08 June 2008

I took Saffy and Daisy to ringcraft tonight. Daisy has the Boston Terrier Breed Championship show on Saturday And Saffy has the Belgian shows in a month so I thought we had better practice. We haven't been to ring craft for about a year and Saffy hasn't been shown since last August so I wasn't sure what to expect from them but much to my surprise they both behaved impeccably.
They both stood and moved really well. Saffy stood like a rock for the judge, a man she hadn't met before and Daisy stood on the table like a statue . Unfortunately she went all wriggly when the judge tried to go over her but she moved like a dream. If she goes this well on Saturday she might do well.

07 June 2009

Today was Cheshire DTC Obedience show held at Shotton again. The weather was much cooler although thankfully it was dry. Only Saffy was entered and she did much better today. We did a training round first and then worked out beginner round She did some lovely heelwork in places unfortunately she was distracted by a plastic bag blowing in the wind which cost a few marks but I was really pleased with how well she worked today. She was much better than last time.
Daisy came to the show too although she wasn't entered to work we practised her heelwork in different places and it is really getting good. She has much higher toy drive than the Belgians and loves to work. I will have to start teaching her stays. At the moment sitting still is a skill that eludes her.

30 May 2009

We went to a Working Trials training day today. I had started training Ruby to track and search but had not done any for a couple of years. The first thing we did as a track and At first Ruby looked a little bit unsure what we were doing but I was pleased to see she soon remembered and followed the track to the article. Then we did a search and She did find the articles but dropped them before bringing them all the way back to me. I was still pleased though, as it was so long since she had done any searching.
Next Saffy had a go at tracking and once she got the idea did really well finding the article at the end. She also had a go at the long jump and scale.
Both dogs did some heelwork and retrieves. We had a very enjoyable day. I would like to do working trials with the dogs if I could find the time between training for agility, obedience, heelwork to music.....

28 May 2009

Ruby and Saffy were both entered at the Border Collie Club of Wales show today. It was a beautiful day really sunny. The ground at Shotton is a lovely venue with a great walk down by the river. The dogs were obviously very pleased to be back at a show however they were not really very good in the ring. They were too busy looking around and were very distracted by all the sights and sounds. Saffy did a good retrieve and recall but here heelwork was pretty well non existant. :( She did do her stays though.

24 May 2009

Its a lovely sunny day today. The Bostons with their very short fine coats love the heat and hate being cold. They particularly love the conservatory where they bask like lizards in the sun. I had just been out and when I came back and opened the door they both dashed out and flopped down in their stomachs in the sunshine like two Boston fur rugs. The picture wasn't posed at all

21 May 2009

A busy day today This morning Ruby and I set off for St Albans for lunch with Muriel. It was a 3 hour drive down the motorway, but luckily the traffic was not too bad so we made good time.

After a cup of tea and a walk round the garden we let Ruby and Bandit out to play. They were really pleased to see each other, and I am very pleased to report that in 9 weeks time all being well there will be the patter of little Outlaw feet

19th May 2009

I work mainly from home which is great as it means that the dogs don't get left for too long at a time. It does have its own disadvantages such as the competition for the seats. Daisy loves my chair and can usually be found settled down behind me like a furry back rest,which I don't mind. What I do mind though is when she decides she needs a bit more room and starts wriggling around an digs her feet in my back in an attempt to push me off the chair.
If I am busy with something I don't always notice and then will realise that I have been edged almost off the chair and daisy is stretched out on the seat.
When Darcy arrived things got a little more complicated as they both wanted to sit on the chair which left no room for me at all, and they wouldn't sit quietly, they kept shoving each other and me in an effort to get the best place. That didn't do them much good though as when they got too rowdy they both got dumped on the floor. I have now put a bed under the desk and Darcy snoozes in that most of the time only getting on the chair if I get up.