i really am alive

i know i havent posted in awhile.... so much to speak of!

working backwards - we'll do tonights class, this weekends shows, maybe last weeks class, the weekend priors shows if i can remember?


agility first - worked on tire at full height, recalls and sends to target/toys. berlin can do it but she also squeezes underneath, so we're working with blocking it - it was a sudden jump to her full height, so she needs to learn immediately that she can't go under it, per debbie's method.

worked the last of the susan salo jump grids (first being collection/extension work, the second being the "wave" last week with alternating high and low jumps at about 8 feet apart, and this week being 5 jumps all forcing collection), berlin tries to bail at jump 2-3, but with some gentle pressure of someone standing there she bounced all the jumps properly. she just needs to learn how to use her body properly.

for homework, i have to remember to only work one grid at a time - no switching each session.

then we went to weaves before the shadow handling section - and berlin was a supa-star. last week (i worked rah not berlin since she had the dire-rears) we introduced how to do full weaves - berlin hadn't worked it at all. right before class i took 5 minutes to introduce it to her, and she ROCKED IT, even with some speed. she totally gets the free shaping of this... LOVE IT.

went out to eat as becoming custom with lydia, chris (raisin's owner - blue chip's purple reign), and teri - and then back for open.

worked retrieves first - using last weeks methods we had much better on the flat fronts, but over the high still slower with some of the stutter sits. drops were nice, fig8 ok, didn't do much heeling (ok since my ankle is killing me), bj was nice.

this past weekend we showed friday. it was pouring, and i ended up pulling him from open. i cant risk showing him in that sort of weather, god forbid in his excitement he slips on the grass and hurts himself, tears a cruciate, etc - i cant ask him to jump that height right now. it's not work that last CDX leg. so we just showed in rally, and he brought home his second RA leg with a first place and a 96 - not bad for it being pouring rain. he's such a mudder, does his best work in the rain! we had to redo one station where he gave me an auto finish to the right (needed to be to the left, bad anticipation)...

had the ADA show on sat and sun. besides sunburn came home with little else besides good convos with people and saw some nice dogs, some not nice. berlin was dumped - not euro enough for the euro folk, not american enough for the american folk :) i LOVE HER! but her daddy took ADA seiger 2009, and her aunt is ADA seigerin 2009, so that's awesome!!!!!

speaking of the imp, she had her first open class last thurs and she did awesome - she's doing well with the heeling, db work is great, drops nice, and ROH coming along as well as bj (forgot to work that this week though, too much going on). i hope to have her thoroughly trained through open and starting more utility stuff (we have go outs, gloves, and moving stand, signals etc started - its just articles we need more work with to start - before we debut in novice.

rah had utility and he rocked it ALL. thats all i can say about it - everything was awesome from start to finish - i think not working open beforehand will make him a lot better. the one sticking issue is that i screw him up on gloves by overpowering him on the pivots.

im tired and thats all i can remember for now. class tomorrow, work friday, showing saturday (APDT trial in NY), and schutzhund training sunday (also in NY). debating on entering rah for his BH again, and they are pressuring me to enter berlin as well.