ACSD NADAC 4/30-5/1/11

Well, this trial seemed much better...for Blue. Tru is just such an airhead when it's warm. Still love the little dork, though.

Blue Qd 8 runs in a row out of 10. I was pulling for a perfect weekend, but failed to pull her into the right tunnel in Tunnelers, haha. She's still awesome and it's nice to have my happy, connected, dog back. My mom said that she actually seemed 'old' at the last trial and she was definitely back to her 'young' self. I love my 'young' dog.

I also don't think she's up for bonus lines still. She was really good heading back out there and listening. I guess that's just a good skill in general that's been helpful. Also, there supposed to be a couple jumps where that tunnel was, but there were safety concerns because the dogs jumped down into a ditch, basically. So, it was felt that the tunnel change would be easier compared to moving all the jumps over 5 feet, haha. Anyway, it was a much bigger draw than a jump, I think, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Good because it's easy to get a dog to drive to a tunnel, bad because, well, it's more enticing than a turn to the correct jump. Ah, well. That was a 20 pt line too and it didn't have that many off course options for most of the course. I didn't think it looked good at first, but it looked like a very nice course when I walked it. Maybe I can get my practice friends to set the course up.



Truly went 4/10 in Qs this weekend and finished her EAC. Not spectacular, but not bad since this is our second trial in Elite. She was just hot and not into doing things (particularly jumps). I can't believe she was even running around hoops. I could/can tell some of the things were my fault, but occasionally it seemed she should have been committed but wasn't. It's a 'problem' sometimes, because she is more responsive than Blue and I forget. She also failed a couple discriminations, which she's been doing pretty good on for as little practice as she gets with them. The place we practice at has only slatted contacts so if we set up a discrimination, she always does the tunnel. I think I was moving too much on one, but the other I think I stopped and called soon enough. Silly Scrumpy-D.



Well, Tru's entered in one day of an AKC trial next weekend. I just had this urge to do it, but now I'm like meh. Just the usual cycle. She's in Ex. A JWW and *gasp* Open Standard. Yes, I'm gonna see if she can take the slats (these contacts are also rubber coated, so it's safer than the sanded one she fell off). I'm sure nothing will have changed, but I don't think she will die from one run. If I have to do a venue with slats (and I don't), AKC is probably the best fit for her because you only have one run with slatted equipment a day. Fortunately for her, AKC is expensive and I only have the urge to do it occasionally. It sucks that my slow trial months are over the summer and that's when I usually end up entering AKC. I think the heat + slats isn't a good combo, no matter how few runs she has to do. Blah. I dunno. I'm seriously considering running or dual contacts on her (faster DRIs plz), but I dunno if I have enough access to equipment. (I'd want to start her on slatless, I think.) I'm also thinking I might do that after Champs/NATCH though, haha.

Then we have a NADAC trial in Prescott, AZ over my birthday weekend. Gonna go hang out with the grandparents and agility peeps for my 20th. O: Gonna finish Tru's EJC and TG-O, yeah! Oh, and Blue only needs 11 more Regulars and 1 more Chances for her NATCH-7. That's just 3 more trials if she Qs all the runs and she will go to Skilled! I'm actually pretty excited to move her down. It's gonna be hilarious (and I wonder if she'll start hitting over 6 YPS in Jumpers again).

In other random news, NADAC has officially changed the name of the MEDAL to NATCH-S. Now the 5 pt Regular Qs need to go, especially in Elite. Oh, and USDAA sent a survey last week and I told them I would do USDAA if they got rid of slats on rubber contacts, haha.