The first ever Rally Competition at Dig It Dogs

Over the last few months Dig It has been holding monthly Rally-O classes, covering Level 1 to Level 3. Everyone was doing great so we decided to have a little competition for those who wanted to have a go at competing in Rally O, to put all of their hard work into practice. 

Therefore on Friday 23rd October Dig It Dog Training Club hosted their very first ever 'Have a Go Rally Competition'. It wasn't an official Kennel Club Show so judging was relaxed and it was a huge success, with 18 participants taking part in our Level 1 course, designed and judged by Julie Nelson. 

It was a fun and relaxing evening with everyone on two and four legs really enjoying themselves. All of the participants went home with a certificate for taking part and those with qualifying scores were awarded a rosette. The first five placements were given numbered rosettes.

I would like to thank Julie Nelson for designing the course and judging, Sheila and Joy for scribing and Lydia for the beautiful rosettes. I would also like to thank everyone else who attended to participate, we're looking forward to running another "have a go rally competition" in the new year, covering Level 1 and 2.

Well done to the following people who were placed:

1st - Angela Wilson with Lily
2nd - Leslie Thompson with Kibo
3rd - Angela WIlson with Willow
4th - Rachel Richards with Chip
5th - Rachel Richards with Daisy

The next Rally O Classes are to be held on 21st November and 5th December, please email enquiries@digitdogs.co.uk to book on.

To find out more about Rally visit our website here: http://www.digitdogs.co.uk/training/rally-obedience/

Tracy

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).

Is your dog in line with the law?

As part of our Obedience Courses and general ethos as a dog training club we are keen to promote responsible dog ownership and we are often asked about the changes to dog legislation. These can be quite hard to understand, especially with so much information flying around the internet, and therefore with the help of a Dog Warden we have summarised the changes here for you:

Dangerously out of control

It is a criminal offence for your dog to be "dangerously out of control".

Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it:

• injures someone
• makes someone worried that it might injure them

A court could also decide that your dog is dangerously out of control if either of the following apply:

• it attacks someone’s animal
• the owner of an animal thinks they could be injured if they tried to stop your dog attacking their animal

New from May 2014

• The Dangerous Dogs Act now covers private property. Therefore it is an offence if your dog is deemed dangerously out of control while within your own home or another persons property, i.e. if it bites a visitor, a delivery perons or yourself.
• It is an offence for your dog to attack an assistance dog, i.e. guide dog, etc.
• Maximum prison sentences have been increased.
• Police and local authorities have more powers to seize a dog in a private place.

New from October 2014

The new Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act has given the Police and Local Authorities new powers to issue dog owners with specific orders, with the purpose of preventing a dog attack. Failure to comply could result in a fine of up to £20,000.
For example an owner could be orded to:

• Attend dog training classes
• Muzzle and keep their dog on a lead in a public place
• Have their dog neutered
• Repair fencing/property boundaries

Get your dog micochipped by 1st April 2016

In England and Wales all dogs must be microchipped by 1st April 2016. After this date all new puppies must be chipped by the time they are 8 weeks old.
If a keeper does not microchip their dog they will be served with a notice giving 21 days to chip the dog. If the dog is not chipped within the 21 days then they will be liable to pay a fine of £500.

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

Our agility show top tips

At Dig It we run a whole host of different agility competitions to give you and your dog the best introduction to competing in agility. 

Turning up to a competition for the first time can be quite daunting, so to try and make it easier for everyone here are some of our top tips and important things to know when coming to one of our agility competitions;

• Parking – Whether you are coming for the day or camping please follow parking directions. Keep your car well ventilated. Using a crate or tailguard will allow you to leave the car boot and windows fully open. Even on a cloudy day it can still get very humid in a car.

• Warm Up & Down – Give your dog plenty of time before their run to warm up. 20 minutes of free running and then stretches. This is essential to prevent injury and ensure your dog is in tip-top condition to compete.

• Watch your Dog – Please keep a good space between your dog and others, not all dogs want to say hello and agility shows can be quite a high arousing environment and therefore a normally friendly dog can feel uncomfortably with another dog close by to them.When queuing for your run keep a generous space between you and the dog in front of you.

• Wait for the Scribe to Say Go – You’re ready, you’re on the start line, but hold your horses (or dog)! It is the person sat keeping your time and score that will give you the instruction to start your run when you’re ready. Not the judge, not the person who took your ticket. Listen up for the “When you’re ready” or “Okay” and thumbs up. 

• Reward Reward Reward – No matter how your run went, don’t forget to reward your dog and give them a big well done! I’m sure they tried their best, even if they knocked a pole, missed a contact or went the wrong way because you forgot the course. If you’re annoyed at yourself don’t take it out on the dog. At the end of the day it’s only one run and agility is supposed to be fun.

• Ringside Manners – Be sensible about where you stand around the ring, especially if you have your dog with you. Don’t block the entry or finish line as some people may be trying to get past with a nervous dog. Don’t use squeaky toys around the ring, and think twice about whether it’s a good idea to eat that fresh, great smelling burger right next to the ring... dogs should be focused on their owners in the ring but that warm, meaty smell is very tempting (especially to labradors!).  

• 2^nd Run – Don’t forget you have 2 runs in Agility and Jumping in our Can You Dig It Shows! Once you have had your first run go and collect your second ticket and prepare for the second run. If there are lots of dogs to go you may be asked to wait a little while before your take your second ticket, or if there are only a few dogs you will be running again quite soon! Be prepared.

• Read the rules – At Dig It our shows are run slightly differently to Kennel Club competitions and therefore it's important to familiarise yourself with the rules. For example, if your dog is in Beginner or Veteran then you may carry a silent toy in your hand during your competition run, as long as your dog doesn't touch the toy before you have finished. 

• NFC - At Dig It Shows we allow for NFC (Not for competition) runs. This is where you enter the ring in the same class and height as if you were competing but instead have 60 seconds to use your time in the ring as you wish. You can take a toy but must not use food, and to be fair to other competitors you must either use both of your runs for NFC or your 2nd run only.
  NFC is a great way to build your dogs ring confidence. Maybe they keep missing contacts in competitions, or aren't as focused in the show environment, so being able to break the run down to short sequences and reward frequent times can be very valuable.
  Just be sure to write NFC on your ticket so the judge knows not to score you and the timer will let you know when 60 seconds is up. 

• ASK – Don’t be left unsure, ask anyone for help. Dig It Members may be wearing their clearly branded clothing, and ring managers will be in hi-vis blue jackets, but feel free to ask anyone for help. It may be their first show also so don’t worry if they don’t know, try to find someone who does. Try looking for someone at the Show Manager’s caravan.

• Got time to spare? Why not offer some help! – Our shows can’t run without the help of the competitors. Helping can be really fun plus a great way to get to know people and watch some agility. It’s also good to give your dog a chance to rest and sleep in the car without you nearby. Helping can be as easy as standing in the ring picking up any dropped poles once a dog has finished a run, or taking a person’s lead from them when it is their go and placing it at the finish. We reward our helpers with treats, and not just the doggy kind!

Most importantly, have fun!