Ice, Snow, and Dogs

The dogs loved the freak snowstorm we had this weekend. Maxwell quickly took to eating snow, and both dogs had fun rooting through the drifts for scents. I love how Maxwell's back becomes speckled with big flakes.

We were lucky: we lost internet Saturday night, but never lost power. My trainers were a bit less lucky, as they were at a trial an hour + away on Saturday. With all the trees down, plus the roads icing over rapidly, it took them over 3 hours to get home. I'm just glad they made it back safely.

They were also kind enough to call me the next morning with road updates. All the excellent dogs ran first, so they hit the road early. I had time to sleep in (8:45 on a trial day!), so the worst of the ice had melted by the time the dogs and I headed out. We made it to the trial site without a problem, and still too early!

T2B was first, dividing the trial into excellent and open/novice halves. My brain died about 1/4 through the course, and I actually ended up trying to call Sadie off the right obstacle! We recovered the course, if not my dignity, and had a super strong finish. Nailing the two serpentines almost makes up for the idiot handler. Check it out here. (Thanks to Mr. Trainer for filming)

Standard was fine, but not great. It took two tries to get through the weaves, with Sadie trying to jam her way into the equipment storage area (barricaded off from the ring by plastic gates). Then she did a fly-off instead of stopping on the table. We Q'ed with the fastest time by 8 seconds, but her two faults bumped her back to third place. Bummer.

Jumpers was a nice, flowing course. Sadie killed it, running 105 yards in 24.4 seconds. Not bad for a goofy Lab. She ran like a maniac, but in control at the same time. I barely felt like I had to guide her. The bad news? She must have nicked a bar with a hind toe. I heard it hit the floor, but didn't see her take it down. Eliminated, but faster than the other 24" dog by about 20 seconds. Ahem...

Sorry, no video of the last two runs.

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 Now, this person really knows how to train animals. I don't think my dogs are this good... And please, watch it all the way through. Definitely worth the time.

Lastly, a happy picture to end this Monday.

Teaser 3

You love to compete with your friends from class, but there are often multiple trials being held under different sanctioning bodies on the same day. It’s a pain to have to coordinate via email, but you’ll never remember to bring your calendar and stack of premiums to class. How can you easily organize trial schedules with your friends?

DogTrials.net

A Quick Update On Yesterday's Trial

We have video!

My camera was acting funny, so the T2B run is toast. Not that the run itself was much better!

Thanks to Mr. Trainer for capturing the Standard run for us.

Thanks to my NRHS friend for capturing the Jumpers run for us on her own camera. (Please ignore the incorrect dog name in the title)

Connection Made: Darby

Of all the random things, Sadie found Maxwell's sibling at the trial yesterday.

Ok, so she body-slammed someone in excitement while I tried to check her in for a run and hang on to two leashes. That person commented on Maxwell, and it came up that he's an ARPH dog. Once I mentioned his rescue name (Stitch), they mentioned Darby! And now I'm in contact with her owner! (Sorry for the wrong pronoun before...)

We're trying to set up a time to meet, and let the siblings say hello. Apparently she's already bigger than Maxwell, and only 7 months old! I can't wait to get a picture of them together.

I can see the family resemblance, too. They both have the lean bodies and long legs of a working line, and the same markings on their legs.

I can't wait!

Darby: Used with her owner's permission

Maxwell, of course