tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82234695953423661432012-01-25T22:47:57.684-05:00Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.comBlogger3351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-85498625017016509382012-01-25T22:45:00.001-05:002012-01-25T22:47:57.700-05:00

I just submitted part one of my first assignment for Linda's online DJS course. I'm excited to get started!

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-74607549612202412112012-01-22T11:25:00.002-05:002012-01-22T11:30:12.211-05:00

Here's (most of) my favorite run from the sheltie club trial.

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-66447298803212983072012-01-22T10:48:00.003-05:002012-01-22T10:49:17.569-05:00

The weather has been crazy. We had flooding rain with high winds last week. Now it's frozen outside and not looking like it's going to get close to 50 degrees today--but I suppose there's still lots of time for that to happen. We stayed in yesterday for the entire day. Today, I plan to go to the gym in the late afternoon for some indoor cycling and perhaps weight lifting if I leave early enough.

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-59946427483369741972012-01-07T18:03:00.001-05:002012-01-07T18:03:28.129-05:00

It was sunny and the temp reached well into the upper 50s today, if not 60 degrees for a short time, and truthfully, I didn't want to spend an hour in the car and then an hour inside practicing agility. But I did it anyway....baby dogs need training! Besides, we've been getting outside a lot lately in all kinds of weather for hiking/conditioning, and that needs to be balanced with skill work on

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-50648727437232760012012-01-05T10:44:00.001-05:002012-01-05T11:04:52.965-05:00

I registered for Linda Mecklenburg's online jumping skills course, as a working participant. It starts February 3. I'm looking forward to going through DJS more deeply and getting feedback on each step--plus some revised information/exercises Linda has created since the book was released in 2005. There are auditing and observing spots open, but I wanted to register Revel & myself as a working

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-91339694653008914302012-01-02T21:39:00.000-05:002012-01-02T21:39:39.390-05:00

It's that time of year. Everyone is posting about what happened last year, and what they hope will or won't happen in the new year. I don't really have feelings one way or another about 2011, which I suppose is good. Let's see...what happened? Mark broke his collarbone in a dog-related cycling accident. Emma's dam passed away.  Revel started to develop a brain.  I put in countless hours for

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-52814045022339001862011-12-19T14:16:00.002-05:002011-12-19T14:17:14.120-05:00

Since I last posted, we have attended the first ever IncrediPAWS winter camp, and Revel participated in a USDAA match! Now we're resting up a bit before our two scheduled trials in January. Camp was great. We worked a half day with each of four instructors: Linda Mecklenburg, Mary Ellen Barry, Jenn Crank and Karen Holik. My group started with Linda. It's been a while since I've worked with her.

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-81144879207722221702011-12-05T12:02:00.001-05:002011-12-05T12:53:18.906-05:00

Day 1 Felt really bad about late lateral motion on the RC in standard. I chickened out on the no-motion RC, which would have been perfect there. It's a skill we have, but I don't recall that we've ever used it in a trial setting. Next time, I'll just do it. Day 2 The crowding in the crating area and around the ring entrance was nerve wracking for both of us today. I let it get to me and paid

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-1979997137910514302011-11-29T14:15:00.000-05:002011-11-29T14:15:13.386-05:00

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-88137471095700258462011-11-19T16:49:00.001-05:002011-11-19T16:51:21.193-05:00

We are trialing this weekend in Indianapolis on new pelletted turf. We like it!

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-76447998109735999392011-11-16T20:21:00.001-05:002011-11-16T20:24:03.835-05:00

At least Revel's jumping and weaves are lovely. Right now, his A-frame is on hold until I can get some help, and he hasn't figured out how to differentiate the DW from the teeter. He was very tenative on the DW today in a new place, at first hitting it with 2 feet and then bailing on the up ramp. He did that twice. He finally got on properly, and stopped several times because he thought the board

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-64947697448229298952011-11-08T10:18:00.000-05:002011-11-08T10:18:09.508-05:00

I'm pondering why it's so easy for Revel to do one hit on the A-frame. Maybe his natural stride is long. I'm not sure how to communicate to him what I want (how to get the correct behavior so I can reward it). And...it's really hard to see what he's doing with all those legs in real time. I taped some sessions today, with the A-frame ramp on a gentle downward slope, just to be sure of what I'm

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-5683538471477961562011-11-04T11:57:00.001-04:002011-11-05T12:31:37.197-04:00

I wasn't planning to go to Reno for AKC Nationals with Emma in 2012, but since we are only about 100 points away from qualifying, I've made it an informal goal to qualify her. We have five trial days left, which will make it tight. I've entered fewer trials this fall than last year when we were working to finish the MACH, plus I had to miss the only one we had entered in September. Comparing this

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-50963343441011592192011-11-03T14:49:00.001-04:002011-11-03T14:49:28.301-04:00

Class was really fun yesterday. The lesson focused on blind crosses. We started out by doing them at non-turning obstacles, and then moved into using them at jumps. We talked about the mechanics, where/why to use them, when/why not to use them, and the corresponding foundation skills that could possibly suffer if blinds were used frequently. It was a very interesting class and we all had tons of

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-51640607502675008872011-11-01T16:48:00.000-04:002011-11-01T16:48:28.846-04:00

I decided to get the panel jump out and do some work with it today. I had intended to work all the recall to heel positions with it, but I got sidetracked, and only did the classic presentation and then serp and 270 with two jumps. To be safe, I took the top two panels off and had Revel jump back and forth over it a few times. No problems there. I then added the other two panels for a height

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-64676771330892580862011-10-31T10:11:00.002-04:002011-10-31T10:11:27.020-04:00

It's October...no, wait, October's over already...how did THAT happen? Seriously, time is flying by! Griffin, Emma and Revel went hiking with me and Ralph yesterday morning, when it was still cold outside. I really wanted to get a hike in, but wouldn't have time later in the day after it warmed up, so we bundled up and braved the cold. It was a lovely day for a hike, and the dogs were ecstatic

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-48344411677510851042011-10-29T17:33:00.002-04:002011-10-29T17:33:55.970-04:00

Revel had a ring rental today. I had several things I wanted to work on: contact end position, 24" weaves, sequencing/handling. I was also prepared to work on the A-frame as well, but there was no stride regulator available, and I think I want to have one ready next time we work on it. Revel's weaves were lovely today--he liked the 24" inch poles, as I suspected he would. We did 1-2 jumps before

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-54474326822986887722011-10-28T15:16:00.001-04:002011-10-28T15:31:20.830-04:00

One of the things I struggle with is Revel's style and rate of learning as compared to Emma's. I'm not intentionally comparing the two all the time, but since Emma is the first and only agility dog I've trained from the ground up, it's natural that I'd compare her development to Revel's. (Griffin came to me at a year and a half with a lot of puppy foundation for agility.) Revel takes a lot

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-47716911182318304212011-10-26T10:09:00.001-04:002011-10-26T10:09:57.913-04:00

Revel can weave 12 poles now, with all kinds of entries. I added a jump before and after the weaves yesterday, with the jump after requiring a straight exit, and the jump before requiring difficult entries. We tried a 180 jump-weave combination, and I used a pull, RC on the flat, and FC on the flat to get the entry. Emma got to do some of these same exercises. My next goal with weaving is to get

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-91527062641184128222011-10-02T21:46:00.001-04:002011-10-02T21:50:33.066-04:00

And Emma worked on her entries today, after hiking and swimming for 2 hours this afternoon. Love these dogs. They get fired up watching each other work in agility, and after we're done training, I let both of them play in the pasture. Emma retrieves, and I let Revel tug on the bumper after I get it back from Emma. We have a system worked out. I'll have to see about getting some training sessions

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-57770098015993306762011-08-24T21:46:00.000-04:002011-08-24T21:46:37.895-04:00

So....jumping. Tonight I asked Mark to mow so I could use the agility field. The grass was getting long again. He actually did mow, so after I worked at staining the fence around the potty area again (I'm trying to do half an hour or an hour a day to finish it), I pulled out DJS and got some jumps out. Revel is diving when he jumps to the right (nothing new--I'm writing this down because I want

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-10488261591740447352011-08-24T17:50:00.000-04:002011-08-24T17:50:59.020-04:00

We attended two seminars at IncrediPAWS in August, both on the same day. Revel participated in his very first seminar on recalls to heel! He'd never been to Jenn's building or participated in any kind of class before, so I didn't know how he would act. Once he got over his initial "Here I am--everybody LOVE ME!", he was fine and worked very well. He did get very tired by the end of the half-day

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-38906499077151260132011-08-05T13:00:00.000-04:002011-08-05T13:00:24.844-04:00

While most of the agility world is at the USDAA North Central Regional, I'm hanging out in Bloomington, enjoying the cooler weather that winds from the north have brought us--FINALLY! It has been a miserable summer for quite a long time. I believe we've even made a new record for so many hot days in a row. Next year, I may participate in the Chicago regional, if I can get up the nerve to deal

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-47799068441834305682011-07-22T13:36:00.000-04:002011-07-22T13:36:14.549-04:00

We've been hiding out in this heat wave. It's even too hot to go swimming, as the water temp is high and there's not a lot of shade in the sandy cove where we swim. The dogs don't understand why they are only going outside for potty breaks--no extended playtime outside right now! I did throw a tennis ball about five times yesterday for Emma, but then immediately brought her inside to cool off in

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-17310874300209185722011-07-04T21:05:00.000-04:002011-07-04T21:05:06.351-04:00

What's the 4th of July without a 50-mile bike ride and a little agility training? It was a great day! Revel worked on basic turns on the flat at a walk and a jog. We also did an exercise from DJS. One the July tour is over, we'll get cracking on his training.

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-16399572510448376292011-06-25T13:20:00.002-04:002011-06-25T14:17:04.265-04:00

Mark and I got back well after dark yesterday following a marathon route-marking session for our July bike tour. We couldn't mark the portions we wanted to mark due to rain, so we only got a few marks down heading north out of Bloomington towards Martinsville (and none in the city proper due to traffic--I'll have to get those down either at night or early in the morning). We decided to head east

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-66649054881258586612011-06-22T10:52:00.000-04:002011-06-22T10:52:14.668-04:00

I took the dogs swimming yesterday because I've been feeling guilty about them not having much play time lately. Yesterday and today, I started working Revel on recalls to heel on the flat, basic turns, and one jump work. Overall I'm happy with his attitude and progress. He has a tendency to dive very noticeably in one direction on the classic RTH, which Emma doesn't do, so I need to be sure I

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-26649981694047620452011-06-19T12:56:00.000-04:002011-06-19T12:56:12.907-04:00

We actually did some agility yesterday! I took Emma to a seminar with Susan Crank in Columbus, Indiana. It's rare that I get to work with IncrediPAWS instructors on my home turf (if you call a location an hour away "home turf"). I haven't worked Emma since we trialed the second weekend in May, and she was with Deb and the girls the four days prior to the seminar. And guess what? We can still do

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-61778626299009644972011-06-01T08:28:00.000-04:002011-06-01T08:28:22.237-04:00

I have to laugh at my last post, because the heat and humidity of summer have arrived! Yesterday we had a high of 92. Today will be a little better, and this weekend should be in the 80s. Revel enjoyed his kennel stay over Memorial Day weekend. He was with Griffin and Annie, who have stayed at that particular place several times. He was unsure at first when we went in, but very confident when I

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-23325703367828967392011-05-19T16:16:00.000-04:002011-05-19T16:16:30.001-04:00

It doesn't feel like summer yet, but today is sunny and fairly warm. I'm painting my dogwalk, which means it will go up soon (after we mow one more time). I hate the cycle of moving equipment and mowing (it's really starting to tweak my back to move the heavy things alone), but I love having the contacts out, because it signifies summer. (Never mind that I let my A-frame stay out all winter

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-80540932441713413022011-05-15T21:06:00.000-04:002011-05-15T21:06:42.112-04:00

This was a small, low-key trial. Work is getting busy for me and Emma is very itchy from her allergies (you can see her scratching at the startline on both clips), but I liked what we accomplished at this trial nonetheless. We had some very good course times and I came home with some things to work on to improve my comfort level and execution. Our recent focus on obstacle execution and speed for

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-12889088376016015172011-05-15T15:07:00.001-04:002011-05-15T15:08:31.163-04:00

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-36416642118711551592011-05-13T22:04:00.000-04:002011-05-13T22:04:23.142-04:00

I am a very, very bad dog trainer. I apparently took no training notes in 2010. If I did, they are not in Emma's training binder. (Actually, I do have seminar notes in a different notebook, but still...nothing from 2010 in the binder?) I need to start a binder for Revel. He'll be a year old in June and it's time to start more formal training with him. I introduced him to running between two

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-22947586272014388382011-05-02T17:27:00.000-04:002011-05-02T17:27:08.635-04:00

I'm revisiting Developing Jumping Skills for Revel and really looking forward to teaching him how to jump. He's very confortable jumping back and forth through a tire and over a single bar at 20". He also looks fine at 22" and 24" (we only did a few reps at these heights). This week I should have another ring rental, and I hope to expose him to the panel jump and the broad jump, just so he's seen

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-30679718822265971552011-04-29T19:14:00.000-04:002011-04-29T19:14:08.274-04:00

Well, last week was a bust because I spent it sick with a sinus infection. April 2011 is going down as the month I most definitely want to forget. I finally felt well enough today to do a ring rental. Emma worked with her travel plank outside where I could throw a bumper, and we worked on angled approaches and sending to the plank. Inside, we worked on weave independence again, with 2 sets of 6

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-91458861942154169852011-04-13T20:51:00.001-04:002011-04-14T10:23:51.812-04:00

We did a ring rental today because we have a small one-ring USDAA trial this weekend. I got snowed out of my AKC trial at Countryside in March, so I decided to do this USDAA trial instead. Emma had a blast practicing her 2o-2o with the Chuck-It flying squirrel as a reward. She blew through the first three attempts on the travel plank in anticipation of my throw. She was barking her fool head off

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-40042062857248520942011-04-10T16:27:00.000-04:002011-04-10T16:27:40.947-04:00

We have a high of 85 predicted for today, and I'm still not well enough to play outside.  Revel is now jumping beautifully through the tire, occasionally before I release him, but I don't mind the enthusiasm. Today he acted like he'd been doing it all his life from the very first rep. I even raised it up a few inches so he could offer a real jumping effort. Here is Emma at Nationals running

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-42818719669897504362011-04-09T18:02:00.001-04:002011-04-10T13:01:44.698-04:00

I ordered two recordings of sounds  (trial and other life noises, such as gunshots, fireworks, trains, planes, crowds, children, etc.) to work on sound sensitivity with Revel. I picked them up at the Clean Run booth at AKC Nationals. I've just now gotten around to unwrapping them. I noticed a short time ago that it was doggie dinner time, so I decided to let Revel eat while the teeter sounds

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-34235865946615244992011-04-06T19:24:00.000-04:002011-04-06T19:24:46.167-04:00

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-61648932070215504102011-04-04T21:42:00.004-04:002011-04-04T21:46:38.316-04:00

My first AKC Nationals definitely had its ups and downs. I liked the site upon arrival and settled into the stall and the hotel easily. I'm glad I switched hotels to the closer one. We were only a few minutes away from the show site. Being at a show this large was a new experience for me. The Louisville cluster is the largest show nearby, and I could easily do it each year if I wanted to spend

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-39730732634016080882011-03-24T16:39:00.000-04:002011-03-24T16:39:53.176-04:00

I had a final ring rental today. There are still lots of things I would like to practice, but we hit some of the most important things I thought we needed to review. We're as ready as we're going to be. Really, I just want to have fun and enjoy the event. I don't know if I will enjoy a big event like this and I want to find out. At least there will be good shopping! I really wanted to write

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-16238624687134435272011-03-23T14:43:00.000-04:002011-03-23T14:43:21.086-04:00

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-29951350047441366302011-03-22T13:31:00.003-04:002011-03-22T21:17:36.055-04:00

I've had a few ring rentals on dirt to finish preparing for AKC Nationals. I have the information I need from trials and just need to review some skills. Our last practice will be Thursday. We've had a lot of fun practicing and it's been warm and dry enough to throw a bumper outside between work sessions. Emma was thrilled! Our verbal discriminations are coming along, finally! This has been one

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-42750682011793061792011-03-12T22:57:00.000-05:002011-03-12T22:57:17.793-05:00

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/gallery/2011/03/record-89-magnitude-earthquake-rocks-japan-unleashes-tsunami.php?img=1&ref=fpb

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-41640048880235416812011-03-10T12:59:00.003-05:002011-03-11T08:58:21.756-05:00

Emma's litter mate Buster is competing in obedience at Crufts. We wish him and handler Dave Maurer lots of luck! Keep up with the news here and on the live stream.

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-25340874277630319832011-03-06T21:19:00.003-05:002011-03-07T10:32:33.612-05:00

POP QUIZ 1. This agility judge has a real job as: a. A chef b. A chemist c. A big city cop d. An accountant 2. This agility judge runs: a. Dobes b. Shelties c. Staffies d. Paps e. Border Collies 3. Other competitors like to let him run their dogs sometimes because: a. He has a great smile. b. He doesn't care whether he Q's or not. c. He'll pay to run a well-trained dog. d. He has long legs

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-38376531854627403172011-02-28T09:33:00.001-05:002011-02-28T09:45:09.216-05:00

Emma's MACH run (Friday 2/25 STD) Saturday STD (2/26) Sunday STD (2/27) Sunday JWW (2/27--last run of the weekend)

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-16473165563371248382011-02-20T15:22:00.000-05:002011-02-20T15:22:19.652-05:00

I got a lot of sleep yesterday and we were ready to rock today! We earned 10 MACH points in JWW and 31 points with a second place in Standard for our first-ever multiplier! Yippee! Most importantly, I felt that I did a good job of analyzing courses and a decent job of executing today. There's always room for improvement, but I was happy. Sunday JWW and Std

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-20756043675979403072011-02-19T18:01:00.000-05:002011-02-19T18:01:23.744-05:00

No rest for the weary. I was at IncrediPAWS yesterday for a AKC Nationals prep seminar, and back in Indiana today for a local AKC trial. The Agility Club of Indianapolis does a really nice job with their trials. They decorate the area with a racing motif, and they even got two porta potties so people wouldn't have to wait in line for the restrooms! What a great group of people. Anyway, at the

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-53631922982724592011-02-15T10:56:00.002-05:002011-02-19T18:03:04.665-05:00

We did both days of the local annual February USDAA trial this past weekend. I have mixed feelings about the experience, but overall I think we're doing fine. First off, I had a ring rental on Friday. I chose Friday because of the arctic temperatures we had earlier in the week, when it was just too cold to practice in an unheated horse arena. I chose to focus on forward sends, cueing with

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-35024652479903411482011-02-03T09:30:00.001-05:002011-02-03T09:59:38.597-05:00

Toasted quinoa porridge: it's what's for breakfast Last night Mark had wood in the fireplace in the basement. It smelled sweet. I love the smell of burning wood in the winter. This morning I made toasted quinoa porridge. Camilla's is prettier, but mine tastes just as good. I like real maple syrup and dried cranberries in mine. Here is the recipe: Enlightened Cooking:

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-44500275881272681172011-02-02T10:11:00.000-05:002011-02-02T10:11:54.535-05:00

It's cold outside, you say? Really?

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-63302613731127891932011-02-01T20:07:00.000-05:002011-02-01T20:07:29.461-05:00

Extra water in the bathroom shower. Extra water in the kitchen. Revel watching me take pictures around 3PM. This is a favorite bush. I feel sorry for it now. Our driveway is an ice rink. It's white now, but at 3PM, it was just slick as glass. More icicles.

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-64621635906692739392011-02-01T13:32:00.000-05:002011-02-01T13:32:29.221-05:00

I am waiting for round 2 of the 2011 ice storm to come through. North of us, in Morgan County (in Paragon--that's an easy bike ride away from here, about 40 miles round trip), trees are coming down and power crews can't keep up in repairing the outages. So far, nothing is happening here. It's silent outside, glistening with ice. I can hardly stand the waiting. It's very likely we will lose power

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-14981481082258840892011-01-25T21:40:00.000-05:002011-01-25T21:40:01.151-05:00

Tonight we did our power assessment for my Tuesday evening cycling class. The class I led rode two four-minute assessments; the class I take rode two 8-minute assessments. I've done a number of these now, and this one was by far the best. By that I mean that I rode consistently over each eight-minute block, just under lactate threshold, with my average wattage showing only a difference of five

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-25511952344929544252011-01-24T12:02:00.000-05:002011-01-24T12:02:20.088-05:00

I came across this short article on goal setting and performance increases in cycling a few days ago. The SMART acronym for goal-setting has been around a while, as has data demonstrating that performance gains decrease as an athlete gains experience. Here is a chart with approximate percentages of performance improvement based on years in a sport (from this page of the CycleOps website):

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-23158149136241900102011-01-20T11:45:00.000-05:002011-01-20T11:45:43.707-05:00

On a day like today... (notice my poor A-frame still out on the agility field...) these two are keeping the bed warm... and these two are in the kitchen. (See the wavy coat from yesterday's bath?) And this just seemed like the right thing to do.

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-70437212663740673302011-01-18T10:36:00.000-05:002011-01-18T10:36:14.153-05:00

than the horse community in some significant ways. My background is in eventing, where vet checks are a regular and required part of competition. Although it's been years since I've competed in horse trials, I believe both the dressage judge and the technical delegate have the authority (and the responsibility) to excuse any competitor whose horse is observed to be lame. Because uneven horses

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-7235723297972761022011-01-18T09:46:00.000-05:002011-01-18T09:46:53.100-05:00

Emma had a blood test for allergies. She has been symptomatic for seasonal inhalant allergies for some time now. From checking online when she was symptomatic, I was certain she was allergic to some type of tree pollen--I just couldn't figure out which kind. The results came back yesterday, and she is extremely (as in, off-the-charts) allergic to...DUST MITES. Yes, dust mites. That is not a

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-10473741280092472062011-01-17T11:31:00.001-05:002011-01-17T11:31:31.501-05:00

Saturday Standard (partial run) Sunday JWW and Std

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-83417384016693113312011-01-14T19:42:00.000-05:002011-01-14T19:42:02.562-05:00

I'm one of those people who actually does practice agility regularly, or at least tries to. I took Emma to Indianapolis on Thursday for practice because we have a trial this weekend. It was organized differently than normal--like a run through, with a whiteboard listing the dogs by jump height. There was a course set up and it was divided into thirds. Each time we had the floor, we ran a third of

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-89668714002937387642011-01-12T21:23:00.001-05:002011-01-12T21:25:11.431-05:00

I took the dogs outside for a romp and checked the weather after we came back inside. Good thing, because I might not have taken them out to play! The "feels like" temperature was 9. Yes, NINE. I don't want to feel like nine. I think 75 and sunny would be very nice, thank you. Emma was very, very excited about retrieving her bumper. I threw one of the white ones for her, since my white bumpers

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-33842155517371644072011-01-11T13:09:00.001-05:002011-01-11T13:10:15.534-05:00

Annie is probably 11 or 12 years old. She is a rescue dog who came to me at probably 9 months of age. Annie went in for her vet check earlier this week. She's doing well for her age. She has a bad elbow that's bothering her some now, and some spondylosis in her spine. She spends most of her time sleeping. I gave her the spa treatment, brushing her, trimming feet and nails, and brushing her

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-60435807115142397672011-01-05T09:43:00.000-05:002011-01-05T09:43:06.561-05:00

They're actually being good right at this exact moment. I find it funny to discover Revel on the bed, since he can barely get up there.

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-28791775476111475942011-01-04T21:10:00.003-05:002011-01-05T22:14:32.604-05:00

I am really glad I purchased Foundation Fundamentals. I had read the articles by Mary Ellen Barry that appeared in Clean Run--was it two years ago?--and liked them. My opinion is that almost everything on the DVD set is very useful for foundation training. MEB spent years using the Derrett system but now uses APHS, and this background is significant for some of the exercises she presents. What

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-47941955839214228902011-01-04T11:38:00.002-05:002011-01-04T11:40:44.698-05:00

One, because Lisa made a great comment about FMFCs that I just now read, and it hits on a couple of things I've been mulling over. It's important to be sure that the turning cues vs. the forward motion cues of the FMFC are in balance; as Lisa mentions, like some of her students, I am sometimes guilty of rushing into position to get ahead on the FMFC, but if I'm not already far enough ahead, the 

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-15941695506511131972011-01-03T21:34:00.002-05:002011-01-03T21:34:49.262-05:00

Many blogs I used to read have gone dormant. Apparently their writers have nothing to say. I haven't been writing much lately, but I do wonder if anyone besides my Mom reads my blog.

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-40922647476494193342011-01-03T16:49:00.000-05:002011-01-03T16:49:41.893-05:00

 

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-6675409279224300502011-01-02T20:30:00.000-05:002011-01-02T20:30:22.366-05:00

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-42994102655478397002011-01-02T14:02:00.003-05:002011-01-02T14:15:46.580-05:00

I got back late last night from two days near St. Louis for a USDAA trial. I was on a DAM team for the first time, after being told team was fun and being invited by a friend. Well, team is fun and we are now qualified for team at 2011 USDAA Nationals. Emma and I held up through five runs on Friday. Her contacts in Gamblers and Standard were naughty--she self-released on the DW and teeter. I knew

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-10604710851063930162010-12-28T18:20:00.000-05:002010-12-28T18:20:27.996-05:00

I took the boys hiking today. Yes, the girls stayed home. I'm not sure that Annie would have been able to negociate the hilly terrain of the hike I chose, and Emma has been tearing up a pad on the crusty snow. Since we have a trial over New Year's, I decided she'd better stay home. As it turns out, the trail was well packed and probably would have been fine for her. Griffin and Revel had a great

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-14027266185704381492010-12-22T22:29:00.001-05:002010-12-22T22:31:09.272-05:00

I'm so far behind I continue to put off posting anything about our training or trialing. Earlier this month, we attended the IncrediPAWS Christmas party Friday evening and a course analysis seminar the next day with Susan Crank. It was really a lot of fun and Emma and I put in some very good work. She showed some very good speed throughout the day. I need to continue to work on deceleration. I'm

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-43198121292287104042010-12-09T16:01:00.000-05:002010-12-09T16:01:27.940-05:00

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-81315454123127174742010-12-07T09:41:00.000-05:002010-12-07T09:41:37.743-05:00

This Labrador Retriever won the 20" division at the AKC Invitational. Go retrievers!

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-19720170496079225312010-12-04T13:18:00.000-05:002010-12-04T13:18:39.161-05:00

Annie and Revel racing around the barn Snow frenzy I could herd them... Goup shot with Zambo, the neighbor dog

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-29864600756497877492010-11-30T21:26:00.001-05:002010-11-30T21:29:07.925-05:00

November went by in a blur, and I barely remember October. I don't want to think about how many miles I put on my car In October traveling for agility trials--to Indianapolis, Lewisburg, & Zanesville. The yard work did not get done this year, but at least most of the leaves got chopped up back when the weather was warmer when Mark mowed over them with the tractor. Our push to qualify for 2011

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-63280401797782244882010-11-24T11:43:00.000-05:002010-11-24T11:43:32.692-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my dog friends. Whether we train and trial together or interact mostly online, I'm very happy to have you in my life. I enjoy experiencing your journeys and hope you enjoy mine as well. We are visiting parents and Griffin, Emma and Revel are with me. That makes a total of five dogs in the house! Fortunately, my parents have a large finished sunroom/porch off the back

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-40964612807994223152010-11-21T21:28:00.000-05:002010-11-21T21:28:56.078-05:00

I decided to revisit Crate Games. I took a few notes while watching the DVD and it seemed much less complicated this time through, probably because I'm a more experienced trainer. Anyway, what I expected to be quite easy with Revel turned out to be surprising. I expected him to catch on quickly and play the game happily. I had no problem counter conditioning the sound of the crate door latch

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-7056521325655067902010-11-21T11:51:00.000-05:002010-11-21T11:51:37.123-05:00

We trained at the dirt area on Friday. Some of the things we worked on: *Revel being quiet in a crate while I tugged with Emma, worked her table performance, and worked a single jump. He was really good until the very end of practice, when I think he was tired and we were out in the arena running a sequence. He did some barking and whining then. *Emma and I practiced our trial routine by

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-17760148113687917062010-11-18T11:58:00.000-05:002010-11-18T11:58:15.118-05:00

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-21665035266946442792010-11-15T20:52:00.001-05:002010-11-15T20:54:04.643-05:00

I'm too tired and pressed for time to write a long entry right now, but I'm happy to report that Emma had one of her best agility weekends in quite a while! We had a private lesson with Jenn on Thursday, and then trialed at Countryside Agility Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Terry Elger was the judge. I was a little surprised to see him again after he judged the Lewisburg trial Halloween weekend,

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-5008620801636552142010-11-09T21:45:00.000-05:002010-11-09T21:45:28.624-05:00

No wonder I feel foggy. I just checked my calendar and confirmed that this weekend will make the fourth weekend in a row that I will be out of town. That's three weekends for agility trials  and one weekend for a conference in Madison, Wisconsin. Doesn't leave much time for blogging!

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-16071682334869234942010-10-17T13:06:00.003-04:002010-10-17T13:24:00.099-04:00

We took a trip down to Louisville yesterday to visit USDAA Nationals. I took a friend who has been wanting to spectate at an agility trial, and we went down for the Performance Speed Jumping and Championship Steeplechase finals. We arrived early enough to browse the trade fair, and I bought a few things I would have ordered online. We arrived with the program in hand and tried to orient

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-31512199599712632702010-10-12T08:54:00.001-04:002010-10-12T08:58:34.181-04:00

USDAA Nationals is in Louisville this year, but it wasn't on my radar to try to qualify, for a couple of reasons. One is my limited trial schedule due to work. It was much easier to focus on qualifying for nationals in only one venue. Another is Emma's allergies. I almost never trial outdoors any more for this reason, and many USDAA trials are outside. I plan to get Emma tested for allergies over

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-57225288754693799982010-10-08T16:16:00.000-04:002010-10-08T16:16:55.467-04:00

We did another quick practice today. I have just a couple of observations. 1. My cues are confusing for the turn away from me into a tunnel from the A-frame. Emma was reading a FMFC and going back up the A-frame today when we tried turning right into the tunnel (earlier this week we practiced turning left, which she nailed after one error). I think that for now, I need to let her have 1-2

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-14516851791180584702010-10-04T15:23:00.000-04:002010-10-04T15:23:57.536-04:00

WE PRACTICED AGILITY TODAY!!! Yes, amazing, I know. My poor equipment has seen no action since I can't remember when. It took longer to set up than it did to practice, but once I started pulling equipment out, I began to enjoy it. It got me thinking about how agility has changed, specifically equipment specs, in the short time I've been involved. I would love to have rubberized contacts and a set

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-8602348947266457852010-10-01T22:00:00.000-04:002010-10-01T22:00:24.340-04:00

The puppies are 16 weeks old now. I thought I would make a list of what we've done or experienced during this time. 1. car travel--lots of trips of various durations 2. attended agility trials (2) 3. watched others train agility at practice/group class 4. socialized with individual dogs (pack mates & many others) 5. socialized with a group of dogs all playing together 6. met many, many people,

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-55381484777064575942010-10-01T16:26:00.000-04:002010-10-01T16:26:04.625-04:00

Everyone is off trialing and I'm home this weekend! I'm feeling lonely! At least I get to watch the live stream of the World Team agility in Germany. Wish I were there in person. It's in Bavaria! It's been so long since I've been to that region. Muenchen, Regensburg, Nuernberg, Bamberg, Oktoberfest...brings back lots of college memories.

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-41921358916030706712010-09-28T21:06:00.000-04:002010-09-28T21:06:58.002-04:00

We returned to Hamilton again for our first trial of the fall season. I'm so glad it's finally feeling like fall, with cooler weather and less humidity. Summer was brutal, and completely unproductive for agility. We had no outdoor practices at all this year due to the terrible heat and humidity. I'm too tired right now to post a full trial report, so I'll just post links to Emma's runs on Sunday

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-29943907820233116542010-09-24T08:54:00.001-04:002010-09-24T08:56:18.883-04:00

I have a trial in Hamilton this weekend. I entered Saturday and Sunday. I don't feel ready, so we'll just go play for fun. The last time we were on equipment was at the end of August for a group class at IncrediPAWS. I had to skip the final class in the series because I didn't have time to drive over. Besides trying to keep up with work and a growing puppy, the latest saga is the quest to

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-8600497185088077062010-09-19T13:12:00.000-04:002010-09-19T13:12:39.897-04:00

The dogs are back. Yesterday we took a short hike in the gorge with some swimming. Revel had a great time at camp. He met lots of people and dogs when he was at an agility trial, a kennel club meeting, and an agility lesson while I was gone. Deb took great care of him. He's grown a lot since I dropped him off! We've had a few training sessions last night and this morning/afternoon. I've come to

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-61294474681134875932010-09-12T20:54:00.000-04:002010-09-12T20:54:29.361-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFqA4OkDUWI Thanks for Deb for puppy sitting and socializing Revel while I'm away for the week due to work!

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-71210084270155617002010-09-08T21:35:00.000-04:002010-09-08T21:35:16.080-04:00

Revel can now do these stairs in both directions. Emma posing on a rock. Hunting critters. In the parking lot afterwards.

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-68186653111291401682010-09-08T21:21:00.001-04:002010-09-08T21:36:02.906-04:00

This is what happens when you forget to remove the toilet paper from the holder.

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-89057125782371795022010-09-08T09:50:00.000-04:002010-09-08T09:50:30.522-04:00

I have too much to do to get ready for the September bicycle tour to travel to Ohio for my class at IncrediPAWS. While I'm sad to miss class, I'm definitely not sad about skipping the drive (4 hours one way). I'll have more time to get my work done, and time to take the dogs on a fun outing later today as a break. We went to one of my favorite places last night, finishing up in the dark with my

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-55337315529078770422010-09-01T20:27:00.000-04:002010-09-01T20:27:19.046-04:00

My what large teeth you have, Griffin! If I can't reach the Cuz toy, I'll bite your face instead. Emma polices the situation. Griffin has the toy. We both have the toy!

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-31124205790139848572010-09-01T12:20:00.000-04:002010-09-01T12:20:41.757-04:00

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-30817728287256554102010-08-30T16:34:00.000-04:002010-08-30T16:34:03.648-04:00

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-88730675719243575152010-08-18T10:29:00.000-04:002010-08-18T10:29:45.489-04:00

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223469595342366143.post-81382120542759544232010-08-16T19:45:00.000-04:002010-08-16T19:45:16.164-04:00

Ha, you might think so! The truth is, I am indeed very busy. On top of the puppy I have a lot of work to do right now. Sometimes I think I need a personal assistant. We attended a relatively local USDAA trial on Saturday. I was hoping to finish Emma's Advanced Standard title, and actually entered Advanced Standard on Saturday and Sunday. I also entered Steeplechase and Grand Prix on Saturday,

Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545617827996043666noreply@blogger.com6