A Dog for Jordan

This weekend we went North to Grantham for the 50th EMDAC BAA show at the UK Arena.

I was pleased with how Jordan and Rupert were running but they do tend to make mistakes and are still finding feet and paws at primary level and advanced juniors.

I decided to teach Jordan how to use his back and one hand to block as there were a number of tight handling challenges/traps on the courses. He's finding this technique difficult at speed. But they came away with a 7th in TFO agilty and a 10th in clockwork tunnels - not their normal speed due to Jordan's lack of confidence.

I'm still worried about Jordan and Rupert in the advanced Juniors with the Grade 5 courses. I am not one to try and get Jordan the best dog so he can win but I decided to see if someone would lend him a more expereinced dog so he could learn from teh dog and have to think less about the demands of the course and the need to get an inexpereinced dog round it. Gemma Miles kindly agreed to lend Jordan Focas. We hoped that Focus would run on body language alone and some noise. We learnt a lot from this!!

Jordan is definitely at the stage where he can handle a large, fast collie as they made a fast flowing start over some tight handling. However they came to grief when Jordan made his noise to get Focas' attention to stop him going in a tunnel. Jordan's oo!!! was translated as go and Focas shot in the tunnel and came out and got really confused to see Jordan's body language saying "back- left". They had another go and poor Focas got really confused - here was a handler whose body language said stop and voice said go. It ended in disaster.

The disaster continued. Jordan then tried to run Rupert like a big fast collie. He put him miles back from the start in a down, so he could do remote handling from the 4th fence. Instead of close to the first jump at an angle with a line of vision and handle via hand signals. Rupert interpreted being put a long way from the first fence as the need for a Calvary charge along a straight line of jumps. An inevitable "e" followed.

I was pleased with the learning from this:

Jordan can never handle a dog he doesn't train with.

The dog needs to be trained to run with Jordan so it runs on body language and his distorted sounds.

We are going to have to get Jordan training with Magic sooner rather than later and get Magic up to the standard for Grade 5 junior courses as soon as we can.

We cannot do what most juniors do and borrow dogs to run so Jordan will have to just run Rupert this year until Magic is ready.

Would a Deaf dog be the best bet for Jordan?


I can't afford it at the moment but with this in mind we are going to have to increase our pack to 4 dogs long term. Another cocker and possibly a Deaf collie that has the potential to go all the way to the top with a Deaf handler. I don't know would a hearing collie or kelpie learn to run with Jordan?

Later that day Jordan was playing at the top of a great mud mountain. Rupert ran up the mountain to play and watch over Jordan. He played with Jordan for an hour. Magic took one look and decided it looked dangerous and I was a better bet with his wubba kong. There is defiantely a unique relationship with Jordan and Rupert and it'll be interesting to see if we can get a partnership with Magic on that level.

Whizzers' Winter Warmer

The New Year started with the Wimbledon Whizzers first tournament. For a team who only formed around Easter last year this was really ambitious - but then Ray and Guy are not faint hearted. The result The Wimbledon Whizzers' Winter Warmer a 2 day open tournament with starters and fun events. This was held inside a massive marquee so the dogs had the advantage of running on grass.

One thing was obvious - it was not a "warmer". Temperatures were sub zero. My car was reading -2 when we went home on Friday after helping set up. Saturday dropped to -4 driving up. Rachel's Hit coffee machines frooze up. The dogs' paddling pools were solid ice. (Great for cockers to skate on (lol!!) Water put down for the dogs to drink frooze.

This was our first flyball tournament after the starters last Easter. The Whizzers were running 2 teams in the open in divisions 5 and 6 and were sharing a Starters team with the Mad Mutts. Rupert was in the Whizzers in division 5 on Sunday - scary for a dog who had only done one starters event. Magic was keen to do a starters debut.

Guy advised me to make it known on the Saturday that I had a dog that I'd like to run in the Starters in case a team could take an extra dog. The Hamphire Harriers were really supportive and Magic joined the Hampshire Hurricanes in the Saturday night starters. It was minus -2 when we started. Magic ran in 3 position and was a real natural. He needs to mature as he has a tendency to bambi hop along to the box and was running at about 5 and a half seconds. He can also run back in as he is still not used to cross overs. We were delighted to come 3rd. Not a bad debut. Thanks to the Hampshire Hurricanes for squeezing in a mad cocker.

Rupert teamed up with Jed in the pairs and it was funny. In the first race we tried with Rupert as start dog and the mad thing ran back in with Jed. The next race we swapped them round and they ran well. The last race was the funniest. Jed dropped his ball and couldn't find it hidden behind a jump so came out a bit dejected. Rupert raced in picked up Jed's ball and raced to the box to get the other ball and ran back happily chomping on 2 balls. After this performance we were really shocked to come 3rd!!!!

As our team ran NFC on the Saturday in division 6, our Division 5 team were keen to do well. Rupert measured as between 16-17" so will jump the 12" height. I was relieved when we decided not to run Rupert as he, like Magic, still needs more practice with crossovers and would have lost us seconds. He can also only run as anchor dog due to this. We gave him the run backs and run ups and he ran really well on those in stimulated conditions and I was well pleased with him running like that in open lanes. I was also pleased that not giving Rupert a run paid off and we won Division 6 with a new fastest time!!!

Ray and Guy decided to run Magic in the Mutt-Whizzers starters team. Sam from the Mutts was really great and I had the time of my life running in that team. It was maaaaad!!! The Mutt's ran 2 staffies about the same age as Magic - 12-13 months. We decided to run Magic as start dog and I feel (unless Ray and Guy disagree) that this is his natural position. He is a joy to run as a start dog. He stands ready, pointing and watching that ball... and flies on the first amber light; racing the other dog adds to his speed. It's also a nice place for a deaf person to run as you just wait for the first amber light and if you make a false start everybody waves madly!!!! Sam stood by to stop him running back up - and at one stage she did an ace rugger tackle!!!! I think we can solve this by me tying a slipper on a tuggy rope and lowering it to the ground when he leaves the run which will be more attractive than tuggy ball. Our biggest challenge was interference from the staffies who couldn't resist running to say hi to the other team to share a few balls! We came 6th having had the biggest laugh with the youngsters.

Jordan had the time of his life with his new best friend, Charlie. That is really what flyball is about to me the people. We left after the Starters in freezing temperatures as Jordan was falling asleep.

I was going to help clear up this morning but we are snowed in!!!

Well, I'm now on a flyball high with Magic who is in love with flyball. Rupert prefers agility.

Christmas cockers

Happy New Year to all of You

Have fun competing in 2009

Magic celebrated his first Christmas and soon got the hang of it!

Beachside Agility

Life has got quite stressful, so we all felt like a break. So we entered the BAABeachside Agility in Great Yarmouth. I must be mad - a 3 hour drive. But I was determined to make a break of it. Karen recommended Winterton beach for a walk, so we left early to brave the M25 car park.

At 2pm we arrived at Winterton. It was heaven on earth. Lovely sand. Idyllic. And so peaceful until we set foot and paws on it. Jordan waded in and the cockers played football. It wasn't the walk I'd planned and they were all too wet to eat fish n chips on the beach, so we departed to the Travelodge to dry off.

Arriving at the Travelodge caused great cocker excitement. I told J to hold them on a tight lead. Somehow we got to the room and I found Magic had a mouthful of Christmas decorations he'd retrieved in the foyer. Soon it was manic.

The next day J and R made a bad start in the primary jumping. J forgot the opening sequance and they were E'd. However they managed some very tricky handling. Another E followed in the agility - again because J forgot what I'd told him - well he is only 8. Clockwork tunnels was really difficult with lots of handlers getting lost and a long list of Es. But not J and R - they did a fast and furious stonker of an all or nothing round to win. Touch and Go was another fast and furious stonker that looked like a first place until J slightly turned his shoulders the wrong way before Rup committed to a tunnel entry and Rup obediently changed direction and shot in the wrong end of the tunnel. I was however pleased with that. It shows Rup is capable of running at this level and can - when he is not playing you've been cockered - handle at this level.

Meanwhile Magic had an awful day. There were no off lead walks due to livestock everywhere. So it was the car for most of the day and walks on the lead. A 3 hour drive home and Manic Magic made sure nobody got to bed.

You've been cockered!

On Friday we drove north to the first EMDAC BAA Winter show at the UK Arena, Grantham. It's an odd feeling to drive in the freezing fog to a Travelodge and not to travel in the camper van for a weekend out of doors. Jordan was excited to see the other BAA juniors but gutted there was no bicycle and long summer evenings spent together.

The Travelodge amuses me - £19 for the room and £10 per cocker i.e £20 for both. Cockers find staying in Travelodges wildly exciting. They wag their tails and race to reception. Wagging their tails to show how friendly they are. Once put in a sit stay they wrap their wagging tails under their bottoms and wobble like wagging jellies. I was relieved Magic isn't a puppy anymore. However he was still up to his tricks we arrived at the room to find he'd helped himself to a handful of leaflets on local attractions at reception - (whilst Jordan was holding him in a wobble stay.) The first hour was manic with a 3 boys playing tuggy in the room.

As this was our first BAA show of the season we set ourselves some targets. To win out of primary by the end of the season. Jordan wants to try and win the U12 advanced junior title. And we'd like to get both dogs through to the finals of the multi-mix Clever Dogs (fly agility) and to try and win it with Rupert (3rd last year.). The targets are ambitious but who knows!!!

Saturday morning was minus 2 and we somehow found the UK Arena in thick, freezing fog.

Rupert doesn't like indoor shows. He can't focus with the background noise. The first class was snakes and ladders, usually one of our best classes. No reason why Rupert couldn't do a fast run across contacts. The nice judge, Mr Retter, had placed the tunnel traps away from the equipment. No sweat! Then the cocker struck!

He was pissed off with me because I made him to a wait start so I could position myself to do a clear, firm switch after the A frame to send him away from the tunnel. Well, he did one of his famous Rupert of the Rhine charges across the jumps over the A frame and darted left of me doing a firm switch to the right and charged into the tunnel. No problem brought him back to number 5 and blow me if the ***********!!!! cocker ignored me again and went straight back in the tunnel and then bolted off and ran in every single tunnel he could find on the course not once but twice. Having completed his course he trotted back, sat sweetly and decided he was ready to do the judge's course. I was cockered!! When will I learn that cockers don't take life seriously - they just want to have fun.

Jordan had him in the jumping and agility. They were going so well in both until some tricky handling. Jordan just doesn't realise he needs to make a lot more noise indoors to get Rup's attention and Rupert goes so fast and misses the hand signal. So 2 Es followed. It's clear that now they've graduated from the fast flowing courses they need to develop strategies to help them cope with tighter handling challenges. Not a good start, but a learning experience.

I had Rup in the helter skelter which was all staggered jumps and some horrid angles and twists. I just wasn't quite fast enough to do a split second switch and Rup knocked a fence righting his approach - so fast with 5 faults.

I wasn't optimistic about the Advanced juniors. To be honest I've been worried about this. The advanced juniors are graded at BAA novice plus level i.e grade 4 upwards. Jordan won in to the advanced on his league points but no way is he or Rup at that level. I know a lot of the advanced juniors borrow novice plus (5+) dogs but it's not easy to find a dog that will run with Jordan who is non verbal. He's also significantly younger than the others. When I saw the course my heart sank. It was a real handling challenge with handling techniques that Jordan hadn't encountered in training and that Rupert is only just starting to do at Pachesham with me. It's also all heights and Rupert is the only non-large dog. The only other ABC is a large, fast G5 kelpie. To make it worse as he was the only medium dog so had to run first. I walked the course with Jordan and tried to give him a crash course in the techniques to tackle it, while a friend patiently held Rupert. Jordan for the first time got the sequance all muddled and it took a bit of time.... The judge was really nice and was happy for us to take a little longer course walking.

I told Rupert he wasn't getting another sausage if he didn't watch Jordan and do what he wanted. I couldn't bear to watch. But it was incredible Rupert showed that he can run like a grade 5+ dog and Jordan that he can handle at this level. Rupert went a bit slower than normal, due to teh handling, and they eventually finished second. I think this was one of my proudest moments. But I'm still not sure the advanced juniors is right for Jordan at this stage. What also worries me is that Magic will have to start in the advanced juniors at BAA. Mmmm!!!!

Magic was a star at Pachesham this week. The black dog wasn't there and he focused and ran really well. He loves contact equipment - like rainbows with treasure (treats) at the end!!! He's running confidently over jumps. I'll defiantely start him at UKA in nursery this Spring and then Pawsability at BAA in May. He may even go straight into UKA Beginners/BAA Introductory in the summer or once he is confident with his full height and see saws and weaves. I find him a nice little dog to handle when he isn't in a frenzy about the black dog. However his focus seems to have really improved in the last week and it'll be interesting to see how next Thursday goes when black Jack returns.

Happy Birthday Bryning Makin' Magic

Happy birthday Magic (aka Moo-poo or baby dog) and your littermates Rio, Masie, Radley, Floyd and Murphy. You are an amazing little dog, Magic, with a promising flyball, dash n splash/dock diving agility career in front of you doing sports you enjoy. we are really looking forward to the years ahead with you. I think you have already earned your birthday H-Reg INDIGO collar tag. May you have fun cos that's what it's all about. And here's to you giving older brother a run for his kibble in water jumping.

Cockers step out and wag at Discover Dogs

We came back from the States last Wednesday. Got the manic cockers from the kennels and arrived home only to find the heating and electricity were not working. Thus we were housebound with 2 manic cockers for 48 hours while electricians and gas engineers tried to repair it and avoid 2 cockers running round the house chasing each other, the cat and running off with tools. Finally it was fixed and we arrived at the Pachesham puppy class 15 mins late.

The manic Magic was madness unleashed. In his accurate moments he was exciting - fast and accurate. But he soon developed a lust for the black dog. I let him off the lead to practice figures of 8 and he was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly the pipe tunnel was moving up and down and from side to side. Magic was covering a bitch ... no a dog in the tunnel. That has to be my most embarrassing agility moment. ...Well not moment as it took a while to get him out. After that he would do nothing but go straight back in the tunnel to lie in wait for the next dog to hump. So out he went in the car. A 5 mile stimulating walk at Polsden, and only one dead pigeon later the household returned to normal.

Saturday was flyball. Took Nat up on her suggestion of harder balls and brought the USA dock diving balls. The chomper was sorted. Well, until he decided to invent a new game - flyrugby. This involves holding on to your ball and tackling all your team mates for their balls as they run out of the lanes and see how many you can get in your mouth. The treat bag put pay to that new game and soon Rupert was running a lot better. Magic just makes it look easy. It's just a shame the poor cockers handlers hold them back. Cross fingers we get Magic selected for the starters team for the Whizzers own tournament in January.

Flyball is always followed by the circus maximus in Richmond Park. Jordan rides his bike flanked by 2 manic cockers racing round the park. I had "forgotten" that both had Discover Dogs on Sunday and that Valerie had spent hours hand stripping Rup, grooming and bathing him for the big day. They were muddy afterflyball but soon cockers boy and bike ended up in the blackest ditch and it was home for 3 baths.

An early start for Discover Dogs on Sunday with both cockers in the Companion Dog show - Magic in waggiest tail and Rupert in Hot Stepper. After the facade in the pipe tunnel and Magic's constant desire to scent mark and hump, I decided not to let Jordan take him into waggiest tail. I need not have worried. Magic was a dream. Wagged his tail, licked the judge, stood as directed with tail facing the judge and wagged and wagged his way to first place and the finals, cheered on by friends from Surrey Weald DTC and Pachesham. No scent marking or humping all day. Next it was Rupert and Jordan in hot stepper doing Walk Like an Egyptian. By this time the Dash n Splash gang had left the watering hole to cheer them on and they stepped out into first place. Well Jordan stepped and Rupert, who is no heel work to music dog, did his obedeince routine and walked well on the loose lead. Both dogs were in the finals but the best in show deservedly went to best rescue, Indie. Both cockers were rewarded with new flyball harnasses.

During the day people came up and photographed the cockers and wanted details of what they were and the breeders. Magic in particular because of his colouring. I think they see Jordan with the dogs and think they are perfect family pets and Magic is ever so pretty and matches Autumn outfits!!! Their faces fall when I explain you can't have a working cocker if you are a) house proud b) not able to do long walks daily c) spend time training your dog and working it - these are made to work and if you don't do ABC you end up with the doggie descendants of dino raptors. By then I'd spent some time in the watering hole with the Dash n Splash crowd so I think Bryning kennels came out a bit like wineing, so hopfully there'll be fruitless searches on the internet for designer coloured cockers that your kids can cuddle.