15.12.2007 Postojna

In agility he was quite unfocused again, but instead of escaping off course, he escaped on obstacles, which is a huge step forward!

(Although it could have also been that he had nowhere else to escape to, since it was a closed course...)

Anyway, jumping was great. He actually listened to me and followed my handling, even when I sent him into disq.

But at least it seems we can start training again!

8.-9.12.2007 Bratislava (Slovakia)

After the last time's fiasco I was quite hesitant to go, but we applied for this in August already, so we had to go.

In the end it turned out just nice. We did 6 runs, 3 on each day, and though on the first two Grin was again unfocused, he kept getting better and better, until he ran the last one almost like he can! We were still disqualified in both A2 runs, both open jumping runs and one open agility. In the other open agility run we were 19th with 10 penalties.

photo: www.agility-slo.net

27.10.2007 Ljubljana

I thought last time was bad, but this time was even worse. Mister ballet dancer decided it was not his day to do agility, so in the first run he jumped a few obstacles and then proceeded out of the course. Jumping was a tad better, he actually almost finished it, even though he left out the last obstacle, running out again and disqualifying us again.

Sigh...

photo: www.agility-slo.net

13.10.2007 Naklo

OK so maybe autumn is not our season. Grin wanted to show that aussies can be like huskies and ran an unfocused agility and an even more unfocused jumping, which we actually left after doing only a few obstacles.

23.9.2007 Prosecco (Italy)

It's exactly a year since we started competing. Last year this was our first competiton ever (though we went test dog). Autumn must be our season, judging by last year's and this year's results. In jumping Grin went chasing butterflies and disqed us. I wasn't even angry, just sad and disappointed. I told him that and it must have helped, because in agility he was PERFECT. We would have had a clean run, hadn't I gotten a little too relaxed during slalom, unconsciously fixing my hair, and Grin took it as a sign to get out two poles too early. But it was still enough to get us the second place in agility! And since in Italy they give separate prizes for jumping, agility and combined winners, we got a huge cup :)

photo: Nadija Parunov

1.9.2007 Ljubljana

Grin was in the mood! And I did not forget the courses!

Well, actually. Grin was in the mood to have fun and make trouble and I did forget one course.

In agility we were still almost perfect, even though we were disqualified. But in jumping Grin got the "jilly-willies" and decided to run his own course, interpreting my usual handling in a totally new and unusual ways. The same happened in team agility, when he even jumped over jump wings instead of bars (and because I spent all my energy trying to control him, I forgot the course, but we were already disq by then).

And he missed slalom entrances in all 3 runs!

We need to train, train, train...

photo: Majchy

15.8.2007 Gradisca d'Isonzo (Italy)

The pause from training didn't seem to affect Grin. I, on the other hand, was still on vacation in my mind. In agility, as I was trying very hard to remember the course, I forgot to watch Grin, who escaped into disqualification. In jumping we had 2 refusals, a wrong entrance in the slalom and 7 seconds overtime.

14.7.2007 Portorož

The last competition in Slovenia before autumn. Since here at the coast the heat is getting unsupportable, the competition started in the late afternoon and finished only at 1.30 AM the next morning!

Because we took a long swim in the sea just before the competiton I was afraid about Grin's performance, but he did extremely well. In agility he dropped a bar (because again I stood in front of the jump) and jumped a contact, but I'm really pleased with his timing. In jumping, though, he was oustanding! Fast, focused and precise, it could have been our best performance of the season, hadn't I forgotten the course and managed to get us 10 penalties and almost 7 seconds over the standard time!!! I'm still beating myself up over that.

9th in A and 18th in J, we ended on the 12th place with 26,29 penalties.

7.7.2007 Ljubljana

Our first competition in the real summer heat. In agility I unintentionally sent Grin into disqualification by turning a bit too slow. The jumping course was as easy as pie, but somehow we still managed to get 15 penalties - the wrong entrance into slalom and one dropped jump bar were my fault, the second dropped bar is a mistery (I am getting concerned about this bar dropping that has been happening lately, Grin used to drop poles extremely rarely and always as a consequence of my faulty handling - maybe he was too hot to jump?). But we had a really nice timing (especially considering the fact that repeating the slalom added quite some seconds). In team agility I finally did some decent handling; Grin, however, jumped two contacts... Our team finally managed to get a placement :) with 25 penalties we finished on the 8th place.

photo: www.agility-slo.net

30.6.2007 Domžale

If I left my brain behind last week, this time it was Grinch's turn to be absent minded. We did pass agility with 5 penalties for missing the slalom entrance (my fault), but with some seconds over the standard time. We somehow still got the 8th place with 8,67 penalties alltogether. Jumping was better - he was fast, but still unfocused; this time I lead him to the slalom correctly, he entered correctly and then got out of it right away; then he missed the first pole, so we had to repeat it a third time. He also threw down a jump pole. We ended up being disqualified because Grin did the same tunnel twice in a row (obviously three tunnels plus the closed one included in the course weren't enough for him).

Seems the proverbial similarities between the owner and the dog are more numerous than I thought :)

photo: www.agility-slo.net

23.6.2007 Železniki

First time in A2. In the agility run, the Grinch was as perfect as possible, while I must have left my brain somewhere along the highway, becasue I was terribly unfocused and sent him into disq three times (we were disqualified by the 4th obstacle already, but later I made two more mistakes). Jumping was better for me, but I think Grinch was a little less focused, as his turns became very wide again. Still, we made it through, but with 10 penalties because he missed the slalom the first time and the second time got out of it two poles too early; and with that we earned 6,75 seconds over the standard time, so 16,75 penalty points altogether.

photo: www.agility-slo.net

2.6.2007 Mlada Boleslav (Czech republic)

We visited an aussie specialty show in Czech republic and used the chance to see how agility competitions are like in other countries. There were 3 runs - agility open, agility A1 and jumping open. We had clean runs in the first two, coming 9th in A open and first in A1! :) In jumping we were unfortunately disqualified because Grin stepped on the closed tunnel.

Seems we're definitely ready for A2.

26.5.2007 Slovenska Bistrica

Neither me nor the Grinch gave our 100% on this competition - I woke up in the morning with a strong headache and Grin, sensitive soul that he is, sensed that something was wrong and was a little unfocused. But we still managed to get pretty good results! In agility we had a clean run, which got us on 4th place and qualified us for A2! :) In jumping, for some strange, unknown reason Grin dropped a bar on a jump, which got us 4th place in J and 4th place overall.

Added later: ok, after seeing the movie of our run, the reason became clear - I was standing in front of the obstacle and blocking Grin's jump.

In team agility we were both more focused, though Grin managed to jump over all 3 contacts and dropped a bar, but we were disqualified anyway because I fell behind for a second and that was enough for him to jump the wrong obstacle. I'm comforted by the fact that another member of our team as disq on the same spot :)

photo: www.agility-slo.net

12.5.2007 Ložnica pri Žalcu

In spite of a little rain the competition was quite nice. In agility we were disqualified because I sent Grin into the tunnel and then changed sides behind him, so when he came out, he didn't see me and seems I haven't made it clear enough that he should turn 180° to enter the slalom, so he went for the first obstacle that he saw, and it was the wrong one. He also fell from the see-saw two times, which I find very strange. It might have been because the course terrain was a little steep and the see-saw wasn't totally stable. But we did do an excellent jumping, without penalties and with Grinch running with enthusiasm.

My memory is restored, it seems, so now I only have to work on my concentration skills and we'll be fine :)

photo: www.agility-slo.net

28.4.2007 Ptuj

Despite we were disqualified 3 times, I was very pleased with the Grinch today (and less with myself).

In agility I disq-ed us by sending Grin in the wrong tunnel hole (my intentions were right, but my leading was wrong, it turned out). Later I also forgot the course, but we were already disq anyway.

Jumping first brought us 5 penalties for missing the slalom, but then Grin decided the competition was too boring and wanted to spice it up a little, so when he saw a tire jump near the track (it wasn't part of the course) he, in spite of my calls, ran to it (going off track and disq-ing us) and jumped through, making the audience roar with laughter. He then came back to me all happy and smiling, so what could I do, I laughed too :)

Today we also had team jumping (we're part of a 4 aussies + 1 belgian team). It was at the end of the day, so we were both pretty tired by then; Grin was too tired to finish the slalom perfectly the first two times so we had to repeat it 3 times, and anyway later I forgot the course (again!) and sent him on the wrong obstacle.

Grin still runs with pleasure and determination and that what's counts the most. I, on the other hand, will have to improve my memory and concentration skills...

21.4.2007 Gornja Radgona

Finally! The Grinch did two very good runs today. We were 3rd in agility with a clean run (though Grin's contacts on the A-frame and the seesaw were catastrophic), but in jumping I made two mistakes - I left him on stay too close to the first obstacle and he threw it down, and I closed his entrance in the slalom, which got us 10 penalties and 8th place in overall.

Still, we got our second qualification for A2 and Grin seems to have found back the speed and focus that helped him win his first official competition, so, yay! :)

photo: www.agility-slo.net

Grin, party animal that he is, had so much fun on this competition he didn't want to go home at the end and refused to get in the car :)

7.4.2007 Ajdovščina

Today was much better than the last time. In agility Grin was absent minded and careless in the beginning, threw down the pole of the second jump (he does that extremely rarely) and missed the slalom, but the rest was ok. In jumping he surprised me by being focused and quite fast, but then I got confused and in my moment of hesitation 'where next?', Grin jumped the wrong obstacle and we were disq. I promised him my piece of the Easter bacon if he'd be good, so he gets half of it for a good jumping ;)

I really hope this is a sign that this period of distraction was just a phase and that we're finally getting over it.

photo: www.agility-slo.net

24.2.2007 Prestranek

Another bad run. We did finish agility without disqualification, but spent almost twice as much time as the fastest dog and got 10 penalties, because in the middle of the run Grin lost his concentration and decided to go "chase butterflies". Jumping was almost perfect until the penultimate obstacle, where Grin saw a dog by the track, decided the run was over and ran off track.

photo: www.agility-slo.net

Our agility in 2006