The 2015 Agility Year In Review

Well, 2015 is in the books and this weekend we begin the 2016 agility season. We had a pretty good year in the 2015.

In April, Keltic got his Agility Dog of Canada title putting him in Advanced in all events. He has since moved out of Advanced in both Jumpers and Snooker but he has yet to run a Masters level course. He needs only two more Gambles for his Advanced Games title.  Standards are another story. He did get one Advanced Standard Q in 2015, he needs three for his Advanced Agility Dog title and they might be hard to get as we are still working through weave and contact issues. At the end of 2015, it seemed like we had gotten past the start line stay problem; I guess we'll see if that's true on Sunday.

Agility Dog of Canada

Agility Dog of Canada Title Run

We also did three UKI trials last year. Keltic did get one Q in Speedstakes.  He also was in the Kanine Kup for his third year. It was likely our last year as he gets a handicap now since he has the ADC title and he would get the same handicap next year even if he didn't have the title because the goal of K9 Kup is to prepare dog and handler teams for agility trials so they want to be able to offer the opportunity to other teams just starting out. Keltic's team did really well taking first place overall and placing first in the Standard event.

Snowdogs Unharnessed

Beckett also had a pretty good year. We went to the Canada Cup again and this time we actually got to run in the finals. In fact we got to run in the finals of all three events, not many dogs accomplished that.  We didn't place in any of those events but I was really happy with our performance.  We had done a UKI trial the day before the Canada Cup and I think four days was too much for Beckett. I thought perhaps we had a chance to place in the Steeplechase event but when it came time to do the the second set of weaves Beckett kept popping; I think he was too tired by then so we just went on without finishing the weaves.

Beckett flying at Canada Cup

Canada Cup Grand Prix Runs

Beckett also got his Expert Bronze Snooker this year; that's 10 qualifying scores at the Master level.  He finished the year with 24 qualifying scores; thus making the AAC Top Dogs list for 2015. You need 9 Q's to make that list.  During the year, we also reached a personal goal of 100 lifetime Q's and actually now Beckett has 108 Q's.  Beckett needs 3 Team Q's for Expert Bronze Team and 7 Standard Q's for his Expert Silver Standard title and Silver Award of Merit so that is what we will be focusing on this year.  Beckett also did some UKI trials and got 5 Q's; one in a game that AAC doesn't  have called Snakes and Ladders.

Expert Bronze Snooker

Expert Bronze Snooker Title Run

This year we are entered in the AAC Regional Championships, Keltic's first. Hopefully we will do well as Nationals are being held only two hours drive from home.

I'm hoping 2016 will be as fun as 2015 was with no injuries and lots of clean runs.

Camping Weekend

Two weeks ago we went camping with some friends and their dogs, we've done it for a number of years now, choosing a different provincial park nearly every year. We missed last year though as there just wasn't a weekent that worked for all of us.

This year we went to Presqu'ile Provinical Park. It's one of my favourite parks in Ontario; it's small size makes it perfect for a weekend get-a-way as you don't feel like you have to rush to see the park. We had two camp sites since you are only allowed to have two cars on a site. 

Camp site

Lisa and I got there at check-in time around 2pm, Lyne arrived later at about 4 pm.  Lyne and I were sharing a site so after helping her set up her tent we sat down for supper. Lyne and I have started doing what another friend and I did for our first night supper and that is to have pate, cheeses, cold cuts, baquette, crackers and wine.  It means that the first night you aren't so rushed to get set up and to make dinner.  After supper and an evening stroll, we had the first campfire of the weekend.

The next morning after a plan B (I'll leave that story to Lyne) breakfast, we went to the old lighthouse where we would be able to begin a hike on one of the park trails.  At the lighthouse, we first took the short foot path that takes you down to the shore and seawall. 



Beckett and Keltic on the seawall

Shoreline

After getting directions to the trail head, we headed off to hike the longest trail in the park, which was some 4.5 kilometers. Just as we started we met some people who had just finished the trail, they said it was very buggy but I didn't find it bad at all. Usually when people say that, you find you get eaten alive by black flies or mosquitos and while there were mosquitos, they weren't too bad.



Keltic wishing his Mum would hurry up

Well deserved break

 We went back to the campground for a late lunch after our hike, then Lyne and I went down to the shore so the dogs could have a swim while Lisa took a nap. That evening for supper, I made chicken with dill and white wine with brussel sprouts and potatoes. The recipe came from a blog (see the link below). I would do the chicken again as it was quite easy but I wouldn't use the spice recipe that was used as both Lyne and I found it a bit salty.  I had par cooked the potatoes but hadn't done the brussels, if I did this recipe again I would also par cook the brussels before frying them.  We ended the evening with some games and another campfire.

Campfire Chicken recipe

The next day, we were off hiking again. This time we did the two shortest trails, the Marsh Boardwalk and the Jobe's Woods trail. We did the Marsh Boardwalk in the morning before lunch and then drove the parkway road to the day use area and had a picnic lunch before continuing on to the Jobe's Wood trail.

View of the marsh

Marsh Boardwalk Viewing Tower



On the Jobe's Woods trail

 

Fairy mushrooms

 We all ended the day with a nap. Dinner on this last night was filet mignon with fried red and yellow peppers with onions and potatoes with sour cream. We drove back to the day use picnic area so we could let the dogs off leash for just a little bit; then back at the campsite, it was time for our final campfire of the weekend. 

The last morning we packed up and headed to a friend's farm so the dogs could have a bit of an off-leash walk. Away from the water, where it had been quite comfortable weather, it was very hot and humid so we only did once around a mown hay field before going into the shade of the barn and chatting for a while,  then we hit the road again this time for home. I got in around 7 pm, I got my little trailer into the garage, the cooler, the dog's stuff and my kit bags out of the car but all the rest of the unpacking waited until the next morning.

A walk down on the farm

More memories of a great camping trip. I have one more camping trip this summer down to Letchworth State Park in New York; I hope that the weather will be as nice as we had for Presqu'ile.  Next year, we are planning to go to Algonquin Provinical Park which is closer and much bigger than Presqu'ile.

First Trial of the New Year

Keltic and I went to the Starter and Advanced trial at Dogz this past Sunday. Dogz has the use of an equestrian arena this year and are able to host some evening trials and to rent out some time.  Since Keltic needs just one more Starter Standard Q to get his Agility Dog of Canada title, we thought we would give this trial a go as there were two Starter Standards.at this evening trial.

 In the first Standard, Keltic took a flying leap off the A-frame. I made him do it again and again, I was just about to put him back on when the buzzer went for time so we left the ring after completing only five obstacles, the A-frame was number 6 and we didn't actually finish it.

In the second Standard, the A-frame was much further into the course but there were 12 weaves. I was pretty sure that he would pop out of them at some point.

Starter Standard 2

He broke his start line but I was able to get him back into a sit and then he waited for his release. He did the tire nicely and turned into the tunnel quickly. As I thought with the weaves, he didn't want to do them. They are certainly a skill we need to work on more. After the double, he went to the tunnel and then did a great job on the teeter.  Then it was onto the table, thankfully, he no longer has to lay down, just stay on the table. Then we had a nice run, tunnel, chute, A-frame, (where I let him run off), tunnel and then the jumps at the back of the course with no problem. The dog walk, he again ran off and missed the contact, nearly had it though.

Video of Keltic in Starter Standard 2

So we still have some areas to work on, it never ends. Weaves, we can work on over the winter but contacts are harder, we can do some contact work on the stairs but it just doesn't match up to doing the real obstacle. I may try to retrain as I did with Beckett and let him do running contacts but he has to learn that sometimes I need him to slow down.

But we had fun at our first trial of 2015, Keltic seems not to be phased by much and unlike many dogs he didn't sniff and run around checking things out, all those horsey smells. Our next trial will be at the same locale but it will be Beckett's turn to have some fun. And so the agility year of 2015 has started.