Full Circle

After last week’s bad training session, we had a great time this week. We had a fun set up for courses that involved a tight boxwork section, which then opened out into a huge loop of weaves-tunnel-jump-long jump. Made for lots of running! Both Dylan and I really enjoyed it, and we got a lot out of it; there were some unexpected challenges on the courses we ran, where the handlers assumed certain sections would be difficult and they turned out to be easy, or vice-versa.

One of the toughest challenges was something the handlers all thought was fairly straightforward, a diagonal across a corner of the box. The dogs were approaching with a long run up from an angle, and we all assumed the dogs would carry on the line to take the diagonal. None of them did! They all straightened themselves up and carried on across the box, taking the jump opposite.

Sadly my ‘adopted dog’ Jetsy wasn’t feeling too good so I didn’t get to practise with her for our runs at Hare’n’Hounds in two weeks. Katie is busy at university and she’s decided that she’s not relaxed enough at shows to run Jet to their full partnership potential. I know this has been a tough decision for her, so I’m incredibly grateful to Katie for letting me borrow Jet over the winter season. Of course, I’m not sure I can do Jet justice, but we’re going to try and bring some rosettes home anyway. It also means I get two dogs to run, which I always love doing!