AKC Agility & Conformation

Hi everyone. This is Calvin. Mom is letting me blog for the very first time ‘cause I’m a big boy now. I just turned 1 year old on Tuesday, July 21st. Mom bought us all doggy ice creams from Cathy’s Creations and boy were they tasty. Well, I think I’m the only one who actually tasted it. I savored mine while the others almost drowned trying to eat theirs so fast. Since mom had to teach other doggies on my birthday, we got them on Sunday after I got home from a dog show in Medina, OH. I didn’t earn any points but mom says we did much better in the ring than the last couple of shows. I went to conformation class on Weds. My pal Meredith teaches it. I really like her. She showed me at my first dog show in Pittsburgh because mom was too chicken. Anyway, she says that it’s probably my mom’s fault that we didn’t do well on Sunday. I agree. I’m so charming, how could it possibly be my fault? Next weekend, I am going to Canfield, OH for a dog show on Saturday & Sunday, and Sefina goes to check the place out on Friday for me since she is going to play Rally Obedience. Sefina seems to enjoy it but that word ‘obedience’ sounds kind of yucky to me.

Last Friday, my sisters Kiwi & Sefina got to play AKC agility in Cheswick. It was Sefina’s first time. She did a Jumpers with Weaves course and finished exactly half of it. She didn’t want to do the double jump so decided that was the end. Mom says the first half went really well though. Big sis Kiwi did well. She got her first Open FAST Q and got 1st place. She also got her ninth Q in Excellent B Standard. I don’t know what all of this means but mom is happy and Kiwi is gloating. Kiwi says she only needs one more Standard Q and she’ll have a master’s degree just like mom. Wonder if that means she’ll have to go to work every day just like mom. I don’t think I want a master’s degree…

Hi everyone. This is Kiwi. Sorry it’s been so long since we updated the site but we’ve been busy and Mom has been sick. She’s letting me write this time as long as I don’t just talk about me me me memememememe…. Sorry, sometimes I can’t help myself. My new Canadian brother, Robin (he's the one pictured to the right), and I got to play CPE agility the last weekend in June in Slippery Rock. It was in a horse barn and boy was that fun!!!! I don’t often stop and smell the roses while running agility but I couldn’t help myself – oh so many wonderful smells!!! It was also fun running in the dirt. I got 3 Q’s out of 8 runs. Mom says it wasn’t my best weekend but until I get my Jackpot Q’s she doesn’t mind. Between you and me – I just like to remind her that I call the shots. Robin got to play agility for the first time, 2 runs each day. Boy is he crazy and everybody agreed. People described him as ‘crazy’, ‘a wild thing’, and ‘a firecracker’. Mom says he’s a border collie in a Keeshond body. On Saturday he played Fullhouse and Wildcard. He didn’t Q but mom was real happy that he finished the courses. He ran around obstacles several times and barked the whole time. I told him to slow down because he missed out on all those wonderful smells but he wouldn’t listen. On Sunday it was the same story but he actually got his first Q in Jumpers. He ran around all the jumps a few times but completed the course correctly, barking like crazy the entire course, but since he’s so fast he still made time. Not me. I’d rather be perfect and look good doing it. I’m a little miffed that Robin got his Q after only being with us 3 months. I need to have a talk with him about the dangers of being an over achiever.

The day before my little sis, Sefina, did Rally in Northmoreland Park. It was her first time in Advanced and she was off-leash and outside on a hot day. I wasn’t there - I was at home with the others with the A/C on. Mom says Sefina didn’t even finish the course. I don’t blame her. I don’t like to do anything in the heat either.

Fourth of July weekend, mom got sick but she still took us all to the dog park. She had to make two trips. Calvin & I went on the first trip and I found lots of stinky things to roll in. Mom wasn’t too happy but I was lovin’ life! But then I got that dreadful 4 letter word B-A-T-H. I hate them so much that Mom threatens me that word when I give the boys a hard time. I know she doesn’t mean it most of the time but I get ready to duck behind the couch, just in case.

This past Saturday, Mom took Sefina to take a therapy dog/canine good citizen test. I already have my CGC so mom wasn’t going to take me but I snuck out the door with Sefina so mom had to take me anyway. Sefina passed the test so Mom decided to have me take it as well. I passed, too. The tester said that I did better than my sister. Well, of course. I’m Kiwi.

Sunday, mom took pretty boy (aka Calvin) to Madison, OH to go prance around in the ring again. He didn’t do well. He gets to try again next Sunday in Medina, OH. Friday, I get to play AKC agility again in Cheswick and little sis gets to play for the first time, too. She’s only going to do jumpers since little Miss scaredy cat won’t do the teeter. But she’s already doing weaves. Mom says she learned in 2 weeks. I need to have a talk with her about over achieving, too.