Muppets Canine Therapy

Have been really busy recently, so news from recent shows to follow soon.

What a lovely venue for the North Derbys show.. Osmaston polo ground... It was a bit tight for parking but the scenery and the walks around the venue made it so worth while.. plus its always a great friendly show... well done to Sue and Apple with a 5th and a well deserved 3rd (what no trophy????) And very well done to Georgie and Crumble who after winning into grade 4 last weekend, topped the day with a win in the agility Grade 3..... Rippy did brill with a win in the grade 2 agility on the sat and a 3rd in the jumping grade 2. Then a brill win in the agility grade 2 on the Sun. The rest of his runs were nearly but again down to my handling... especially on the last jumping run where I completely forgot the course (walked and run 2 others since walking the jumping) but rips enjoyed doing random jumps while barking like mad at his stooopid mum....... least he got chance to laugh at me!!!!

Well what a clever little boy my Ripley is becoming.... We came away from Pads with 2 x 1st place, 2 x 2nd place and a 3rd....... and that was with me running the massage clinic as well.. he really is special boy. Each run was so precise and the only reason that we didn’t sweep the board was down to my handling (or lack of it...). He is so different to run than Gabby or Vee and I do forget just how quick he is... sometimes I can tell him to turn at the split second that he starts to take off for a jump... and he will turn mid air and miss the jump...

Other times its just down to me being half asleep...:-} I love to run him though... we just get better every time

The show was really nice and I saw very different dogs coming for treatment but all walked out feeling much waggier that they were when the came in the clinic...

Bit of a breezy show this year. Ripley went in for his first run which was the Tuff Stuff agility combined 1-3. He ran so well and ended up getting 4th place which I was so pleased with. That was out of 300 odd (not that odd!) dogs. Then he did his graded 1-3 jumping and won a 2nd. What a star!!!! Gabby and Vee both got a clear round in the all sorts 1-7 class.... Back again tomorrow....

Another brill day, a bit cooler but the rain didn’t come till later in the day. Gabs and Vee got a clear each in the any size. Ripley did a storming run in the 102 agility but I was a bit too far over to the left behind him and just managed to push him over the wrong jump ( stoopid handler). But then he did a good run in the 1-2 jumping and came in first.... what a good boy.

Dog Vegas

What a brill weekend. Ripley excelled himself, not to mention my handling which for a change was pretty good (least I didn’t get lost this time) and he won out of starters with a win in the grade 1-7 graded agility on the Sunday. It was a very twisty course which just suited him to the ground. He also won the grade 1-2 jumping and the graded 1-7 graded jumping on the Saturday. I was so very pleased for him. The other runs were just handler error and on one very unlucky jumping run he just clipped the long jump (which was very long). I am very pleased with his contacts which are now rock solid, and his weaves which are very good. All that he needs is more speed, which will come with experience, and my confidence to let him go on more.

Gabby and Vee each got a clear in the all-sorts class and Kiefer enjoyed a run along the fly ball jumps. He is really getting the idea of left and right and enjoyed watching the agility classes run. The pool is getting busy and has had some great referrals from clients using it at present.

Hoorey!!!! after so many late nights and lots of hard work,,,, the hydrotherapy pool is open and will be taking clients from next week....

Emdac. what a star, in his first EMDAC show ripley won into primary with a 1st in the jumping and a 2nd in the helter skelter. Vee got a 12th in the veteran jumping and a clear in the veteran hel skel. Gabriel didnt run as he had a bad tum and was on rest for the week. Keifer loved walking around the show, he is still learning (and growing) at a fab rate. he can now turn both directions from a distance, walk to very good heel both sides, down and sit from stand at a distance, and do the leg weaving thing. He is now 8 months old and is filling out very well. he has a lovely long coat.he and ripley are very good mates, although, when ripley is working he will just ignore Keifer which is good. keifer will also work on his own when ripley is doing something else. he is still very cuddly and is determined to sleep next to me at all costs, even if it means creeping upstairs at night and risking a chewed nose from Gabriel for jumping on the bed.

Dog vegas over Easter was a really nice show... espesially all the snow!!! it was cold and windy and the show had to be cancelled on the 2nd day but it was still really nice to be there. we went for some lovely big walks in the snow. ripley got a 5th place in the jumping which i was very pleased with. he loved it and the jumps blowing over didnt seem to bother him at all.

Indoor Dog Vegas, Rippy got a 2nd and a 3rd, he did brill and only missed out on a 1st by a small amount.

Ripley has been doing a little more agility and he so much loves it… He is starting to get faster over the contact equipment. I dont want to put any undue pressure on his joints but he really is getting the hang of whizzing down the A frame and slamming the anchors on briefly at the bottom. He just lands in a sort of “one on the frame and 3 on the floor” ready to go again….. his first KC show will be Dog Vegas in March but before then he has got another indoor Vegas in early March…. Cant wait!!!!!!!!! Keifer is really coming on in his training too…… he loves to do anything and is very good at working without food, which I prefer for agility. He is only 5 months but can already happily do sit, wait, down, come, go (round the tree) and back (turn right). He will wait til asked to move, from wherever he was asked to wait, also in either a stand, sit or down. He will also drop into a down from a distance… very impressive for a little man… also considering that I only do a small amount of training with him. Most things are done on walks. The pool is coming on a little slowly as I am waiting for the flooring to be done. Once that is done I can get started on the actual pool. hooray……… my doggies really need to swim as well as the queue of other dogs waiting for the pool to open……