...since I have more time now. If you read the Auggie Bloggie you already know most of this.
First, the VMO was awesome and we got measured at 14, right where we need to be. We will have to be measured next weekend too since I won't have an official height card by then, and someone is speculating I'll need a third tie-breaker VMO measurement anyway since our first measurement was 14 3/8s (or 5/8s... I can't remember off the top of my head) which puts us in different height classes depending on the measurement. We are really hoping for a good, solid measurement at 14 or just a little below. It's hard for Auggie, who tenses on the table. This VMO was very understanding that dogs tense up on the table, was patient, and allowed time to let him relax and get a good measure off him. (Well, if he REALLY relaxed it would have been even shorter, but that might have taken all day.)
Anyway, I literally left the building in tears because I was so relieved and so happy that she was willing to work with us. The wind that weekend was terrible, hence our chiropractor visit, so I considered the weekend a wash and figured it was worth it just to get that good VMO measurement.
The wind was so bad - 25 to 35 MPH gusts - that it made it really hard for ME to run on the course. I can't imagine how hard it was for the dogs to run against that, too. I was also worried that Auggie wouldn't be able to hear me with the wind. It was very warm, which I love but I know is hard for the dogs to be in the heat all day.
So my goals were simple: DON'T get all turned around in Open JWW... and hope that Auggie doesn't drop any bars. Again, if you read the Auggie Bloggie you know we are re-training his jumping through the Clothier Natural Jumping Method after he crashed into three jumps at our last trial back in September.
Well, I am a fan of the Clothier Jumping Method now, because Auggie is back to my awesome little man who doesn't knock a single bar. I'm so proud of him and so happy. I was terrified that we wouldn't be able to fix his jumping and I would have to just flat out retire him, because the way he jumped before he was likely to seriously hurt himself.
I also am happy to say I did NOT get all turned around in Open JWW (LOL.) I successfully remembered which jump was next in the sequence. HURRAY!
Our first day we got 2nd place and our first OAJ leg. Auggie is not used to working with 12 weaves, so he popped out of the poles at the 10th. The refusal and the time it took for me to put him through those last 2 poles (yes, for time's sake I made the decision to only do the last 2 poles rather than start all 12 over again, which I prefer to do in practice... I know, I know.) is what knocked us to 2nd. It's entirely my fault because I don't own a set of 12 weave poles so he hasn't been able to work on them for a long time. He's had a few practice sessions out at his breeders, but not the amount of practice that he really needs.
The first day on standard is also where we had our little accident involving Auggie getting blown off the dog walk. I could kick myself, because I SAW the off-course dog walk, but the correct obstacle in sequence was the a-frame, which he also loves. I SHOULD have FC'd the jump and got him up the a-frame rather than trying to call him to me. I didn't - even though I saw it, I frickin' saw it and thought "Gosh, I wonder if he'll take that off-course dog walk." I could kick myself. If he hadn't off-coursed... well, he still might have gotten blown off it when it came time to take it, but still. I could seriously just take myself out back and kick myself for seeing that off-course glaring at me and then totally ignoring the alarm bells in my head.
So basically, our first day of standard was cut VERY short since it only consisted of three jumps and a spill off the dog walk.
The second day in JWW, I wasn't screaming loud enough to call Auggie off an off-course jump (thx still 25-35 MPH gusting winds!) He also missed the entry on the weaves (he hardly ever misses his entry and I completely took it for granted - my bad) and again popped out after the 10th pole. If we hadn't had the faults AND the time faults fixing the mistakes at the weaves, we might have Q'd, but as it stands it was sort of a bomb, LOL. Points were 63 or something? Ouch!
WE STILL HAVEN'T Q'D NOVICE STANDARD. It's funny at this point, it feels like it will never happen. However, we had major progress as he hit EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of his contacts, including that accursed a-frame that he likes to fly off of. We had some trouble with the table, which is again my fault because I do not own a raised table so he hasn't had to actually jump UP on it. Also this table is the one the club uses in their training classes and it smells like cookie treats SO MUCH, it seems to cause trouble for Auggie just about every trial. I swear he just stands there sniffing at it trying to deduce where the missing cookies are. Time was our big problem there. Oh, and a run-out, caused by me forgetting my plan.
Honestly, Auggie would be pretty solid if I weren't so stupid sometimes.
Next weekend we're off to another trial. Looks like rain, but the wind should hopefully be less violent. I still don't really expect much.
Maybe a miracle will occur and we'll get a leg towards our NA.
First, the VMO was awesome and we got measured at 14, right where we need to be. We will have to be measured next weekend too since I won't have an official height card by then, and someone is speculating I'll need a third tie-breaker VMO measurement anyway since our first measurement was 14 3/8s (or 5/8s... I can't remember off the top of my head) which puts us in different height classes depending on the measurement. We are really hoping for a good, solid measurement at 14 or just a little below. It's hard for Auggie, who tenses on the table. This VMO was very understanding that dogs tense up on the table, was patient, and allowed time to let him relax and get a good measure off him. (Well, if he REALLY relaxed it would have been even shorter, but that might have taken all day.)
Anyway, I literally left the building in tears because I was so relieved and so happy that she was willing to work with us. The wind that weekend was terrible, hence our chiropractor visit, so I considered the weekend a wash and figured it was worth it just to get that good VMO measurement.
The wind was so bad - 25 to 35 MPH gusts - that it made it really hard for ME to run on the course. I can't imagine how hard it was for the dogs to run against that, too. I was also worried that Auggie wouldn't be able to hear me with the wind. It was very warm, which I love but I know is hard for the dogs to be in the heat all day.
So my goals were simple: DON'T get all turned around in Open JWW... and hope that Auggie doesn't drop any bars. Again, if you read the Auggie Bloggie you know we are re-training his jumping through the Clothier Natural Jumping Method after he crashed into three jumps at our last trial back in September.
Well, I am a fan of the Clothier Jumping Method now, because Auggie is back to my awesome little man who doesn't knock a single bar. I'm so proud of him and so happy. I was terrified that we wouldn't be able to fix his jumping and I would have to just flat out retire him, because the way he jumped before he was likely to seriously hurt himself.
I also am happy to say I did NOT get all turned around in Open JWW (LOL.) I successfully remembered which jump was next in the sequence. HURRAY!
Our first day we got 2nd place and our first OAJ leg. Auggie is not used to working with 12 weaves, so he popped out of the poles at the 10th. The refusal and the time it took for me to put him through those last 2 poles (yes, for time's sake I made the decision to only do the last 2 poles rather than start all 12 over again, which I prefer to do in practice... I know, I know.) is what knocked us to 2nd. It's entirely my fault because I don't own a set of 12 weave poles so he hasn't been able to work on them for a long time. He's had a few practice sessions out at his breeders, but not the amount of practice that he really needs.
The first day on standard is also where we had our little accident involving Auggie getting blown off the dog walk. I could kick myself, because I SAW the off-course dog walk, but the correct obstacle in sequence was the a-frame, which he also loves. I SHOULD have FC'd the jump and got him up the a-frame rather than trying to call him to me. I didn't - even though I saw it, I frickin' saw it and thought "Gosh, I wonder if he'll take that off-course dog walk." I could kick myself. If he hadn't off-coursed... well, he still might have gotten blown off it when it came time to take it, but still. I could seriously just take myself out back and kick myself for seeing that off-course glaring at me and then totally ignoring the alarm bells in my head.
So basically, our first day of standard was cut VERY short since it only consisted of three jumps and a spill off the dog walk.
The second day in JWW, I wasn't screaming loud enough to call Auggie off an off-course jump (thx still 25-35 MPH gusting winds!) He also missed the entry on the weaves (he hardly ever misses his entry and I completely took it for granted - my bad) and again popped out after the 10th pole. If we hadn't had the faults AND the time faults fixing the mistakes at the weaves, we might have Q'd, but as it stands it was sort of a bomb, LOL. Points were 63 or something? Ouch!
WE STILL HAVEN'T Q'D NOVICE STANDARD. It's funny at this point, it feels like it will never happen. However, we had major progress as he hit EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of his contacts, including that accursed a-frame that he likes to fly off of. We had some trouble with the table, which is again my fault because I do not own a raised table so he hasn't had to actually jump UP on it. Also this table is the one the club uses in their training classes and it smells like cookie treats SO MUCH, it seems to cause trouble for Auggie just about every trial. I swear he just stands there sniffing at it trying to deduce where the missing cookies are. Time was our big problem there. Oh, and a run-out, caused by me forgetting my plan.
Honestly, Auggie would be pretty solid if I weren't so stupid sometimes.
Next weekend we're off to another trial. Looks like rain, but the wind should hopefully be less violent. I still don't really expect much.
Maybe a miracle will occur and we'll get a leg towards our NA.
Lot of dogs can take a while to get their first standard Qs... Heck.. least you don't run fault free agility.. Cider and I are founding members of the 5 fault club for standard runs. It's more disappointing trial after trial to miss it because of a minor refusal or table tumble. You persevered through what sound to be scary winds, and have come a logn way since your last trial. Congrats! That rocks.
