Twiggy's Trip to Europe

At the end of July Mum, Nanna Cadman and myself hopped in the van and left Cheshire to be part of Team GB at the European Open in France. Mum forgot Poppy and Paddy!  I was an only child for the week so was looking forward to ruling the roost and hogging the bed.

First stop was an overnight at Dartford ready for a short trip to Kent to meet the coach the next morning.  I was quite generous and allowed Mum about 1/3 of the bed.

The coach trip this year was like comparing nipping to Chester with driving to Orkney.  An hour into France versus driving for hours to deepest darkest Germany.  The hotel was lovely with the all important air-con, big bed for me, huge gardens to wander round and some feathery neighbours right outside the window which for some reason Mum wouldn’t let me play with.  Meanie!

The first day was a day to get our bearings, take a trip to the venue, get measured (small – like it was ever going to be any different!) and have a play over some equipment.  In Europe the jumps are slightly narrower with wings that aren’t so colourful and therefore easier to run into, lower dog walk so I run faster than Mum is used to, chain tyre which falls apart if you hit it and non slip tunnels which confused me as the whole bottom half of the tunnel is black.  Mum says I should go to Specsavers.  Not my fault I couldn’t tell where the black stops and the tunnel started!

Team day was the first day of competition.  At the EOs small and mediums run in a combined team at the appropriate height for the dog.  We were told we were running Team 10 and all teams would run consecutively with the jump heights moving up and down as appropriate for the height of the dog.  Helpfully this changed as Mum was walking the agility course but nobody knew how many small dogs were in the 9 teams before us (could be anything between 0 and 4 dogs per team).  Not exactly the easiest way to plan a warm up!  Consequently we were ringside far too early and were drenched by the time we got to play.  Not a dreadful run; we picked up 10 faults – Mum ballsed up once for 5R and I missed the dog walk.  1-1!!

 Jumping in the afternoon and I have to confess I was bad!  Mum was definitely indicating the weaves, both verbally and physically, but the tunnel was too tempting!  I was not in good books…  We made use of the facilities and went on a little walk to unwind.  It didn’t really produce the desired effect as I may have found something delightfully stinky to roll in.  Whatever it was it was suitably vile and Mum was horrified, especially as we were somewhat limited on facilities to clean up at the venue.  She got her own back when we got back to the hotel and plonked me very unceremoniously in the massive bath and blasted me within an inch of my life with the shower.  To be honest I don’t think I would ever have been allowed near her bed if she hadn’t so maybe it wasn’t a bad idea?

Individual jumping started the next morning off with yet another last minute change to the running orders.  The original plan was for the smalls to be split into 4 rotations with me running 19^th in the 2^nd rotation.  For reasons nobody understood we found out part way through the first rotation course walking that everything had changed and I was in fact running 3^rd.  In the first rotation.  Eek!!  You really expect that an event of such importance to be well run and both mentally and physically competitors and their dogs need every detail scrutinised so they are at the peak of their performance.  We will never know if the outcome would have been different if we had been afforded that luxury.  Suffice to say we had a big fat E as Mum was just in the wrong place constantly on the course.

By the afternoon we knew what was happening and the organisation didn’t change.  We were clear, coming 34^th out of 200 ish dogs, with over half of the entry being eliminated.  Mum was very happy and felt that finally we had put in a run which was much more like our normal standard.  We didn’t quite make it to the finals; just missing out.

Whilst the organisation left a lot to be desired, the standard of agility was AWESOME.  Team GB had some cracking results and we are up there with the best in the World.  The courses are a very different ‘flavour’ to those we typically see in the UK.  Not a box or pin wheel in sight.  Clever discrimination, flowing lines that allow a dog to stretch and contrary to popular belief not everything is ‘round the back’.  It’s fun to run!! 

I met lots of new friends, allowed Mum a bit of the bed and generally was the centre of attention all the time so I really enjoyed it.

Something strange happened on the way home though – Mum picked up another dog!  I’m not sure how long she’s here for but it’s looking permanent…. but that’s another story…

Click here to subscribe to our month newsletter to hear from Poppy, Twiggy, Paddy... and the new addition!

Can You Dig It Summer Show 2016

This weekend we were in Cheadle for our three day Can You Dig It Summer Show.

It takes months and months of planning and organising and weeks of heavy graft leading up to the show to make it happen. From taking entries and emailing out confirmations to mowing the grass and rolling the field. There's a lot of hard work done by a small amount of people before we even get dogs and people onto the field.

After weeks of heavy rain with little let up everyone knew it was going to be muddy, and the rain continued to come down in showers on the Friday. But the ground held, although we were all resembling a slightly unglamourous spa treatment by the end of the day, and a certain instructor could be heard complaining about "trench foot". 

None the less spirits were high, the dogs and handlers safety was paramount and only a few people needed a tow or push off the field. Come to think of it... it was the same instructor complaining about trench foot who also needed a tow off the field... The rest of us found this highly amusing of course.

With the show over for one day and the remaining campers onto the field without much issue we settled down, cracked open a can of cider and successfully ordered pizza to a field in the middle of nowhere.

Saturday morning arrived and it certainly felt good to roll out of bed and straight into the show. Best commute ever. The ground had dried out slightly overnight and superhero Nick jumped in the tractor and rolled the field to help the day parking area.

There was some great competition in the rings with some cracking runs from beginners at their first ever show and some impressive handling happening in the advanced class.

Outside of the ring a tombola was being held in aid of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, plus we donated the funds from the practise ring and the have a go flyball to the charity throughout the weekend. In the end we successfully raised £180 for Hearing Dogs! Amazing. 

Having recovered from her trench foot and getting stuck in the mud, Katie ran a Have a Go Flyball session on the Saturday and Sunday and we saw lots of people enjoying the chance to try a new sport. Katie had their dogs successfully retrieving a ball over a few jumps and even doing box turns after just a 10 minute session.

On the Friday and Saturday we ran pairs and team agility classes. Everyone was having fun with their friends and their dogs and some teams were formed from people who didn't know each other. In true Dig It spirit they all joined to have a blast with their dogs.

On Saturday night we moved the rings and secretaries marque onto fresh ground and were grateful of the help from the campers to get this done quickly. Kathryn Stickney taught some fantastic workshops, more cider was opened and chinese food was successfully delivered to a field in the middle of no where.

As it was going dark and we left for bed a slurred out-of-tune rendition of "I Will Survive" filled the campsite followed by hysterical laughter and then silence. Sounded like a good time was being had and it certainly gave a few of us a chuckle!

We were on fresh grass on Sunday and with no rain since Friday the ground held out with only minor mud issues here and there. 

Everyone was cheerful and happy and headed home after a very enjoyable weekend. The comments on our facebook page and agility group since have been overwhelming, with lots of praise to the organisers and team and thanks to the judges, ring managers and helpers who are a vital part to the running of an agility show.

It was great to have the support of Canine Magnetix and The Howl Emporium there and overall it was a brilliant weekend. Thank you to everyone who came along, competed, helped out and made the weekend what is was. 

Set goals for 2016

No matter what type of training you do with your dog, be it agility, rally, flyball or just general pet dog obedience, it's good to set goals to give your training a direction.

If you compete in agility with your dog then you should currently be in the middle of your winter training and starting to look towards the next season of competition, therefore now is a great time to set your summer goals.

But goals mean nothing if we don't put into place a plan to achieve them.

For example, if your goal is to progress from Grade 3 to Grade 4 this season, you now need to set little steps in order to achieve this.

If your dog is missing the down dog walk contact, then put into place little goals and steps to achieve consistent contacts, which will then help you to achieve clear rounds in competition.

Plan which shows you are going to enter and get the entries sent off. Consider entering some competitions NFC to work on ring experience. Or maybe your dog is knocking poles and therefore your plan will include jump grips, workshops and fitness exercises.

Perhaps one of your goals is to teach your dog a retrieve. You can set a training plan including step by step instructions on how to achieve this. Your first step may be to book onto a workshop or research different training methods before setting out your own training plan.

Ensure that your goals are SMART:

Specific - it is clear, defined, do you understand what you are aiming for?

Measurable - how will you know when you have achieved it, can you measure how far it is from completion?

Achievable - is it achievable, can you do it?

Realistic - is it realistic, do you have the resources, knowledge and time?

Time - do you have enough time to achieve it, have you set a realistic completion date?

Talk to your instructor about your goals and they will be able to help you in classes to aim your training in order to complete them.

Another Big Adventure, by Twiggy Cadman, aged 5 ¾

It’s turning out to be quite a year!  Mum and I have just come back from an amazing trip to Rieden in Germany.  It wasn’t just any old holiday, no – we were representing Great Britain at the European Open.  A huge honour indeed.

It all started just under 12 months ago when I won my Champ ticket and could submit points for the squad selection process.  We squeaked into the squad with just enough points and attended two selection/training days at the beginning of the year in Nottingham.  In April Mum lost the plot and forgot the caravan when we went to Lincoln for a 2 day show where the squad was going to be selected.  She made us stay in a tent and it was freezing!  I snuggled up to Mum to keep warm and it must have worked because I ran really well over the weekend resulting in a phone call a couple of weeks later which made Mum very happy.  We were Germany bound!

 Fast forward to July and Mum started packing.  Stuff everywhere!  Nanna Cadman was coming with us and we set off with her car loaded to the brim on the afternoon of Monday 20^th for an overnight stop near Dartford Crossing ready for the early meet on Tuesday.  Tuesday morning dawned and Mum was like a kid at Christmas and Nanna was a bit starstruck when she met some dude called Pudsey who was also on the team with me.  The first big test was trying to fit everything in the coach!  Not sure how we managed it but put it this way the lockers were not to be opened until we arrived at the hotel!  We made it through a tunnel just before it shut due to some problems at the French end.  There must be some big moles near Dover to make such a big tunnel?  

It took us all day to reach the hotel, we stopped every couple of hours eventually arriving just after midnight.  It was incredibly hot and Mum had the audacity to nick my cool pad out of my crate and sleep on it.  Admittedly I was sharing her bed so may have taken the liberty of stretching out…

 The plan of action for the first day was to acclimatise (i.e. do as little as possible as it was so hot).  We visited the venue – very impressive and HUGE!!   We had a little training session to loosen up after the long coach ride and just chilled as much as possible in the 40° heat.  A brief thunderstorm lightened the atmosphere a bit but only to a mere 34 ish.  Thursday saw the official training session – another chance to get used to the narrower jumps and sandy arena.  Mum said I was better than the day before and couldn’t wait to get going for real.  The Opening Ceremony was a great opportunity to meet lots of other dogs, some of whom barked in funny languages!  There were over 30 countries represented with just short of 1,500 dogs in attendance.

Friday was Team Day.  An early start saw us arrive at the venue for 0730.  I could just go back to bed but Mum had to go off and walk courses.  Agility was first; it was a long course designed to test various skills at speed.  Mum was going to have to do a lot of running!  She was incredibly proud of me when we went clear!!  Our first international clear also happened to be the first clear for team GB for the weekend.  Our team of 4 ended on 2 clears and 2 eliminations after the agility round.  Eliminations sounds pretty bad but if the truth be known they were amazing fast runs with one tiny error.  Such a shame but eliminations to be proud of.  Our next run (jumping) wasn’t until nearly 6pm.  Mum gave me some Kronch but I was flagging a bit.  I still pulled a clear round out of the bag though!  Mum did her best to scupper my attempts by kicking a jump over.  Fortunately we had already negotiated that jump and it didn't affect my run so the clear stood.  Two clears!

We didn't qualify for the team final but it transpired my agility run was my best run of the weekend – small and medium results were combined although we ran at our own height.  I came 61^st out of 385.  How good is that?

 Saturday saw the individual runs.  I may have been a little inattentive on the start line and kind of forgot to move!  Mum nearly had heart failure but after a fishwife impersonation to wake me up I did get going.  Not the fastest run (0.93 of a time fault) but other than that we were clear.  If I had actually run from the start we’d have been inside the time!  In the agility we were doing a lovely run until Mum shouted close but forgot to mention the small matter of doing the seesaw so we got a 5 for a refusal.  I got my own back though and missed the dog walk.  Ha! 

We didn’t make any finals but watching them on Sunday was totally awe inspiring and we got to cheer on some amazing partnerships, including 5 from Team GB.  One word.  Wow!!

Such a huge honour to be part of such a prestigious event.  Not bad for a Brown Rat!  It wasn't easy in the heat and Mum says that she needs to make sure in future that she feeds me something throughout the day to give me energy.  Sounds good to me!

All that was left was the long trip home.  I have to confess I rather like the only dog thing.  I'm not a huge fan of cuddles but it is nice to be able to snuggle up with Mum when I fancy.  Mum still insists on smothering me with kisses and telling me I'm amazing.  I think she may have lost the plot, although the new bed that has appeared for me is very comfy and I won’t complain.

It was good to see the rest of the gang when I got home (although I won’t tell them that).  Aunty Deb had some biscuits ready for me too!  I need to thank her, if she hadn’t stayed at home again to look after everyone else we wouldn’t have been able to go.  I bought her some chocolates to say thank you.

Fame hasn’t gone to my head.  Mum won’t let it.  She still tells me off when I try and drag Bert round the kitchen by his tail.  Meanie!

Summer Shows... Done!

And just like that, it was all over! Our Summer Shows came and went in a blur. The wind certainly helped to get our tents up quicker on the first Friday, then came sunshine, rain and finally peace and calm descended on the field once more!
We had an absolute blast and it sounds like you all did too! Here are some lovely photos and comments from a few who attended. Without you guys, smiling & laughing, the shows wouldn't be as awesome as they are!

My Week Away at WAO by Twiggy Cadman

Well, this last few months has definitely been one of unusual occurrences.  A couple of days when there’s only been me going to a show and some days training with Very Clever Dogs.  Then it gets even stranger!  Nanna Cadman arrived one afternoon, piled stuff into the van and off we went, leaving behind everyone else, even Aunty Deb!  We picked up Sarah and Kita and carried on our journey.  Several hours later we arrived at this ferry place.  Couldn’t see any agility equipment anywhere so I was slightly sceptical when Mum got me out of the van and we went for a walk.  The mystery deepened when Mum took the van into this big floating fish thing with a whole load of other cars, lorries and vans.  Kita and I were transferred to the dog hotel part.  It was actually OK, I mean we had the room to ourselves and everything but it didn’t stop me doing my best to tell everyone I was there and also trying to work out how to get out and go for a sneaky wander round.  Turns out Mum was watching my every move on some sort of Doggycam.  Rumbled!  Honestly, can’t a dog do anything in peace?!

Anyway the next day we arrived in Holland and given that we were too early to check in at the hotel, we did a detour to Amsterdam and wandered round.  Bikes everywhere!  And pigeons!!  After Amsterdam we made our way to Ermelo and our home for the next few nights.  I’ve never stayed in a hotel before with Mum.  It was really posh and I had to be on my best behaviour.  We were in the middle of a forest so there were some great walks, although on hearing that there were wild boar roaming around Mum was a bit dubious.

After a good night’s kip on Mum’s bed we had the morning to ourselves so took the opportunity to wander around Ermelo town before visiting the venue for WAO for a training session.  The venue was amazing!  3 indoor schools and a massive outdoor arena.  Mum and Nanna were well impressed!  Training was hard work as it got a bit warm so I decided to conserve my energy and not run quite as fast as I can do.  We had a short break and then another training session, this time indoors.  Everyone knows I love it indoors so I went much faster and Mum had to work hard to keep up with me.

Next day we had a short training session and then the Opening Ceremony.  Oh and loads of pictures of the team.  I think everyone looked really smart – when they weren’t squinting because of the sun!

On Friday the competition started.  An early start (at the venue for 7am!) before competition kicked off at 8.15.  Mum had to go off and walk some courses whilst I took the opportunity to catch some more zzzzs.  Our turn soon came around in the jumping and we were off.  The course was REALLY spread out which Mum liked although it meant she would have to do some serious running.  Unfortunately I slipped in the weaves so I missed one.  Mum was ahead of me so she didn’t notice until I came out on the wrong side, so we wasted a bit of time as we had to go back and do them all again.  This was to prove very costly. Team England had some good solid runs and looked good. 

I decided to give Mum a near heart attack in the agility.  With hindsight perfecting my ‘launch off the dogwalk’ manoeuvre was possibly not a great idea at WAO and should have been reserved for a slightly less important event.  It certainly took Mum by surprise and as a result she was out of position and couldn’t save a big fat elimination.  Oops.  The top percentage of dogs (I can’t remember how many) went through to Rounds 3 and 4.  I was less than half a second outside that percentage so didn’t go through.  Gutted!  Having to redo the weaves cost us (as did me flying the dogwalk but we won’t mention that…).

Saturday for me was a day off competing.  A REALLY long day doing nothing apart from cheering on everyone else and the occasional mooch around.  Some places for some of my amazing team mates and exciting agility to watch.

On the Sunday Mum and I were eligible for the Bonus Speedstakes.  After having Saturday off I had recharged my batteries and was raring to go.  Another big course and we were flying round until Mum moved about half an hour too early and sent me over a jump instead of round the back.  Doh!  I suppose we were even though, I missed the dogwalk and she didn’t get her timing right.  1-1!  Mum was really happy with me and still gave me a big cuddle.  

All we had left was the Closing Ceremony where we cheered really loudly especially for the three silver medals that England got.  I felt really proud to be part of such an awesome team!

On Monday we made the trip home.  The floaty fish thing was really bumpy which wasn’t very nice but I didn’t get seasick.  Slight technical hitch when there were a couple of roads closed and we had to take a diversion to get home.  Mum said she was really tired.  I wouldn’t know – I slept all the way!

I really enjoyed my week away with Mum and Nanna.  It’s quite nice getting so much attention and hogging Mum’s bed.  I know Mum was really proud of me.  She said I’m a very Special Brown Rat :o)

Mum also said that we wouldn’t have been able to go if Aunty Deb hadn’t stayed at home to look after everyone else so I want to take the opportunity to say Thank You to Aunty Deb too.

Twiggy

xx

Why Warm Up?!

You'll often hear us at Dig It telling people to warm up their dogs before agility training, and indeed before an agility competition run.

But why is this so important?! Why do we need to warm up, not only our dogs but also ourselves!

Here are a few reasons why:

• Reduce risk of injury
• Increase blood flow & nerve stimulation
• Improves mobility & performance
• Creates a bond between dog & handler and encourages focus
• Improves hind end awareness
• Massage reduces warm up time
• Reduces stiffness
• Keeps joints supple and counteracts tension
• Increases you & your dogs speed
• Tighter turns
• Increase body awareness
• Improves the dogs use of its body 
• Improves jumping style and ability

At Dig It we will give you the information for why and how to warm your dog up, but at the end of the day it is your responsibility to ensure you are taking care of your dog. It is only you that can make the decision to warm your dog up properly.

Daisy Peel is coming to Dig It!

DAISY PEEL

August 3-4th, 6-8th, 2015 

Dig it Dogs, Sandbach, Cheshire CW5 6DY
and
Cheadle, Staffordshire

"Advanced handling is merely more precise application of the fundamentals"

Daisy Peel is known worldwide as a leading instructor and competitor in the sport of dog agility. She has represented the USA internationally over a dozen times, across three continents, with three different dogs; four times at the FCI World Championships, three times at the European Open Championships, twice at Crufts, twice at the World Agility Open, and twice at the Americas and Caribbean. She has placed individually at the European Open and at the FCI World Championships, is a WAO World Champion, as well as an Americas and Caribbean Gold Medallist. Daisy has won three AKC National Championships, and three USDAA World Cynosport Grand Prix Championships, with two different dogs. She has been a Finalist at the AKC Nationals and USDAA Cynosport games numerous times, and has won numerous USDAA Regional Championships.

Daisy is also recognized worldwide for her abilities as an instructor. Her students have excelled at the top levels in AKC, USDAA, and AAC (Canada), and have themselves been selected to represent their countries at international events. Daisy’s thinking that “advanced handling is merely more precise application of the fundamentals” means that she is dedicated to the improvement of handlers at all levels, regardless of their current level or goals and aspirations. Daisy teaches students of all ages and stages around the globe, in person and through her Online Classes, and is dedicated to helping people further their self-improvement through better training, better handling, and better mastery of their mental game.

 Videos of Daisy Peel:

http://www.daisypeel.com/videos/youtube-videos/

 I have had the amazing experience of representing the United States of America for a number of agility competitions.  Each experience was an amazing one that has been a large part of who I continue to become as a person, and I’m proud to be able to represent the USA. 

•   USDAA Grand Prix of Dog Agility World Champion (2009, 2010, 2013)

•   
AKC Agility National Champion (2007, 2010, 2012)

•   
World Agility Open Individual Pentathlon World Champion (2012)

•   
World Agility Open Snooker World Champion (2013)

•   
FCI World Championships USA Team (2007, 2010, 2011, 2012)

◦                   
3rd Place, Individual Standard, 2010 World Agility Championships, Reiden Germany (link to video)

◦                   
6th Place, Combined Result, 2010 World Agility Championships, Reiden Germany

◦                   
4th Place, Individual Agility, 2012 World Agility Championships, Czech Republic

◦                   
5th Place, Combined Result, 2012 World Agility Championships, Czech Republic

•   
FCI European Open USA Team (2011, 2012, 2013)

◦                   
2011 European Open Individual Agility – 2nd Place

◦                   
2011 European Open Team Agility – 1st Place

◦                   
2012 European Open Individual Finals – 5th Place

•   
FCI Americas and Caribbean USA Team (2011, 2012)

◦                   
2011 Bogota, Colombia – Gran Jumping de las Americas Y Caribe 2011 Champion (gold medal)

◦                   
2011 Bogota, Colombia – Gran Agility de las Americas Y Caribe 2011 Champion (gold medal)

◦                   
2011 Bogota, Colombia – Americas Y Caribe 2011 Open Team Champion with Jester, and Linda Mecklenburg and Wonder (gold medal)

◦                   
2012 Chile – Americas Y Caribe Individual Gold Medalist

◦                   
2012 Chile – Americas y Caribe Team Bronze Medalist with Solar/Juno, and Linda Mecklenburg and Wonder/Scopey

•   
USDAA Grand Prix of Dog Agility Regional Champion (2004, 2009, 2010 (x2), 2011, 2013)

•   
USA Representative at Crufts (2011, 2013)

◦                   
2011 – 1st in Agility, 3rd in JWW, 2nd in the Finals

◦                   
2013 – 1st in Agility

•   
AKC Rose City Classic ISC High Combined Winner (26″) (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)

Monday August 3, 2015.  

12noon - 6pm 

TRAINING TROUBLESHOOTING SESSION: how errors in reinforcement affect weaves, contacts, start line stays, etc. 

£80 for £10 working spots, £40 for auditing. 

Sandbach inside.

Tuesday August 4, 2015.  

10am - 6pm 

GRADE 7 COURSE HANDLING AND TRAINING.

£100, 10 working spots. 

Cheadle outside.

Thursday August 6, 2015.  

10am - 6pm 

GRADE 6-7 COURSE HANDLING AND TRAINING.

£100, 10 working spots. 

Cheadle outside.

Friday August 7, 2015.  

10am - 1pm 

CHALLENGING JUMPING SKILLS, push your dog and your handling skills over some tricky jumping exercises to improve your dogs jumping and your timing. 

8 spots, £50  .

Sandbach inside.

2pm - 6pm

GRADE 1-3 0R YOUNG DOG WITH EXPERIENCED HANDLER, important handling and training skills needed for agility progression.

10 spots, £50. Sandbach inside.

Saturday August 8, 2015   

11am - 5pm 

GRADE 3-5 HANDLING AND TRAINING

£70, £10 spots.

5pm - 7pm 

CLEAR MIND, sports mental management directed towards agility, organizing and clarifying your goals, skills and focus as a team to achieve success. 

Unlimited, £25 per spot. 

Sandbach inside.

ANY AUDIT SPOTS ARE £30 PER DAY

*Note Monday's sessions will have a 30 minute break, Tuesday and Thursday a 1 hour lunch break.  Please bring snacks and drinks, for you and your dog :), thank you.

Booking via email: training@digitdogs.co.uk

Book now to avoid missing out!!

Winter Is Here!

Our Winter Series shows at Alsager Equestrian Centre started this month!

This year we are keeping the shows to two rings only and have limited entry numbers to allow for a suitable finish time, car parking spaces and to release pressure from the exercise arena.

Well it was a little weird at first! Where is everyone?! It's a bit quiet! It was compared to last Winter, but it was perfect! The day ran like a dream.

Also new for Winter 2014, a sexy new scoring system! Katie and Ruth took scoring duties for November and there were lots of excited sequels and high-fives happening as they figured out the ins and outs of working the new program. Lydia wasn't quite so keen on the high-fives...

Big thank you to The Undesirables and FAB Agility Club for running the two rings. There was a fair amount of rivalry between the two parties, who could finish first, who had the better ring. Midway through the day The Undersirables presented a list of demands to Lydia; massage chairs and hot water bottles to name just a few! These were quickly denied with an effective Computer Says No.

The atmosphere at Dig It Winter Shows are always great and everyone was in high spirits and having a lot of fun. 

A few club members were bringing out their young dogs for their first shows or training in the ring after their first summer of competing. Sarah and Lola managed a 1st place at their first ever show! It's so exciting to have seen this dog progress all the way through the Dig It Obedience classes, from Puppy to Gold and then into the Agility ring! Deb and Beanie pulled a 1st out of the bag and everyone took cover while Lou and Paddy went for a Jumping run... he always manages to complete about 20 extra obstacles on his 100mph lap of the course! 

A lot of people are now progressing up the levels from previous Winter Series and some secured their final win this month to now move up. Don't forget: 2 wins in Agility or Jumping and you go up! The Intermediate and Advanced competition is starting to get really exciting.

Thank you to our Judges; PJ, Audra, Rob and Bex and to all who were involved in making the day a success, as always.

We'll see you next week for the December Show!