Oh Yeah, You Blend

Lobo is learning drafting (pulling a cart), which is a surprisingly complex and involved sport! Here are videos of Lobo at his first drafting trial.

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Austin earned his first AKC Novice Agility Jumpers leg yesterday in Syracuse! Congratulations to Austin and his mom Lisa!

Alkemi Austin Healey LS

So Pat Hastings is in town to give her famous “Structure in Action” seminar tomorrow (which I saw when I still lived in Texas, and which I have posted about here before). Today she was doing private evaluations, so I took Zhora. She was very complimentary about Zhora (telling me she was a “lovely, lovely bitch”), and giving me some things to watch for in a potential mate for her.

AND! Her OFA hip and elbow results came back: hips are Good and elbows are normal! Eyes also normal!

Yay Zho!

Here is Lobo (Alkemi Beowulf del Roble LS) with his first two Senior Barn Hunt (RATS) ribbons, he went High in Class for both of them this past weekend. Lobo was the first Swedish Vallhund to earn the Open Barn Hunt (RATO) title (along with one other Vallhund who earned her title on the same day). Lobo is posing with his owner Jan’s grandson. Congratulations Jan and Lobo!

This was our last trial until September. Nina had been off for a while since she was in season, I think she was excited to be back! We were standard specialists this weekend, with 2/2 standard Q’s, and bars down in Jumpers. She ran wonderfully and judge Tom O’Brien remarked that Nina was “sure something”. Zhora did great yesterday, running like a real agility dog, reading my cues excellently and driving to equipment and lines very well. Her weaves are not ready for primetime, so we have a project to work on until the fall! Very happy with her!

Nina Saturday Standard Q (28 points):

Zhora Saturday Open Jumpers:

Zhora Saturday Open Standard:

Nina Sunday Standard Q (29 points):

Nina Sunday Time 2 Beat (not a Q thanks to teeter fault but such a nice run):

Nina’s 2015 Nationals tally: 3/4 double Q’s, 25/20 legs, 510/500 points

And I just reserved my hotel room for the Invitational! OMG!

Here is handsome Lobo (Alkemi Beowulf del Roble LS) showing off his Barn Hunt ribbons after earning his Open Barn Hunt (RATO) title. Lobo and his mom Jan are awesome breed ambassadors. Lobo is even learning drafting (that’s pulling a cart, not architecture…although he could probably do that too!).

Lobo RATO

So since I recently became an AKC Breeder of Merit, I get a credit each month for online reports from AKC. So I decided to cash in and purchase the current Swedish Vallhund Invitational rankings to reassure myself that we still had a shot at going this December. The last time I checked we were in third place. But then…I pulled the current report…and well, you could knock me over with a feather. My little Ninabean is in FIRST PLACE! She is the NUMBER ONE AKC Agility Vallhund right now! For a dog who doesn’t qualify all that often (but when she does, she does it with a bullet), this is just amazing. My little speed demon is the top agility Vallhund. I can’t believe it! I think I’ll keep her!

HUGE congratulations to Lobo (Alkemi Beowulf del Roble LS) on earning his CD (Companion Dog) obedience title today! Lobo is the first Alkemi puppy to earn an obedience title, and he did it at just under 22 months of age!

Thank you Jan for your continuing incredible ambassadorship for this breed!

Alkemi Beowulf del Roble LS CGC RATN CD

One of my favorite places to trial, PISA, in Cheswick, Pennsylvania. I don’t love the 4 hour drive, but it’s a lovely facility and some of my favorite peeps are always there! I got to go to Primanti Brothers last night for dinner, thanks to Sherry and Zap!

No Q’s for anyone yesterday, although I am going to post Zhora’s NQ’s since she is running so fast, and is almost listening some of the time, I am really seeing some good things happening there. Once again, she stressed up and not down, which is exactly what I want! She is a wild thing, which is wonderful at this stage.

Nina got called on her teeter today so no standard, but she got jumpers in a real nailbiter, since I gambled on having a start line stay that didn’t happen so I was WAY out of position, but we made it, for 13 points.

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (Novice):

Zhora Saturday Standard (Open):

Nina Sunday Standard (NQ):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (13 points):

Nina’s 2015 Nationals tally: 3/4 double Q’s, 23/20 legs, 453/500 points

I just love it when my weekend is made on the Friday! Nina qualified in Master FAST (in her first Master FAST run after earning her Excellent title at the last trial), AND Master Standard for 26 points AND Master Jumpers for 16 points to earn double Q number 8 AND her first TRIPLE Q! (10 triple Q’s earns the Triple Q Excellent title or TQX).

Saturday one bar down in jumpers and popped weaves kept us out of the Q’s.

Today we got Jumpers but my paranoia about her making an unsafe entry to the dogwalk got us an off-course in an otherwise awesome Standard run. We hadn’t done particularly well showing under Linda Kipp before, but we sure did nicely this weekend! Nina ended up with a 50% Q rate on the weekend, which we have only managed once before, so a good weekend!

Zhora made her Open Standard debut and did SO well! Fast, happy and confident and did most of the weaves (I elected not to go back and fix them). I didn’t handle the last jump clearly and she ran past it and I didn’t fix that either. So proud of her! She started out well in jumpers but a fit of reverse sneezing stopped us. I think I fed her a too-dry treat too close to starting to run.

Nina Friday Standard (part of triple Q #1 and double Q #8, 26 points):

Nina Friday Jumpers (part of triple Q #1 and double Q #8, 16 points):

Zhora Saturday Open Jumpers debut:

Nina Sunday Jumpers (14 points):

Nina Sunday Standard (no Q but a nice run):

Nina’s 2015 Nationals tally: 3/4 double Q’s, 22/20 legs, 440/500 points