Westminster Agility and PACH Ryka!

What a year so far!

Westminster agility was a fun experience!  CC ran fast and fancy but no Qs

Ryka got a nice jumpers Q and made FINALS! 

Then on St Patricks Day, Ryka finished her points requirements for her PACH (Preferred agility champion).  It was a thrill, especially because she came such a long way!  

LOTS of updates

Wow, this is going to be a bit long.  I didn't realize how behind I was blogging.  (Bad human!)

Ok, so April I took ALL the dogs to the CWCCA National Specialty in Huron, Ohio. It also was the 75th anniversary for the club.

ALL the dogs kicked serious tail.

Agility:

Ryka went 4 for 4 and got 2 more double Qs with placements!
CC had a great time showing off
Iggy Pop and Priscilla loved their Glory Runs.  Tears were shed. 

Next Day was Rally and Obedience.  Geddy Lee Qualified in his first Rally trial, and his mother CC finished her Beginner Novice Obedience title!

In Veterans Obedience, Iggy Pop won both trials and Priscilla placed!  This will likely be their last National Specialties so these wins were very special.

Next was the Megan Competition - it is a fun match for Champions only, divided by color.  CC wowed me by making the final cut in a large class for brindle bitches - shown in hard working condition.  Geddy showed very well in brindle dogs. 

The next day (did I mention sleep was almost non-existent?) was Veterans and Puppy Sweeps.  Priscilla placed second in the 11 and older bitch class.  Thank you judge Sherri Hurst!  I cried when she pointed to us, Priscilla is my heart dog.

 We had a great time, thank you to the CWCCA!

After the national,we went back to agility.  Ryka finished her PAX title!!!  That is 20 double Qs (qualifying in masters standard preferred and masters jumpers preferred in the same day).  She now only needs 80 points for her PACH.  We had a great party for her!

Video:




Then I went up to Canada, saw Iron Maiden from the front row 3 times, made great friends, and met Bruce Dickinson, Mark Hamill and Peter Capaldi. 

Geddy Lee also won an Award Of Merit at our Del Val Cardigan Specialty!

Then to top it all off, this past weekend CC qualified for the AKC Agility Nationals in Reno next year! 

Whew! 

What a ride! 

Dauphin Dog Training Trial

We only entered one day at Dauphin, it was at a great facility called In The Net.

Ryka has been feeling amazing and is fast!  She and CC Qd in Standard but not in Jumpers.

CC also got her first Premier Q in Standard!  I am so proud!

One more week until the CWCCA national specialty!

York County Agility trial

This past Sunday, we made the long drive to Bella Vista Training Center in Pennsylvania.  

The trial there is friendly, nice folks, and the facility is awesome.  

The girls had a great weekend!!!

CC earned her 5th double Q and got 59 points!  She also earned her Masters Jumpers Preferred Bronze title!!!  

Ryka got double Q number 13 and 29 points!  

March Madness Cluster

I got to show Geddy in conformation at the local shows, known as the March Madness cluster.  We showed in the Herding Group Club of NJ show and he went Select Dog Again.

Saturday he went Best Puppy in Sweeps under breeder-judge Joy Quallenburg!  His only chance to be shown in Puppy Sweepstakes before he aged out, and he won it all.  Good pup!

Sunday we did not get in the ribbons but he showed lovely and with some maturity and more practice, we will have our time in the sun.

Some photos taken by our friend Mindy!

Taconic Hills KC trial

The agility gods giveth and taketh away...

It was our first time at Doggie U out on Long Island, and the trial was run really smoothly.  Friendly bunch, and they reserve parking for you if you let them know you are working out of your car.

We train on mats, so the surface being matting wasn't too hard to adjust to.  My timing on the mats isnt that great.  CC had the one darn thing each run and Ryka didnt qualify in jumpers so I scratched her from standard (no need to do unnecessary contact obstacles for her if we aren't trying to Double Q).  She did get to play in Novice FAST for the first time and loved it!  She got her first Q as well!

Hoping our return trip to Doggie U will result in more green ribbons.  :)

Tail Blazers Trial

No videos for this one but the agility gods granted CC and I another Double Q and a double first place!  Photos of the courses below.

Double Qs are as rare as unicorns with us so this was a great day!

DCKC february and march trials

CC and I had some nice runs the last 2 weekends.  There were some crazy, seat-of-your-pants runs and some that just clicked.

She picked up 2 more standard legs and FINALLY a jumpers leg.

We still can't QQ but we can Q so I guess it is better than nothing.

Standard Q from last week


here is our standard Q from this past saturday


Our jumpers Q sunday

Westminster and a New Champion

Geddy Lee finished his AKC championship really quickly January 12th at the Northern Neck Kennel Club of Virginia!  He then went on to quickly get his 3 Champions Defeated wins towards his Grand Championship - he just needs majors now!

He went to Westminster as a champion and despite being fussy on the table he showed well and handled all the crowds and noise in stride.

I took Ryka and CC to Westminster agility, both of them qualified in Masters Standard prelim but neither one did well enough in jumpers to make finals.  CC even came in second!  It was a ton of fun, and will do it again.  Ryka finished her MXP2 title there as well!

Videos here.

Bad Blogger Update

It's been awhile...

Well, Geddy was out showing with Kathy and he picked up a few more points and another major!  He now has 12 points with both majors.  He is entered in Westminster 2017 and we hope he will be finished by then!

Lzzy and I went to Canada for RushCon 16 (a convention for fans of the band Rush) and I got to meet lots of people I know online and made some new friends!  I also traveled with my service dog for the first time outside of the USA alone.  She was awesome!  She got her photos taken at different landmarks too.  I already am planning my next 2 trips back to Toronto, and hoping to get a trip to Vancouver in as well either next year or the year after.

CC finished her MXP (Master  Standard Agility Excellent Preferred) title.  She still needed 2 legs for her AXP (the title before that) in January...and the Masters title requires 10 qualifying scores.  Standard has all the obstacles and was always our handicap in one way or another (member of the One Darn Thing Club).  I am super proud of her.  Best of all, she finished her title with my friend Sara handling her!  Great job!  She picked up 2 more Standard legs as well and finished her MJP2 (masters excellent jumpers preferred 2) title (20 Qs in Masters jumpers).

Also, she is one of the fastest dogs in AKC agility according to the Bad Dog Agility Power Rankings.  I am proud to be handling her!

Ryka is the comeback kid.  In January, she herniated a disc in her back, and was on recovery since...she was cleared for jumpers agility (just jumps, weaves and tunnels) and she did really well with no soreness.  I am hoping she continues to be sound and still able to play agility for many many years.

Shows Shows Shows

Since my mom's death, everything has been a blur.  I am pretty numb still and nothing is helping.

I am keeping busy with trials and dog shows.

July my dad, Lzzy and I went to Toronto Canada.  Mine and Lzzys first time out of the country.  I loved Toronto and we took in a Blue Jays game, went to Ripley's Aquarium and had dinner atop the CN Tower.  Also couldn't leave without eating Tim Hortons.  The hospitality was amazing, we saw RUSH's star on the canadian walk of fame, and our hotel was beautiful.  I am going back in 2 weeks for RUSHCON 16.

Then, Geddy Lee went to his first conformation show as a puppy.  I wanted to get him ring time before he aged out of the puppy classes.  Well...I was shocked when at his first show he went Best Of Breed over several Specials (champion and grand champion dogs) for a 5 point major!  This means he can be shown in Westminster in February!  The following weekend he went Best Of Winners for 2 more points.  He is halfway finished with his championship in 3 shows!

Ryka Roo - she is back in agility sparingly.  I entered her in one trial one day in Jumpers at Total Turf and she LOVED it.  She wasn't sore afterwards.  She has one more trial for the year (she can't run on dirt surfaces and no more turf trials til next year) in Jumpers and we are slowly going to see how she handles Standard courses.  I am beyond amazed how far this little dog came from almost being put down from a back injury in January to being a totally normal dog now.

CC - We are coming a long way in our agility runs.  She did something I never thought she could do - we Double Qd twice!  Once was on my mom's birthday a week after she died, the next was on my birthday this past weekend!  I am learning to trust her more and communicate better.  We have 9 legs towards our MXP now, one more to go and I can enter her in westminster masters agility championship.

Also, CC made the All-Breed Preferred Power 60, she is the 10th fastest dog in the country running 4 inch jump height 3rd quarter 2016.  Not bad Meeches!

I survived my birthday without my mother...I just hope this year gets better

News

Sorry I have not been on here often.

A month ago, I had the worst day of my life (so far).

I found my mother unresponsive in her bed.  She passed away from a heart attack.  Totally unexpected.  She was alive that morning, I texted her...and she was taken from me.

My mother was one of my best friends, she raised me as a single mom, supported me and the dogs...

Life is a mess right now.

I inherited 3 dogs back (Lady, Priscilla, and Iggy Pop were her dogs) and with working full time with no help, things like this blog got pushed aside.

She had no life insurance either...thanks to the kindness of the dog fancy and friends and family, I was able to fulfill her last wish of being entombed next to her parents.  Take The Lead paid for the funeral and a GoFund Me paid for the entombment.  If you are going to donate to a good cause, I can vouch for Take The Lead.

I only took a week off work, and mentally I am a mess.  I cannot sleep, eat, think.  I have constant flashbacks about finding her.  Whatever medications I am on currently do not work.

My father and I preplanned and prepaid a trip to Toronto, Canada and we decided to stick with our trip.  I had friends care for the dogs (Lzzy being my service dog came with) and cats...I am glad we went.  It was great.

But coming home to her house, our house...it was left as she left it.  The phone is still ripped off the wall from me calling 911, the bed is still a disaster.  I cannot touch anything yet.  I think - I KNOW - she must come home, she can't be gone forever...she can't she was too young.

The dogs are adjusting better than I thought, though I am giving serious thought to placing who I can place.

On better news, CC is doing well in agility.  We have our ups and downs but we are slowly becoming more consistent.  I trail more because I can't stand to be home.

Geddy Lee is also doing great!  He started baby dog agility class and we gave World Cynosport Rally a try.  They have a Puppy level.  He got his RLP title in 3 attempts!  What a great pup and he loves to work like his mother.

until next time...

Good news and the bad...

Good (GREAT) news actually - CC finished her Excellent Standard Title at the Princeton Dog Training Clubs trial!  She has never ran on their gravelly surface before so I wasn't sure how she would handle it.  She was also smoking fast too!


Even better, the Next day as a move-up, she Got her FIRST Master's Standard Q!  It was in the muck as it rained the night before and she was the 3rd fastest time of all Preferred heights and got 36 PACH points from that one run!



Now the bad...Ryka reinjured herself again.   So back on steroids and crate rest...we see our PT on Saturday.  This might really be the end of her career.

ALL CLEAR

Ryka got the all clear from the rehab vet to go back to AKC jumpers agility!

She is entered the beginning of June.  I am SO happy.  We worked really hard...even though coming back to competing was still a distant dream.

I hope all goes well and Ryka can continue to love agility for many days to come.

CC MJP!

CC finally earned her master's jumpers title!  We have been working hard together and it has been showing in our performance on the field.

She still needs 1 leg to get her AXP...those standard Qs are hard to find.

She averages 4.3 yards per second...her fastest jumpers run was 5.13 yards per second!

some updates

I have been very busy.

After the mourning period over Ryka's back issue...i kept pressing for an MRI.  She received one which confirmed a disc herniation.

Thanks to the wonderful cardigan community, the MRI was paid for and a friend donated 2 VivaStem stem cell injections...she had 1 already, and we are setting up the next one.  It helped immensely with her recovery time.  

We saw a sports medicine vet who said we are doing well, and MAYBE Ryka can return to agility, but she needs to get strong again.  We are doing core exercises at home, and she is doing massage and laser therapy.  

In the meantime, I have been running CC in agility...and it is an adjustment!  Our mistakes were only little bobbles so far...and we even got our second Excellent Standard Q.  

Geddy passed his STAR puppy test!  And we start a much needed manners class soon.  :)

Lzzy is perfect as always.  

Iggy Pop is teaming up with our friend Paul at agility classes.  They are becoming quite a team and Iggy Pop loves being out and about.  

Meet Geddy

He was known as Huckleberry from CCs litter, and i decided to keep him with hopes of showing him.

His name is Geddy Lee.

Registered name Octane's Witch Hunt. 

He is super smart like his mother! 

He will have a page on my website soon. 

A dream defeated

https://www.gofundme.com/j2snqe9w

Rykas GoFundme page

2 weeks ago, Ryka herniated her 3rd lumbar vertebrae.  She may never do agility again.  I am heartbroken and the gofundme is for rehab once she is off crate rest. 

The time has come...

Ashlyn is leaving Saturday for her new home in New Hampshire.  Her family is very anxious to get her home.  Her new name will be Ripley.

Steve is spoken for a family in Chelsea, NYC

And Huckleberry...well conformation wise he was structurally the best.  I will grow on him and see how he does.   Being that CC needed to be spayed I would like something from her.  Huck is super smart too.  He will be a fun dog to have around. 

All of them are sweet healthy babies.  I will miss them. 

4 week old puppies!

The Goblins are getting so big!  Ashlyn


Steve!


3 of them at the vet for deworming


Huckleberry!







Ash and Steve




Steve loves Geddy Lee!






Huckleberry with his plush pal




Ash snoozin