Post Pandemic Life

After three competitions for Rain it all came to a grinding halt thanks to COVID-19.  Who would have thought.  While it was a bit depressing after waiting so long to be able to trial again, the enforced rest was probably a bit of a blessing.  Rain hyper-flexed her carpus at some point.  Possibly caused by A-Frame training, despite me waiting until she was 17 months old to train it and being super careful 😒.  I wasn't 100% sure exactly when it happened or that it was even resolved despite no obvious lameness after physio treatment.  So with everything cancelled I decided to get her spayed and give her rest a nice long rest.  If everything hadn't been cancelled I'm not sure her wrist would have held up to States and Nationals. 

Serious Rain

Comedian Rain

I had always planned to get Rain spayed after the Nationals but once it was cancelled it was the perfect time to get it out the way.  It didn't quite go as I'd hoped.  During surgery they had trouble with Rain's blood not clotting and she bruised up really badly from the clamps.  The surgeon had to take much longer with the surgery just to be extra careful.  So Rain came home very sad and sorry for herself.  Then she had a reaction to the fyximol tape when I took it off and came out in a massive rash.  She couldn't be exercised at all until after the stitches came out as she was so sore and I had to leave an Elizabethan collar on her well after the stitches came out because her skin reacted so badly and she was itchy all the time.  I was constantly having to put ice on the rash to help give her some relief.  Fortunately through the whole thing she was happy to rest and have quiet time.  I was so relieved once she had healed and it was finally behind us. 

Hiking with friends

Rain had a full eight week break from all things agility and decided it was time to do some other things.  Thanks to the pandemic we have been doing lots of swimming, hiking, had a first go at sheep herding and have been playing with some obedience.  It's been a lot of fun and while I do miss agility her love of everything we try makes everything fun.  No matter what I do with Rain she throws herself into it with 110% enthusiasm.  The most surprising thing has probably been the heel work.  She just loves it  and the power she puts into it feels amazing.  I feel like she deserves for me to invest time in obedience training so I can compete with her.  I've had a lesson with Sue Hogben one of our top local obedience trainers because I don't have the experience to fix issues.  Lets face it, I really don't know what I'm doing when it comes to obedience.  And we will be back for more lessons as soon as I have some time.  I can't see us in the ring anytime soon but I have no doubt that it will happen.

The WA Kerodan girlies

I have restarted Rain's agility training.  She is wearing a carpus brace for now to protect her wrist as I just don't want to take any risks.  She is jumping but I'm keeping the jumps low.  We've also restarted her running dog walk, stripped back to basics.  Our agility trialling doesn't restart until September so I have a few months up my sleeve to make it better.  The mat is back, the dog walk is low and she is looking really good with her hits.  I plan to leave the dreaded A-Frame and weavers until last.  Those pieces of equipment are going to put the most pressure on her wrist joint and I really don't want to do anything that will risk doing any damage.

I took Rain sheep herding for the first time a couple of weeks ago.  I walked into the pen with the sheep knowing it would go one of two ways.  She'd either completely ignore them or enjoy it.  Fortunately it was the latter and she thought it was the best fun ever.  She kept trying to drag me back into the sheep yard to do some more.  I'm not so worried about herding titles but I want to give her the opportunity to do different things that she finds fun so we'll definitely be out there again and do some more.  

Princess pappy

It looks like our first agility trials will be in September.  I'm disappointed that I miss out on two judging appointments over east, one in Hawkesbury and one in Melbourne.  But everyone is optimistic that they will go ahead next year instead.  With all the extra downtime with no agility commitments I decided to sign up for the OfCourse Online Course Design course.  With Petr Pupik, Tamas Traj and Jan Eigl Eide as the teachers it is too good of an opportunity to pass up.  So I'm looking forward to coming up with more exiting course designs once everything kicks up again, including judging the Masters Jumping final at this years State Trial.

Competition Time!

It's hard to believe that since I last posted we have achieved our first big two goals, Rain's very first agility competition in Albany shortly followed a couple of weeks later by the Western Classic.  And what an amazing first two trials Rain has had!  In her very first run ever, in Novice Agility at Albany, she went clear and achieved her first ever qualifying run.  Then at the Western Classic she not only went clear in Novice Agility but won the class against some extremely talented border collies including one of her best buddies and fellow Kerodan superstar Bella!

Albany - February 2020 

The Albany trial on the Saturday was a pretty tough day.  It was super hot and by the time I'd set up Masters Agility the sweat was pouring off me.  After finishing judging we were straight on to Novice Agility so it was a bit stressful making sure that Rain was adequately warmed up and ready to go after sitting in the car for most of the morning.  One of my fellow triallers pointed out that I looked mega stressed so for Rain's sake I took some really, really deep breathes to make myself relax.  I really didn't care about qualifying, just getting her around safely so that it was a good experience.  So I really did need to lighten up... Anyway as it happened Rain was amazing.  She just did absolutely everything I asked her to.  It wasn't super fast, I could see watching the video back that she was cautious.  But at a new grounds on new equipment and with a flustered owner she was incredible.  I forced myself to not interfere with her weaver entry and she made it look easy.  

Albany - February 2020

We had Novice Jumping the next day was a much more relaxed affair. The weather was much nicer and I was judging the second round of classes so I had plenty of time to walk the dogs and chill the hell out... her run was so much more confident than the day before but I didn't manage a turn very well and she went past a jump.  Then she knocked a bar towards the end.  But overall it was an fantastic debut from a young dog who has a huge future in front of her.  I was so super impressed with her attitude not to mention level of maturity and how she managed on her first travels away from home to compete.  

Four very happy dogs - Albany 2020

I was really looking forward to the Western Classic because I wasn't judging and could 100% focus on running Rain.  We had Novice Agility first up and Rain was amazing again running the most beautiful, flawless round and going clear.  She made a weaver entry that many masters dogs wouldn't have managed and actually corrected herself to make it.  She was so happy and excited with a lot more confidence.  She trains at the Dogs West grounds and really loves being there.  As soon as I get her out of the car she is so keen to get out and do agility.  When I count her down as part of her ringside routine to let her know we are about to go into the ring her face is one of pure joy that it's "her turn" 😍  Funnily enough in Novice Jumping we had exactly the same result as in Albany, one jump run past and one bar down.  The classes got held up due to a person injury in another ring and I think that by the time it was her turn she wasn't really at optimum focus.  It's a long time for a baby dog to be hanging around.  Anyway, it doesn't change that I am so proud of this wonderful dog and feel incredibly blessed to have her in my life.

Paddle boarding fun - January 2020

We have a couple more competitions coming up in March which I'm very much looking forward to.  I've lightened up her training a bit to give her body a break.  Those last couple of months before she started trialling was full of AF and weaver sessions.  She still has lots of skills to learn but for now we are throwing in some obedience training to keep things different.  I'd really love to do obedience or rally with her at some point because she is a dog that loves to do heel-work.  From my experience that is not a common thing so it would be a shame to not do something with it.  And of course because Rain is such a happy easy going dog we are continuing to make sure she has lots of decompression time with weekly river excursions whether its on the paddle board or just a leisurely walk.  They are some of my favourite times with her.  It has been a long time I have been excitedly looking forward to the next agility trial 😊   

The clever Kerodan girls