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Doodle's runs!! AKC weekend BUT with our first time ever running ISC (AKC's internationally designed courses) Only two Qs out of a possible six this weekend but we finally broke 6yps(!!!!) and I still couldn't be happier with how we were running! All but one of her runs clocked times fast enough to PLACE (had they been q's) with the speedy BCs- at a 660 trial!! Which still amazes me as this is my clueless doodle dog, party loving, tree hugging girl who's turning 6 years old next weekend. The crazy little blonde mop with little obstacle drive, lacking power/ground-speed, not very flexible/ "bendy" and only works for cookies (and applause from her fans of course) ... we've worked very hard to shave time anywhere possible- retrain to running contacts, dropped our reliable startline stay and switched to running starts (can get interesting trying to stay ahead of a 20"er when you start *together* ) , acknowledged our lack of power and flexibility for tight turns so learned how to rather *handle* for great turns and lastly learned how to RUN LIKE CRAZY through a course. I'll tell you, I still haven't gotten used to always just barely being on time or (getting more and more often) being later than I planned putting me riding the line of being *too* late. You'd think run harder/faster would mean staying ahead but I'm finding that not to be the case. I am Doodle's rabbit and she chases me the fastest when I am just *barely* beyond her reach, trying desperately to stay free from the grasp of her jaws Enjoy!

Doodle dog running ISC JWW, Q/3rd place!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzObPEe0HKU&list=UU8mzomDRoYZYGD62drtC_hA An interesting opeing for a running startasthe opening line was 5 jumps stretched across the ring in a straight row, talk about hauling butt to get ahead in time to Q an efficient wrap into the weaves and next time im faced with a spread out threadle I'd love to try a double-blind/pull through to see if we cant smooth out our threadleing skills live and learn!

JWW breaking the 6yps mark!! New personal record!! Time good enough for 2nd place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99lYRAaCL1g&list=UU8mzomDRoYZYGD62drtC_hA

STD, running DW into corner/turn off the DW- nailed it! Time good enough for 3rd place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkxmEPF1OM0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

ISC STD (Superman striding on her DW), time good enough for 3rd again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLuFcUtTGbY&list=UU8mzomDRoYZYGD62drtC_hA

JWW, held onto 4th till just before the end when an amazing lady and her brilliant BC knocked us out of the running and down to 5th : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwZkGkKrlmA&list=UU8mzomDRoYZYGD62drtC_hA

STD w/ more "Superman" striding... Gonna get out those cookies and "refresh" someone's memory a little  as to what earns her the JPs, time good enough for 3rd place again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10zRuGjxsEU&list=UU8mzomDRoYZYGD62drtC_hA


Have I mentioned just how in love I am with this crazy blonde beast? <3
TCrown

What nice runs you two had together! Adorable little dog and glad you hit your record, too. "Off breeds" CAN do well! good work!

Awesome job! I had been Golden at an agility trial this weekend and she too was knocking out all the BCs and placed almost every one of her runs (we took first twice).

As much as I love running with my little golden girl, though, I do think that in higher level competition, the border collie will ultimately win. I don't even think it's a matter of drive either, I think it has a lot to do with physical ability.

Thanks guys! And congratulations on your weekend Canis Lupis!! Sounds like you too had a great one

Oh and i certainly agree regarding the higher/est levels of competition. As much as I dream of competing internationally one day, and would love to compete at tryouts with my amazing doodle girl, I also realize that she is not physically able to compete at that level, whereas *most* BCs are better physically capable. Super twisty courses or jumping higher than 22" make her a touch gimpy the next day, I think due to an old shoulder injury and her weak lower back. So I respect that and wont ask something selfish like that from her but rather choose to decide that every course we run (local, regional, national, etc) is our own slice of "top competition" and we get out there and give everything we have, even on the simplest of courses. And I wont lie, often times we earn ourselves NQs from pushing so hard or trying "risky" things on course, when if we had just run more conservatively we likely would have Qd

On the other hand, if doodle can compete with the "fast dogs" locally, then I want to see if we can manage the same on a larger scale. We may not have physical advantage on our side but we can get out there and run with abandon, never holding back, which I certainly think is an advantage over a great deal of teams out there. Turn your weaknesses into your strengths. We have our first regionals in just another couple of weeks and I cant wait to see what we might do. We might continually place 20th or lower, who knows, in which case I just have to put on my big girl pants and understand that asking a doodle to be a bc is unrealistic. Already get that every now and again at local shows. We can run a course with "perfection" and shaving every second i can possibly think of and *still* have a BC clock in *seconds* ahead of us, even sometimes with bobbles or wide turns. And for a second i get sad but then i realize im being unfair to us as a team. We're not built like a BC, we wont ever have drive like a BC, accept it and continue looking for ways to create yet another advantage for the next time we went to akc nationals in 2013 and placed terribly, lol. But looking back and seeing the differences between what we were then and what we've become I cant wait to go to another nationals and see how we compare to last time. Competing against other teams is quite fun and can really make one proud of your successes but in the end what really matters is competing against yourself, constantly improving and pushing forward. I do like to use those other teams for motivation though!! Showing me everything we arent but can strive to be and also showing me just how far we've come on our journey already


TCrown

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Last edited by TCrown on 8/4/2014 12:03:52 PM