Instructors Take on Success

Success is this theme for the latest Dog Agility Bloggers Action Day. Which is today! Success is broad, everyone has a different interpretation and everyone takes different successes from different situations. The Dog Agility Bloggers Action Day brings together a whole range of people to discuss one topic, and creates a huge varity of answers. The Dig It Instructors have each given their brief take on Success, as part of today's Action Day!

Ruth Turner: My idea of agility success is taking at least one thing from each run that I was pleased with, and that we did successfully, and celebrating that thing.

Audra Hurst: Success for me is when you run your dog and it flows, and you feel like you are a team and you just want to go and do another run straight away because it felt so great.

Katie Burns: Success is competing in partnership with my dog and having mutual trust in each other so smoothly.

Michelle Dakin: To work the dog I have in training at competition. 

Sarah Stokes: Depends on which dog I'm running, for Greg it's the team work as others have stated. For Ffi Fo it's having her confident to be in the ring and having er wagging her tail all the way round.

Rachel Richards: Success for me with Daisy is her having a real BLAST and ending the run with a huge smile on her face no matter what happened in between start and finish.

Lou Cadman: Success is getting the awning down dry! Arriving and having everything set up, dogs walked and dinner on before it gets dark
Beating the course/judge and doing the best run you and your dog could possibly do.
I think success changes as you progress up the grades. When you start out it might be remembering the course or dog staying in the ring. As experience is gained it might be nailing a weave entry or a specific sequence etc.

Sarah McLean: I like to be consistent, so success to me is trying to get as many clear rounds as I can! I love going home from a show saying 5 runs 5 clears :), 2013 we had 1 Elimination all season. Its not all about winning, if I feel we have run the course and stuck to criteria in my handling and also Kita has stuck to criteria then I am happy!
Oh and if you are consistent winning comes without trying.

Bex Bebbington: Success for me and Polly is having focus and having that connection walking into a ring so I know she isn't going to just run off sniffing. Even if she goes wrong or makes up a new course, success for us is just her being focused and staying with me, actually wanting to do agility. Success with me and Gemma is when she does those spot on weaves or gains some speed from nowhere. Gemma also makes me feel success after any run, and never fails to lighten my mood after a lack of interest and concentration from Polly

Read about others interpretation of Success here: http://dogagilityblogevents.wordpress.com/success/

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!!

It's All Fun and Games at Dig It Dogs

We really are a fun, friendly club!

Christmas Show and Party

Our Christmas Show signals the end of the year and a time to be merry and high!

It was a quiet start with the jumping ring inside whizzing through Intermediate and Advanced classes. Onto the Beginners and we were pleased to see a lot of first timers. Lesley with Buster from Bex's agility class was one of these newbies and they only went and got placed in every class! Bex was really excited.

The Obedience Hall was transformed into a Fun Games Arena - Temptation Alley, Fastest Retrieve, Fastest Recall and sausages galore were enjoyed by over 50 dogs and owners alike.

Sue's spaniel Rosie had us all amazed as she ate (more like inhaled) a bonio in 4 seconds to be crowned the winner of Fastest Bonio. Even the labradors' couldn't keep up with that!

Diane's collie, Jess, won Fastest Recall in an amazing 1.99 seconds and Amy's Jess won Fastest Retrieve at 5.26 seconds. Arthur, Tess and Bella all tied at the Tennis Ball Catching with a huge 17 each.

There was punch, food and stalls for dogs and humans alike and we hear Judge Sally was on the mulled wine in the afternoon! Good job that wall was there to keep her propped up!  ;)

The traditional Fancy Dress competition was well-attended with angels, elves and a burnt Christmas Pudding! Diane and Jess returned to fight to retain their Championship and won it for a second year running!

Although consolation places were given to Woody and the Elf-Dogs for also having fantastic costumes.

The agility stayed very relaxed throughout the day with everyone in good spirit. Jenny's Poppet decided to aim for the "wrong" end of the tunnel each time during her run and I found myself running over a jump by accident, leaving Guinness wondering if we had switched job roles!

The day finished nice and early and we presented Lydia with her Christmas present, a canvas picture of her dogs (taken by Cat's Dog Photography) which she was very impressed with. 

Merry Christmas everyone and all the best for 2014!