USDAA trial

[areese]

Owen and Salsa ran in a USDAA trial yesterday..trying to finish up some titles before next weekend as both dogs needed 1 Q to finish 4 titles and USDAA doesn't let you move up during a two day trial....
Owen did finish one -PI jumpers. He ran a really nice happy fast standard run but popped out of the weaves (was going really fast) and then got a bit demoralized by having to start over (sensitive boy) so was over time. Knocked a bar in snooker. BUT that was the only bar he knocked and that has been our biggest problem lately! He jumps HUGE so takes off too far away and ends up hitting the bar..then he's nervous so he jumps even BIGGER...it's very silly. But I found out he was getting shocked by static electricity there (inside, pvc equipment) so I bought some anti-static spray for him LOL I was afraid it was shocking The Peen!!!!!!!!!!! So anyway I was really happy with that :)
Salsa...3 Q's out of 3!!! Finished her PI Pairs Relay title with a very cute Papillon named Tilly. Each dog runs half a course; one team runs, then passes the baton off to the next. Salsa had to do the half with the chute cuz the teeter was on the other half and she can't tip that teeter (too heavy and although I've complained, it doesn't matter...sigh) You couldn't even SEE her coming through the chute, it was so heavy-she was only a slight moving lump.:rotfl: But they did it and were 27 seconds UNDER time (no faults-pairs is judged time plus faults). whoohoo for the itty dogs.
She also finished her PII title in snooker which means she will be running in the MASTER'S RING next weekend. O good doG that is hilarious...Runnin with the Big Dogs... She got a PII jumpers Q also. 2nd place though (others were firsts) cuz Tilly beat her. Tilly is one awesome little dog-bigger than Salsa but really really great little agility dog.
Laika was sad but got a lot of belly rubs.

[Barb]

Oh Oweeeeee, hope that static was NOT getting your peenie !!! Go kids - both of you !!!! :yay:

[areese]

Oh Oweeeeee, hope that static was NOT getting your peenie !!! Go kids - both of you !!!! :yay:

I swear it WAS. He went around two jumps at that facility last trial which is not like him...I sent him back around to do the jump so I was right next to him and heard the SNAP of static as he jumped. I know people have mentioned static on the weave poles and dog hair is always stuck to them and just floating straight out with the static but I never had a problem with the weaves so forgot about it...it's a rubber padded floor so I guess I didn't think static would be a problem. I bought this spray that was 15 dollars!!! All natural and is supposed to stop static.
He still was a little "off" but I am more tense at USDAA trials too...and Owey picks up on that. I was more tense than normal cuz I was running Toots too (my friend's minpin) cuz we have had issues with him running back to mom, leaving the ring, etc. and I have to plan courses for 3 dogs (as he runs much differently from mine-he is quite an athlete) and I really wanted to do well with him also. We did. He finished 3 titles!! Sue (his mom) only got one title in the whole time she's been running him in USDAA and I started running him last fall and he has almost finished Starters at last! he would have, but was over time in Standard which is just odd cuz he's very fast but something seemed to be wrong with him..he was listening to me really well and running slow. I was a little worried...and I kept smelling gasoline by our pen. Turns out Sue filled her generator (her power was out cuz of storms) and must have spilled gas in her trunk and laid his crate (soft foldable crate) in it. I think poor Toots was high from huffing gas. He ran much better after we put him in my pen and took the crate back to her car. Sue doesn't have much of a sense of smell (which sometimes makes sitting next to her difficult LOL) so she really didn't notice...
It's jsut stressful running him cuz I have to keep my eyes on him every minute cuz if I see him start to look around with his beady lil eyes I gotta yell his name and bring him back to reality. In Snooker (which is a difficult game...fun but your have to maneuver the dog around and past obstacles a lot) I think I yelled TOOTSTOOTSTOOTSTOOTS like 97 times total. Owell. We q'd and got a first...51 points (you need 37)

[Courtney]

Fun fun! Go Salsa - PIII Snooker!!! Too funny about the static....

I love Pairs too. We have 1 pairs Q and are running it again this weekend. Of course it's going to rain all week and it's an OUTDOOR trial...sigh....

[TheDoxieHaus]

:cheer3: :cheer3: :cheer3: for Salsa and Owen!!

[areese]

Fun fun! Go Salsa - PIII Snooker!!! Too funny about the static....

I love Pairs too. We have 1 pairs Q and are running it again this weekend. Of course it's going to rain all week and it's an OUTDOOR trial...sigh....

I am gonna make sure we have a fan club watching us run. Cuz those Masters ring people seem to think dogs like mine have no business doing agility. Not all of them of course. Just the annoying super competative ones.
I don't generally love pairs... with Laika it was always hard cuz she will "get" another dog if they are running or run up to her and you can't be holding them plus I didn't trust her to not turn around on the course and go back and get that other dog!
I've also had rather wierd partners...one came up to me and said I really NEED this run so I hope your dog does well. (her freeking dog jumped the contacts anyway, but I do believe we qualified) Or I have to run with a different height dog so I don't get to choose which side I run (some judges let you, some don't) Salsa ran with a 22 inch border collie last year! We had to run in big dog time, too! But we did it :) I wish I had that on video... The other dog's mom had a great time pointing out Salsa all weekend telling people that was her pairs partner LOL
Hope you get good weather this coming weekend. I hope for us too-it's our clubs trial outside at a state park.

[Claudine]

:appl: :cheer3: :appl: :cheer3: :appl: HOORAY!!! for our little Salsa!! She continues to amaze!!! Owen did a really good job, too....just had a couple of unfortunate slip-ups:appl: :appl: :appl: Owie!!! Poor Laika.... it's gotta be hard for her seeing everyone out there but her.:sosad: :sosad: You know your pups & I don't but do you think it might be less sad for her not to watch the trials?? Of course, having to stay behind isn't any fun, either.

[areese]

:appl: :cheer3: :appl: :cheer3: :appl: HOORAY!!! for our little Salsa!! She continues to amaze!!! Owen did a really good job, too....just had a couple of unfortunate slip-ups:appl: :appl: :appl: Owie!!! Poor Laika.... it's gotta be hard for her seeing everyone out there but her.:sosad: :sosad: You know your pups & I don't but do you think it might be less sad for her not to watch the trials?? Of course, having to stay behind isn't any fun, either.

Not really an option as I am not crating her for the 12+ hours I am gone. Rob is seldom home and even if he is, he doesn't like to take care of her cuz he's afraid he'll let her get hurt or something.