NADAC Toys for Tots Benefit Results

This past week was a nice week. Thursday was Thanksgiving and we returned on Friday from visiting relatives in South Carolina. We made it back in time for Clover to complete in one class---touch and go. She had a perfect run except for the last obstical, the A frame. She missed the contact.

On Saturday we competed in a few more runs. We had 2 regular runs and a jumpers. The jumpers run went very well, she placed first. After we ran it, I was told the timer forgot to start the timer, so we had to run it again. The second time we ran it, Clover knocked a bar down. But since we had a clean first run, they just needed the time. Clover was about 10 seconds faster than any other dogs in the class, and I am sure she was faster on the first run.

The regular run didn't go quite as well. She missed a contact. It is always happening on the A-frame. I guess the greater incline on this obsticle gives her more momentum and makes it harder to stop. The second regular run went better. She Q'ed. and placed 3rd. Clover Q'ed on both gambles.

I have been purposely slowing clover down on contact runs to reinforce the contacts. That has made her time a little slower, which has hurt me this week. This week I moved Clover up to open in all classes except weavers. The open class has a little tougher courses and the time is about 10 seconds shorter. This doesn't give you much time to reinforce the stays on the contacts or to restart the weave poles. I think clover would have gotten another 2 Q's this weekend if she was still in novice. But... it was time to move up.

On Sunday, I missed one class because our other dog --Kira wasn't acting right, so we took her to the vet. We never figured out what was wrong with her but she seems fine now. Shes was pacing and panting and acting like she was in pain.

I missed the jumpers run, but made it back in time for the tunnelers run and the 2 regular runs. Clover's tunnelers run was beautiful! Clover doesn't listen to voice commands well when it comes to tunnels, so I have to try to run and get to the front of the tunnel and do front cross before Clover gets there so I can give her directions. In fact after the run, the judge said she thought I was going to lose my knees. Because Clover shot out of the tunnel so fast. I replied, that it was a necessary risk. Clover was placed first and Q'ed in the tunnelers run.

The regular run on Sunday didn't go as well....of course, it has contacts and weaves. Weaves in open class has 12 weave poles instead of the 6 that are in novice. The first run was over time by 4 seconds because we had to restart the weaves so many times. Clover received only 1/2 Q on that run. On the second regular run, Clover blew an obstacle discrimination. there was a tunnel going under an A frame. She was suppose to take the tunnel and decided she liked the a frame better. This was a clear case of where if I was still in novice class, I would have Q'ed because that obstacle discrimination is not in the novice class.

This week clover received The following Q's

DATE CLASS Q PLACE NOTES
11/25/05 Touch-n-Go open E Missed A frame contact
11/26/05 Jumpers open Q 1
11/26/05 Regular 1 open Q 3
11/26/05 Regular 2 open N 3 Mssed A Frame Contact
11/26/05 Gamblers open Q
11/26/05 Gamblers open Q
11/27/05 Regular 1 open 1/2 Q Over time restarting weaves
11/27/05 Regular 2 open E Missed tunnel - A frame discrimination
11/27/05 Tunnelers open Q 1

We have a good start on our quest for open titles.

This is always a fun trial. It is all for Toys for tots. They hold a raffle of donated items. Michele donates the use of the facility. The judges donate their time and entry fees are donated. It is organized by NADAC and they brought their own equipment for 1 ring. All the contacts had a rubber coating and it was the first time that clover had been exposed to it. It didn't seem to bother her. The weather was a little cool but nice until about noon on Sunday when it started to rain. Clover and I ran our last run in the rain. Through the course of the weekend NADAC raised over 11,000 dollars.

Our next Trial is at Teamworks in 2 weeks. It is another NADAC trial. There are a few things we need to work on before then.... You guessed it, contacts and weaves. I did have a private lesson scheduled for yesterday with Michele, but it was raining so we had to post pone it until next Tuesday. Course of the week is tonight and it looks like the rain has moved out, so hopefully we can get some good practice in.