Smooth Sailin' Agility: Des Moines Obedience Traing Club

As usual we had a GREAT TIME at the DMOTC Agility Trial.

The "Orange Crew" nabbed the usual crating space, and food was NOT in short supply!!
We also provided each other with a lot of wonderful support!!

We began Saturday Morning with some "Orange" pride as Agility Judge, Terry Elger,
helped us wish a Happy Birthday to Rilda.

During the morning briefing, he stated that he had some "serious" business to take care of.
"Is there a Rilda around. "
Of course we'd placed her up front and Jeff H gave her a little push forward.
We then proceeded to sing "Happy Birthday".
It was a perfect start to the day.
Rilda said later, that she had a lot of people wishing her a Happy Birthday,
it was GREAT!!!!!

Of course "hanging around the Orange People can be EXHAUSTING!!"

Most of us know to watch your BACK when Marsha "Meme" is around with a camera!! Poor Jennifer, it's a little tough to watch your back when you're not even watching your FRONT!!!

Apparently Jennifer and Natalie were playing and Jennifer dozed off.
(I can't believe someone can actually SLEEP in that position!)
Natalie hadn't been feeling well the last week or so.
She took full advantage of the warm lap!!

Sunday Morning, Don asked me to take a picture of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of the Saturday - 20" Excellent B JWW Class! -
A Quote from Don below -

The team of Thrill and Nancy Von Haden took the 1^st place ribbon with a run time of 22.95 seconds on a 42-second course. The team of Tina and Don Smith took the 2^nd place ribbon with a time of 24.00 seconds. And the team of Tilt and Marie Ashbaugh took the 3^rd place ribbon with a time of 24.72 seconds.These are great memories to take home from a competition.

Of course never missing an opportunity to use Photo Shop, Marsha did a little rearranging of her own and sent Don the following thank you.

Hi Don –

Tammy forwarded me the photo she took of you this past weekend. It sounds like you all had some great runs!!

My kids did pretty well this weekend too. Running three dogs can get a little hectic, so sometime I have other folks run them. I had Tammy take this photo for me this weekend.

NICE JOB MEME!!!!!
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Below are the "Orange People's" brags!!

New Title!!

Beau - Sheltie - NAJ - Sunday

Betty - Italian Greyhound - MXJ - Sunday

Rilda Fish and Sophie (Min Schnauzer) DQ'ed on Saturday.
Rilda also earned 2-Qs with her Bichon, Ryelee. JWW on Saturday and Stanard on Sunday.
Ryelee's Biggest Brag is that he beat a former member of the AKC World Team. (Excellent B 12" Classes)

Marsha Kingsley and Robin (Whippet) Q'ed on Friday. Betty (Itialian Greyhound) Q'd in Stnd on Friday and JWW on Sunday to finish her MXJ. Frank (Itialian Greyhound) Q'd in Stnd, JWW and FAST on Saturday!!
A TRI-FECTOR!! He spent his mother's money VERY WISELY! (Excellent B Classes 12/16" classes)

Michele Hartzler and Cider (Yellow Labrador - Cougar)
earned a DQ on Sunday?
(Cider's 4th toward her 2nd MACH)
(Excellent B Classes 20")

SueAnn Thompson and Willow (Boxer)
Willow earned her first Open Stnd Leg with a 100
and first place. She also earned her 1st Novice Fast Leg!
(20" Classes)

Michele Fogt and Packer (Weimeriner) earned one JWW Q
and 2 "almosts", 1 standard Q, and an Ex FAST Q. And another "almost" DQ. I know, almost doesn't count. Michelle should be proud! Her "table" is GETTING THERE!!! (Excellent B 24" Classes)

Carrie Ruhde - Addie and Pauly

Addie got 2 DQs. Her 13th on friday the 13th.

Pauly...well, got to play each run. He had brilliant moments.
Did a great impression of david letterman's human fly or fly hitting a window impression on the a-frame.
(Excellent A/B 8"/12" Classes)

Phoenix (Belgian Malinosi) and I (Melinda Wichmann)were 1 for 6
at Granger but like they say, the score didn't reflect the game.
Our teamwork had improved a lot and even though we still made mistakes . . . but we made them TOGETHER. Plus I realized how truly important it is to be able to do correctly timed and positioned front crosses in order to get the best performance possible from my dog. And I need to be clearer about my criteria on a few other issues. Tammy and Bill have their work cut out this summer coaching us! Phoenix got his first Exc. JWW leg with 2nd place on Saturday.
(Excellent B 24" Classes)

Jennifer Howard and Beau (Sheltie) 16" Novice Class

I would like to share the story (and brags) of the great and brave Beau-Beau. A little back story first. Beau was to be a conformation dog but ended up being a “one-nutter” which is not allowed in the show ring. So his breeder, who lives in Omaha, sold him to a family in Ankeny when he was about a year old. Unfortunately, it was Fourth of July weekend and the family let their 5 year-old child take Beau outside on a leash. At the first BOOM, Beau bolted and the child couldn’t hang on. The family never bothered to look for their new dog. They didn’t even call the breeder to let her know; she found out when she called to check on him. For the next month, Rita (the breeder) came up every weekend to look for Beau (she had many Des Moines sheltie friends that were looking during the week). No luck. On the weekend that Rita said would be her last to come search, on her very last loop of the day before it got dark, she went one more time around a Des Moines golf course. A golf course she had searched many times already including that day. As she drove in the golf course she saw Beau passed out on the side of the road. The vet said Beau would never make it. But Beau is made of stern stuff and he survived. He came to live with us because Rita, who is also my mother’s best friend and she herself is a sheltie breeder, knew I would understand his scarred, sheltie brain and I was looking for a companion for our other sheltie.

After Beau’s trauma being lost, he is a very “Nervous Nelly” anywhere except at home. So, my husband and I started him in agility hoping to build confidence. It has been slow-going. We spent the first year just trying to have Beau stay in the ring with us and not go bolting to his crate. The second year we worked on doing 2-3 obstacles and then leaving the ring together. We have occasionally finished a whole jumpers course, but only a few times, and never as a happy dog. Then came Granger last week. My only hope was still to do 2-3 obstacles and leave the ring together. But I got a huge surprise last weekend. Beau completed his jumpers course on Friday, on Saturday, and on Sunday! All 3 days! A feat he has never accomplished before. Plus, I had a happy dog who confidently flew over his jumps (no stutter steps). A feat itself that rarely happens in training! He became nervous at certain points on all 3 days but I was able to get him back quickly and he was a happy dog again. His tail even wagged in the ring! The piece de resistance is that we finished our Novice Jumpers title on Sunday. I could have collapsed from joy and was trying hard not to cry (as tears would upset my very sensitive Beau-Beau). We are so proud of our very brave boy!

Many thanks are owed to all our wonderful friends at ICDOC and Smooth Sailin’ that have helped us with Beau and who we will continue to seek guidance from as we tackle our next goal: the Standard class!

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THANK YOU to our WONDERFUL PHOTOGRAPHERS!!!!

Marsha Kingsley "Meme"

http://weaselsinflight.com