CPE Agility at PISA in Cheswick

Hi everyone! Mom has been walking real funny the past couple of days. Sefina, Robin, and I (Kiwi) just did another CPE trial this weekend and mom was really tired when we got home. We were real tired too but we got our second wind a few hours later. Mom was hoping for peace and quiet but Calvin wanted to play since he got left at home with Voodoo and he got us all riled up. Besides, I was in the mood to celebrate because I did really well this weekend. I didn’t quite get a perfect weekend since I went off course in my first run Saturday morning in Standard. But I figured mom would be more relaxed the rest of the weekend if she didn’t have that Perfect Weekend thing on her mind so I was doing her a favor. But I qualified in the next 7 runs of the weekend. I did mom another huge favor by getting a Jackpot Q. She’s been really obsessed with those lately so I threw her a bone so to speak. I also finished level 5 in Fullhouse and Colors. Mom says I need 1 more Q in Snookers and Jumpers and 6 more Q’s in Jackpot to get my C-ATCH. I don’t know what that is but there had better be a T-bone steak involved.

Sefina did 3 runs each day. Saturday she Q’d in Wildcard and Fullhouse and missed a Q in Snookers by 1 point. Sunday she started off real well with a Q in Colors. She was real into it and ran faster than mom expected. But the last 2 runs she was distracted by the ring crew and other things so she still needs a Jackpot and a Jumpers Q to finish Level 1. I think mom expected too much of her to run back to back trials. She’s not a seasoned professional like me.

Robin had a Perfect Weekend – a perfect weekend of not qualifying that is! He really lived up to his nickname Crazy Robin and everyone enjoyed watching mom try to run a ‘Border Collie in a Kees body’ as mom likes to refer to him. Mom was OK with him having a grand ol’ time and not qualifying except she was not happy that he launched himself off the A-frame and dog walk and missing almost all of his contacts. Because of that, he doesn’t get to play AKC agility in a few weeks with Me & Sefina. But what does mom expect? He’s only been with us 5 months and he’s a boy!

We’re taking a few weeks off from agility trials. Pretty boy Calvin gets to go to Cleveland on Sunday to prance around the ring a couple of times. That means he has to get a bath and lots of brushing. I’ll be hiding underneath the futon where mom can’t get to me while all of that is going on.

Here are a few pictures of us playing agility at Washingtonville. Can you guess which ones are of Robin?

CPE Agility at Washingtonville

Hi guys. This is Voodoo. Boy oh boy did we have fun last weekend at Washingtonville. All 5 of us got to go 3 days in a row. We had so much fun running around in the fields, except mom always keeps me on a leash. Something about running off and not coming when called. Its not that I don’t want to come back, I just get so into running and smelling things that I really don’t notice mom calling me. Anyway, it’s still nice to go for car rides. I love to ride up front and help mom shift gears. Kiwi, Sefina, and Robin all got to play CPE agility while Calvin and I watched. Calvin isn’t old enough to do agility yet and I’ve played agility a few times but I lose interest after a few obstacles. I do love the table though. Between you and me, I have it made. I get to sit back and relax while all the others have to work. Mom said we were all good in the X-pen inside the building, even crazy Robin who she was really worried about. But he was fairly quiet. The five of us together were quite a sight. People said we were all well behaved. Boy did we have them fooled!

Kiwi had a good 3-day weekend. She qualified (Q’d) 9 runs out of 11. Mom was disappointed that she didn’t get a Jackpot Q though. Guess she really needs those. Robin did the Jackpot and he’s only been with us 5 months. For those of you who don’t know, Jackpot is a game where you do obstacles for points and then you have to do a distance challenge which is completing obstacles a certain distance from a line while mom stays on the other side of the line. Kiwi doesn’t like to get too far from mom, unless Mom has a brush or says ‘bath’. Maybe mom should try saying that during the next Jackpot run! Kiwi finished Level 5 Standard this weekend. She’s close to finishing level 5 in everything except… you guessed it – JACKPOT!

Robin and Sefina only played Saturday and Sunday and each did 7 runs. It was Robin’s 2nd CPE trial. He got 4 barking Q’s, one each in Standard, Wildcard, Snooker, and Jackpot. Mom calls them barking Q’s because he barks the entire time he runs. Sefina did very well with 6 Q’s. It was only her 2nd agility trial, with her first one being half of a Jumpers course in AKC a few weeks ago. It was really hot on Sunday and Sefina didn’t want to do the jumps on the last 2 courses so mom had to give her lots of encouragement by jumping up and down in front of all the jumps. Sefina really enjoyed that as did everyone watching. It worked though since Sefina qualified in both of those runs. Sefina only needs Q’s in Jumpers, Fullhouse, and Jackpot to finish Level 1. Robin needs a Q in Standard, Fullhouse, and Colors. Maybe they’ll both finish Level 1 this weekend at PISA in Cheswick. Keep your paws crossed!

Here are a couple of pictures of Kiwi and Robin at the CPE trial in Slippery Rock taken by Tess & Jazz’s dad. The one of Robin is at the start line since once he starts to run he’s a blur of fur!

By the way – a big Congratulations to Tess and her dad, Jim for getting their 1st Perfect Weekend! Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof!

Canfield Dog Show Weekend

Hi everyone. This is Calvin again. I’m supposed to tell you about our weekend in Canfield, OH. For starters, that show is known for being too hot or too wet – or the too-too show. Well, this weekend didn’t disappoint and it was of the too wet and muddy variety. Sefina & Mom got to the Rally ring Friday morning to discover that it was a swamp. Sefina looked at mom like – you really expect me to sit and lie down in THAT?! You’re crazy! The judge asked them to leave by the 4th station after Sefina decided that the puddles were for splashing and drinking and not for obedience. It dried out a little bit for Saturday when I went into the ring. I got Winner’s Reserve and turns out that the dog I lost to is my half brother. Mom & I didn’t realize that at the time. The judge really liked me and I might have done better but I was really distracted by a huge piece of chicken carver left in the ring. Mom didn’t realize it was there but I sure did. The next day was really rainy again but it stopped by the time I went into the ring. I got Winner’s Reserve again. What’s that human saying? Always a bridesmaid… My friend Meredith went and watched. She says that judge seemed to really like me too but mom needs to figure out what the perfect speed for me is to show off my strut. Personally, I like to bounce. It’s much more fun.

This weekend we’re going to Washingtonville, OH for 3 days of CPE agility. I don’t get to play because I’m not old enough but Kiwi, Sefina, and Robin all get to play. Voodoo & I will watch to see how long mom lasts running 3 dogs.