A long overdue update......

Must be a thing with blogs. I just never get around to updating them. On the other hand we have been super super busy with next to no time for anything. Late nights, early mornings and lots of adrenaline. We had our first real run under trial conditions on Thursday for the regional grand Prix qualifier and steeplechase. Raya did great and we got 2 qualifys and she placed 4th in the GP and 5th in the steeplechase. We made the finals and has a problem when I hooked her the wrong way over a jump but it was a good course to figure that out on. Yesterday was day 1 of the WAC and we had a great day. We will call yesterday the "one hit wonders" as we got. Fault in each round. Round 1 was snooker and she did great. She did decide after she Wrapped a jump that apperently I may Ned that jump later so she literally ran back behind the jump and took it. She is so considerate. We still placed 9th with only half a course completed. Second run was agility. Well what can I say. AWESOME run. Super fast and clean, until the judge ran towards her on the contact to judge it and she stopped dead still. The judge moved to the end of the contact to watch the contact and she just didn't like her so jumped off sidewards. She picked up the rest of the course fats and clean. The results showed that even with he dead stop and time wasting that she was only 2 secons behind 3rd place and 3 seconds behind 2nd place. So a should a, could a , would a run. But what a great feeling going into the next 2 days with that's sort of performance. Then as a last minute addition, she was needed for a team jumping run and there was a huge long straigh that we had to run. The problem was my mind was telling my body to stop but my legs were going so fast they didn't hear and I encroached on her path so she mised the weave entrance. Still, only got 1 fault and the team is sitting really well. It's day 2, we have just been handed today's courses which are gamblers ( I hate gamblers) agility for teams and jumping. So I'll log off, look at the course and get ready for day 2............ Today I learnt that give it 100% no matter what you do, and you can walk with your head held high. Sorry for any spelling mistakes but I am on teh iPad so I am not going back to change them.

The princess has landed......

hmmm....thats right. I was so tired the other night I only went into half of the sight seeing the team has done. On Friday we went down to Dallas and went to the book depository 6th floor meuseum where JFK was assasinated. There is even a big X in the middle of the road where he was hit and it was very educational. We then went to a glass blown exhibit in the botanic gardens by Chulay ( I think it was called). Was much nicer than it sounds and My photos wont be uploaded until I get back. So fast forward to Sat night. About 9 pm a car arrived carrying a very special princess on board called Raya. Funny you know as you try out for the team, go through the selection process and then it dawns on you. Out there Somewhere is a little dog with my name on it that I have no idea of who it is, and they have no idea what an important part of my life they will play. That little dog for me turned out to be a little silver Poodle called Raya - who I got to meet on Sat night. I have to say, she is very striking to look at and has the most insightful eyes. Turns out Miss Raya is from Germany and had a personality much bigger than her size. That was evident with the walks down the hall way last night where she decided that she knew exactly where she wanted to go and really -my imput was not required as we were going raya's way. She is staying with me the entire time thats to her wonderful owner who saw the need to ensure we had a long time to get to know each other during that week. I have to say, that it is a brilliant thing to happen as I am really seeing into this huge personality in this tiny body. I guess the first sign of what I will refer to as "raya's way" was when I woke up and found a poodle in my arms. We both slept right through ( she had an 11 hour car trip to get to us and I was up since 4am as I could not sleep the night before) until 8.30 am. We went out to the toilet and apparently the grass at the hotel - as neat as it is, is not to her liking so we actually dont want to walk on there unless we absolutly have to. Then I had to rush down to breakfast so I put her in her crate and headed out the door. Well I got about 2 doors down until you heard this screaming as if she was beign murdered. Now usually I would say deal with it, but in a hotel of 180 rooms, I thought I had better go back and address her. I walked into the room to see a very happy tail wagging pup bowing down saying "I dont think so lady" I am comign to. Raya came to breakfast and thankfully Billie ( another team member took her and put Raya in her room with Rayas brother ( so to speak) called Sonic. So there ends my peaceful breakfasts. We then headed up to the training grounds which was an hour and a half away. Well that is how long its suppose to take, not the 4 hours it took us to get home from there the day before when a truck took out a road bridge. It was hot, and I got to run her in a few sequences which she did well at. her mum was there and she kept running to her but I was not concerned with that at all as today was more about getting help from Suzzane and finding out cues, and distance rather than try to run her for speed and accuracy. I did have some great work from her before her mum arrived and with the indoor airconditioned stadium and her mum not around we should have a great time together. Tomorow we are training at an indoor training center which will be great and much better than the heat today ( about 93). Raya can cope with the heat but for me its a little hot. Anyway, its 10.30 pm and we get to sleep in tomorrow and that is a good thing as we are both very tired and as I type this sitting on an office chair, I am unable to sit back as I have a tiny silver back pillow that has actully taken up the whole seat and is snoring. So its really like sitting on a massage pillow that vibrates with each breath. So in a nut shell, I had spent many many months wondering what do was going to be a part of this chapter of my life and I am wrapped and thrilled with the dog that the dog god sent me. I am not excited, I am not nervous - to word it perfectly - I am content. This is Natalie and raya signing off looking forward to our big adventure together and are ready for what ever will be thrown at us.

The Aussie\'s have landed......

Well I guess it has bee a few days since I left and with the promise of regular updates well lets just say I forgot about Jet lag.

The trip over was pretty much 24 hours long from the time I left home to hotel check in. Next to no sleep on the plane but that was to be expected. I think I had1 hour in the total 24 hours.

That might explain why I was up at 4 am online changing over my boots that I had delivered that were the wrong size and also why I was in the gym running at 5.45.

We have been on the hop since we arrived. Shopping on Thursday with a body scan to figure out which size clothes to buy and a chocolate dipped strawberry from Godvia ( something I was hanging for) and a very happy trip to the disney store for my disney stock up.

Then we followed up on that trip with a journey down to Dallas on the train to watch the NBA playoffs with Dallas playing Oklahoma. What a brilliant night and a real experience. It was a late night and needless to say, I crashed big time and had the first full nights sleep since we left.
Anyway, much more exciting adventures when I have woken up a bit more ( which hopefully will be tomorrow) Shame I cant add photos to the blogs but it wont let me - Oh well - I am sure you\'ll live.

Final agility stuff before we go...

Well it has been a crazy couple of weeks.  Brisbane with the team,  then to Canberra with Jack (and the Puke-ster with a record 5 vomits on the way down there), then Wollongong for an ADAA trial that had me doing a silly 14 runs ( who's idea was that) in a day to having a fun day judging the rescheduled Milton Ag show open agility trial this weekend.

 Now - as my son informs me, its 10 days until we fly out with the team and my last "Doggy " stuff is done.

Happy Rescue dog

This was my second year judging at Milton as I am not a "official" judge nor do I want to be.  Its a path that suits some and does not suit others.  I am in the others category, but enjoy days like this very much.

I have been doing agility now for over 20 years ( to scared to add up the how many over) and to be given the opportunity to watch people in their first time in the ring with the nerves that we all go through, and to be given the opportunity to help the new handlers enjoy themselves is a great honor.

To me, the day was a reflection on what agility really is and it comes straight on the back of what can only be considered the most stressful situation I think I will ever go through in my agility career coming up ( and that goes for all the team I think).  It was a day of first timers, old timers and everything in between. What a contrast.

It was in a one ring in and enclosed fence and everyone sat around cheering everyone for their successes and for their failures.  We had 2 old timers who were lovely ladies that needed an assistant to do the course with them as they were unable to remember.  They took a long time to get around, but go the loudest applause from the people there.


We were in no rush - we were not there for cards, team places, handler reviews or first places.  We were there for a great day out with our human friends and our best friends.  The club put on a BBQ, people got into the ring to practice sections they had trouble with and had advice from others how to handle situations and it truly was a lovely reminder of what agility is all about and should be all about..

It was just a really great day and a fitting reminder with what we are about to face, that although sheep stations are nice, the true spirit of agility is much nicer.

Jack & Jess playing in Canberra.  This is what having a dog is all about

On the family side, Jack ran Maverick again in Novice jumping and went clear and came 3rd.  He was so proud of himself as I was of him, and even more so Maverick yet again earned my true respect and stayed with Jack the entire way.  They are both growing up before my eyes.

I had entered Bug in Novice jumping with Jack, but Jack decided Bug was to fast for him so I offered her up to anyone who wanted to run her and have an opportunity to run a dog that is very honest with your handling.  I had a few offers and decided on A girl called Tracy who ran a Poodle and had never run a big dog.    Tracey was great, she listened to what I said and they were doing really well until Bug saw me in the ring and naturally came over.  She went off course and got a DQ but the handing of the rest of the run was beautiful to watch.

We ended the day with a pairs event, of which Tracy again ran Bug.  I told her to really Tell Bug what she wanted and there was no where on this course I could remove my self to so I figured she would spend most of the course coming over to me.

They entered the ring and Tracy asked her to sit at the start which was about a meter from me.  Bug didnt and Tracey persisted and pushed her down.  Bug went "alrighty" and off they went for the most beautiful run with Louise and Bella.  They crossed the line, and Bug did not once look for me and left the ring like she was Tracy's dog and off they went for a ball game.  I should add here that they won the pairs event by a long way which was just great for them both.

I was so proud of Bug as she was calm, focused and jumped very clean and honest and I was very proud of Tracy for stepping up to run the judges dog and doing something she had never done before.

Today she showed me, that its really nice to hand your dog over to someone else, and trust that what you have put into her, will blossom and flourish no matter who runs with her.  Again, very fitting with what we are about to go through with the team in the US.

I think it is safe to say she was "Buggered" when she got home..

Now with 10 sleeps to go, I can work on getting everything ready for me to take a 3 week absence from my life and the "Dog Blog" will now become my "WAC blog".

After all, my dogs are what got me to the WAC.  Its going to be a fun ride.