Winfree's Summertime Blues, RN
(Ch. McMurphy Fieldstone Foster ECM, NA, NAJ x Winfree's Tight Fittin Genes)
 |
 |
|
|
Pictures of Summer at class.
There's nothing prettier than |
|
|
November 21, 2005: Guess it’s time for an update on Summer and Linda. They are doing great!!! They continue to make good progress in their classes. Linda has been making agility equipment, with the help of Rich Moody, and that gives her an opportunity to practice with Summer between classes. So far, equipment includes bar jumps, weave poles, tire jump, and tunnel. Around mid-December, she will have a chute and a teeter. Linda says she thinks she going to have to move to get a bigger backyard!!!!! In a recent class, the regulation-height A-frame was introduced and Summer didn’t like it at all. She would either pass it altogether or start up, turn around, and go back down or start up and jump off the side. The only way she got up and over that day was with a big push to the top!! Linda was very worried that this would be the make-it or break-it obstacle and this would be the end of Summer’s budding agility career. But the next week, up and over she went, without hesitation!!! And, she hasn’t missed an A-frame since. Yesterday, after a few warm-up jumps and weave poles, the class ran an 18-obstacle and a 20-obstacle Excellent course. Linda says that while Summer doesn’t pay attention 100% of the time, she does 70-80% of the time. She runs with Linda and does watch Linda for her next obstacle. But because the classes are outside, there’s always something interesting to smell on the ground. That’s when Summer, doing what English Cockers do, starts to work and track. Deer and rabbits abound, plus dropped treats and other dog smells. So, lots of work is needed to get Summer to pay attention 100% and watch Linda for her next command. Linda said that yesterday while running the two BIG courses, she could hear the instructor saying “Good job, Summer!” several times. This is so exciting. I just can’t wait until their first trial; I’ll be ringside. |
|
 |
Linda's DIY tire jump |
|
 |
October 3,
2005: Linda and Summer are now in a full agility class, in
addition to their obedience class. Last week, the instructor told
Linda that she thought it was time for the two of them to be enrolled in an
agility class, and, of course, Linda didn't object!! It's exciting how
quickly the two of them have advanced.
Linda received some encouraging words from a friend this week. Her friend, who trains with her engie at the same facility, was talking with the instructor who said that, after their first agility class, Linda and Summer were "shining"!!! Yes, shining!! She said they did better than anybody else in the class. Linda is not only excited but very encouraged. She feels that she and Summer have found their nitch. They are working hard on weave poles, a very challenging obstacle. At the end of the second class, this was the course: weave poles, tunnel, dog walk, jump-turn-jump, chute, jump, tire jump. Summer was awesome!!! Even the jump-turn-jump, because, you see, she had never done that combination before and never heard "Turn". She jumped the first jump, at Linda's command "Turn-Jump", she turned and jumped the second jump and then on to the chute and the rest of the course. Linda was following along breathless and elated!!!!! There will be no classes for the next couple of weeks because the center is hosting UKC and AKC agility trials. In the meantime, Linda has started constructing agility equipment for use between classes. So far, she's made two regulation-size bar jumps. Next, she's making a set of weave poles. She's obtained a 55-gallon plastic soap barrel from a local carwash for her chute. Now she just has to get the fabric for the collapsed tunnel. Watch out for Linda and Summer!!!!! |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
August 27, 2005:
Summer continues to improve quickly. This past week, she learned the
"Down" command. Big accomplishment because Linda had been saying
"Down" about 50 times and all Summer would do is look at her as if she was
speaking a foreign language. Then, one evening during their
between-class practice, down she went. Linda was jumping for joy all
over the driveway, so much so that a neighbor came over to see what was
wrong!!!! The next class, she did her "Down" on command to a very
proud Linda. At the end of the class, the instructor told Linda that
it was time for Summer to move to a more advanced class!!!! That's
just after nine classes!!! Linda stayed after class to work on the collapsed tunnel (aka "chute"). Summer had constantly refused to go through. So, one on one, Linda worked with her for about 20 minutes. For most of the 20 minutes, Summer would do what she's always done--start through the chute and then turn around, come out and follow Linda along the outside!!! After about 15 minutes, she just plowed through!!!! Four times in a row, she went through the chute. Linda thinks it is a 6-ft chute. So, pushing her luck, Linda decides to try Summer on a longer chute (12-15 ft?). She didn't go through the first time, but the second time, she just blew right through it. Linda decided it was time to go home!!! She called me before she even got out of the training center driveway just bubbling over with excitement. I am, too. Summer and Linda are having a blast and I'm there in spirit cheering them on. I'm just amazed at how quickly Summer has taken to this sport. Just goes to show the versatility of English Cockers. |
|
|
|
August 9, 2005: Linda
called me this past weekend ecstatic!! You see, earlier this year,
Linda decided she wanted to enroll Summer in an agility class to see how she
would take to it. After looking into several training facilities,
Linda finally settled on one but was told that Summer would need some
obedience first. The class they are currently enrolled in teaches the
basic obedience commands--sit, heel, down, stay, come, watch--but the
instructor mixes in some agility to keep it fun and interesting for the
dogs; for example, A-frame, tunnel, chute, pause table, jumps. And now the reason Linda called and was so excited. After only six classes, Summer (and Linda!!!) are doing GREAT!!!!! The instructor complimented them several times during class on how good they were doing and the best part is that in the Fall she wants to put Summer in a full agility class. Linda was so excited she could hardly contain herself. She couldn't wait until she got home to call me; she called on her cell phone!!! Linda has worked very hard and consistently between classes with Summer to learn the obedience commands and Summer apparently is really taking to it. Linda says that when she sits either beside her or on the pause table, she just slams her little butt right down!!! It's all Linda can do to keep from laughing and hugging her to pieces before they finish the exercise. We'll keep you posted on Summer's & Linda's progress as they move into agility. This will be a lot of fun for the both of them. |
|
| At her first all-breed dog show in Raleigh (Fayetteville Kennel Club, March 23, 2003), Summer won Reserve Winners Bitch in the 9-12 Months Puppy Bitch class under Judge Bettie Krause. This was a Reserve to a Major win!! | ||
Summer's Info:
Date of Birth: June 23, 2002
Sire: Ch. McMurphy Fieldstone Foster, ECM, NA, NAJ
Dam: Winfree's Tight Fittin Genes
Bred by Lisa Ross
Owners: Linda Blalock and Lisa Ross
CERF #: EC-3548/2004-21: Normal; 2005-38: Normal
BAER: Normal
Optigen: Presumed B
OFA: Good