NATCH & Vers-NATCH Kant!!

When I started in agility almost 10 years ago, everything was new and titles made no sense. I had no idea what I was getting in to, where I was going, or what I was doing! The things I would do, the places I would go, the people I would meet on this journey, and the dogs that I would get! Hershey was a great first agility dog; he taught me so much, even through all the frustration, and got me hooked on the sport.

And at 10 years old he is still running and we are having a great time, finally! But I knew he was not the competitive dog I needed so the search began…

After looking for a while I was finally introduced to Gail Dickson and Weathermans Shelties in Spokane Washington. In the fall of 2002 she did not have any puppies available but a couple of month later Gail got hold of me to tell me she had a litter that she thought I should look at. So in January 2003 I drove to Seattle Washing to me meet Gail for the first time at an AKC show. And the next month Jordana and I drove to Spokane Washington to look at puppies. I went to bed the first night not knowing which of the wonderful puppies I would be taking but I knew one of them would be going home with me and I had it narrowed down to the blue merles. Gail said she knew which one I would pick and she was right!

Who would have known what this fuzzy little puppy would do to my life!

What is a NATCH? Well NATCH stands for NADAC Agility Trial Champion so what does that mean. It means that we have gotten Novice and Open Titles in Regular, Jumpers, and Chances, we stayed in each level to earn the Superior Titles which just means we stayed in each level working on teamwork until there were no further titles to earn. Then in Elite you start earning points in those classes towards a NATCH, something I never thought Kant would live long enough to earn. After earning 230 points in Regular, each qualifying run is worth 10 points, 130 in Jumpers, and 130 in Chances you earn the NATCH! There is also a Versatility NATCH which means besides the NATCH points you also completed your Novice, Open, and earned 130 Elite points in TouchNGo, Weavers, and Tunnelers, we did the Superior Titles in all those classes at each level also.

Jumps have always been our issue. I have tried almost every training method and trick but we still struggled. I questioned several times whether I should give up trying for the Open Superior Jumpers Title and just move to Elite. But I kept saying after next trial. Until we finally finished our Open Superior Jumpers in Moab Utah at the judge’s clinic, May 2009! Later that same month at the NADAC Fun-raiser in Corvallis Oregon we got our first Elite Jumpers Q only 12 more to go! I would have never guessed that one year later at the same NADAC Fun-raiser that I got my first Elite Jumpers Q I would get the last Jumpers Q needed for the NATCH & Vers-NATCH and on the first day of the trial! We went on to get Jumpers on Sunday! Someone asked me “Now what?” NATCH & Vers-NATCH-2 of course only 9 more jumpers to go. I was asked if I cried, YES and I still do when I watch the video or think back about the run. Here is the link to Kant’s NATCH run on You-Tube, we had a couple small bobbles but remember I was a little nervous, I did not know an arena that big could get so quiet, and even though the run does not last long it is very hard to get commands out when you are not breathing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jou-yJJIGTA

Thank you everyone for your congratulations and celebration for Kant and I!! Your words mean the world to me. And in case you did not know yet…MY DOG ROCKS!!

Traci and Vers-NATCH Kant

PS – Kant was entered in 8 classes this weekend and Q’d in all of them; earning 4 more Elite Regular Qs and 2 Elite Hoopers Qs besides the 2 Jumpers. Kant has run clean in the past two trials!! I am so proud of my big blue dog and our teamwork!

Echo was also entered in this trial and Q’d in both Open Hoopers on Friday night. Saturday we struggled a bit with timing which is very hard for me with a puppy that is faster than Kant. But she did Q in Regular and Jumpers and got her first Open Tunnelers Q. Sunday we were a much better team and she Q’d in all 5 classes finishing her Novice Superior Regular title, finally 12 weave poles maybe a have a chance to catch up with her. I have absolutely nothing to complain about she Q’d in 10 of the 13 classes! I am thrilled with what a team we are becoming and I can see a NATCH in her distant future.

Thank you Gail for the puppy picture of Kant and
Joe Camp for the agility photo!!

April, What a Great Month!

April came and went in a flash!

We started out the month at the ZAP agility trial in Auburn Washington. I ran Hershey, Kant, and Echo.  I could not think of a better way to spend my birthday!

Hershey was phenomenal qualifying in all 4 Regulars and getting a Q in Novice Touch’N’Go finishing his Superior Novice Title which earning his Novice Versatility Superior Award and Novice All Around Award!!

 Not bad for a dog that will turn 10 on April 9th! And I had a great time running him which says a lot!!

Kant loves being a veteran dog and had an awesome weekend. She got both Jumpers again this weekend so we are up to 10 only 3 more to go!!

Echo continues to awe me! We did not have the best Q rate but we are becoming a better team each time we go to the line.

She did run Tunnelers in 6.54 yards per second her fastest Tunnelers so far. She also got her Outstanding Novice Jumpers Title.

I love this dog!!

The next weekend we headed south to Central Point Oregon for the Rogue Canine Agility Trial. I took Hershey, Kant, and Echo again.

Hershey did not have many runs but he was awesome again this weekend, getting his first Open Touch’N’Go points. I am loving running Hershey again and so glad he has decided that the contact zone will not kill him to touch it.

Kant continues to love being a veteran dog and jumping at 12 inches. She got both Chances this weekend finishing her Superior Elite Chances Title. We tried another bonus line it started out great but then we crashed and burned, must work on turn away from me at 40+ feet. But the greatest news was we got both Jumpers again, three trials in a row, only 1 more Q to go for her NATCH!

Echo had a great weekend! She got her first Chances Q with a VERY hard Chances; Echo and one other dog were the ONLY dogs in Novice to get it and it was a large Novice class.

The next weekend I spent in Reno Nevada judging for mdta. What a great group of people, I had such a great time!! I am looking forward to going down there as a competitor for the Pepper/Sampson Memorial at the end of July.

Then the next weekend was our club’s Games Trial which is also the 2nd Annual Willamette Cup. My mom was able to come watch Saturday and she brought my stepdad back on Sunday. It has been years since my mom watched us run and my stepdad had never seen it. They got there just in time to watch Echo run Novice Weavers which was the greatest run I have had with her so far; she ran 6.31 yards per second! They stayed around to watch Kant run Tunnelers and win the Elite Medium Dog Willamette Cup! It was absolutely awesome having them there to share in what I do for fun!!

We all had a great weekend. Jordana was able to come run Saturday morning. Hershey, Kant, PITA, and Echo were all entered in this trial. We had 20 runs on Saturday, thank goodness Jordana was there to run 3 of them only leaving me 17 and I had 16 runs on Sunday. Hershey was not feeling that well and did not run the best but he did get two Open Weavers and an Open Touch’N’Go out of his 8 runs. PITA was a super star Qing in all 4 of her runs on Saturday, getting her first Weavers Q. Echo ran very well getting her Open Hoopers Title, Superior Novice Tunnelers Title, and Novice Touch’N’Go. She also Q’d in two Weavers running both of them over 6 yards per second, she loves 24” weave poles. She Q’d in 8 of the 12 classes!!

But Kant was the shining star qualifying in ALL 12 classes!!! Winning the 2nd Annual Elite Medium Willamette Cup two years in a row!!

My dogs ROCK!!

Thank you Joe Camp for the agility pictures!!

DJ & Kant and the WAG March USDAA Trial

At the Camp Attitude last August after I had introduced us and the demo was starting a retired co-worker came up to me, she was there with her daughter and two grandsons. I had not seen Judy for years and I knew her daughter, Jenny, from all the years of working together. Judy’s youngest grandson, Caleb, is handicapped and was the reason they were at the camp. After the demo and playing on the river (you can read more about the Camp Attitude demo in my August 2009 post) Judy, Jenny, DJ, and Caleb sat with us at dinner. I got to talking to DJ and we discovered we live one block from each other, small world. DJ came over several times over the summer and helped me with the dogs. He was so great with them so I asked him if he would like to run Kant in our March USDAA Junior Handler trial and he was very excited. We kept working together over the winter and spring learning basic handling and the equipment.

DJ did an excellent job running Kant and ended up earning a medal in both rounds. She knocked a bar in each round so they did not qualify but DJ was still excited about his medals.

Debbie was looking for a pairs partner for her pup, Kash, at the same trial so I looked it up and saw that pairs was running on the same day as Junior Handler and Brace which I wanted to run with Hershey and Kant, so I asked her if she would want Echo and I as their partners. We made a great team and got our first USDAA Pairs Q! I also put Echo in Gamblers and she Q’d. She did great at her first USDAA trial. Thank you Debbie and Kash!!

I ran Hershey and Kant in Brace which was a blast. They are great for Brace with Kant being faster then Hershey I could send Kant ahead and run with Hershey. Hershey would not get on the table with his sister but he finally did and they were very cute lying there together. But my favorite was both of them weaving and they both entered perfectly and finished their weaves. I would do this again!

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays

March is our month for birthdays! Bella, Dylan, Dad, Mom, Jordana, Uncle Rob!!

Suzie had a 16th Birthday party for Dylan…16 where does the time go?

It is so nice to see all the nieces and nephew growing up to be such amazing people!

My baby turned 23 this month.

I won a certificate for a Treasure Cake so I got one to celebrate Jordana and Dad’s birthdays. We had a great time!! Happy Birthday to my favorite daughter!! I am so proud of you!!