We are almost entirely on Twitter these days. It’s what we’d always meant to achieve with the blog. So for now, follow @jakeyboy to find out what Jake’s been up to.
We nearly didn’t make it to the Saturday Tweedbank agility show at all. I had a terrible hangover after a work do, we were over two hours late, and I missed walking three courses. So I had to work them out by watching, walking round the ring to try to figure out the layout, and sketching out my handling plan in my little notebook. Not ideal.
We were eliminated in the combined agility class & then … maybe I was beyond caring. Maybe I had no expectations. We went clear in what was (for us) a challenging agility course, but our run felt really slow. So slow that I didn’t even bother going up to the prize giving to see if we’d got anything. And then there were our names on the tannoy in first place … we’d won grade 1. Unbelievable!
So, after 2.5 years and 4 previous 2nd places in agility classes, we got the coveted 1st place that wins us into grade 2.
Just to explain to non-UK or non-agility people, there are three ways to progress to a higher grade in UK Kennel Club agility. 1) win a 1st place with a clear round in an agility class, 2) win 3x 1st places with clear rounds in jumping classes (i.e. no contact obstacles) or 3) gain 75 points with clear rounds, of which a percentage must be gained in agility classes. All those rosettes have been quietly adding up, and we could have been in grade 2 on points after our first season, and had the next 75 points a few months ago. But we hung on. We were encouraged to try to win out of grade 1, as you only ever do it once. Once you’re out of grade 1 – and in due course, grade 2 – you don’t go back. Grade 3 is the default starting grade for all your future agility dogs. So your first 1st place in grade 1 is special.
I was starting to feel very special, and thinking we’d never win out – we were always the bridesmaids & never the bride, with 4x 2nd places where we missed the 1st by half or even a few tenths of a second. I was starting to wonder whether we should go up on points. But now it’s safely in the bag, it IS great that Jake is the dog to win me out of grade 1.
As it is, this win also took us well over the 200 point threshold required for Jake’s bronze agility warrant, but more of that another time.
And then we came first in the graded jumping course as well. You wait years for a first place and then two come along at once.
Sunday we were less slick – I sent Jake over the wrong jump & got us eliminated in the graded agility (though I was pleased with how we handled a twisty-turny course). A clear run in a twisty-turny combined jumping class, though we’re not fast enough to place in a class of 200 dogs. And a 5th place in the grade 1 jumping class that day: Jake was tired & really just wanted to snooze in the sun in his new cooling coat – it’s not often he has to be coaxed to start his run.
We’ve had three recent shows where on the whole we’ve not done very well!
Woodside Woes
We were entered in both days at Woodside, though we only ran one run on Saturday (a disaster) and we didn’t get a clear run over the whole weekend! But on the plus side, Jake did get 4/6 possible contacts. His dog walk and seesaw were vastly improved and the new commands (STOP – GO) seem much more reliable. Just a little matter of A-frame contacts.
SKC – wot a scorcher
Jake was keen to run, even in the heat (28 degrees Celsius, not what we’re used to). He was so hot he sank into a down at the start of his first run, though he then took off like a rocket.
I noticed several dogs wearing Ruffwear cooling coats & Jake now has one (in spite of sarky comments from a colleague who used to keep border collies in Zimbabwe).
On the plus side, Jake worked away from me really well & my signals (voice / arm/body) are getting more consistent. Jake’s contacts were varied – in one course he got all his contacts (though he fluffed a weave entry) but in another course he jumped on the dogwalk and hopped off the A-frame. So back to class to practice that.
Avon argh
We did 4 runs – unfortunately no clears, but we did get a 12th place rosette for a jumping class. The main achievement was that we perfected our new plan for keeping Jake chilled (well below threshold in Control Unleashed language) for the whole show.
I got chatting to a older chap in a Morrisons car park today. He was very taken with Jake, having kept and worked many different lurchers over the years (though these days has Patterdale terriers). I explained Jake is a pet, and though he certainly has the chase instinct he doesn’t have the kill instinct – on the two occasions he actually caught a rabbit or a vole out on walks he let them go. “Does he jump?” asked the lurcherman, which led us onto agility. “Lurchers are the cleverest dogs,” he said. They can be trained for anything.” He’d favoured bedlington x whippet & also saluki/greyhound/collie mixes, with saluki for stamina. He thought Jake most likely a collie/greyhound mix.
2nd show of the season was the one-day Scottish Border Collie Club show in Lanark. We were focussed and more in practice than we had been in Dundee – and Jake even got his contacts. We placed 2nd in Grade 1 agility, 5 seconds behind the amazing dog that won (and which won just about every other class it could else that day.) We also placed 4th in the Grade 1 jumping class.
As soon as I opened the envelope containing our running orders I had a good feeling about this show. It’s not often that we get to run the no-chance combined 1-3 class first (and so burn off Jake’s loopy lap of honour at the start), then the jumping (a gallop and no contacts) and finally the agility when Jake is most likely to focus on me.
I love how the rosettes for the Scottish Border Collie Club show are black & white. And our black & tan mutt got two of ‘em. Sorry collies.
Jake was adopted from Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home in August 2004. He now lives the life of Riley in a leafy suburb of Edinburgh. His interests include agility, running like the wind, enticing other dogs to chase him, fellow sighthounds Molly & Steve, squirrels, swans, plush swans, swans on telly, Portobello beach, the Edinburgh hills, sofas, & snoozing.
Jake wears Earth Dog hemp collars. His collar tag (compliant with KC agility regs) is from the excellent Indigo Collar Tags.
