Shelties get new AHBA titles

Thursday afternoon in the pouring rain Kant, Echo, and I headed south in search of some sunshine, a visit with Linda Rorem, and an AHBA herding trial. After we passed in to California we found the sunshine and had it all weekend. After stopping in Williams California for the night, we arrived in Pescadero California Friday mid-morning.

Both Shelties had a chance to have a couple practice runs on the sheep which they were very happy for after an 11 hour car ride. They both did great. Linda had not seen Echo for a couple of years since we picked her

up as a 12 week old puppy.

She has grown a little since then. We had a wonderful day Friday visiting with Linda and her students. Friday night Linda and I had a wonderful dinner at the only restaurant in Pescadero; they serve the best cream of artichoke and green chile soup and are very famous for their pies.

Saturday was the AHBA trial and Echo was the first dog of the trial running Junior Herd Dog; she passed! Linda was judging and I was nervous and a bit frantic with my commands which caused Echo to be a bit frantic or “eager” as the judge committed on the score sheet. I knew I caused it and planned to work on that the next day. Kant ran in Herding Ranch Dog Level 1 mid-day. We started out great and towards the end of the course there were covered panels that the sheep had to go through. Again I was nervous forgetting commands and how to handle my dog; we only got a couple of the sheep through the panels losing 9 points. We ended up with a qualifying score of 78 out of 90 and 2nd place. Again it was my fault. I had not entered Kant in HRD on Sunday because I thought it would be too late in the day but the trial committed told me I could run first in the HRD class on Sunday if I wanted to enter. I sure wanted another try at the course so I did it.

Sunday Echo was the first dog again but I was determined to stay calm and run her like she deserved to be run. I was much better which made Echo much better and we easily passed earning Echo’s Junior Herd Dog (JHD) title.

Both days she had beautiful gathers but Sunday she paced much better! The trial committee was very kind to let me run Kant before they took a lunch break so we could get on the road. Again I was much calmer and handled my dog much better. We got almost all the sheep through the covered panels and scored 83 out of 90. I have not seen the score sheet yet so I do not know where we lost points. Kant earned her HRD1s title. Ann and Jan did e-mail me and let me know we got 2nd again. I was very proud of both my shelties and owe Lora big time for all the times she made me cry at my herding lessons just to make us better teams and it is working; she would have been very proud of us!

Echo’s brother Cody was also running in Junior Herd Dog on goats. He also got his JHD title.

He is a very handsome blue eyed sable merle. Echo’s dad Flash was also there running Herding Ranch Dog on goats.

It was great meeting Cody and Flash’s family; I see e-mails from them but it is great to put a face to the names. There were several shelties there and several times we had all of them in a pen running and playing, that was heaven for me.

This trial was run beautifully and could not have been done without sisters, Jan and Ann, and Linda who never stopped moving all weekend. Linda did not judge on Sunday so she stopped moving a couple of times. Everyone there was so friendly and supportive and made me feel very welcome! The trial was very relaxed and fun!! Willowside Ranch is a beautiful location and a wonderful place to have trials. We stayed in the bunkhouse at the ranch which is wonderful. There are lots of peacocks running all over which takes some getting used to but then you see this

and it is worth it.

Since we were able to run so early we were packed up and on the road by noon with an 11 hour drive ahead of us. I had to stop a couple of times for gas and to let the dogs out

and of course any photo opportunity!

It was a beautiful drive home! What a great weekend!

Another fun agility weekend

The Shelties and I attended another awesome NADAC Fun-raiser this weekend. When it was announced that NADAC Championships would be in Gillette Wyoming in 2010 I immediately started figuring out who would go. It was decided pretty quickly that this would not be the year for PITA or Echo to go so now to look at Hershey and Kant. Kant is having a great year and easily qualified so she is going. And I was working on getting Hershey qualified but there was no way we were going to get the Qs needed in the Chances class so I decided he would not run. Then the requirements for the double digit dogs were changed and they only needed to get points in 4 of the 6 classes which for us meant we could skip Chances; it was back on. But Hershey need Regular Qs so at last minute I entered him in the 4 Regulars at the Fun-raiser, he Q’d in all 4 finishing his Open Regular Superior title, only 3 more and he is going to Champs!!

Hershey and I are having so much fun. No one can believe he is 10 and he is having a blast. I am running so much better and keeping in front of him so he does not have time to argue with me. And his contacts are beautiful! He still has lots to say on the course but more in excitement then argument.

Kant and I have been on a role lately and I knew it had to come to an end but I did not know that end would be such a crash and burn. We struggled Friday night but Saturday was good it was Sunday were it all fell apart. But I still love her and don’t expect perfection every weekend just most weekends.

Echo ended up with a broken toe nail Friday night; after the fact I found out that it had happened earlier in the day at home and no one told me or I might have been able to fix it from tearing worse. Kids, you can’t live with them and you can’t live with them. So Echo could not run on Saturday but she was not limping on Sunday so I was able to run her all day where she got her first Open Regular points, her Novice Chances title, and finished her Novice Superior Jumpers title.

It was a fun and exhausting weekend spent with agility friends! I did almost all of the course building, ran 3 dogs, and judged most of the classes I was not running. Stephen was there on Saturday so I had him run Hershey in Open Jumpers and Kant in Elite Tunnelers, he did not Q in either class making 1 little mistake with each dog but learning a lot and getting more excited about the day that he gets to run his own dog, Arti.

We have a little agility break until the WAG trial in Newport, July 9th through the 11th. But this weekend we are packing up and heading to Pescadero California to do an AHBA herding trial where Echo will be in Junior Herd Dog for the first time and Kant will be in HRD 1 for the first time.

We are now a week in to June and yes the weather was perfect on Saturday but I am needing a little bit more sunshine then 1 day.

A Project finally over…almost

You could say this project started years ago with a dream and a vision. When I say years I mean like 6 – 8 years ago when a good friend had a huge pile of bricks that she gave me and it took several trips from Jefferson Oregon to West Salem to get those free bricks home. Where they sat while that dream and vision continued to live. Then I decided to sell the house in West Salem and move to South Salem; the bricks came with me. I have been in the house in South Salem 4 years this month and those bricks finally have a final home.

Earlier this year I decided this spring would be the year that I built a brick patio. So I talked to my step-dad that has build lots of BEAUTIFUL paver patios on how to go about building a brick patio. All he told me was start with a good frame and not one built from wood that would warp. I decided to use cottage stones for my frame.  So in early April Stephen (Jordana’s boyfriend) and I headed to Home Depot to start hauling a flat of cottage stones in the back of the van. I figured it would take several trips but when I got to Home Depot the loading guys said why not just rent one of their trucks and take them in one load. No one inside mentioned that when I bought them and was not willing to pay the $80 deliver fee. So off to rent a truck - $19.95 for 75 minutes. I never got an answer on how much it would cost me if I was over the 75 minutes so it was my plan to do it in time. Record time getting home and Stephen handed them down to me while I stacked in the driveway. No time to think about how much they weighed, how many there were, or how much ever muscle in my body was starting to ache. Finally an empty truck and off we were to top off the gas tank and we were back at Home Depot in 74 minutes.

Of course the patio I was planning was in the backyard not the front so Jordana, Stephen, and myself moved

that pile from the driveway

to the backyard.

Of course we were well supervised.

Stephen volunteered to help me build the frame and I am not too proud to have help. The first day we made great progress and got two sides and the “fire pit” circle done. I figured one side per day but the two sides went pretty fast. The second day of building the frame we were able to get the other two sides done. The one side was shorten just a bit when we ran in the biggest root from the grapes, rather than messing with that we just went along the side of it. Then it started raining and April became the wettest month in record. Go figure when I finally decide to build this patio we have to have most days of rain in the month.

It finally dried up and I was able to level the inside of the frame.

The bricks had some mortar still on them

so they were cleaned with the mortar filling the bottom of the frame.

After all the bricks were cleaned and stacked it was time to start filling the base with sand. So after work I stopped at Lowe’s for 10 60 pound bags of sand that should be plenty. Did I tell you the patio is in the backyard and the van full of sand is in the front? I hauled the bags to the back and poured them in the hole; it filled about a 1/3 of the frame. So the next night I was back for another 10 60 pound bags and the next night. The frame is finally full. Another delay more rain but the sand is being packed down!

Jordana helped me and we made several laps around the inside of the frame with bricks.

More rain delays. Finally another break in the weather and some free time and I am determined to get this patio done! I finished laying all the bricks and I have a hole in the middle of my patio that measures 51.5” x 70” so back to Lowe’s to find options for filling this hole. I decide on 12x12 concrete pieces and I get 20 of them and more sand since they are not as thick as the bricks. Not enough sand so back for more, there are 33 60 pounds bags of sand in that patio. The 12x12 pieces are not true 12x12 they are more like 11.5x11.5 and instead of 4’x5’ they fit 4’x6’ perfectly so I am now 4 pieces short. At this point I do not care if the patio is finished or not. I am starting to like the sand/beach scene and thought I would just stick an umbrella in the sand put in a couple of beach balls and have an ocean motif.

Jordana did not agree with me so on Memorial Day which is also her day off we were back to Lowe’s for 4 more bricks. We also got a couple very nice tike lamps. Did I tell you I am done with this project!

Jordana and Stephen got those last four 12x12 pieces in place and I helped get the last row of bricks set AND THE PATIO WAS DONE!!

The patio had to be tested so the tike lamps were lit,

a fire was started in the fire pit, and the smores were made. The patio turned out better then I imagined and

was loved by all!!

And no it does not take up my whole hard and I know if should as long as it took me to build!! I still need to fill some of the spaces with sand, yea more sand! And plant stepables along the sides.

That will have to wait for another day I am too busy enjoying a project almost done!

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!!