We still have Attitude

We go to the start and woof, woof, her ears are on top of her head and she has attitude! As I lead out she stands in anticipation, I ask her to sit without returning to her, she does. As soon as her butt sits I say Good girl and release her. The break was a "lets go Momma" I lead out to the take off of #2 but was not timing the moving push correct so I continued to get an off course to #5 so we broke down the moving push so that Party and I understood it better. Well, mostly me! Once I got it right she understood without a problem.
I set her up at the landing side of jump 1 I made sure i was positioned so that my body was facing her, I moved lateral as I released her and did not rotate/close my shoulders until she was over 2 I then closed my shoulders indicating #3 I rotated to #4-5 while having my left arm out indicting the jumps, I sent to #6 while moving away straight towards #12 to get #7 and the correct end of the tunnel (#8) the first 2 times I rotated to quickly buying me the wrong end of the tunnel, I then held her longer being more patient and she got it I then signaled #9 with the claw holding it while backing to #10 and pushing her to 11 I then picked her up as she exited the tunnel indicating 12 I drove toward the wall and on the take off side of #12 said SShhh she rocked and nailed her poles I rewarded her with the tennis ball being thrown and she was thrilled. Yahoo Awesome job

Goals....and 1st run

I finally figured out how to up load course maps Yahoo!!

I am sitting here at the seminar today with one of my favorite presenters. I am excited to work with her today as the last time I worked with her was in November and I want to know if we have improved. I know we have but am curious what she says. But I have one goal today and that is to keep Party with attitude. This means I must maintain my job. The seminar will start in about 45 minutes, people are arriving with their dogs. I have Party in the chair laying down behind me, 2 Porties just came in and walked inches from us, Party simply ignored them. :o)

She is back in the chair with me about 3 dogs prior to our turn, she is totally relaxed, ears on her head forward with no signs of stress. Its our turn; I go to the start jump ask her to sit, then woof and lead out to the take off side of 2 Jen has suggested that I do a moving push (my body open to Party moving to the obstacle laterally then releasing her and rotating my shoulders as she takes it) initially I did it incorrect as I took her head to draw the line. But I should have opened my shoulders as i stated above, the result was a knocked bar.

She sits at 1 while I lead out to the take off side of 2 I release her with a moving push over 3 and rotate into the pinwheel my right arm is open on the landing side of 5 then lateral to 6 I raise my left arm to indicate a front cross wrap to 7, throw to 8 running for the DW then I am lateral to 10 release over 10 and into the tunnel, I stay on the back side of the tunnel and have my right arm out to indicate 12 -13 when she comes out, then its climb, touch, (which became a running a frame the first time) the second time I ran it she did her 2o2o while I went to the landing side of 15 said OK to release and celebrated after 16! "Happy, Happy" We went outside to play and she really understands and loves this ritual she is jumping up and grabbing at the toy, play biting me as we go to the field and play with enthusiasm!

Another Adventure Hiking

Party and I joined Seth and Otto for a hike in the rain today. I have not taken her in a few weeks because the ice has been so bad. She did quite well, at first she was a bully to Otto but I asked her to lie down when she did this which she readily did. Then she started to relax with him.
I was totally surprised when she actually played with him! To me this was a monumental thing, as she has always been very worried about black dogs so for her to play with one was a huge step. We then met 3 dogs out on the trial one was a very happy black lab puppy, another a very, very, happy yellow lab and a mix that we have met before. Party charged, then immediately came running back to me as they were very happy to see her, which of course she was horrified about. I had tons of cookies in my hand and kept talking to Party while giving her cookies. The lab puppy was cute as a button but relentless wanting to play with Party so I ended up picking him up as Party was very worried and the minute he was picked up her worry ceased and she simply sniffed him. However, a moment later the yellow lab came running over who was the most happy, play with me lab I have ever seen. Party however thought he was rude and obnoxious. I took him by the collar so Party could have a break and she seemed to say "Thank You". Now that means that I have a puppy in my arms and a lab by the collar while I am telling Party what a good girl she is. It was pretty comical... The owners were visible and on the way they just couldn't get there fast enough. This was not a bad thing though because as I am there with the "new dogs" Party was much more relaxed and was sniffing them in a most appropriate way, something she rarely has a chance to do because the new dogs do not allow her to with all their "Happiness" which she finds overwhelming.
I am very proud of Party even though she initially charged I believe alot was learned in our hike today.

Team Snooker and Relay

Team Jumpers and Standard Videos

Steeplechase and Team Gamble Videos

Wow! What a weekend!

There are so many awesome things that happened this weekend that I really don't know where to start! First I am thrilled that for the first time Party and I felt like a team all weekend not just for one or two classes. This is huge in my opinion because we have never felt like an absolute team all weekend! I am going to have to put this together by class so I can keep my thoughts together. So lets backchain and start with Relay.
I looked at all 3 pieces of the relay and decided that they were all very do able, so let teammates Ray and Laurie decide which half I would run. They thought I should run the last piece which was awesome. I had walked it doing a landing side front after #2 but after seeing dogs off course after the chute I changed my stratagy. I instead chose to hang back and rear cross #3 which pulled her over #2 nicely then into the tunnels and up the Dogwalk I was sure to tell her touch on The Dogwalk and she slowed down but didn't stop, I drove to the #7 jump being careful not to pull away from it as I wanted to be sure to set Party up for a nice weave pole approach it set a nice line and I just did a small blinker to get her to jump it tight and she did great nailing her poles! The whole thing was awesome. Of course thats my humble opinion.....