happy 3rd Birthday

to Coffee Bean.

Yum!

Do I get cake?

Flower of the Week

photo by Donna Golemon

Red Ribbon Dogs

Helen Marie has a word of advice. "Never leave an agility trial without checking your score". At the Vallejo trial when she asked the scribe she was told she didn't make time in Ex Jumpers. Looking at Lorie's site this week she found out Merlot earned a second leg with a 2nd place and 1 second to spare!

At today's trial in Santa Rosa, Zorro earned his 2nd Open Jumpers leg with a clean run under course time.

CONGRATULATIONS

to Merlot & Zorro.

Hope you get some

"Easter Biscuits"!