Well... Tunbridge Wells obedience show

Well, I entered Jesse in one more obedience show which was Tunbridge Wells. It was yesterday and I am so pleased that Jesse was really enthusiastic and happy during both the Novice round (which I trained) and the Beginners! His heelwork wasn't very close, but it was consistent. He came 2nd! I am disappointed that we still didn't manage that red rosette but I am over the moon that he is happy and cheerful in the ring.

I have also booked into a week-end course with Kamal Fernandez end of January. And I am really, really looking forward to that. I hope that with another pair of eyes and more tips, I will be able to get Jesse out of Beginners next year.

Great Baddow Obedience show and others

I have done a couple more obedience shows with Jesse, but it looks like he has lost his mojo... His heelwork is sluggish, though recall and retrieve is great! Really need to work on that and do more training rounds with just short bits of heelwork to get him enthusiastic about it again.

He came 7th today, which was a shame as not in the cards, but he really didn't work great - so deserved. :-(

Never mind, we'll try again next Sunday at our last show of the season BAGSD.

Jesse's new hair-do

About three weeks ago, Jesse needed antibotics as he had a skin infection. It still hasn't cleared up, so we are probably off to the vet's again this week for another course...

Today, I have bathed and clipped Jesse, and I clipped him shorter for the first time. I am not sure yet whether I like it or not, but we'll see whether I get used to it. I can always let it grow to full coat again if I want to... though Jesse I suspect will be cooler now that it's a bit shorter. I took a huge amount of coat off LOL

You allright up there?

 

St. Edwards Obedience Show

This was a small obedience show and Sandra (my friend) and I really enjoyed it. Jesse did beautful retrieve (yipeeeee!) and recall as well as stay; however his heelwork was still dodgy. Need to work more on that. We did however get 5th place and I am well pleased with that! Here is his show report by Pat Faulkner:

5th Vera/Jesse - American Cocker. Lost 5 1/2 won R/O for this place. Lovely attitude and entheusiasm Mainly drifting on and off leg and some wide turns, sort these out and you will get in the higher places. Good luck for the future with him.

Obedience shows: SATS (today) and Surrey (last Sunday)

Well, after last Sunday's disaster (more below), I am so happy that our mojo seems to be back: Jesse's heelwork was ok, though the first part of both on lead and off lead was wide, then second part excellent. The recall and retrieve were good, just a dodgy sit on the retrieve and slightly off on recall. Stays were great! We came 2nd! Totally happy and looking forward to our next shows!

Whereas last week-end... here was my Facebook post:

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I think I should have stayed in bed this morning rather than go to Surrey obedience show: 1. SatNav didn't charge as it should have done, 2. Skye threw up in car despite meds, 3. journey took twice as long as it should have done due to non-working NatNav, 4. bungee cord hit me in my face when it didn't hook up properly trying to fasten the reflective suncover for my car... I now look like a got a ...left hook of a different kind with a bruised and sore mouth and lip... :-(, 5. missed my running order in Novice due to late arrival, 6. forgot to pick up the ring number when ticking Jesse off on entry list, so had to go back to ring again, 7. Jesse and I produced a rubbish Beginners round partly due to the uneven ground (put Jesse off), but mainly because we were both just rubbish today, 8. journey home took ages as well due to traffic and no SatNav instructions... I think it's safe to say that it wasn't a great morning at all! We were all knackered by the end of it, though it is of course always good to have tired spaniels. LOL

 

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In addition, Skye broke out of her crate by bending the door. When I came back to the car, she was sitting attentively in the front seat. She did the same again today - twice... So I have now cable tied the back crate and we'll see how she'll get on with that. I shall also take some stuffed kongs etc with me to keep her busy, though not sure whether she'll eat them.

First show of the season...

As Southern Border Collie was cancelled the week before due to waterlogged venue after all that rain, Culverstone was then my first show last week-end with Jesse. We did a training round in Novice, which Jesse did ok apart from dropping the dumbell by my feet, though I walked all over the place in heelwork... LOL I then did the Beginners stays and was over the moon when Jesse did them well and confidently! Yippeeee! After lunch we did our round. Jesse worked nicely... but he dropped yet again the dumbell by my feet... not sure why, but something to work on for sure. He still got a rosette but only because they went up to 10th place. :-) I was a bit disappointed of course, I hoped for more, but I guess it wasn't a bad start to the season. Will be working lots on the retrieve which has always been Jesse's weakest exercise although he often has clear retrieves. But his presents with the dumbell have always been a bit dodgy and shaky and I have never really done much about it... well, I have started now! I am working on getting much longer holds and much steadier ones too, where he doesn't move the bell around in his mouth! He is already improving lots on both counts. :-)

Obedience Match in Culverstone

I took Jesse and Flash to the yearly obedience match in Culverston today. Jesse worked quite well, though his heelwork on lead left a lot to be desired LOL. Never mind, he ended up with a run-off for 2nd and 3rd place and we lost it as he muddled up his recall second time round. I was pleased that he did his stays confidently though today, except for sitting up in the down stay when I stood next to him, but that was due to being on the wrong side of him as I had both Flash and Jesse doing stays next to each other. But other than that he was good and not wobbly at all on his stays. Yipee.

(Picture by Vanda Fitter, 2012)

After the match, we went to Karen's and David's where Dylan and Skye had been staying all morning. They all feel very at home there now which is good to see.

Jesse's car phobia - what an achievement! He got in on his own!!!

For the FIRST TIME EVER Jesse got into the car ON HIS OWN without me lifting him yesterday after training in Thornton Heath!  I still can't believe it after the severe issues he had with the car. He isn't perfect yet in all situations, but coming and going to training on Thursdays he is now fabby! He also doesn't show any shutting down behaviour in training anymore at all like he used to and and is happy to walk to the car!

What a bloody wonderful achievement; I can't stop smiling!

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY!

I can't believe that it is already 5 years since Jesse was born! We went to Karen and David yesterday in the afternoon and didn't come home until nearly midnight. LOL It was fabulous. The doglets all got a special yummy treat meal, which they loved!

HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY, beautiful boy! Love you so much!

Skin infection and some pictures

Last Monday, I took Jesse to see Mark to get some antibiotics as he has got a skin infection again. This is most likely due to the bred he picked up in the park... grrrrr...

Anyway, we had a beautiful walk this morning and here are some pictures:

Jesse being silly

Unfortunately the following pictures aren't very sharp, not sure why as there was certainly enough light for it to be no problem. Will need to check my camera to see whether any of the settings are wrong. But I thought they are fab pictures anyway, so here they are of Jesse having fun chasing ball.