CPE 11/9-10/13

Lots of CPE fun this past weekend!

Arlo had a perfect weekend and went 6/6! He was simply amazing this weekend... he was so, so happy and had a huge smile on his face for all of his runs. So much fun to run with this dog, he amazes me more and more as time goes on :) Here's the video of my phenomenal boy:



This was Splash's very first trial back from her injury, so we took it easy. I decided to jump her 12" and not do any contacts (other than one dogwalk, taken veerrryy slowly). She was ECSTATIC to be back! And was definitely quite the wild child. :) She went 5/6, her NQ being Jackpot (a-frame was required, we skipped it). We were a little out of sync with her at 12" so I decided to upload a highlight video (+ a couple of my favorite runs in full) this time. I'm just so glad she's back and is looking sound!



Love both of these dogs SO much. ♥ Another trial this weekend!

CPE 8/4/13

Yesterday, Arlo and I went to Quad City Dog Center for a CPE trial!

We just went one day, because Splash wasn't able to come along. She overstretched a tendon in her wrist last Sunday and has been in crate rest since. She's actually doing a lot better, but I didn't want to take the risk of running her this trial.

Apparently she thought if she was really cute and stayed next to the trial bag, she would get to come too. Sorry, Splash. (And believe me, it was HARD to leave her in the morning.)

The trial actually went surprisingly well! I wasn't sure what to expect since we've never not had Splash along. However, Arlo made the trip worth it and had a wonderful day!

He qualified in Jumpers, Standard, and Snooker. Fullhouse was very very close, and if I hadn't changed my plan, we would have gotten it. :( Still a good run! 

More importantly though, Arlo was a happy, motivated, and stress-free dog at the trial! His behavior was absolutely perfect. It was very nice to have some one-on-one time with my boy also. :) Very glad I decided to still go to the trial!

Here is a video of highlights from this trial and the one last month:

"Don't ever look back, they'll tear us apart if you give them the chance." 

Love this dog so much!

CPE Debut!

Both dogs did WONDERFUL at their CPE trial!

Splash and I really clicked this weekend, and all of our runs felt awesome! I absolutely adore running this dog. She's the best. :) She went 10/10! Here's her trial video:

Arlo was a really good boy this weekend as well! He was a little tired on Sunday, but we learned some valuable lessons with this trial. Still, he had some very nice runs this weekend and went 5/8. :) Here's my two favorite runs with him for the weekend:

After the trial Saturday, I spent the evening with my friend, Erika. We went to Perkins and then a nearby park to walk on some gorgeous trails and play some "tree agility." The dogs had a blast! (Unfortunately, no pictures because I left my camera at the hotel.)

All in all, the trial was so fun! I love everything about CPE. The people, the courses, what it offers for both dogs. I felt more in tune with Splash than I have in a long time and Arlo had a giant smile on his face during the whole trial. Can't wait for more CPE fun next month!

(Picture completely unrelated to agility, but still cool. We see the neatest things during our trial travels.:))

Adventures

On July 3rd, Arlo celebrated his 8th birthday. I can't believe how quickly time has passed with this wonderful dog. I've been so lucky to have him in my life... all of the lessons, experiences, challenges, smiles, and memories. He's doing better now than ever before, and it makes me so happy to see. :) Here's a video with clips from these past several months:

And another birthday! Splash turned 6 on July 7th. The little girl is still doing great. Having fun, being crazy, loving life. :) She brings me so much joy. Here's to many more years of crazy, unforgettable fun!

Love both of these dogs so much! I wouldn't trade the times I have with them for anything. Celebrating their birthdays with a trial this weekend! CPE, here we come. :)

Updates and such

Since I last posted, we've done a lot! So here's a brief wrap up...

First, we got to play in AKC some last fall. It was fun, I liked the challenges, and my two really enjoyed the courses. In two trials, both Splash and Arlo earned their way into open (Splash even had the chance to run an open JWW course beautifully!) You can see their videos here: Splash AKC debut, Splash's 2nd AKC trial, and Arlo AKC highlights.

Then we took our usual winter break, and came back this spring with a Tori Self seminar! I had a blast running the courses with Splash. She was a great girlie and stayed very in tune with my handling. Tori is a wonderful instructor, and I learned a lot from the experience. Plus I met some very talented fellow juniors! It was a great time.

Since the seminar, we really haven't done too much agility-wise other than weekly classes and playing around in the backyard. I do have some clips, which I'll upload once I have enough to make a video! I've been especially impressed with Arlo. He's running better than ever before and is loving it, and it makes me so happy to see! Otherwise, we've been spending a lot of time in forests and enjoying the beautiful spring weather:)

As far as trials? Even though our time in AKC just started, I think we are going to try something new now. After being waitlisted for a couple AKC trials already this year and thinking about the pros/cons of other venues, I think we'll try CPE. Splash gets to have more runs a day (5 rather than 2 in AKC... which she wasn't happy with), and I think Arlo will be happier with the courses (he loved the AKC courses, NADAC not so much). CPE seems to have some of the best things of AKC and NADAC combined. We have a few trials planned already; really looking forward to it!