Accomplishments and Goals

As we sit here waiting for the old year to end and the new year to come, Mom has been contemplating all we have done in 2009. She's wondering what things 2010 will bring & what goals she should set for us as a team. Here are some things we've accomplished during the last 12 months and some goals for the next 12 months:

AKC - After finishing our MACh in Dec. 08 and qualifying for 2009 Nationals, the most exciting thing we did was attend & compete in Nationals in North Carolina in March. It was a really neat experience, one we will never forget. We're very lucky to have been able to go! Our other AKC accomplishments were getting 7 more QQ's towards MACh 2, qualifying for 2010 Nationals, and finishing our Open Fast title.

AKC goals for 2010 - Qualify for 2011 Nationals, work towards MACh 2.

NADAC - Since we finished our AKC MACh in 2008, Mom wanted to work more on our NADAC titles in 2009. We finished these titles: Elite Regular, Elite Jumpers, Open Tunnelers, Open Touch n Go, & Open Weavers. Mom had hopes to get a lot of Chances Q's, but we ended the year with only 1 Novice Q.

NADAC goals for 2010 - Mom would like to continue to do NADAC every now & then while we work at home & in class on our distance skills.

USDAA - We finished our PD1 (Performance 1 Versatility) title in just three trials. This means we got at least 3 Q's in P1 Standard and one Q in Jumpers, Snooker, & Gamblers. We actually got 4 Q's in Standard and 3 in Jumpers, so we got our PS1 & PJ1 titles too. We also got 2 Q's in Pairs Relay and ran in Performance Grand Prix (qualified) and Performance Speed Jumping (made it to finals but didn't Q).

USDAA goals for 2010- Mom wants to do all the local USDAA trials and finish our Performance 2 Versatility title in 2010. She also wants to keep doing Performance Grand Prix & Speed Jumping (and hopefully win some $$!!).

TDAA - We did all the local TDAA trials and I finished my TSAD (Teacup Superior Agility Dog) and TMAG (Teacup Master Agility Games) titles. I started to do better in Standard & now we only need 7 more standard Q's to earn our TACh.

TDAA goals for 2010 - Continue to do all local trials & hopefully finish our TACh. Since the Petit Prix is going to be held at Argus Ranch in October we will attend & compete in that.

Hearing Dog Training - We attended almost every Goldenears class in Tacoma in 2009. I learned too much to list here. Mom continues to train me to alert her to her phone, oven timer & smoke alarm. I've gotten really good at the phone & timer, need some more work on the smoke alarm & the "where" part of the alert. I took a combined CGC/TDI test in February & passed. Mom worked with me on accepting strange dogs & people. I've gotten a lot better at that.

Hearing Dog goals for 2010 - Mom would like me to pass the Public Access Test in 2010. She would also like me to pass the Hearing Dog Test. It will take a lot of work but I think we can do it.

Other Stuff - We did a lot of other fun stuff. We went on hikes & lots of local walks. We went to the beach in North Carolina after the Nationals (that was FUN!!). I helped Mom a lot in the garden, she really needed help digging so I was good at that. Cassidy the collie came over a lot to play agility & just have fun. I really like Cassidy! She got to spend the night a few times. A sad thing was losing my brother Skye the collie. He was 13 1/2 years old. I miss him a lot.

Other Stuff Goals for 2010 - Mom wants to make sure we go for walks every day we can. She wants to go on more mountain hikes with dad (and ME!!). She said she really wants to be in good enough condition to hike to the top of the Oyster Dome by the end of summer. Wish her luck, I think I'll stay home for that one.

We are excited about the New Year! Best wishes to all of you for a wonderful 2010, may it be full of doggy kisses & Q's :)

Jolie

Petsmart

Well - Grandma Lavida from CA has been visiting us since it's Christmas & she hasn't spent Christmas with us in a loonnnnngggggg time. I really love Grandma a lot. She LOVES dogs! She's pretty neat. Mom's been talking to her a lot about dog training & things she can do with her new dog Zoey. Zoey didn't come up to visit us since Grandma came on an airplane (HEY! I've been on an airplane!!). Mom & Grandma (Mom calls her her "mother-in-law) love to talk about training. AND they love to shop. Well, sorta. Mom says she's on a budget so I have to be happy with the free toys I get from doing agility (DARN!!!). Grandma said Zoey needs a new coat. Apparently Zoey has NO fur! She's a Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix (that's what the shelter said). So Zoey needs a coat. Not just one coat, lots of coats! So Mom offers to take Grandma to Petsmart. And since dogs are allowed in Petsmart I get to go, yay!!!!!

Okay, we get to Petsmart. When Mom takes me out of the car I'm not to sure about where we are so I get a little uncomfortable. Mom tries to give me my favorite treat - string cheese! But since I have NO IDEA what's going on I say "no way, what's in this for me?" and say "no thanks" to the string cheese. Mom says "whatever" & just ignores me ("huh???"). So Grandma gets out of the car with her cane & walks with me & Mom to the front door. FINALLY I figure it out. We're at Petsmart!!! I should have known. Mom has taken me to Petsmart lots & lots of times. She says it's part of my training to pass the Public Access Test. Whatever. I just like Petsmart because there's lots of other dogs there & Mom gives me string cheese, yum!

Grandma spends all her time looking at the dog coats & sweaters. Mom finds one and gets all excited. Then the horror. She has to put it on me ! She says it has a neat hood & is waterproof & would be great for walks in the rain (HUH????) Well I lucked out big time because it was too big & they did not have any smaller sizes. WHEW!!!

Then all these weird dogs were all walking around. Mom kept saying "Jolie watch me!" and I was a good girl & she gave me lots of string cheese. Then people kept saying "She's so pretty!" DUH!!!! What do they think my name means, of course I'm pretty! Mom kept telling them to not let my name fool them, I'm really a brat (HUH???)

Grandma finally picked out 3 coats for Zoey & we went to the check out line. It took a long time because the Petsmart lady just left the register when we got up there, I have no idea why. Finally another lady came & Mom had to help Grandma hold her cane while she paid for Zoey's coats. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Mom saw it coming. Just like in the movies it happened in slow motion. This HUGE Newfie dog that was totally out of control! The lady holding the leash could barely walk, the dog was pulling her so hard! Mom about freaked out since she had Grandma's cane in one hand and her purse in the other. All she could do was stand between me & that huge dog. That bad dog came right up to my nose! Mom kept turning & turning so her legs protected me from that bad dog. Another petsmart lady came over & made sure we were okay & told that bad dog to "please leave the store". Grandma had no idea what happened since she was trying to figure out the credit card machine and Mom was just about to collapse from hysteria. Thankfully I was okay so she was okay & it was all okay, whew!

When we got home Mom told me how proud she was of me. I handled it very well. I did not snap at the big dog & I walked all around Petsmart with Grandma who had a cane. I was nice to the people who wanted to say hi to me & I listened to Mom very nicely. She says that maybe there's hope I'll pass the Public Access Test! Yay!

Sniff ya later,
Jolie

RAT USDAA

Last weekend Mom & I drove down to Elma with Kelly, Pearl, Tucker & Quin for RAT's USDAA trial. Kelly & Tucker were entered in the DAM tournament. Me & Mom were just entered in the titling classes. Mom was having a hard time getting excited about going. Something about this Christmas stuff coming up & my Grandma Lavida coming to visit made her all stressed out. Plus she's been sad lately because my two human sisters are moving out. Kelsie's going to Pullman to go to college & Angela is moving into a house in Northgate with some friends. She keeps mumbling something about the "empty nest" and saying that her babies are all grown up. Whatever that means I have no idea! Me & Robin are still there so there's no way her nest will be empty & we'll always be her babies! It makes no sense! Humans, sigh!

Well in Elma we got to stay at the Microtel. I'm getting to know that place pretty well. I know exactly where the potty area is & that those stupid BC's do NOT own the motel. Mom lets me pee where they'd peed so HA! I'm the boss of those dumb BC's! When mom goes to get coffee I have to behave & pretend I'm not there since dogs aren't allowed in the food area (good thing I'm so small, I can blend in with the carpet). The rooms are really cool with big fluffy beds with LOTS of pillows! Just perfect for me :) It would have been a perfect weekend except I had to share the room with Tucker, Pearl & Quin. Tucker's not that bad. Pearl kept wanting to jump up & say hi to my mom. I had to let her know that she was NOT under ANY circumstances to come near my mom! Then there was Quin. What can I say about Quin. Cute puppies are not a good thing. They make your mom go all gooey & soft & say stupid things like "aahhhh he's so CUTE!!!". Dumb puppy.

On Saturday we got to the fairgrounds early. First class in our ring was Advanced Standard so mom thought she could relax & drink her coffee & study our course maps. We sat in the stands & watched all the dogs run. Then the Performance dogs started. Mom about had a heart attack. She had COMPLETELY forgotten how things go in USDAA. She forgot that the Championship & Performance classes walk the same time. She forgot our walk through! DUMB MOM! Well, I guess I should give her some credit. She knew the course from watching it so when it was our turn to run she ACED it! Whoo hooo! We got a Q & first place.

Next up was Performance 1 Gamblers. Mom didn't have a lot of hopes to get this one since I haven't been doing good at distance lately. Well I sure surprised her on this one. It was so cool, she planned this really nice flowing opening so I could get going really fast. When it was time for the gamble it was a tunnel, tire, jump. No problem! We Q'd with a first place again!

Next up was Jumpers. I was pooped out. I don't like jumpers much. What's the point. No tunnels, teeters, dogwalks. This course didn't even have weaves. BORING ! Second place & a Q. Mom was okay with that since it finished my Performance 1 jumpers title.

Sunday wasn't as good a day. I wasn't feeling too good so didn't do too good in standard. Next up was Snooker. Mom really wanted to get a Snooker Q so I did my best & we Q'd! She was pretty happy about that. Since we didn't need another P1 jumpers leg she let me skip the last jumpers run so I could rest.

Well that was it for the weekend. Mom really likes USDAA courses. They are a lot more flowing than AKC courses are.

Merry Christmas Everyone!
Jolie

Heat Wave

Today we had a heat wave. It got up to 37^!! Mom was happy that it wasn't freezing anymore. This morning she cleaned house (BORING!) and did some errands. When she came back she took Robin & me on a long walk. When we came home I was still full of energy so we ran around the agility course. She hasn't taken me out there in ages! I ran ran ran & did everthing she told me to do. Then she told me "Jolie TEETER!". So I ran up the teeter & it was STUCK!!! The bottom half was still frozen to the ground, ha ha ha!!! I just stood there up in the air until Mom caught up & she gave it a good push & got it to go down. That was fun.

Now I'm all tired out & need a nap.
Jolie

Blogs

Mom has been reading blogs. She's been obsessed with reading some agility blogs. That is NOT good because now she says I need to write in my blog. I guess if I want to keep getting cookies I better make her happy! I know, it's weird. A dog writing a blog. On a log. With a frog. In the fog. Don't you know it, I'm a poet! Aren't I talented.

It's been kinda boring around here lately. It's been COLD and Christmas is coming up soon so Mom hasn't been taking me & Robin on as many walks lately. So I keep busy with going outside & barking at the birds. Then I come back in & warm up then go back out again. For some reason this makes Mom extremely grumpy. I don't know what the big deal is. In normal weather she just leaves the door open a crack so I can come in whenever I want. Now she say it's TOO COLD to leave the door open so will I please hurry up & come in when she calls me! What a grump. I don't understand the big deal about the cold. Humans are so strange.

Not this weekend but next weekend we are going to RAT's USDAA trial in Elma. We get to go with Pearl & Tucker & Kelly, yay! Then no agility for a whole month :(
Well, we'll still have class on Wednesdays, but no trials for a month, yawwnnnnnnn........

Sniff ya later,
Jolie

Wow, I've been SOOOOOO busy I haven't written in my blog for nearly 5 months! Blame it on Mom, she's always hauling me off somewhere to do stuff & I have NO free time. The last time I wrote it was June. Now it's November & summer is gone & it's getting cold again. I love it when it gets cold because Dad builds fires in the fireplace & that's my favorite place to curl up next to for a good nap.

So much has happened since I last wrote, I don't know if I can remember it all. Summer was a lot of fun. It got really really hot (that part wasn't fun!) but I got to do some USDAA, some TDAA, some more AKC, and a lot of NADAC. I was busy! Mom needs some help remembering it all so I have to tell you everything I did before she forgets it all (what would she do without me!)

AKC - My biggest accomplishment in AKC this summer was finishing my Open FAST title. That means that I get to run in Excellent FAST now. We tried it once but didn't get the send part. Now mom is a big chicken, she says we can't do Exc. FAST again until I get more distance training. When that will happen I have no idea! We also qualified for the 2010 AKC Nationals, yippee!! I have 719 points & 9 QQ's in this qualifying period. (All we need are 6 QQ's & 400 points) Mom's not sure if we're going to go though, I hope we do!

TDAA - we had a lot of fun doing TDAA in August at Fido's Farm in Olympia. I did really good. Mom's been bad about writing my TDAA stuff down. She knew I was doing good but she didn't know how good until she got this big envelope in the mail last week. It was my TSAD (Teacup Superior Agile Dog) and TMAG (Teacup Master Agile Dog) titles! To make a long story short that means that I only need 10 more Q's in Standard & I'll be a Teacup Agility Champion. There's a TDAA trial next weekend so wish me luck, hopefully I'll get some standard Q's.

USDAA - In September I got to do my second USDAA trial. I Q'd in standard, jumpers, Performance Grand Prix, Performance Speed Jumping, and Pairs. I didn't get gamblers but I did finish my PS1 title! So now I have titles in 4 different agility organizations, is that cool or what!

NADAC - we did a LOT of NADAC! We went to Port Gamble for the MUDPack trial, Mega Dogs for the evening trials, Kent for RAT's July trial...... I finished my Open Touch n Go, Open Weavers, Elite Regular, & Elite Jumpers titles. I got Q's in Hoopers ( I still do NOT get hoopers, I just have to run around through these funny things & there's no jumping or climbing, where's the fun in that??) AND I actually got my first Chances Q, boy was Mom happy about that. She says I need a LOT of work if we're ever going to make it to Elite Chances. I don't like the sound of that, work sounds boring!

The rest of my summer was spent going on a lot of long walks with Mom & Dad and going to Hearing Dog class. Then in September my sisters Lilith & Rogue came to visit for THREE weeks! They even brought Igor, Gab & the baby Godzilla monster with them. We had a blast, even though Gab & Igor got in a fight & hurt Igor's foot. Then one day we all chased the cat under the bed -I was the fastest & got her first! But that BAD CAT didn't like 7 dogs chasing her & scratched my eye! Mom had to take me to see Dr. Anna & I had to have icky drops every day for a long time. Mom wasn't happy about that, she said it was all my fault & that's what I get for chasing the cat. She thinks I'll never chase her again. HA! She should know better!

So that's what's been up with me. If you like my blog drop me a note! I love to hear from my friends!

Love,
Jolie
(also known as) MACh Jolie Reve de Paragon CGC, TDI, OF, EAC, EJC, TN-N, TG-O, WV-O, TMAG, TSAD, PS1

Monroe Trial

We just did THREE days of agility! It was so much fun, mostly because I only had to sit in the car for 10 MINUTES before we got there! Mom set up our tent & all the people from class were there, I think at least half the dogs were Monroe dogs.

On Friday it was the PERFECT day for agility, it wasn't sunny but it wasn't raining either. Mom ran me in standard first. It was a fast course & Mom was a slug. She was so far behind me at the dogwalk that I had to jump off & make sure she was okay. So we didn't get standard. But we got 2nd in jumpers.

On Saturday I just wanted to go go go. In standard the table was right after the teeter. Mom made me wait on the teeter. I did NOT like that but I didn't jump off. Then the table was next. Mom said "Jolie down, stay". HA HA HA HA I had just done my stay at the teeter! I could not do it again so I barked at her. And barked. Then jumped off & barked. Got back on & barked. Jumped off & barked. Got back on & barked. FINALLY the judge said go so I went. Mom was not happy & everybody was laughing. But we got 2nd in jumpers.

On Sunday we didn't get standard either because Mom didn't run hard to the table & I stopped & got a refusal. I still did the sit under protest because I think it is a crime making good dogs stop & sit or down at the table. Then I saw someone I hadn't seen in a long time sitting there watching me & I completely missed the chute. But we got 4th in jumpers.

Mom said it's a really really good thing I already finished my MACh or else she'd be really really unhappy about not getting standard. But she was a good sport & just said "we'll get it next time".

Sniff ya later,
Jolie
Next trial: Wed June 24, NADAC at Mega Dogs

Last night Mom took me to Mega Dogs. I wondered why in the world were we going to Mega Dogs at that hour, we never go to practice there that late! Well we got there & I got to run two courses of Touch N Go! It was a blast. We did good the first round & Q'd. In the 2nd round there was a tunnel after a tunnel & how was I supposed to know I was supposed to take the hoop instead, bad mom! Well it turns out we just needed one more Touch N Go leg to finish our Open Touch N Go title so Mom was okay with that.

Jolie
Next trial : June 19,20 & 21 Lab AKC Trial Monroe (Yay!!!)

Mom FINALLY put my videos from Nationals up on You Tube, check them out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9cdF-f-5eE

As you can see, all the faults were MOM's fault (of course).
Sniff ya later,
Jolie

PS next trial: SKC AKC at Argus (Mom hopes we get out of our Standard funk by then!!)

EAT Nadac Trial

On Saturday we went to EAT's Nadac trial at Argus Ranch. I hadn't done any Nadac agility since last November! It was fun to be able to RUN, I love Nadac! I got to run in Elite Regular for the first time. We almost Q'd in Reg. 1 but I was running so fast after the dog walk I took the hoop in front of me instead of the one mom was pointing at, oops. We did good in Reg 2 though! I Q'd & got first place! In Touch n Go we did good, Q'd, 2nd place. We did good in Jumpers & Weavers too! But not in Chances, Mom says we need a LOT of work before we'll ever Q in Chances & that I just don't get it when she says "OUT". Hey, I do too get it! OUT means to go outside & search for cats, duh!!
So all together we came home with 2 firsts, 2 seconds, and 2 NQ's.

Jolie
Next trial - Poodle Club, April 17 & 18, Argus.

Pictures

Hey everyone, check out the pictures from my trip! Mom put them here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/NealandTrish/NorthCarolina#

I hope you enjoy them! Don't forget to read the trip report Mom wrote all about my trip! Scroll down & read Part 1 first!

Happy to be home again,
Jolie
PS Next trial: April 18, EAT NADAC, Argus

Nationals Trip Report Part 2 - The Beach!

(Please scroll down & read Part 1 first!)

Monday morning - Ahhhhhh, that is the relief we felt from being able to sleep in! But not for too long - we were anxious to pack up, check out, & head to the beach! After driving south for about 4 hours we reached our destination: Oak Island and "Blockade Runner", our rental cottage for the next four nights. What a perfect location, right on the beach, quiet neighborhood. Perfect for two people and one tired pup to relax after a busy weekend.

Jolie's first reaction to the beach was "let me run!" She wanted to do everything at once - chase the foam from the surf, run after the seagulls, dig holes! It was so much fun. Unfortunately Oak Island beaches have a leash law, but with her flexi leash Jolie had freedom to run back & forth to her heart's desire. We loved the Mid-Atlantic coastline- long straight beach as far as you can see. Plenty of room for Neal to get his daily running workout in and for Trish's walks.

Monday dinner- what else to do but check out the local BBQ joint. Couldn't come this far without checking out some genuine NC Style BBQ! Eastern NC BBQ that is. Complete with hush puppies & sweet potato fries of course! Yum!

Tuesday - relaxing day. Neal got a good run in on the beach while Jolie & Trish relaxed at the cottage. This day was the best we had weather wise. After the heavy rain & tornado warnings since Saturday we were ready for some sunshine! After a little bit of local sightseeing we headed back to the cottage for a home cooked dinner which included some crab cakes picked up from the local fish market.

Wednesday - Neal had scheduled a Kayak Tour on a local river. Unfortunately they did not have enough people signed up & had to cancel. So instead, we headed towards Wilmington, stopping in Southport for coffee (we really missed Starbucks!) At the local coffee place we met a nice couple with a bulldog named Irma. Jolie did not like Irma very much, even though she was a real sweetheart. The couple noticed right away we were not from "these parts", especially when we mispronounced Concord. It's not emphasized on the first syllable, but on the second. Like ConCORD. Who would have known, they never told us that in Concord!

After a little bit of shopping in Southport we headed to the Orton Plantation. This was a small rice plantation on the Cape Fear River. You can read more about it here: http://www.ortongardens.com/

Next we headed to downtown Wilmington for some more shopping, sightseeing & lunch, then it was time to head back to Oak Island. For dinner we ate at a local seafood restaurant, the fresh fish was delicious.

Thursday - very windy & wet today. Neal had been hoping to kayak but with thunderstorms in the forecast it wouldn't have been safe. Wanting to get our last long walk in on the beach, we bundled up in raincoats & prepared to get wet. Jolie actually didn't mind getting wet, she was having too much fun to notice!

Since Thursday was our last night in North Carolina we had to decide what to do for dinner. After not a lot of thought it was unanimous - we had to get take out from the BBQ place! Not a hard decision at all.

Friday morning we were up early to pack and tidy up the cottage. It was hard to leave, we really loved the beach. Maybe someday we'll be back.

On the way back to Charlotte to catch our flight home we stopped at the Lumber River State Park to eat our lunch. The Lumber River is a true black-water river, lined with Bald Cypress, Tulip Poplars, Loblolly Pines, and thankfully no alligators!

Our flight home was long but uneventful. Daughters Kelsie & Angela (along with papillon Robin) met us at SeaTac to drive us home. Jolie handled the flight home just as well as the flight out, she was a good traveler! One tired pup & two tired humans were very happy to be home again!

Nationals Trip Report Part 1 - The Competition

The long awaited day of Jolie's journey to the AKC National Agility Championships finally arrived! On Wednesday, March 25, Trish, Neal, & Jolie took the red eye flight from Seattle & arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina at 6:30 AM ET Thursday morning. Snuggled comfortably in her sherpa bag, Jolie handled the flight without a peep and no trouble at all. It was almost as if she had done this many times before, but no, this was her first flight. This trip would be a trip of firsts for all of us - first time flying with a dog, first time on the East Coast, first time seeing the Atlantic Ocean, first time attending Nationals (and first time trying Carolina BBQ & fried food!).


After a badly needed nap at our motel in Concord, we headed to the Cabarrus Arena to check-in for Nationals. At check-in while picking up our goody bag & t-shirt, a familiar face walked by - Carlene Groom from WA! Carlene, her husband Robert, and border collie Haley would be our companions throughout the weekend. Being that North Carolina is 2,800 miles from Washington State, few Washington agility competitors would be attending and a familiar face was very welcome.








Friday morning arrived much too quickly. We arrived at the arena at 7:00 am for the general walk through and opening ceremonies. First up - the ISC Jumpers with Weaves (JWW) course. This course had a threadle, something not seen in regular AKC competition. Here is a course map: http://www.akc.org/pdfs/national_agility_championship/2009/courses/FridayISCJWW.pdf

The threadle is between obstacles #13 & #14. I walked the course thinking "no problem!" In theory, it would be easy to send Jolie over #13, call her between the jumps, and push to #14. Well, as it often happens in agility, things don't always go according to plan and Jolie ended up back jumping #13 (or was it #14, my mind is a blur!) Even though we didn't qualify, it was a nice run for us & good warm up.

Next up was ISC Standard in the smaller arena. This arena held rings 3 & 4 as well as the crating stalls. Room was tight, there was no seating and the room for chairs was very limited. Nevertheless excitement in this area was high as dogs & handlers crowded around preparing to run or to watch their fellow competitors. The ISC standard course was very nice. It had a serpentine but thankfully no threadle! Here is the course map:
http://www.akc.org/pdfs/national_agility_championship/2009/courses/FridayISCStandard.pdf
I chose to handle the serpentine (#'s 10, 11 & 12) by sending Jolie to 9, pulling to the far side of 10, pushing to 11, then pulling between 12 & 11 to set up a straight line to the dogwalk. It worked! We got the rest of the course and our first qualifying run.

We were still recovering from the red eye flight so didn't stay to watch the Northwest Region team win the State Team Finals. We were excited to learn later that we had won, it was the first State Team win for Washington State!

Saturday morning found us back at the arena at 7:00 am for our first walk -thru: the standard course. This was a very nice flowing course:
http://www.akc.org/pdfs/national_agility_championship/2009/courses/Sat_NAC_Rd_1_Standard.pdf
The only possible trouble spots were the off course potential of the tunnel and the line from the dogwalk to the chute. I chose to not take any chances with the tunnel & front crossed after #13 which worked very well. The line to the chute was a challenge - many chose to rear cross both #17 and the chute. My plan was to run on the inside and push to the chute. Well things didn't go according to plan, Jolie was driving too fast (or was I driving too slow!) so I ended up doing the rear crosses. Jolie "almost" didn't enter the chute, it was very close, whew! This was our 2nd qualifying run of the weekend and first run that counted in the championship - we got 42nd place (out of 113).

Our next run, JWW, wasn't until much later in the afternoon. The long wait gave us plenty of time to take in all the excitement of watching the other dogs run, as well as browse the vendors. It was fun seeing all the neat stuff & choose which souvenir I would take home. Jolie spent most of the time resting in her crate. We had decided to not get a stall (they were a little pricey!) so our set up was in the general crating area. Our space was in a quiet place and was not crowded at all. A nice place for both dogs & handlers to relax and catch quick naps.

Finally it was time to walk the JWW course. Here is a map:
http://www.akc.org/pdfs/national_agility_championship/2009/courses/Sat_NAC_Rd_2_JWW.pdf
Count them: this course has a total of 6 possible front crosses! That is how I chose to handle it: front crosses after #'s 2, 5, 8, 11, 15, and 17. It worked very well, except for the fact that my mind went blank after 12 & Jolie got a refusal at 13, sigh! Other than that it was a very nice run.


Done for the day we were too tired to go out to eat so ordered pizza delivery for dinner that night.

Sunday was our earliest day, we needed to be at the arena before 7:00 am for the first walk thru. Our third & final course was the hybrid course - a combination of JWW and Standard:
http://www.akc.org/pdfs/national_agility_championship/2009/courses/Sun_NAC_Rd_3_Hybrid.pdf
This was a simple and FUN course - no major trouble spots & plenty of flow for speed. I was anxious to run Jolie on this course, I knew she would do well. The 8" class was the first class of the day in ring 3, we were the 99th dog to run. After our wait & warm up, our turn was up. At the line I had just taken Jolie's leash off when the fire alarm started blaring! We had to quickly evacuate the building. After a few minutes the fire department showed up - some one in the food place had burned some french fries. After checking things out & declaring the buildings safe, the firemen allowed us to all march back in. The nice judge was concerned about Jolie's reaction to the alarm, but Jolie had not been bothered a bit by the bothersome & annoying noise. She ran the course perfectly with enough speed to get 29th place. We were very happy! This put us in 54th place overall (out of 113), not bad with only qualifying in two of the three runs that counted in the standings.

Our work finished, the fun part of watching the Challenger Round & Finals was all that was left! It was incredibly exciting to watch the best dogs & handlers in the nation. I think the most exciting part was the difficult dogwalk/tunnel discrimination in the finals:
http://www.akc.org/pdfs/national_agility_championship/2009/courses/Sun_NAC_Rd_5_Finals.pdf
As we watched dog after dog take the wrong course tunnel, the groans from the crowd grew louder & louder. Few dogs got this part, but when one did, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Our favorite finals competitor by far was Masher the papillon, handled by Daneen Fox. Masher had swept the 8" class and we were rooting for him in the finals. Unfortunately the tunnel was too tempting for Mashy & Daneen couldn't call him off. The winner of the 8" class (for the 2nd year in a row) was Daneka Hedges & papillon Allie, an awesome Jr Handler team.

You can watch the six winners of the finals here:
http://www.agilityvision.com/6-winners-video-2009-akc-national-agility-championship

After dinner at Applebee's with Carlene & Robert, it was back to the motel for our last night in Concord. What an exciting weekend it had been. Overall I was very pleased with our performance. I was so proud of Jolie for handling the long trip & long weekend so well. She did awesome & didn't show any signs of fatique or stress. What a wonderful girl she is!

Next: Scroll back UP to read Part 2, The BEACH!

I'm HOME!!

I'm HOME!!!!! I got to ride on an airplane & do agility three days in a row in this HUGE arena & go to the beach & chase the seagulls & do a LOT of fun stuff!! I am SO TIRED!!! I think I am going to let Mom write all about our trip because so much stuff happened & I'd rather go sniff around the yard & chase the cats away. So stay tuned, Mom will write as soon as she unpacks my stuff & does a mountain of laundry.

Jolie, seasoned traveler

Something's Up

Well this is STRANGE! Mom keeps talking about Nationals like it's just another trial. I don't get it. If it's just another trial, WHY is she packing this huge suitcase full of her stuff?????? AND she's not just putting her stuff in there, she's putting MY stuff in there too! My new crate (that is pretty weird itself, it collapses & squishes up into this itty bitty tiny square, how can I fit in that??) my bed, my food, my toys, my chewies......something's up for sure! I have a feeling I'll find out more tomorrow.

Confused,
Jolie

PS Mom set up my very own e-mail address! If you want to know all about what happens at Nationals e-mail me & I'll keep you posted when I can. It's agilitypap@gmail.com
I don't know when I'll get to a 'puter but I'll try to keep you posted.

This & That

Lots of little things have been going on lately, a little bit of this & a little bit of that. One day last week mom took me to see the dog chiropractor so she could make sure I was in good shape. We had to see a different lady vet this time, Dr. Miller. She fixed my neck & put one of my toes back in joint. Boy do I feel better! Thanks Dr. Miller! Now I can run even faster!

Another thing that's been going on is that mom has been teaching me to be her hearing dog. This means that whenever her phone rings or the tea kettle whistles or someone comes to the door it's MY job to tell her. Not Robin's job, not Skye's job, not Clementine's job, MY job! It's a big responsibility! I'm getting pretty good at it too! Whenever her phone rings I run to her & jump up on her legs & tell her it's ringing! It's ringing! Then I get TREATS! Yay! It's a lot of fun. We go to Tacoma every other Thursday & meet with other hearing dogs & their people. There's some really cool dogs there, I hope I get to be as good as them someday.

Last week we got to go to a fun match. Heidi & Cassidy came too. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about Cassidy didn't I? Cassidy belongs to mom's friend Heidi. Cassidy is a collie, just like Skye. Except that Cassidy is a lot nicer & doesn't bark as much. Mom is teaching Cassidy to do agility. Cassidy is doing really good. Well, at the fun match I didn't like it when mom spent more time with Cassidy than me. I wanted to run run run. So when it was my turn I ran! Oh boy, mom could hardly keep up with me. She was pretty pooped out, especially after running Cassidy too, ha!

On Saturday we went to the Seattle Kennel Club trial with Kelly & Pearl. It was in a BIG building & there were dogs & people all over the place. I didn't like it too much so mom kept me in my crate most of the time. Then she tried to tell me to potty on some wood shavings. HUH? I told her NO WAY am I going to potty there! No respectable girl doggy is going to potty on wood shavings! Finally mom & Kelly walked me & Pearl outside to the grass, whew! Thanks mom. When it was time to run we did good & got a double Q, mom was happy!

Today I am just hanging out because mom wouldn't go anywhere because it snowed again. I love the snow but mom just keeps saying "where's Spring?" I have no idea where Spring is, maybe I should go look for it for mom. If anybody knows where Spring is please let me know!

Wags & Licks,
Jolie

Next trial - BTCWW March 20 & 21

Ow!

Okay, I know I haven't updated my blog lately. Been too busy chasing the cat & making sure Robin & Skye don't steal my treats. Plus mom keeps me busy with training (yawn). She says I still have issues (whaaaaa?????). I think it has something to do with the EAHC trial we went to Feb. 13 & 14. I was doing GREAT, running full speed ahead & having fun. Then Mom said "Table Jolie sit". HA ! Like I'm really going to stop & sit when I'm having so much fun running fast! I kept jumping up on her telling her "lets GO lets GO" but she kept saying "Jolie SIT Jolie SIT". Ha, like I'm really going to sit when the teeter is right there calling my name. Then you will not believe what Mom did. She looked at the judge & then she looked at me & she tapped my butt down! OW! The nerve! I barked at her but I just knew she would tap my butt again so I sat. Sheesh, the things we have to do for our moms.

So the long story short is that we didn't Q in standard at the EAHC trial, but we got 4th in JWW on Friday & 3rd on Saturday.

So all week long Mom has been making me do the table. I finally figured out that the fastest way to the treats is to make Mom happy so I've been doing my sits & downs as fast as I can to get COOKIES, yay! (Can you tell that I LOVE cookies?)

Today we just got home from the CDTA trial in Lynden. Friday wasn't a good day - I sneezed in the weaves again in Standard. Mom thinks I have hay fever, whatever that is. Then in Jumpers I felt better & ran really fast & Mom didn't have time to call me to go the right way so I went the wrong way, oh well.
Today, Saturday, I made up for all the stuff I've been putting Mom through & got a double Q, 48 points, and TWO first places. I hope that's enough to make her happy, if not I don't know what will!

Next trial - Feb 28 Sheltie trial Argus

Jolie

PS Mom really is happy, she just figured out we are half way to qualifying for next years AKC Nationals, yay!

USDAA

Well, Mom said that since I've done AKC, NADAC, & TDAA agility that it was time for me to try USDAA. So we went to the Red Hot Rovers USDAA trail at Argus last weekend. It was a lot of fun. I got to run 3 times on Saturday. First up was standard, we got it, but I did NOT want to down on the table. I don't like doing downs, I want to RUN! I wish they would get rid of the table, it is no fun.
Second run was the performance National standard local qualifier. It was a fun course & when I saw the tunnel after the dogwalk I just couldn't help myself, mom called me but it was too late, ha! Third run was performance speed jumping. I did great, there was no table to slow me down, yay! We Q'd & made it to the finals.

On Sunday we Q'd in standard but got 2nd place (mom said I should not have taken so long at the table, huh? I told her I don't like the table!).
Then I got to run a pairs relay with Pearl. I did the first half, it was fun. Then mom handed off the baton to Kelly & Pearl, they did great! We got first place! Not just in the 8" class but the whole performance pairs 1 class! Little dogs rock! Here is a video of our run:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frdzv1NHJQw

Then we ran the performance speed jumping finals. There was no table, yippee! I ran really fast & we were doing good. Then BAD MOM sent me over the wrong jump! Mom did not perform well under pressure, I need a new handler, we could have gotten first place & won some money to pay for treats for ME but no, she had to go & mess me up. Bad mom.
Our last run was jumpers. We had to run jumpers right after speed jumping. It was fun, we Q'd!
I hope we get to do USDAA again, it was fun.

Jolie
PS next trial: AKC Afghan trial Argus Ranch Feb. 13 & 14.

Cheeseburger!

That's what I got to eat for dinner last Sunday night! Something must have been up because Mom was SO EXCITED! She said I was reMACHable, whatever that means, and let me have a cheeseburger for dinner. Yippee, I LOVE cheeseburgers! I wish I could have one every night, but for some reason Sunday was special. I think it all started when I qualified in Standard at the Boston Terrier Club of Western Washington agility trial in Elma. Mom was so excited but then she got really nervous. I've never seen her that nervous before. I tried to calm her down but she was too nervous to notice. Bonnie was there & she kept saying "you CAN do it, you CAN do it". What's the big deal, we do agility all the time & she does fine! Well anyways. We ran jumpers & did good. After the last jump mom jumped up & down & Bonnie ran over to give us a hug then another lady ran over with this HUGE ribbon. It was so big it was bigger than me! Then we got to run the course again but mom was so excited that we ran it all wrong this time. But I guess it didn't matter the second time, she was still so happy. Then everyone said what a good girl I am (huh? I know I'm a good girl!). Mom gave me lots of treats. Then I had to sit in my crate for a while (Mom said they had to go out for MACHaritas). Then after we got back to the motel, that's when the best part happened, I got the cheeseburger! Yay! Here is a picture of me with my ribbon & the bar they gave us, the cheeseburger is long gone, sorry!

Mom says I have a new name, here it is!
MACh Jolie Reve de Paragon NF, OAC, O-NJC, TG-N, WV-N, TN-N, TG3, TIAD

Wags & Licks,
Jolie