INTRODUCING OUR NEW AGILITY PUPS: SAILOR THE BOYKIN SPANIEL!

INTRODUCING SAILOR!

 

We have a lot of new LCDA competitors and club members who are in the training stages. Some have made their debut this fall and others are getting ready. We've all seen most of them at the field for trials or classes, but this series of blog posts on LCDA's Tips, Tricks, and Training will give you a chance to get to know them a little better! This week, meet Wanda's Sailor.

TTT: Let's start with the essentials: What's your pup's name, breed, and age.

WANDA: Backcreek’s Sailor Girl AKA Sailor Bug and Sailor Doodle, Boykin Spaniel, 2.5 years.

 

Wanda's Sailor showing off her jumping skills!

 

TTT: Now a bit of the story: when, where, why, and how did this pup come to you and agility?

WANDA: I have owned Boykin Spaniels longer than I would like to admit.  I knew that I wanted a smaller dog. So I went on the hunt for a dog that came from smaller parents, but had excellent health certifications. Also, the dog had to have a sweet personality. I found a breeder that my sister happened to know. He would call in the local kids to socialize the puppies. He had Show-me Boykins and one of his dogs had just sired a litter and he was to get the pick of the litter. So, the two of us drove up in the country to Mt Ulla NC and the two breeders and I picked out Sailor. Both breeders were excited to place a dog in an agility home.

 

TTT: What's been the most difficult part of incorporating your newest family member into your household? The most rewarding? 

WANDA: I think we all forget how hard basic puppy training is. I was very lucky to have Christine be my puppy sitter during Sailor’s first six months. Then Anne stole her from me. It is an ongoing joke between us. The most rewarding is her sweet personality. She loves all people and creatures. 

 

TTT: What challenges have you faced training this dog compared with others? What did he or she excel at? 

WANDA: Sailor took a long time to mature and I just let her be a puppy. A lot of the puppies that were coming up with her were much quicker to start competing. I just felt that she was not ready and that she needed to grow up. Sailor excels at counter surfing.  Without a doubt, she is one of the best counter surfer’s I have ever known. 

 

TTT: What has your training regimen been for this dog?  

WANDA: First I taught her to play. She learned to retrieve and to swim. These are things she should have a natural ability and love for. After that, I started obstacle training and we still train obstacles every time we go to the field. Thanks to Mary Evans, she has had a lot of obedience. I am in no hurry to move up with her. I have tried to take notes after every trial of things that we need to work on. I think her worst agility skill is jumping. She has terrible form. So, we are committed to working on jump training. Both of us find it boring, but I find it necessary. Other than the obedience, Sailor always thinks that we are just playing when we are training. If I were a better obedience trainer, she would think that was play too. She and I both hate obedience.

 

TTT:  What, if anything, have you learned or done training-wise with this dog that's new for you? 

WANDA: I did not enter her in a trial until I thought she was ready. I had a definition of ready. She had to be able to perform all of the obstacles to my criteria, she had to have a start line stay, and she had to stay engaged with me while in the ring. So instead of entering at 18 months old, she was 26 months old when she entered her first trial.

 

TTT:  Share your secrets: what's one silly thing you and your agility teammate do together when no one is looking? 

WANDA: Shower together. She loves it. She does not like the soap…just the water.  She thinks it is raining in the house.

 

TTT:  One word that best describes this pup:

WANDA: Brownsugar

 

 

 

 

A TAIL OF TWO TRIALS

February was a busy month at LCDA with back-to-back trials: The Intro Trial on the 22nd and our 3-day trial (including Team events on Friday) on the 27th, 28th, and March 1st.

Thanks to our FABULOUS judges, Rebecca Schnulle for the Intro Trial and Evelyn Roberts for the 3-day event.

We had LOADS of titles earned at the 3-day trial, but no club photos for the weekend since the Pupparazzi was celebrating his birthday! Below this list of titles are some photos from the Intro Trial.

FEBRUARY TRIAL TITLES

Margaret Mills and Knox: Starters Performance Jumpers

Pat Sells (via Steve Routh) and Pan: Starters Performance Jumpers
Lisa Nurminen and Madison: Starters Gamblers
Vanessa Routh and Bogey: Starters Performance Gamblers
Anna Blanton and Hype: Starters Standard AND Agility Dog
Ken Walker and Mattie: Starters Jumpers AND Starters Gamblers
Wanda Usher and Sailor: Starters Jumpers, Starters Snooker, AND Starters Gamblers
Caroline Hunt and Magnus: Advanced Relay
Rudy Kruek and Orso: Advanced Performance Standard
Cindy Floyd and Thor: Advanced Gambler
Linda Freed and Ferrari: Advanced Gambler
Vanessa Routh and Bogey: Advanced Performance Snooker
Julie Neer and Panda: Advanced Performance Jumper
Elaine Hawes and Fergus: Advanced Standard AND Advanced Agility Dog
Ann Ferrell and Dot: Advanced Standard AND Advanced Agility Dog
Alexis Chapman and Zumba: Advanced Standard AND Advanced Agility Dog
Merritt Speagle and Jeopardy: Advanced Standard AND Advanced Agility Dog
Christine Vinciguerra and Rusty:  Performance Jumper Master
Randy Hunter and Cutter: Relay Master
Fred Parker and Spring: Jumper Master
Janet Thibault and Badger: Master Performance Gambler
Ruth Correia and Cheer: Jumper Master
Erin Queen and Jefferson: Jumper Champion AND Tournament Champion - Bronze
Rebecca Schnulle and Koby: Master Jumper, Relay Champion, Standard Champion, AND Agility Dog Champion
Ann Ferrell and Sophie: Master Performance Standard, Performance Jumper Champion, Performance Snooker Champion, AND Performance Agility Dog Champion


CONGRATULATIONS to you all, and we hope to see you back at the next trial:  April 11-12, 2015.  Test schedule available on our website and at USDAA.com


Here are a few of the pics from the Intro Trial. A great time was definitely had by all! You can see all of the pics at the club's FLICKR site HERE.  As always, a big thank you to Matt Drobnik for all the great pictures.

 

Judge's Briefing

 

 

Janet and Twisp


 



Kim and Level

Cindy and Tripp

Lupin



Sue and Brodie
















 

Introducing Our New Dogs: Jeb the Weim

We have a lot of new LCDA competitors and club members who are in various stages of training and competing. Some have made their debut this fall and others are getting ready. We've all seen most of them at the field for trials or classes, but here's a chance to get to know them a little better! Over the next few months, we'll be introducing our new dogs here on the Tips, Tricks, and Training (TTT) blog, so be sure to stop by and meet our newest 4-legged members.

 

If you're new to the club, new to competition, or have a new dog and haven't yet completed the questionnaire that was sent out through the website forum, be sure to complete that and send it, along with a picture, so your pup can be included!

 

This week, please welcome Jeb the Weimaraner! introduced by his handler, dog-mom, Allison Smith.

 

 

TTT: Let's start with the essentials: What's your pup's name, breed, and age.

Allison: Jeb, Weimaraner, 2 yrs old.

 

Jeb the Weim and Allison

 

 

TTT:  Now a bit of the story: when, where, why, and how did this pup come to you and agility?

Allison: We started in the Fall of 2013. I took an obedience class at LCDA when he was just a few months old. I thought it would be fun to take an agility class later, but had no idea we would end up where we are now!

 

TTT:  What's been the most difficult part of incorporating your newest family member into your household? The most rewarding?

Allison: Our biggest challenge has just been dealing with a weimaraner! We (my husband and I) thought we knew what we were getting into with this breed, but wow!

I grew up with a very calm, eager to please lab and very low maintenance mixed breeds. I wasn’t expecting so much of a challenge. I can’t imagine a more stubborn and defiant dog!

With that being said, I don’t think I’d ever get anything else now! Jeb is so incredibly intelligent and I enjoy him constantly challenging me (maybe I’m just crazy). We both learn and grow together and feeling that connection every day is rewarding beyond words.

TTT:  What challenges have you faced training this dog compared with others? What did he or she excel at?

Allison: Jeb is the first dog I’ve raised from a puppy and trained. As I mentioned before, he is very stubborn and likes to do what he wants, when he wants. Punishment doesn’t seem to faze him either. The last lab my family had would pout for the rest of the day if you even raised your voice at him. Jeb doesn’t seem to care at all! Weims are famous for trying to convince you that their way is the right way. So I would say my biggest challenge has been breaking him of bad habits. We are still struggling with plenty of those! (pulling on the leash, counter surfing, play biting when he gets excited…)

He is great at learning though and he always impresses me with that. He picks things up so quickly. Whether it’s in agility, trick training, playing games, or even just learning routines, he is always so eager to learn.

TTT:  What has your training regimen been for this dog?

Allison: Since Jeb has started agility, I think there hasn’t been a time he hasn’t been enrolled in a class. I try to take him to the field 3 times a week, and I do some conditioning and training at our house 2-3 times a week. I would like to work in some more cardio and cross training into his regimen, but it’s been difficult during the colder months. During the summer I take him swimming a good bit.

TTT:  What, if anything, have you learned or done training-wise with this dog that's new for you?

Allison: Everything! Ha!

It’s all new to me and I’m just trying to figure out what works for us along the way.

TTT:  Share your secrets: what's one silly thing you and your agility teammate do together when no one is looking?

Allison: Oh gosh… I have a few songs that I’ve made an agility parody of that I sing to him.

TTT:  One word that best describes this pup:

Allison: Perfect! ;)