Oh Yeah, You Blend

Ollie (Alkemi Breaking Away LS) had knee surgery last year and look at him now! Ollie’s mom Pat does agility and tracking and Ollie looks like he loves to work! Thanks for the updates Pat!

New judge to us Nicholas Carleton gave us some really fun, fast courses with some interesting challenges. Nina had yet another perfect weekend and is now just one QQ away from her PACH, Zhora went 3/4 and is now 11 QQ’s away from her MACH 7.

Coronavirus was on peoples’ minds, lots of hand sanitizer and people discussing whether or not they were going to the National Agility Championship.

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (NQ):

Nina Saturday Jumpers (QQ #18):

Zhora Saturday Standard (Q):

Nina Saturday Standard (QQ #18):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (QQ #129):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (QQ #19):

Zhora Sunday Standard (QQ #129):

Nina Sunday Standard (QQ #19):

Judge Stephanie Capkovic was new to us. Courses were ok but some really snarky traps. Nina had a PERFECT WEEKEND, and Zhora went 3/4. Alice earned an Open FAST leg and an Open JWW leg and had some really nice things to like in every run.

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (NQ):

Nina Saturday Jumpers (PACH QQ # 16, first place, 19 points):

Alice Saturday Open FAST (Q):

Zhora Saturday Standard (Q, second place, 26 points):

Nina Saturday Standard (PACH QQ # 16, first place, 33 points):

Alice Saturday Open Standard (NQ):

Alice Saturday Open JWW (Q):

Second view:

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (QQ #127, 12 points):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (PACH QQ #17, first place, 18 points):

Alice Sunday Time 2 Beat (NQ):

Zhora Sunday Standard (QQ #127, only 8″ Q, 25 points):

Nina Sunday Standard (PACH QQ #17, first place, 31 points):

Alice Sunday Open Standard (NQ):

Alice Sunday Jumpers (NQ but really nice run):

We love judge David Hirsch! Wide open, run your butt off courses, extension, extension, extension. Zhora had a perfect weekend, Nina racked up a QQ, and Alice earned an Open FAST and Open Standard Q and otherwise just ran awesome, I am really excited about her!

Nina Saturday Jumpers (NQ):

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (QQ #124, 4.9 YPS, 19 points):

Alice Saturday Open FAST (Q):

Nina Saturday Standard (NQ):

Zhora Saturday Standard (QQ #124, 3.7 YPS, 28 points):

Alice Saturday Open Standard (NQ):

Alice Saturday Open JWW (NQ):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (QQ #15, 4.6 YPS, 24 points):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (QQ#125, 4,5 YPS, 18 points):

Alice Sunday Time 2 Beat (NQ, nice run):

Nina Sunday Standard (QQ #15, 3.5 YPS, 30 points):

Zhora Sunday Standard (QQ #125, 3.6 YPS, 27 points):

Alice Sunday Open Standard (Q):

Alice Sunday Open JWW (NQ, nice run):

Lobo and Jan Robles set ANOTHER breed first today when Lobo became the first Swedish Vallhund to earn the Barn Hunt Crazy 8’s Platinum title! Lobo is amazing! Lobo’s AKC name is Alkemi Beowulf Del Roble Ls UD PT FDC AX AXJ BCAT RATCH CGC TKA

We love Lavonda Herring. Even when her courses don’t love us. Alice finished her Novice Standard title (round 2 of Novice remember) and had some gorgeous NQ’s. Zhora earned QQ # 124 and then went berzerk on Sunday, Nina earned QQ # 14 toward her PACH. A really fun weekend!

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (QQ #124, third place, 13 points, she hated this course):

Nina Saturday Jumpers (NQ):

Alice Saturday Open FAST (NQ):

Zhora Saturday Standard (QQ #124, first place, 29 points):

Nina Saturday Standard (Q, first place, 34 points):

Alice Saturday Standard (NA title):

Alice Saturday Jumpers (NQ but nice run):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (NQ, I didn’t handle the jump after the second tunnel):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (QQ #14, first place, 20 points):

Alice Sunday Time 2 Beat (NQ, nice run):

Zhora Sunday Standard (berzerker mode!):

Nina Sunday Standard (QQ #14, first place, 31 points):

Alice Sunday Open Standard (NQ but nice run, one lousy bar after the aframe when she just couldn’t collect enough to jump):

Alice Sunday Open Jumpers (fix n go!):

Judge Mark Upshaw….he’s caffeinated…. Alice finished her Novice FAST title and ran three other awesome courses. Weaves were GREAT, she pretty much has them dialed in most of the time now, although she wants to go faster than she can so sometimes gets ahead of herself! It’s JOLT (just one little thing) now mostly. I used the new Fix and Go rule with her on one run, very useful. Zhora had a perfect weekend, Nina had two JWW Q’s but no joy in Standard. Love my dogs!

Nina Saturday Jumpers (Q, first place, 4.88 YPS, 23 points):

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (QQ #122, second place, 4.6 YPS, 16 points):

Alice Saturday FAST (NF title, LOOK AT THOSE WEAVES!! We had a disconnect because the judge thought the gate said “FEO” which is For Exhibition Only, and I asked him why he wasn’t calling any numbers):

Nina Saturday Standard (NQ):

Zhora Saturday Standard (QQ #122, first place, 3.6 YPS, 26 points):

Alice Saturday Novice Standard (NQ):

Alice Saturday Open JWW (NQ):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (Q, first place, 4.6 YPS, 21 points):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (QQ #123, fourth place, 4.4 YPS, 15 points, she didn’t like this course):

Alice Sunday Time 2 Beat (NQ but NICE!):

Nina Sunday Standard (NQ, I hated this course):

Zhora Sunday Standard (QQ #123, first place 3.7 YPS, 27 points):

Ginger Robertson designed some tough courses for us! Zhora QQ Saturday, Nina Standard Q Sunday, Alice earned a FAST Q and finished her Novice Jumpers title (she had to go back to Novice after getting measured into 8″ regular for her final measurements, which is a GOOD THING), her weaves are really coming along!

Nina Saturday Jumpers (NQ):

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (QQ # 121):

Alice Saturday FAST (Q):

Nina Saturday Standard (NQ thanks to me getting lost!):

Zhora Saturday Standard (QQ # 121):

Alice Saturday Standard (NQ):

Alice Saturday Jumpers (Q, NAJ title):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (NQ):

Alice Sunday Time 2 Beat (nice run):

Nina Sunday Standard (Q):

At the Butler Dog Training Club in Erie, Zhora earned her MACH6 under judge Alex Davis (this is Zhora’s second MACH under Alex!).

These were some fun, challenging courses and Zhora loved running them! Thank you so much to all our friends for cheering for us, and special thanks to Zap for the “action” MACH video, in which she multitasks and not only videos, but brings out the ribbon. On the one hand, it showcases Zap’s awesome skillz, on the other, even better, hand, it makes a MACH video look like an episode of “To Catch A Predator” .

I am so very lucky to have this awesome dog to play this wonderful game with, and equally lucky to have such awesome friends in my life.

A year ago at this trial, I held a party for several of my puppies. Unfortunately, I had to leave that trial early because Nina had a pancreatitis flare. That was the beginning of over a month of her being seriously ill, culminating in her being hospitalized over New Year’s and me being genuinely concerned that we might lose her. I am thrilled most of all that she is not only still with us, sassier than ever, still my best friend and official Best Nina Ever, but she’s feeling awesome and doing great.

Sometimes we all need a reminder that tomorrow is never guaranteed, and we never know which run will be our last with our dogs. Every time I step to the line, I try to ask myself: if this were to turn out to be your last run with this dog, would you look back on it and smile, or look back on it and be ashamed of how you felt, how you treated your dog, how you spoke to your dog? Did your dog leave the ring happy? I want both of us to be smiling after every run, even the disasters.

This weekend Nina gave me two QQ’s, and also two old-school-Nina full-on berzerker mode runs (her Standard run yesterday was so hilarious that I told Alex Davis to brace herself when we stepped to the line today!). The QQ’s might have green ribbons attached, but every single one of those runs made me smile, and the rabies mode runs make me smile most of all. Nina makes me smile every single day.

Not to be outdone, Alice had a great weekend too! A height change on her two permanent measurements meant she got to go back to Novice to start Regular instead of Preferred (which I am thrilled about). She earned a Novice QQ on Saturday with her first two legs in Novice Standard and Jumpers, and would have repeated that yesterday if I hadn’t shown acceleration after the aframe in Standard and encouraged her to take off early and knock the last bar. She picked up her second NAJ leg in Jumpers yesterday, so it was well worth staying until the bitter end of the trial and driving home in the dark! I’m very happy, she is turning into a really fun agility partner (I can feel the mojo starting to build) and she really loves the game.

Alice Friday Time 2 Beat:

Zhora Friday Standard (NQ):

Nina Friday Standard (PACH QQ #11):

Nina Friday Jumpers (PACH QQ #11):

Zhora Friday Jumpers (NQ):

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (QQ # 119):

Nina Saturday Jumpers (berzerker mode!):

Nina Saturday Standard (berzerker mode again!):

Zhora Saturday Standard (QQ # 119):

Alice Saturday Standard (Q, first NA leg):

Alice Saturday Jumpers (Q, first NAJ leg):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (part 1 of MACH 6):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (PACH QQ #12):

Alice Sunday Time 2 Beat (nice run):

Zhora Sunday Standard (MACH 6 ZHORA!):

Nina Sunday Standard (PACH QQ #12):

Alice Sunday Standard (NQ, I should have decelerated at the end instead of accelerating):

Alice Sunday Jumpers (second NAJ leg!):

Patricia Dunseith was a new judge to us, her courses were challenging and fun. Zhora picked up QQ #116 with a triple Q. Alice’s weaves are still a work in progress and I can see I need to get back to working on her dogwalk!

Nina Saturday Jumpers (Q, first place, 22 points, 4.874 YPS):

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (QQ #116, first place, 14 points, 4.48 YPS):

Alice Master FAST (NQ):

Zhora Master FAST (QQQ):

Nina Saturday Standard (NQ):

Zhora Saturday Standard (QQ #116, first place, 27 points, 3.674 YPS):

Alice Saturday Open Standard (NQ):

Alice Saturday Open Jumpers (NQ):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (NQ):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (NQ):

Alice Sunday Time 2 Beat:

Nina Sunday Standard (Q, first place, 36 points, 3.967 YPS):

Zhora Sunday Standard (Q, first place, 30 points, 3.865 YPS):