I arrived at the hotel that I was told we were booked in at, only to find out we had been moved to another hotel..which thankfully was closer to the specialty site and had many other acd'ers staying. We spent the week room sharing with Toni.
It was quite a novelty having the dogs stay in the hotel, and to open the door to see other cattle dogs wandering the halls.. Although I dont think my guys could quite work out what this riding in the elevator business was all about - they jumped a mile every time the floor moved under their feet!
It was quite a novelty having the dogs stay in the hotel, and to open the door to see other cattle dogs wandering the halls.. Although I dont think my guys could quite work out what this riding in the elevator business was all about - they jumped a mile every time the floor moved under their feet!
Agility
The first 2 days were agility, and the weather was wet and miserable! By the end of sunday the agility ring was muddy and slippery, and generally a mess, but we still had a lot of fun. Everyone there was extremely welcoming!
AKC agility is very simillar to ANKC, although possibly slightly little easier at the lower levels. Allowances are made in novice and open for a dog to Q with a refusal or time faults. Also, faults and/or refusals are not judged for the weavepoles in novice, provided the dog completes them all.
Otherwise, most things were reasonably simillar. The jump heights were the same as in aus, so obviously lower than the UK. I chose to jump Tooheys up a height so not to mess around to much with his training.
Weave spacing the same as aus, so further apart than what we had been doing in the UK. Tooheys didnt seem to have a problem, but on Hollies first run she noticably misjudged her striding.
We got a nasty fright by not only having to do a table, but having to take up a set position on the table..its been so long since we've seen one!
The only other difference I can think of is their weird double jump, which is like a spread but both poles at the same height. I'm suprised the dogs jumped in ok as I often struggled to see the 2nd pole.
The dogs did well for themselves. They were both entered in Novice B, Tooheys at 24" and Hollie at 20". Saturday agility Hollie Q'd and got 1st place. Tooheys had a very nice run but demolished one jump - he tried to wrap the upright tightly but unfortunately plastic uprights without wings dont stand up to that as well as wooden wings!
Saturday jumping Hollie Q'd & got 1st, while Tooheys took a wrong tunnel entrance.
The other class was FAST, which is kindof like gamblers - you make up your own course to acumulate points (with certain restrictions), and you have a 'bonus' which is a distance challenge to gain extra points. You then have to cross the finish line before time runs out. Tooheys Q'd and got 1st, but Hollie knocked one of the poles in the bonus.
Sunday results were simillar, but Hollies back started playing up on her and by the end of the day she wasnt wanting to run. I really should have pulled her out, but that is so difficult to do when we have travelled so far. Agility Hollie Q'd and got 2nd place, Tooheys blew his dogalk contact. Both dogs Q'd and got 1st in FAST. In jumpers both dogs knocked a pole each, which isnt suprising given how slippery it was. I fell over in Hollies run, and then tried to get her to take a jump from far too close.
the dogs with their winnings
the beautiful trophies
Obedience
Obedience and Rally ran concurrenly to agility on sunday.
suprised.
The obedience ring in AKC is alot smaller than in aus. The heel routine was alot shorter, the figure 8 a seperate exercise. Really the only thing more difficult is that you can only use eih verbal or hand signals, not both. That was only really an issue for the finish on the recall though, as there was not stand or drops during the heelwork.
Hollie did really well, her only problems being 'forgetting' to sit in the figure 8 (she was too busy staring up a the posts), and a moment of distraction in the heel off lead. And I lost us 2 points on the recall by holding my hands in front of me instead of at my side.. its the subtle differences that get you! She qualified on 186.5 points and 2nd place.
Tooheys was working really well outside the ring, but I got him ready too early and by the time we got into the ring his nose went to the ground. So I pulled him out after heel on lead. I really didnt want to have to do stays with both dogs at the same time anyway. Especially as several dogs broke.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into with Rally, but it was alot of fun. Effectively it was an obedience 'course' with different excercises.
Hollie got 2nd with 97 points and Tooheys 3rd on 95 points -not too bad given he had never done a couple of the exercises!
Oh, and I have to make special mention just how good Tooheys was with all the dogs around him!!
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