Not much to say about the TDAA trial. Gidget did well as usual and qualified in both her standard and games runs. The game was Blackjack where you have to get exactly 21 points to qualify. Luckily math is a strong suit of mine and Gidget was happy to stick with my plan. We qualify in teacup very consistently, though I'm pretty sure Gidget doesn't enjoy it near as much as full sized agility. She likes to run full out which she can't really do in the tight spacing of TDAA. A Border Terrier in teacup may seem like a Border Collie in full size agility, but Gidget in teacup seems more like a Great Dane in full size agility. (I've always wanted a Great Dane!)
Gracie's trial was the next day and was pretty hot and sticky, though Sat. started off cool. Gracie and heat don't seem to mix well. I don't think she was very stressed this weekend. Her biggest issue was getting distracted while weaving.
Our first JWW run had the weaves as the second obstacle and she started out strong, but spotted (or maybe heard) the camera lady straight ahead of the poles. So she stopped weaving to check that out. Second try at the weaves went fine, but she paused between the last two poles to look at the photographer again (there's picture proof of that one). Then a couple obstacles later she came out of a tunnel with a hint of the zoomies that sent her around one jump but she quickly refocused and finished the course nicely. If anyone has a large camera lens and wants to help proof Gracie on her weaves please let me know. Also open to other proofing ideas.
Sat. STD was slow but steady. We got through all the challenges and Gracie stuck it out through the weaves for our very first Masters STD Q! This is when the building was getting very warm so we only got 6 speed points. We'll take what we can get.
Sun. was warm again so our runs were slow again. The thing that made me more happy though was what happened at the start line for both runs. Gracie did a high hand touch before each run! She'll normally do them outside the ring and in class, but this was the first time she's done them in the trial ring! Yay girlie!
JWW was our qualifying run this day. She was slow in places, but we got our average number of speed points, 7. She was so slow in the weaves she had me worried she was going to pop out, but she stuck with it!
Sun. STD was really an awesome run up until the last 3 obstacles. We were just connected more than we have been in a long time. We lost that connection at the weaves when she spotted something outside the ring. She popped out then got them the second try, but she ran right past the last jump looking toward the exit. She came back and took the jump in such a way that a refusal wasn't called, but still NQ for us.
Thank you so much to Rita and Judy who helped me with Gracie and took video for me. It is greatly appreciated!
Gidget just did a one day trial and I'm pretty happy with how she did even though we didn't Q in either run. Her JWW run was just pretty. She responded well to my front crosses in all but one spot (I should have done a rear cross) and she was fast (almost 4.5 yps with having to restart the weaves!) She was too fast going into the weaves and slipped so we had to start over. Oh well, we do need to work her entries though.
My brain disappeared for Gidget's STD run. I set her up on the wrong side of the first jump! Then there were two other places that I should have been better prepared or done something differently. Gidget missed her weave entry again and it was just coming from the table, I think that one's on her. Like I said, we need to work on her entries. She really looked nice between all my screw ups and she stuck with me too. We've come a long way since the last time we were at Soccerblast over a year ago.
Thanks Sue for taking video for us and letting me sit in your chair!
The last thing to update is Gracie's new class. She taking a ring confidence class which Gidget should also benefit from. We're only 2 weeks in and we've already learned a lot. We practiced what we learned in the first class at Gracie's agility trial too. (Sorry Laura, I know you said no ring stuff till after the class, but what we learned that first week really helped us and she has nothing scheduled until after class now.) The class is based on Denise Fenzi's teachings. I'll write a more comprehensive post on it closer to the end of the class.
That's all for now. Gidget will have her first 2 day AKC trial coming up and another TDAA night. Then both girls will have an obedience trial at the very end of July. Happy agility!
