Zaz and Itz have turned 15 months. They can now be officially measured and next month they can attend some UKA shows in Nursery and Steeplechase. I still think of them as babies so I am glad that they cannot actually compete until June. In many ways they are the least trained puppies I have ever had but that is OK. I know all the basics are there and we just need to work on stringing together more than 5-6 obstacles.
I have not done much garden training this winter which is why I think they are slighly behind in training. Mostly the problem has been the weather as I am a fair-weather trainer. :-) Luckily I was inspired by watching 3 days of agility at Crufts and I dragged out the equipment on Sunday.
My main focus for this session was to improve Itz's speed on the see saw, to see if both pups could do a running A-frame into weaves and to work on cross behind weaves. This video shows our entire training session. I keep sessions short for three reasons. One: I find the pups do much better on short intense sessions, two: I get tired running two pups and three: Dennis gets bored videoing for too long! LOL
Thursday, March 18, 2010
More Crufts 2010
So it was a fabulous Crufts 2010 for the Team OBay. I really enjoyed watching all the other OBay shelties running this weekend and Zen's win was just icing on a fantastic Crufts cake!
Johanna had this pillow made for Zen and I. I love that it is the colour of the crufts carpet! Thanks to Johanna and everyone who sent good luck cards. They are so appreciated and every one is brought with us and displayed with pride. I have not been very creative about decorating my bench with Zen but maybe I will be better when the Zitzy pups get to Crufts. I did love my lucky pink horseshoe from Lian. Johanna was very jealous and is determined to get to Crufts again so that she can get one next year! The pink horseshoe matched Zen's pink Camoflauge crate which Johanna also wants for Soda!
Well done to all the OBay shelties at Crufts this year.
- Nicky and Indy (Ag. Ch. Obay Truly Driven) won the Small Singles and the Small Championships for a 3rd year in a row!
I have been asked when I will be getting some videos of the pups training back on the blog. Hopefully I will get it on tonight or tomorrow. Both Zaz and Itzy are doing great and training can really get going now that we have had good weather!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Crufts 2010 British Open
Well another crufts is over! Zen and I competed only on Thursday and we had a great time. My groom, Johanna, did a fantastic job and even kept everyone up to date on facebook as they day progressed! How cool is that?
Zen was representing Great Britain in the British open. We had qualified last year at the Kennel Club International festival. This was a good Crufts for me this year; I felt much happier going than I had last year. Competing only one day was actually quite nice. Zen was relaxed and I felt happy that she only had to spend one day on the bench.
Zen won both the British Open jumping and the agility and ended up the Medium British Open Winner. That's my girl!
Thanks to Johanna (and Marianne Qwist who made it!) for Zen's union jack flag coat. She looked so cute in it!
I am not sure if this will work. Let me know if you can view this video? I am not sure if you need to be payed up with the Crufts website in order to view. This was the British Open jumping.
Zen was representing Great Britain in the British open. We had qualified last year at the Kennel Club International festival. This was a good Crufts for me this year; I felt much happier going than I had last year. Competing only one day was actually quite nice. Zen was relaxed and I felt happy that she only had to spend one day on the bench.
Zen won both the British Open jumping and the agility and ended up the Medium British Open Winner. That's my girl!
Thanks to Johanna (and Marianne Qwist who made it!) for Zen's union jack flag coat. She looked so cute in it!
I am not sure if this will work. Let me know if you can view this video? I am not sure if you need to be payed up with the Crufts website in order to view. This was the British Open jumping.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Life goes on
And you shall wake, grown young with perfect sleep
It has been a strange two weeks. At moments things seem normal and then, POW, a memory hits and the sadness returns. I am missing Jordan and Pax. Yet Zaz, Itzy and Zen all live in the moment and honestly you cannot be very sad around Itzy. She has the fun gene and can cheer anyone up.
We had a big scare last week as Zaz became ill and had to stay for two days at the vets. My Lord, there is nothing that reminds you how important these little dogs are then when they get sick. I won't go into details but I am just so grateful that Zaz is here and still making my heart sing with her unique personality. Bizarrely, I almost felt guilty that Zaz took up all my emotions last week; as if those worries about Zaz took away from my mourning for Pax and Jordan. I know that sounds strange...I also had conflicted emotions about who I felt sadder about losing which is also weird. Gosh what we can put ourselves through just in our own little brains.
I am feeling much better this weekend. I prayed that this week would be a fairly normal straight forward week with no tragedies. And so far, so good! I am optimistic that we are due some good fortune.
I know that scattering ashes could sound like a sad thing but actually it is very cathartic. It is an ending yet also a beginning of our new different life without those two special souls. Today we took Pax and Jordan's ashes up to Bignor Hill. We scattered them in the same place that we scattered the ashes of Noel, Joy and Hex.
The rock where we took such great photos of Pax and Jordan is now gone. It is replaced by a memorial plinth that still bears the saying "And you shall wake, grown young with perfect sleep" on the back. Itz, Zen and Zaz now have their own photos at this special place.
Crufts is coming up next week followed soon by the IFCS World Championships. Zen and I are glad to be back playing together. We are at Crufts only one day this year and will competing in the British Open on Thursday. Zen and I did not compete much last year so I am really pleased to have qualified for the British Open. And actually one day at Crufts for Zen is just perfect! We are so psyched; we can't wait! And finally I get to stick around for two more days and actually support other people rather than worrying about Zen. There are alot of shelties to cheer on and that requires my full concentration. Last year Crufts was not fun for me and very much a blur. I am really looking forward to being there this year both as a competitor and a supporter. I am also being a bit of a turn-coat as my main support will be for Denmark on Saturday as Johanna and Soda compete in International Freestyle! yay!
Zaz and Itzy both continue to be a joy in our lives. Zaz has been in season so Itzy got to take her agility classes this week. Lucky Itzy had THREE classes of agility this week and by her last class on Wednesday afternoon she was exhausted! It has been great to focus on her for a change as she often gets the short straw in training. She may be a little behind in her training but she will catch up and surprise us all.
Dennis came with us to our Tuesday night class at Nandy's so he could see his little Itz train. I am really glad he took some video as I have been very lax about videoing any training lately.
Here's Itzy!
God she is so cute!
It has been a strange two weeks. At moments things seem normal and then, POW, a memory hits and the sadness returns. I am missing Jordan and Pax. Yet Zaz, Itzy and Zen all live in the moment and honestly you cannot be very sad around Itzy. She has the fun gene and can cheer anyone up.
We had a big scare last week as Zaz became ill and had to stay for two days at the vets. My Lord, there is nothing that reminds you how important these little dogs are then when they get sick. I won't go into details but I am just so grateful that Zaz is here and still making my heart sing with her unique personality. Bizarrely, I almost felt guilty that Zaz took up all my emotions last week; as if those worries about Zaz took away from my mourning for Pax and Jordan. I know that sounds strange...I also had conflicted emotions about who I felt sadder about losing which is also weird. Gosh what we can put ourselves through just in our own little brains.
I am feeling much better this weekend. I prayed that this week would be a fairly normal straight forward week with no tragedies. And so far, so good! I am optimistic that we are due some good fortune.
I know that scattering ashes could sound like a sad thing but actually it is very cathartic. It is an ending yet also a beginning of our new different life without those two special souls. Today we took Pax and Jordan's ashes up to Bignor Hill. We scattered them in the same place that we scattered the ashes of Noel, Joy and Hex.
The rock where we took such great photos of Pax and Jordan is now gone. It is replaced by a memorial plinth that still bears the saying "And you shall wake, grown young with perfect sleep" on the back. Itz, Zen and Zaz now have their own photos at this special place.
Crufts is coming up next week followed soon by the IFCS World Championships. Zen and I are glad to be back playing together. We are at Crufts only one day this year and will competing in the British Open on Thursday. Zen and I did not compete much last year so I am really pleased to have qualified for the British Open. And actually one day at Crufts for Zen is just perfect! We are so psyched; we can't wait! And finally I get to stick around for two more days and actually support other people rather than worrying about Zen. There are alot of shelties to cheer on and that requires my full concentration. Last year Crufts was not fun for me and very much a blur. I am really looking forward to being there this year both as a competitor and a supporter. I am also being a bit of a turn-coat as my main support will be for Denmark on Saturday as Johanna and Soda compete in International Freestyle! yay!
Zaz and Itzy both continue to be a joy in our lives. Zaz has been in season so Itzy got to take her agility classes this week. Lucky Itzy had THREE classes of agility this week and by her last class on Wednesday afternoon she was exhausted! It has been great to focus on her for a change as she often gets the short straw in training. She may be a little behind in her training but she will catch up and surprise us all.
Dennis came with us to our Tuesday night class at Nandy's so he could see his little Itz train. I am really glad he took some video as I have been very lax about videoing any training lately.
Here's Itzy!
God she is so cute!
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