I just got home from a 2-day agility trial in another city. It was my first time loading up the dogs and going away overnight for a trial. It was also their first major trial outdoors since our indoor season ended on May 1st.
The weekend presented a few challenges, but it also brought some HUGE achievements. Sorry, no pictures (I had my hands full running five dogs!), but lots of great news ....
The biggest news is Miss Gracie. She is my 6 yr old merlequin rescue/adopted girl. I got her in 2006. Agility has been GREAT for her. She is naturally quite athletic, but she is also a very high-stress/high-anxiety girl. But she loves agility, and it's been a major confidence booster for her.
Nevertheless, it's been an uphill battle because with every new venue and with meeting new people & dogs, she'd stress galore, shed buckets of Dane hair everywhere, and stop listening when in the ring because she was so worried about things (which she was like whether we played agility or not). Because she enjoyed the training, though, I stuck with it. We trialed for 1-1/2 yrs before she even got ONE Q. Then, when she moved to the Veterans level (and a lower jump height), she started racking up the Q's.
Two months ago, she earned her ADC (Agility Dog of Canada) title, which is earned after 3 Q's in Starters Standard. This was HARD-won for her, but oh-so-worth the trials & tribulations! She finished that title with style, and I received MANY comments about how happy she is and how much more confident she is.
Today, she earned her SGDC (Starters Games Dog of Canada) title!!!!! This is earned after 2 Q's in each of the three games (Jumpers, Snooker, and Gamblers). Jumpers was the elusive one for her -- she would overrun jumps or go around the tunnels (or jump them!), so we just couldn't Q. But that changed today!!
According to the AAC (Agility Association of Canada) website, she is just the SECOND GREAT DANE IN CANADA TO ACHIEVE THE SGDC TITLE!!!! (And the fifth to get an ADC title). WOWSA!!! GO GRACIE, GO!!!
Yesterday, she also got her third Q in Advanced Snooker (Snooker has always been the game she most easily Q's in), and that moved her up to the Master's level in that class. WOW WOW WOW. I honestly thought we'd never Q let alone move up past Advanced!!
I'M SO IMPRESSED WITH HER, I COULD BURST!!!
Ocean, my deaf harl girl, also did well. It was her first outdoor trial ever and even though she didn't Q, she showed major progress in her focus and drive.
My other dogs also did well, with one of my border collies achieving his ADC today, and another Q'ing in Starters Snooker yesterday.
AGILITY ROCKS!!! :-)
and AGILITY WITH GIANTS ROCKS EVEN MORE!!!! :-)
The weekend presented a few challenges, but it also brought some HUGE achievements. Sorry, no pictures (I had my hands full running five dogs!), but lots of great news ....
The biggest news is Miss Gracie. She is my 6 yr old merlequin rescue/adopted girl. I got her in 2006. Agility has been GREAT for her. She is naturally quite athletic, but she is also a very high-stress/high-anxiety girl. But she loves agility, and it's been a major confidence booster for her.
Nevertheless, it's been an uphill battle because with every new venue and with meeting new people & dogs, she'd stress galore, shed buckets of Dane hair everywhere, and stop listening when in the ring because she was so worried about things (which she was like whether we played agility or not). Because she enjoyed the training, though, I stuck with it. We trialed for 1-1/2 yrs before she even got ONE Q. Then, when she moved to the Veterans level (and a lower jump height), she started racking up the Q's.
Two months ago, she earned her ADC (Agility Dog of Canada) title, which is earned after 3 Q's in Starters Standard. This was HARD-won for her, but oh-so-worth the trials & tribulations! She finished that title with style, and I received MANY comments about how happy she is and how much more confident she is.
Today, she earned her SGDC (Starters Games Dog of Canada) title!!!!! This is earned after 2 Q's in each of the three games (Jumpers, Snooker, and Gamblers). Jumpers was the elusive one for her -- she would overrun jumps or go around the tunnels (or jump them!), so we just couldn't Q. But that changed today!!
According to the AAC (Agility Association of Canada) website, she is just the SECOND GREAT DANE IN CANADA TO ACHIEVE THE SGDC TITLE!!!! (And the fifth to get an ADC title). WOWSA!!! GO GRACIE, GO!!!
Yesterday, she also got her third Q in Advanced Snooker (Snooker has always been the game she most easily Q's in), and that moved her up to the Master's level in that class. WOW WOW WOW. I honestly thought we'd never Q let alone move up past Advanced!!
I'M SO IMPRESSED WITH HER, I COULD BURST!!!
Ocean, my deaf harl girl, also did well. It was her first outdoor trial ever and even though she didn't Q, she showed major progress in her focus and drive.
My other dogs also did well, with one of my border collies achieving his ADC today, and another Q'ing in Starters Snooker yesterday.
AGILITY ROCKS!!! :-)
and AGILITY WITH GIANTS ROCKS EVEN MORE!!!! :-)
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