Doesn't always go to plan

[mum24dog]

Our club team at Crufts last month - second to run in blue around 5 mins in.

 

Just for background, ours was probably the youngest dog team and the first time for all of them. Many team dogs tend to be successful and reliable towards the end of their competitive career.

 

Competition is open to all grades of dog so the course has to reflect this although, as you will see, quite a few fell into not very bad traps, including the Team GB Manager.

 

Amazed at how many missed contacts, especially the dog walk. Put it down to pressure.

 

Around 10-30am on the Thursday, first day of Crufts, so only an audience of around 2k (6k capacity) but still enough to make a lot of noise.

 

You can't judge by 1 run. Dog 1 came 6th in a Champ final of around 180 dogs on Saturday. - clear in Jumping and Agility preliminary rounds and in the Final. Dog 2 going for a steady clear. Handler 3 running with severe back spasms. Dog 4 (mine with my daughter) is lucky to get trained once a fortnight but still would have won 2 classes last weekend but for a clipped pole in each. (Commentator wrong - he's the 4th dog my daughter has run at Crufts.)

 

It was great fun. Hope the video plays.

 

team

[alligande]

Pam, Risk is looking good, he is very athletic. Is everyone on the team members of your club?

[mum24dog]

Yes they are members but the other three train in other places as well as with us.

 

Risk's not doing badly for an IGS affected dog, just immature and reckless atm. He'll be three on 4th July so plenty of time.

[teresaserrano]

Risk looks awsome. Plenty of mistakes but to be expected at his age. And he has tons of entusiasm.

[gcv-border]

Thanks for the video link.

 

Risk is supersonic. I saw him stretch out a couple of times on course, and he has a huge stride.

 

And heck, why not jump over the tunnel? LOL.

 

He reminds me of my dog, Kiefer.

[mum24dog]

Is that Keefer in the photo? Very similar.

 

He seems to be getting it together now. He won one class today by several secs withheld a contacts and we had to leave the show early before the end of another. Trying to find out the result from friends who are still there. If he won that he will be up to grade 6 out of 7.

[alligande]

He is a credit to both you and your daughter, your training, her handling that's a great climb through the grades.

[mum24dog]

Thank you. He did win the second class by a couple of seconds. Next thing to aim for is a bit more consistency.

[Tommy Coyote]

Wow! How exciting.

 

Were most of the dogs border collies?

[mum24dog]

Yes they were. The 3rd dog to run for us is a springer x BC though.

 

I don't think it's just the dogs, more the sort of people who choose BCs. We get a lot of different breeds starting out at our club and everyone is trained and encouraged the same but it tends more often to be the BC handlers who stay on and have the competitive work ethic, just like their dogs.

 

But that's just a generalisation and we do have exceptions.

 

We've got a new class starting tomorrow - 1 BC, 1 GSD, 1 WH Vizsla, 1 Toller, 1 springer x BC, 1 JR and a terrier x.