It's My Birthday

Today is Tommy's 6th birthday! He's such a big boy!
I'm hoping to enter a competition or two this year, but if he doesn't run well in the majority I think we will quit agility which is annoying because he runs well at training most of the time but at competitions he just does it when he feels like it 😔
I made him a bowtie over Christmas so that he can look smart and dress up for occasions out. I also now do grooming at college and have taken Tommy in to be groomed, the next times I take him in someone else will be grooming him which concerns me slightly as he gets bored easily and is very sensitive with his paws and tail being touched.

WE'RE BACK!

Today we went for our first competition for 6 months. He didn't stop at all in the ring, and ran pretty smoothly.
He was steady more than quick though.
One of the time faults was my fault because I forgot to call him the right way out of the tunnel. Otherwise we would probably have had a clear round.

My mum took lots of photos!

We also saw Summer and her dogs at the show. 

Allergy

In November Tommy had an allergic reaction to what we believe was an insect or spider bite. I thought it had been something to do with clipping him as it started to appear shortly after but I think clipping irritated the skin and made the reaction come out more violently.
Due to his reaction he had to spend 3 days at the vets and then had to have a cone on, steroid cream, 3 different tablets and hibiscrub (some pink fluid to help with the scabbing). It was awful. He constantly looked so sorry for himself.
Now after he has got better and his fur has grown back, the new fur from where he had huge scabs, is more coarse and on his ears, is brown, and his neck, white.

This was after the vets.
Now he looks like normal, with short eyebrows!

Hey

Recently I began teaching Tommy to shut doors - with his nose to ensure no scratch marks. It is useful when we have company and getting up to shut the door would be impolite, plus with the dog doing it he gets a lot of attention for being cute. He first has to knock the door away from the sofa by nudging it then pushing it shut with his nose. It's going quite well and is a useful trick to learn. He loves to learn and gain affection, it's a slight problem trying to find more tricks for him to learn.

recently

Recently has been Tommy's birthday. We went for a walk around Watermead with our friends. Just the one dog.

Clipped

Another post.

This weekend I clipped Tommy, he has quite a close trim because he normally gets mucky in agility training. 

He looks very handsome.

Recent Events

I have joined the debate society in my sixth form for enrichment. As our task last week we had to pick something we were passionate about and debate for our POV on it. I couldn't decide. It was decided for me that I should argue dangerous dogs. I was against the ban. My debate was mostly on it's the owners not the dogs that are dangerous. I had to give a little insight on how a dog thinks, very basic, Fight or Flight.
http://uk.pinterest.com/vickygleave/dangerous-dogs/

That is my entire debate. :P I found it quite fun to be standing trying to persuade these people with little understanding of dogs that "dangerous dogs" shouldn't be banned.


Also recently I went to the YKC Newark weekend and entered the Agility Crufts Qualifier. We came 5th in our age and height category. Quite good considering he's not ran well this year. We saw Earl and Ethel from http://sumskersandearlskers13.blogspot.co.uk/ . Unfortunately I couldn't stay to watch people running their dogs I needed to write some essays.


Lastly, this weekend, on saturday I am in newark again! For the DV winter indoor show. Only three classes so it shoud be quite fun.

Recent Agility Results.

Tommy hasn't been on top form recently, he walks round all of his agility competition classes and runs at training. Annoying.

Anyway here are the results for the DV 10 day show in Thetford and the DV show in Osmaston.

This photo has a filter on, it's off my phone from instagram
Osmaston 1st place with Time Faults

 

3rd with TF, 4th clear and 2 unplaced clears

 

silly dog

I was walking Tommy the other day at our local park and a rottie and GSD came in, both off lead very friendly, Tommy stopped to be sniffed as normal, he was behind me so I kept walking thinking he'd catch up when they'd finished but he didn't he stayed stood there for ages, I whistled him he didn't come, he stayed behind the pair of dogs and kept stopping. Eventually I took a slight detour down the hill to the brook, the other dogs followed me as I expected then were called away and left, I whistled Tommy and started back up the hill before he burst through the grass (he must've been quite far back). I put him back on his lead and we continued our walk. He normally stops to be sniffed but this was just ridiculous!

Yesterday we practised "stop the dog", there was a lot of bread put out for the birds at the park so I repeatedly stopped him before we got to the bread to ensure I had him under control. We left the park then I took him off lead again to walk up the street, I spotted a cat before him, he was quite surprised to be being put back on his lead as he'd be doing beautiful heel work :P

Jigsaws

You may have noticed that I'm really bad at updating my blogs, this time it was the online jigsaws fault.

Since MIKA put some jigsaws of his album art on the website I have not been able to stop doing jigsaws, I have a free account :P
However I have now created 3 jigsaws on this website, (reasonable difficulty for a novice, simple for a pro) all of which are pictures of Tommy.

http://www.jigsawplanet.com/ziggy228/Untitled 

Sorry!

Ok, so let me start this post by saying sorry for not posting for ages.
We have been very busy and then the computer crashed so we had to get it completely restarted and had no internet for a while!

But... Over Easter we went to the Dog Vegas agility show in Winterton and won out of grade 4, I am very pleased with him since this was our first show in grade 4 :P

I will be posting a video of some of our runs from the show on youtube just as soon as I upload and edit them together.






While we were in Winterton I was completing past papers as revision (GCSE's in 2 weeks :/ ) but Tommy decided I should hug him instead, he actually pushed the paper off my knee and sat there himself later deciding to sleep.






Also at the Obedience classes we attend (Bertie Dog Training) we passed the Advanced award, which is very similar to the Gold Good Citizen Test which I am planning on taking in the summer at the YKC camp.

(Just wondering, should I post a video of me clipping Tommy on here, my friend found it very interesting to watch)

Agility winnings for the past two shows!!

So today we had our second agility show of the year and... We Won Out of Grade 3!!

In the last show, in february, we got two 2nd places and a clear round and an E.

At this show we did slightly better and got a first and a clear and 2 with 10 faults.

Mum said I had to get a mug
 cos I've got too many glasses and I don't use them!
I agreed to use the mug.

PPP Blog Hop!!!

Wow!!

Our first ever Participation in a blog hop!!!!

Anyway

Last month Tommy and I had lots of fun;

I started teaching him a new routine which I hope to perfect and video for this blog.

I have made a very cute and simple paw print of Tom's paw.

Our weaves came and we've done a lot of weave training.

We've also been for quite a few flooded walks. :P

Next month:

• I hope to make Tommy lots of treats and a new toy for his birthday (also the 12th).
• Perfect the routine!!
• First Agitlity show of the year for us hopefully some wins :P
• Another clipping session 

Thats all for now. Be sure to check back soon I have some stuff waiting to upload!

Photos!

So this evening I have been playing around with photos. Comment your favourite!

Pop Art Tommy!

Blurry background, Focused dog

Focused dog, Blurry treat

Focused treat, Blurry dog

New bandanna

Over the weekend I started making this. Only just finished it!

Tommy's home weaving Video.

Tommy weave training in the garden. 

I turned my other jumps into weaves!

Playing with PitaPata!

I was playing around so I decided to make one to count down to the next agility show!

Grooming.

Today I groomed Tommy. I even plucked his ears!

Before

After

After

New year walk and play with me!!!

On New year's day we went for a walk around watermead, it was raining. Tommy hates the rain and when we stopped at the toilets he decided to hide under a tree, even though he had his coat on. Silly Tommy! 

Today I was and still am doing homework, Tommy doesn't quite understand so he kept bringing me the ball and trying to make me play, I did in my breaks but it was very funny in between as he put it on my back and it just kept rolling off back towards him!

However my weaves set did arrive today so we did a bit of agility training in the garden.

Agility show. Grantham..

So me  and Tommy were at an agility show at the weekend. He was naughty and didn't weave at all in any of the classes. He skipped the first pole or skipped the second pole. He's never done this before but we're going to work on weaves at training this week.