BBB and The Homecoming Queen

We had a great weekend in Balzac at an agility trial. The trial was very relaxed, moved quickly and was lots of fun. The dogs both had a good weekend too.

Bosley, affectionately known as BBB - Bad Boy Bosley - had to change his name this weekend to BBB - Best Boy Bosley. In January, I trialled Bosley at this same arena and I was so frustrated. He was so busy looking around, sniffing things and being a very Bad Boy. This weekend, he was wonderful! He didn't gawk around at all and I could actually just run the course and not have to keep on him every second. I am not sure why the difference - I have been getting him exciting on the start line by asking him to bark (he likes that), so maybe that helped. Or maybe the brain fairy finally paid him a visit :) Hopefully the focus and enthusiasm is here to stay.

Advanced Standard 1 - Bosley was having a beautiful run but for some reason ran past the teeter after I did a rear cross, so we had a refusal.

Advanced Standard 2 - Another really nice run. I sent Bosley to the table and instead of going straight to it, he ran all the way around before getting on. I thought we had a refusal, but the judge didn't call one. The rest of the run was clean. When I went to check the results later I was disappointed to see we had time faults. 0.47 seconds over time! What a bummer. The table run around wasted about 3 seconds.

Starters Gamblers - Nice, nice, nice. Not a huge amount of points in the opening (26) but we were in the perfect place for the final gamble. The main gamble was chute - tunnel -jump in a curved formation. Bosley did it easily and without any hesitation. "Q". This was also the last Q Bosley needed to finish his Starters Game Dog Title.

Advanced Jumpers - The last class Saturday and Bosley was a bit slower than normal. He ran nice the entire course until the last obstacle. It was an "S" curved tunnel and when I rear crossed it, he jumped over the end instead of going through. Silly dog - I shouldn't have rear crossed there I guess. He would have been over time anyway.

Advanced Standard 3 - Bosley was running so nice and I messed him up because I put a front cross (for some reason I don't know) in the wrong place and not how I walked it at all, so instead of sending him to the table, I sent him out to the teeter.

Advanced Snooker - I had to do a bit of pushing and pulling and needed to use my verbal "turn cue" a couple times but Bosley had a nice opening. Unfortunately, he missed his weave entrance in the closing and we got tweeted off at #5 (needed to finish #6 to Q).

Maggie - The Homecoming Queen. Jolayne nicknamed her this because of Maggie's severe Going Home Syndrome. Maggie usually runs the beginning of the course in a trot and then as soon as she knows we are in the homestretch, she takes off like a rocket. This weekend was no different.

Advanced Standard 1 - Maggie was running great in the first part of the course (even faster than a trot). We got to the weaves and she refused them, I reset her and she refused again. Maggie then went a bit wild. She ran away from me play bowing and bucking and trying to get me to chase her. I finally got her to the next obstacle and she ran the rest of the course at top speed, bucking and jumping the entire way. It was hysterical! The judge was laughing, I was laughing and anyone watching couldn't help but laugh at her. I love to see Maggie enjoying herself like that.

Advanced Standard 2 - Not as wild as her first run and we fought about the table. Maggie refused the weaves again but I got her going through them (slowly). She finished in her usually Homecoming Queen style.

Advanced Gamblers - Maggie had a nice opening with 24 points. We were in a perfect spot when the whistle blew for the main gamble. I knew if she went out to the tunnel I could get her back to the #3 jump but I wasn't sure she would send out to the #4 jump. She nailed the final gamble for a "Q". This was the last Advanced Gamble Q she needed and now she moves to Masters.

Steeplechase - Maggie was pokey at the start and then when I went to send her in a tunnel, she went way out of her way to take the A-frame instead. So instead of finishing the course, I just did a big loop with her and ran off.

Standard 3 - Maggie started out slow and when she got to the weaves she got the entry but I could see she wasn't going to finish them. I did something that I really hate - I put my hands in the poles and lured her back. She finished the poles and had a nice finish. To my surprise, she made time (by 3 seconds) and Q'd!

Masters Snooker - Maggie had an OK opening although she kept thinking it was time to "run home". We needed to get to the end of #5 in the closing, which were the weaves. She refused the weaves again so we got tweeted.

I really think Maggie's back was sore this weekend. She was jumping well but it is not like her to refuse every set of weaves. It is probably time for another chiropractic adjustment.

I had one other run this weekend. Sarah asked if I would run Gyp for her in Masters Jumpers. Gyp is such a fun dog to run - she is very well trained, responsive and fast, fast, fast. I had a blast and we got a "Q" and had the second fastest time out of all the Masters dogs. Thanks for letting me run her Sarah!