Starting the season with a red one

SEDTS had a 3-way match on Sunday. Jesse was working in Beginners of course and ....... he got the red one. I was really pleased with him. He was keen and happy, a bit wide on the heelwork, but great attitude and his tail never stopped wagging! Here's a few pictures that Chris too of us:

Just a picture

We had a lovely walk in the country park today - finally it has dried out a bit and the dogs are not covered in mud anymore when we get home.

Some pictures

This morning... Hello, good morning, mummy!

 

 

And some pictures I took on our snowy walk a couple of week ago at Addington Hills.

 

 

 

 

 

Training Week-end with Kamal Fernandez

Jesse and I went to a training week-end with Kamal Fernandez. We had a fantastic time and learnt lots. Most of the training is done the same way as we do it with Pat and Michael, but a couple of techniques were different. Some of the things that stuck in my mind particularly:

• Difference between handling and training! Posture in handling needs to be upright and straight, in training it can be different to help the dog. 

• Work for drive! Get the dog excited enough that they are super keen to do whatever they are asked. This is done with playing and treats (throwing them so the dog moves).

• Vary rewards depending on quality of work! Ok performance gets verbal praise, good performance a treat and super performance a crazy game or whatever the dog loves best.

• Don't be happy with average, expect super! Aim for great performance, not just ok performance... this ties in with drive and rewards!

• Get your footwork right, woman! LOL I have finally found a way to do turns that suits me by keeping my feet within touching distance when turning. I have been practising loads and it works better for me than any other turns I have tried so far.

• Proofing, proofing, proofing! Proofing exercises for all eventualities in the ring (or indeed in real life) will prevent losing valuable points if something unexpected or unusual happens in the ring and will also give the dog more overall confidence because they are used to all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff going on around them whilst they are working. I am proud to say that Jesse's attention was really good, I guess he is used to working with three others dogs in his space etc. 

Kamal was great. Jesse and I were the odd one out for various reasons: we were the only ones that had never trained with him as it was a training week-end with his regular group, and Jesse was the only small dog and I was one of the least experienced handlers there. But we were made to feel very welcome by everyone and we had a great time!

Happy 6th Birthday, Jesse James

I can't quite believe that it is already 6 years since this little bundle of fluff came into this world and my life! Happy 6th Birthday, my beautiful boy!

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.