March 2012 AKC - Canon Sunday

Stoked by the success of the ASCA runs, we also ran at the SDOC (Sandia Dog Obedience Club) agility trials March 16-18.  Sunday, the 18th was incredibly windy and dusty, but we qualified in this jumpers' run for our novice title.  However,  it makes a good excuse for this silly run in standard which follows!

Note:  This post was begun on March 13.  Instead of being a perfectionist and waiting till I get it right, I'm publishing today.

Canon wishes Caprice a happy birthday

Today is Caprice's sixth birthday, and I'm very glad to have her here and well after a couple of frightening brushes of her Addison's disease, skin and digestive problems.  She is my beautiful girl- a little skittish, not much of a player, and sometimes aloof, but mine.

I remember when I flew to Las Vegas to pick her up.  I cried when I saw her.  I had been missing a poodle so much since my Persi had to leave, and I was ready for a puppy to love. I remember her toe nails painted pink, and how small she was. 

Caprice grew up to be a beautiful girl.  We called her my Las Vegas showgirl.  She was also my wild girl, leaping over the couch, all over the place.

A couple months with Caprice's energy, and we decided she needed someone besides us to play with, a brother poodle, Rondo.  That's another story, but part of her story as well.

I'm saving the Addison's disease story for another day, so I can get this published...and have something else to write about...

We ran!

Note:  This post was started on March 11, 2012, but never finished.  I decided to put a little more into it and publish.

Approximately a year and a half ago (maybe closer to two?) Canon and I started agility lessons along with his sister Roxy and her "mom" Nancy. It was hard for us. The sport requires good body sense and spatial skills, visual memory, problem solving, as well as a bit of athleticism from the human. The dog needs to pay attention to his human, understand body language, and focus. I don't know if I have any of those qualities, and Canon is working on them.

Roxy, and our other classmates, Will and Grace, were doing great. A year ago Will and Grace were ready to compete. Roxy was ready. We were not. Last summer Canon and I were improving, but weren't there yet. I committed to agility trials in September. Then I broke my elbow at the end of August. No agility practice for four months. It was almost a relief, but a disappointment, as well.
Something happened during our "vacation."  I got a bit better at reading courses and Canon got a lot better about following me, so I thought it was time.  It was!  On March 10th and 11th, we entered the ASCA (Australian Shepherd Cub of America) agility trials.  We weren't perfect, but did well enough to earn a Novice Jumper's title, as well as qualifying in two standard runs.  Eight runs, four first places.  I love novice.  We had no competition in our 24 inch height class, and it was easy.  We only had to contend with a few missteps from me and a bit of craziness from Canon (related to my missteps.)  We even had a visitor in the ring, an escaped putty,  and had to run again. 

A lot of sitting, those two days, but a lot of satisfaction as well.