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. 

British Flyball Association Championships Report

The flyball champs is the biggest competition of the year and has steadily grown over the last few years until we are now at the maximum capacity of 330 teams racing over 3 days spread over 55 divisions.

The slower teams start the racing off on the Friday and this builds until we get to division one on the Sunday when there is standing room only to view!

This year Carry on's had three teams entered meaning a team racing every day.

Fridays team was the team I thought had the best chance. They they didn't disappoint and went on to win division 43. We had some super tough racing and the last race meant the difference between winning or third place in the division.

The team consisted of three collies, two labradors and super height dog Millie (who keeps the fences low for the other dogs).

Saturday and Sundays team didn't do quite so well but worked hard to get a 3rd and a 5th.

The racing on Sunday was spectacular and we got to see the first ever run where both teams went sub 16 seconds (only three teams have done that so far) and the British and European record is currently set at 15.79 (by the team that did the 15.80 here).

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.

Summer Fun Day!

This June we opened our doors and welcomed everyone to our Open Day and Fun Dog Show.
Have a go agility, have a go rally and have a go flyball. All for free! We want to encourage as many people to try something new with their dog and have a go at a dog activity.

The Dogs Trust attended to provide free microchipping and advice and a total of 20 dogs were chipped!

Our Fun Show started at midday and was very popular! Judge Dawn from The Paw Wash Groomers had a tough decision to make. As we rolled through the classes every aww'd and coo'd as we reached the Pleasant Puppy category. Aaron Roscoe, Signal 1 Producer, came along with his tiny pug puppy and they got 1st place! Everyone was nodding in agreement, she was just gorgeous and so well behaved. 

It all got a little silly as we got to best 6 legs and the deserving winner was a spotty dalmatian and its spotty legged owner! Now that's what you call Best Spotty 6 Legs!

The show finished with a great laugh in The Egg and Spoon Race! Hold your spoon and your dogs lead in the same hand and race to the other side. Such fun!

Once the fun show was finished there was still lots for everyone to do and we must thank Oscar Pet Food for kindly sponsoring the whole show. Monkey Dog Wear brought their great selection of collars and leads to sell, plus Windyways and Instructor Bex successful made a good amount for their fundraising with their table top sales. Of course we can't forget Bret in the Brunch Box who completely sold on of burgers! I'm glad I had mine as a cheeky late breakfast before the rush.

In the afternoon the Carrry On flyball team gave us a great demonstration and Lydia & Freddie got to show us that they are not only amazing at agility but flyball too!

We are pleased to announce that the Fun Show raised a whopping £100 for the Dogs Trust and thank you for everyone who came and participated in the day! The weather was glorious and we hope that you all enjoyed your day.

Check out our full gallery here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitdogtrainingclub/sets/72157645069884742/

See you next year!

May the Forth Be With You!

Our UKA Shows are normally the more serious of shows at Dig It (not that we ever do serious), however this show was by far the silliest we have had for a while!

It all started well with a bright, fresh start. Dark clouds were looming but the rain held off for most of the day. Chief Agility Judge Michelle opened her ring with a tricky but fair beginners Agility. Gaz and Izzy smoothly made it around the 270, pulling off from the A Frame in style, unlike Milo who didn't even think to avoid the A Frame! At least he did a beautiful 2on2off at the bottom, leaving Katie behind still near the start line.

As a few Eliminations started tumbling Rachel and Daisy stepped up to get 1st place (despite 5F) in Standard Beginners Agility and Lydia pulled off a cracking run with Freddie for a 1st in Medium Novice Agility. 

Instructor Bex was making some yummy home made treats (well the dogs seem to enjoy them, they sound quite tasty for humans too) plus a raffle and she made a whopping £85 for her biology conservation trip!

As the Steeplechase courses were set up and everyone had eaten one to many cream eggs, things started to get a little out of hand! Instead of writing about it we've captured all of the best bits in this funny video... trust it to be the Dig It Instructors larking around the most!

On a serious note we all went away with great plus points. Avril was happy to see her shy little Oakley running with such confidence (so much so he kept on going and didn't turn the corner despite Avril shouting "Stop Running!"). Adele and Luna pulled off a great Steeplechase run at their first UKA Show, Sue and Rosie won a class at Champion level and Guinness and I pulled off some nice handling moves, despite getting E'd in everything.

We finished late afternoon with everyone going home still chuckling about the fun and laughter we had. There are always lovely comments made about Dig It Shows being a nice, friendly atmosphere and I think this show was no exception!

It's going to be a good year!!

January 2014 Winter Series: Pudding Bellies

We welcomed January 2014 with our Winter Series Show. Everyone was running a little slower than normal and complaining about tighter waist bands, and I think even the dogs were feeling the effects of a big Christmas dinner.

We were very privileged to have Agility Champion Amanda Hampson judge the Jumping for us. She put out some challenging but flowing Advanced and Intermediate courses that were praised highly.

Karen Stubbs got the Agility started with Veteran and Anysize, followed by Beginners. Katie's Labrador Dave (known more commonly as Doofus) had 3 storming clears while being handled by Sally, and Sally had success with her own Veteran Collie, Bob, who won Agility. After all of that running she welcomed a "rest" by Judging in the afternoon. Rachel's dog Daisy was obviously feeling much better after her recent ill spell and she ran like the supersonic Whippet that she is! Nice to see the competitive Daisy is back.

Post-Christmas diets were ruined by the cheeseburgers and bacon baps (it's good to have a naughty day) and people were starting to flag as the day got later. Eventually the Steeplechase courses were laid out and those who stayed until the end ran it with great spirit. The Large ring was very competitive with friendly Advanced handlers watching each others time and seeing who had the fastest round. 

Avril's youngster, Dodger, won his class despite a tricky course and Sue had a break while Bex stepped in to handle Polly and had a blast running her Not For Competition. 

Lydia was missing from the show due to being on a sunny beach somewhere with a handsome man, but the Dig It family banded together strongly and kept the show running as normal (..hopefully..). We had some fantastic helpers and first time Show Manager Rob was enjoying himself so much that he carried on throughout the whole day! Thanks to Charlie for coming in the morning to show him the ropes.

As it got darker and colder we eventually wrapped up for another late finish. Back to the Club to unload and Lydia's Dad, Rob, took center stage by organising the trailers and getting the equipment to and from the club. 

Thanks to all for another lovely show and what a great way to start 2014!

Cat's Dog Photography

Cat is a Photographer based in Lancashire that has recently connected with Dig It. Cat's Dog Photography is a new sponsor of Intermediate classes at our Agility Shows. Each lucky winner receives a voucher worth £100, which gets you a free photoshoot and two digital images!

So, you're thinking, that's very cool, but what actually happens at these photoshoots and is this Cat any good?  Well Lydia and a few of her trusty instructors have recently done a photoshoot and we're here to share our experience with you!

Red, Treacle and Freddie.  Team Brown.

A session starts off at a venue of your choice. Lydia and I opted for Dig It HQ for some agility shots. Katie took her troublesome four to Brereton Country Park. 

Cat listens to your ideas and what you want. She respects your decisions and knowledge of your dogs but also pushes you to achieve those breathtakingly, magical photographs. Bring bundles of energy because Cat likes to get stuck in and wants lots of action from the word go!

Lydia and I were able to have three of our dogs working together at the same time, with each taking turns on the equipment. Ben, one of Katie's Labradors' is very people shy, however Cat kept a good distance and blended into the surroundings, leaving Ben at ease to be his normal aloof self.

Ben

The perfect picture takes timing, positioning and a little bit of luck. Cat got herself into some strange positions and she took her life into her own hands by placing herself very close to landing points during the agility shoot. Guinness and Red, being typical Collies, didn't bat an eyelid as they ran closely past her at 100mph. A more considerate dog may have needed a tad more space but it certainly worked for the four dogs we had. She also isn't afraid to get down into the mud or even into the lake!

The whole shoot felt relaxed and unhurried. Cat didn't worry about the time nor stick to a tight schedule and she had a huge amount of enthusiasm and awe for the dogs she was photographing. Her compliments and kind words really reminded me what it is about my dog that I love so much.

Guinness

To view your images you need to take a run up the M6 to Cat's house in Preston. Here in her comfy lounge you can sit back and watch a beautiful presentation of your dogs. It is so easy to get caught up in the moment and love every image! Up on the large screen you can really appreciate the beauty, colour and sharpness of the images.

Be warned, Cat is a pleasantly successful salesperson and she will have you writing a cheque in the blink of an eye! My top tip is to give yourself a budget and aim to stick to it, and then at least you may only slightly waver from it! Plus at the end of the day, your voucher gives you two free digital images and you are entitled to walk home with nothing more, although you may feel slightly guilty doing it.

This truly is a fantastic gift from a highly skilled and professional photographer! The images are amongst some of the best I have seen and Cat is friendly, fun and charismatic throughout the whole experience. 

Don't just tuck your voucher into a draw, vaguely aiming to use it at some point. Get your session booked and take home some amazing photographs that will last you a lifetime!

The author, Ruth and Guinness

Spooky Halloween Show

Mwhahaha. This weekend we took our masks off and let the inner-scare show for our Halloween Agility Show!

The weather blessed us and we were able to have our Fancy Dress Agility outside. This was a lot of fun, you had to collect a pair of devil horns from Jump 2 and then wear or carry them for the rest of the run. Scary Sally was the Agility Judge and it was her first Judging appointment! She did a great job and said she'd enjoyed herself.

The aim of Dig It Shows, as always, is to encourage new dogs and owners to enjoy their first show in a relaxed environment and in theme to our last post, we were so pleased to see a lot of baby dogs coming along for their first show! Big up to Bowie, the blue merle Australian Shepherd, (named after David Bowie) who got his first clear round and won the class! Well done them.

We had cakes for breakfast and lunch and finished the day nice and early. Every level ran the same course which is a nice little change for beginner and advanced handlers alike, and the atmosphere was extremely happy. Lydia pulled out all of the stops and made some fabulous rosettes which everyone found very special.
A themed show really boosts the fun and friendly atmosphere and it was a day filled with laughter.... albeit slightly evil laughter!!

Buddy's Beginning At Dig It Agility Shows

A note to anyone that hasn't yet competed but are thinking of doing so:

A year ago Buddy and I went to the Dig It Halloween show. It was our first competition and some of it was outdoors, whereas all of our training had been indoors.

In his first agility run he did a nice wait, he jumped the first fence, rounded the second fence and legged it towards the trees where he had picked up a scent when he was near there 2 hours earlier. I managed to coax him back to do a few more jumps and onto the dog walk where he stopped and stuck his nose in the air to see if he could find that scent again.

On his second run on the same course he jumped fences 1 & 2 then stopped and looked at me before making another run for the trees.

On the indoor course that day I backed up and briefly fell onto the tunnel, giving some amusement for the other waiting competitors. We eventually got around that course on our second attempt, with a stop for a lot of barking at me from Buddy, and we got a 4th place.

My thoughts on the day were that I would have a hard job getting this little black nutty, sniffy dog consistently around any course and I would have my work really cut out at any outdoor competition.

We entered the Dig It Winter series as a beginner which has courses with no weaves and no seesaw . It was initially a struggle but we managed get around a few courses, got some clear rounds and by the end of the winter series we even got a first place.

The relaxed atmosphere at the Dig It shows and the help from both fellow tailwaggers and other competitors helped me a lot. I'd gained enough confidence by the end of the winter series that with a little encouragement from Louise and Dave I entered a few outdoor KC shows.

In our first few shows we had quite a few mishaps (to list just three misdemeanours: Buddy went off sniffing sheep poo; I knocked a pole off with my hand spoiling what would've been our first clear jumping win; Buddy ran out of the ring to check on barky dogs or random people).

Then it seemed to click for both us, I got to feel that I had a better idea of what I was doing and Buddy became more focussed in the ring. We won 3 jumping in one weekend and went to grade 2. The little bugger has hardly stopped winning since.

Today, one year on after our Dig It debut, he's won his 2nd jumping at Grade 4 and we've both had a hell of a lot of fun getting there. I'd like to think that I'd have enjoyed just as much had he not won anything as I can see how much he really enjoys doing it.

If you've not competed yet and are thinking of doing so then the Dig It winter series is a good place to start. There will be failures to begin with and there may be times when you look like a fool but the rest of the competitors have already been in that position and you will get nothing but support. If you find that you've had half the fun that I've had then you'll have still had a lot of fun.

- Rob Archbold. Agility Competitior. Tailwaggers Member.

October Newsletter

In this edition read about Bentley's trip to Germany, see some lovely dog photographs, keep up to date with events and can you guess the breed?!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/792996/DigIt/Newsletters/Newsletter_October2013.pdf?dl=1