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