BAA Finals Weekend

It was a real dilemma for us as Magic had qualified for the finals of the UKA Dog Games Steeplechase at Staverton but we decided to give this a miss as the cockers had qualified for several BAA fianls. AND the Clever Dogs (fly-agility) is the highlight of our year.



Both Rupert and Magic were in the finals which tured out to be a round robin. Not good for Rup who is still a bit unfit and we still have somehwere to go with the Galen muscotheraphy. The 12 weaves were still early on in the course - not good for Magic who likes more exciting things up front. To top it Magic and Rupert were drawn to run against each other in the first leg!!! Magic decided to invade Rup's lane and both decided to do it in tandem. So they we through the weaves together, over the jumps and through the tunnels together. And up the flyball lane. Maxine decided to give both a ball. Eveeryone was laughing so much. Rup eventually came 4th and Magic 5th. I think Magic will do better next year if he decides to focas and get through those weaves and not try to race off down the flyball lane. He is by far one of the fastest dogs doing it.

Rupert didn't jump at all well after that, so we decided not to run him. Magic was a little star and we came 2nd in the Trios relay with Sylvia and Malcom.

The highlight of the weekend was the presentation of the Advanced U12 Junior trophy to Jordan, Rupert and Magic. It's a great achievement as this is grade 4-7 and to have won it with Rupert and 22 month old Magic is quite something given the other kids run 2 grade 5/6 dogs each. They won it by about 150 points.

A lovely end to our BAA year.

Cocker Kidz at the KC Festival

I'm writing this with the feeling that I took a load of kids to the KC International Festival. Well, I suppose I did - Jordan, aged 9. Rupert aged 4 and Magic aged 1.

It started with the excitement of the arrival and all 3 were manic with excitement and the atmosphere. Friday morning Sara came to give Rupert some Galen therapy before the International Young Handler and he went bonkers to see her. He is a real Galen groupie and it proves it's making him feel better. He was so excited and got 5 faults in the jumping. Next up was Magic and it was all too much for him and he ran out of the ring to tell Mummy how exciting it all was and jumped back round the course, so got E'd. Next was the agility round, which was in a ring in the middle of the show ground. This suited Rup fine. He bolted for the A fame and stood on the top watching everything from that view point and howling his delight. Then went up the dog walk to do the same. Magic meanwhile discovered the Purina van and paddling pool and ran out of the ring to visit the pool and then did a few more obstacles and back tot eh pool. So much for the International Young Handler this year!!!

The next day Rup pulled himself together and got a 5th in the G1 agility which qualified him for the YKC Crufts agility semi final at The City of Birmingham next year for Crufts 2011. He then got a 20th place in the G1 jumping which again qualifies him for the YKC semi final for the jumping at Crufts 2011 at the KC Festival next year. So all we need is a jumping placed clear for Magic. It wasn't at the Festival it was all too much for him and he kept running out of the ring to the Purina van except in one more quiet ring where he did a lovely round with Jordan but unfortunately got a refusal in the weave entry. I will say that he was a bit responsible as when he exited the ring he did run along the walkways to the Purina van and not through the rings!! So there is hope yet.

The YKC Crufts qualifier saw Magic take yet another trip to the Purina van and an E!! Jordan got badly stung running Rup and it all went belly up.

But all in all the cocker kidz did OK with the 5th and the 20th and most of all the experience. The highlight was meeting Orianne and Murphy, Magic's brother.

Off to DINAS with the kidz.

A week of rain, mud, promotion and Crufts Magic

It seems like last century but on Monday we drove up to the UKA Nationals at Tewkesbury. We had a late start as I had to sort out my tax credits or else... and we didn't get the camping pitch we wanted and had to camp up the hill by the sand pit away from the rings.

The week began well - Jordan and Rupert did a stonker in the Monday evening tunnel maze and came 2nd or 3rd. Magic enjoyed it but I had to choose to run or hold up my trousers as the belt went half way through and dignity won over glory. Seconds later the heavens opened and every one scattered so I should have erred on the side of glory. The next day Rupert won the juniors and was placed in all his other classes. Sadly he and J got E'd in the Nationals - in the dog walk/wrong end of tunnel grave yard.

Meanwhile the relentless rain continued and the 2 roan cockers became grey cockers. It was like Glastonbury. Wet and damp was the theme. But I was on the top of the hill. I decided I needed some warm so J and I swam down the main road to the pub for dinner. When we came back it was like Supa dogs. Everybody down the hill had or was being moved up the hill. J dug in and helped carry caravan awnings up the hill for people moving before being dried off by me before going to bed.

Mud took over the week and damp. Rup runs well in that kind of weather and did a beautiful agility round with run contacts to rival Dawn Weaver's and won into Senior. But it was the Rise of the Worms and Magic discovered that the rising water drove the worms to the top of the soil and was relentless in his quest to dig them out. It put a new slant on spag bog. Luckily - apart from juniors - we were running him NFC to perfect the run contact, weaves and to make him run with Jordan.

On Friday I decided to go to the Chippenham YKC Show to run Rup in the Agility Dog of the Year and Magic but I felt it really was a year early for him. He still has problems with the A frame and finding the weave entry. If there are worms he just won't run. Greg Derrett was very supportive and said they'd tow us out. But the 4 wheel drive got stuck towing someone else out. So.....it was decided to take down the post and rail fence at the top of the hill where we were camped. Horray we were now a 5 star pitch with road access and we took off for the Chippenham show.

After an evening on a camp site on Watership Down and Magic with a dead bunny - caught on his bedtime walk. But on the up side camped beside a wonderful pub called the 4 Magpies. We set off late for Chippenham as I had to clean the van of mud and remains of bunny. It wasn't torrential rain but it was constant, relentless drizzel.

I love the YKC CHippenham Show - the club are so supportive of young handlers. There was a practice ring until 10.30 and we unleashed the cockers. Rup went well over the large KC height on quite a difficult course and Magic was running for Jordan with lovely run contacts. First up was Rup who decided he'd left his brain at Tewkesbury but he was going clear until J decided to run for the weaves and layer the jump with another obstacle. Rup, not used to doing the large height, didn't see the corner jump and followed J's path and was E'd. Ohhhhh!!!!!!!!

J was devastated his Crufts dream was gone. He was quite realistic that Magic wasn't ready. But Magic by name and Magic by nature.... The start was bad, Magic decided to treat himself to some worms on the start line but once he'd done that was over the start line and galloping round. It was a lovely round until, for some reason, he slipped on the A frame. This dented his confidence but J encouraged him back up and he redid the A Frame but jumped the contact. 10 faults. But very fast and lovely weave entry and weaves. E's followed and a slow round with 10 faults. Magic was through to Crufts with what was a lovely round bar that slip on the A Frame and reaction to it. A deserved result as he is only 20 months and this was his 2nd agility round in competition.

He also came 4th in the tunnel maze.

Don't ask me about Rup the rest of the day. He just barked and acted like he'd never been trained for agility.

So Magic is off to Crufts in the U12 Young Kennel Club Agility Dog of the Year (medium). He's also qualified for Stoneleigh 2010 jump off for an agility place at YKC Crufts. And Jordan and Magic now enter the Agility Club U12 League.

Unfortunately the rain brought the worms to the surface and Magic decide they were more fun than agility for the rest of the day, so I took them all home - exhausted, muddy and exhilerated well one was with Crufts, the other with worms and Rup is high most of the time.

I NEVER WANT TO SEE MUD AGAIN !!!! I have spent the whole day cleaning cockers, going to flyball training (where Magic cocker decided the fox hole was the best thing) and Galen sports massage and washing clothes, van etc and cleaning up Magic poo as teh diet of worms does not suit him.

A New Partnership

After a very tense week due to the problems we're having at the moment and worries about Rup's sporting future, we went to Ashfordby for the BAA Mid summer Madness Show.

Rup had had his first session of Galen massage and I feel he is looser. However he had also had the first 2 steroid injections which the vet feels accounts for his looseness. I'm not sure which is benefiting Rup - all I can say is he is quite hyped up with the steroids and I do slightly regret doing the injections at this time of year. He has one more tomorrow and the last the day we leave for the UKA Nationals next week.

The weekend kicked off with the Disney fancy dress and Jordan and Rup came 2nd as Will Tuner and Capt Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean. Magic was due to join in but was sacked due to trying to chew up Rup's cutlass and pistol. Then we got forked lighting just as we were about to do 2 handlers, one dog and the rings closed for 40 mins.

I decided to work extra hard at getting Jordan running with Magic. J played frisbee with Magic and suddenly Magic decided he was OK running with Jordan and didn't need to keep running back to see Mummy providing she stands on the start line. Magic is much better runnnig with Jordan as he has quite a long fast stride and Jordan runs faster than I do and strides alongside him better. BAA is all heights and I was pleased that they clocked up 4 clear rounds just outside the placings with times of 18 secs. I do think Magic and Jordan will be up in the first 3 next year as Magic is still not working away, lacks confidence, weave entry needs polishing and he isn't yet at full speed. Jordan and Magic are still developing thier communicating and it's interesting as J is using directional claps to run Magic. As you can see from the photos he is economical on his turns. It should be easy for them to loose seconds. They also came 6th in the advanced juniors.

Rup was defiantely slower than normal due to the impact of the steroids on his behaviour. But was clear most of the time and got in the placings.

Well, I'm dogless again but hopfully the next cocker will be my dog. I will run Magic when he starts Agility classes at shows. We've taken him off agility due to needing to polish the run contact. Personally I'm happy to follow Toni Dawkins' advice and keep him out of agility classes until grade 4 when he is confident about his speed and working remotely and the contacts are embedded. I may however run him NFC at UKA in agility classes to trian the contact. However this decision means he will be beginners at UKA for quite a while which is a shame as he already has enough points to go through to novice on the jumping. He is novice in the steeplechase.

I spent a lot of the weekend in thought over what we should do re retiring Rupert in the next 2-3 years/ reducing his agility. I had toyed with looking for a medium collie but I have to remember that Jordan's father was over 6 foot and that Jordan is now 9 and in the next 2 years will start growing and we need a dog that he can grow into long term both physically and as a handler, even if I handle it for the first year or so. He is honestly going to need a large dog to develop further. I also feel he needs a large fast dog as the advanced juniors is always won and placed by the kids running grade 5/6 collies. I'm in love with working beardies/collie beardie crosses and I'm looking at some collie/beardie/lurcher pups this week. But J wants a collie. I've also started to look at collies that would be right for J - fast, trainable, high drive but without the collie traits that would not suit a household of cockers and children. I found several this weekend and 2 were from Canen Roy lines! I plan to watch dogs very carefully over the next few months to identify lines.

I'm now not sure what our summer will be. We are going to the UKA Nationals next week. I'm very unsure as to whether to go to the YKC Chippenham show as I'm not sure if Rup is able/should to jump the full KC height and Magic is not 100 per cent with A frame contacts and I'd only let J run him in that if the dog walk entry was straight. Rup and J were also in the YKC at the KC International and the International Young Handler. Oh dear!!! We'll just have to see how the UKA nationals go and try Rup over the large height in the practice ring.

No agility this weekend but we are trying out for a new flyball team that we can run Magic in from September.

Rupert Has Hip Dyspasia

Oh!!!! It all started back in January when gung ho Rupert tried to fly a dog walk and came off. A few weeks later he started dropping poles and I noticed he was 3 seconds slower. He was also holding up his right leg. I took him to the vet, who was not our usual vet and she simply gave me a lecture of how wrong I was to BARF but she OK take him to a chiro if you want him to do better at agility. Our chiro is great and expereinced with agility dogs. She confirmed he had a compressed verterbrae and he responded well to her treatment. He stopped dropping poles and his times are almost back to where they were. However he still has a great deal of stiffness in his lower back.

At Paws in the Park his Dash n Splash jumps weren't his massive 19 to 20 foot jumps. We are due to see the chiro agian in July but I contacted Sara, who is offering Galen massge to injured agility dogs to do case studies. I feel this will really help Rup with the muscle stiffness. However I needed a vet's consent form so back I went to the vet. Kate, one of the Dash n Splash trainers also feels Rup isn't right and she wondered if it was spondolitis. It was my usual vet and a new permanent vet so they took me a lot more seriously and decided to X ray Rup. The good news is that his spine and discs are OK. They are concerned about the muscle stiffness. BUT he has bilateral hip dysplasia. It is mild at the moment and probably would not have been picked up if all this hadn't happened. The vet feels he must do agility and continue with his active lifestyle. I said I'd retire him from flyball but she says not to. Thankfully I have historically fed him evening primrose oil, glucosamine and chonoroitin, grizzly salmon oil/cod liver since he started agility, so he should have good synovial fluid. The vet has also given his a course of 4 injections that have to be repeated annually.


Jordan is gutted. Rupert is only 4 and we now cannot predict how long his agility career will be. What we do know is that he will only do it as long as he enjoys it and is comfortable doing it. His partnership with Magic is still in the early stages and Magic is a bit of a mummy's boy. And to be honest Magic's heart is in flyball and Dash n Splash/Dock Dogs . I think all we can do is monitor Rupert. When we find a new flyball team he can do starters where he is a nice consistant banker dog. He's not knocking poles and is still doing his cannonball agility runs so he must be enjoying them. And as long as he gets to jump into water it doesn't matter if he does 16 or 20 foot. I hope retirement and the painful arthristis stage is a long way off for Rupert.

We are now seriously looking for new dog(s) to replace Rupert in the longer term.

Cockers Unleashed

It was Dogs Unleashed at Newark this weekend. After one of the worst weeks of my life (thanks for your support) - we left on Thursday to help set up the Clever Dogs. It was a complete nightmare. The area allocated was too small for the Clever Dogs, 50 weave challenge and splash pool plus our camping. Given this was marked out by roads there was no flexibility. The ground was virtually concrete. To further add to our problems while we were trying to crack the logistics and set up on Friday, there was a steam roller driving assessment round the showground with rollers going up and down all day doing our heads in.

Our stress levels were high on Saturday when the show started! Not good if you are running cockers. To top it were were camped by the flyball and Magic completely devastated my mattresses trying to get out of the van to join in. His father, Drake, was racing with the Demons Dogs and I had wanted to watch. Due to running Clever Dogs I only caught a glimpse. But I heard Drake won the gun dog scrurry. Shame we didn't get to do it due to Clever Dogs.

Back to agility...Magic jumped well on the Saturday and got 2 clear rounds, just outside the placings. Rup had lost the script and was all out to be E'd but broke his
es to take a 10th in the primary jumping.

Sunday was a bridge too far. We were parked under the all night spot lights and after another sleepless night, we'd all lost the script. Rup continued to collect Es and only broke his record to get a 3rd in the advanced juniors but that was only due to Jordan's firm handling as he was totally headless!!! Magic then put his paw done and decided cockers just want to have fun so ....he... got addicted to terrier racing and managed to catch and eat the rabbit thing twice. At £1 for one go this meant he couldn't go again. £5 of Jordan's pocket money later and teh concern that tehy were out of rabbit skin, they agreed to pull it faster and he qualified for the final with 4.13. He then refused to do agility and became very distractable. During the advanced juniors he just raced round the ring doing a few jumps and running out of the ring to tell mummy it was fun time. He then jumped the barrier fencing and raced off across the showground and into the splash pool leaving the judge standing in the ring with Jordan. Thankfully Rup had completed his round, BUT he was tied up by the ring. He too bolted, with the ring stake, after Magic and the 2 cockers were found in the splash pool. They were marched back soaking to the juniors to apologise to Jordan and the judge. Well Magic got a lovely well done rosette for entertaining everybody with his antics and Rup got an undeserved trophy for being third.

Unfortunately Magic had once again lost his brain during that escapade. He spent circular jumping eating weeds and jumped the barrier fencing to gatecrash a picnic. As I was working on the Clever dogs most of the day, Sue K took him and J for the finals of the terrier racing. His antics had tired him out and he only managed 4.36 and was 4th. Not bad racing against sight hounds. Sad as there were no terriers in the finals.

We're taking a break from agility this week as Rup is having Galen massage for his back. I saw an ad on Agility Net for an injured agility dog in our area to be a case study. I hope that this will benefit Rup and help us to get a pre jumping massage routine going. He's still not 100 per cent right and it's quite worrying. He's not knocking poles and his timings are now back to what they were but he is stiff. The chiro has signed him off. I think I may get his back X-rayed in case it's spondolitis.

PS If anybody finds Magic's brain on the Newark showground please return it as he still seems to be without it as he spent his agility class with Jordan this am digging up a rat hole.

A Magic Hat trick topples Rupert

It was Paws in the Park at Broadlands with agility and Dash N Splash.

I was worried about Dash n Splash. Since his back injury Rupert hasn't been jumping into water at all well. Magic at the Kent County Show had reverted to stopping before jumping into the blue and was only managing about 13 foot. I decided to book the Greyfriars hydro pool to sort out both dogs.

The hydro therapy session was mad both dogs were manic - jumping in and swan for their entire 25 minute session. I don't think the staff had seen anything like it. We're going back on the 2nd July.

Well, the hydro did the trick on Magic and he is less cautious about jumping into blue water.
He did well at the qualifiers on Saturday doing his 13 foot to get a place in the final. He also qualified for the final of the Splash n Grab speed retrieve. Rupert seemed in slightly better form with a 15 foot jump - not his 19/20 foot jumps but better than expected. We don;t put him in Splash n Grab as he just chomps on the ball and has a luxury swim.

First we had the splash and grab finals with Magic as top seed with a 10 sec qualifying time. He has a lovely targeted jump that lands just where he needs to pick up the ball and when he returns I only have to say ball and he rolls it to me. We were down to the last 2 when disaster struck. It's best out of 3 retrieves. We won the first and then on the second a child threw a stick into the water just nano seconds before magic jumped. It snapped into 2 and Magic caught the small bit. I thought he'd swallow it. We got a re-run but he had lost it. Was it stick or ball? So we were second.

Next was the Dash n Splash mini (17/18 inches and under) finals. Rupert is the unbeaten winner of this event. Sadly he only managed 15 1/2 feet. A springer called Jasper managed 16. Magic did 13. So Rupert was beaten into 2nd place with Magic 3rd.

The next day saw a new Magic. His speed on the run and height in the jump got him a qualifying jump of about 15 and a half feet. Rupert did 15. Magic also once again qualified for the Splash n grab finals.

Magic was out to win splash n grab from the outset. Targeted jumps, instant retrieves, quick release of the ball to me. (Anyone who has watched his grandfather in gun dog trials will know what I mean by this.) Well, we won.

Rupert seemed less complacent about the Dash n Splash finals and jumped 16 foot. Not bad - only 2 more feet and he'd be at his last year's average of 18. But this was Magic's day. He did a massive jump of 18 foot to win. (And I think there is another 3-4 foot in him.)

Rupert was rather sulky at Magic winning a Pets at Home voucher, free entry to Dash Splash and a luxury dog bed plus loads of treats from the doggie deli.

Rupert was a star in the agility ring. We didn't do much due to Dash n Splash but he came away with a 3rd in the G1-5 jumping a 2nd in the G1-2 jumping and 1st in the G1-2 agility.

Check out Steve Collins Momofoto web page for photos of the weekend.