Both Kenz and I are well and truly frustrated with her shoulder injury and the resulting no training. Its like living with a monster - she hasn't had a proper training session in ages and she is barking at me, nipping me, throwing twigs in my lap and generally not letting up. If its not directed at me, its redirected at Ness and I am not sure Ness is to thrilled with it either.
Kenz managed a short training session at the park Saturday morning but hasn't seen a proper game of tug in ages and then had a run with Tash's Zuma and pulled up mega sore and very sorry for herself.
Its starting to do my head in - other than waking up sore she is go, go, go and its so hard to keep a lid on it. Really am not looking forward to the States next weekend - I am seriously frustrated with no training and I think I will be a little over it if she manages yet another quallie with a shitty score. She is capable of so much higher and at the moment its not her nerves letting us down but a lack of consistent training time so we can get her heelwork polished up all shiny.
Feeling a little low this week - there seems to be no end in sight to the injury. After her physio appointment last Monday the rest of the week as been full of lots of lows and not very many highs :(.
I just want to go and bury my head in the sand and wake up and for her all to be normal again.
Doubly annoyed because we had the opportunity of a herding clinic this coming Friday and I would desperately love to give her a go and yet I am worried she would just do damage to herself so its back to wrapping her up in cotton wool. Sick of it.
A follow up physio appointment today confirmed another 3 weeks of wait and see with limited training and no agility or herding. She is doing better but a lot of sore soft tissue spots so another appointment in 3 weeks time and then we might then go off and get x-rays for peace of mind. She was certainly less tight then she was this time last week just a matter of taking it easy. Least she is allowed walks but certainly leaves this weekend State Obedience trial a little up in the air. Tough decision knowing she will give me 110% of herself regardless.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Kenz's First Novice Obedience Pass
In only her second Novice trial and Kenz manages her first Novice pass. Score wasn't what she is capable of and didn't again reflect the quality of her work in comparison to some of the other dogs trialling in the class. Ah well a pass is a pass and we are in it for the long haul lets just hurry the hell out of Novice and get into the higher classes and put Novice well and truly behind us.
Her enthusiasm and attitude alone should stand her in much better stead then many others when we get to the higher classes. She is loving every minute in there and her focus is outstanding and that is the biggest killer in the higher classes from my experience with Ness. A little over the top enthusiastic heelwork while seems to be doing damage to my scores in Novice will only get better and more refined as we progress.
We now have 3 trials under our belt, 3 trials where Kenz has managed to work with strange judges and stewards and not really miss a beat. I was doubly impressed with my little girl last night because I was flustered and a little upset and had maybe 2 minutes get her ready for stays and she came through even despite this niggling shoulder injury she is carrying at present.
Fingers crossed for the next few trials so we can put novice behind us.
Well done again though Kenz - regardless of the scorecard your still my special little black and white midget and I know your giving me your all in the ring and thats all that matters.
ETA. A physio appointment the Monday following the trial confirmed I had one very sore little midget. Her right shoulder still had some major trigger points and her left shoulder some more superficial stuff from over compensating for the right. That kinda puts the score she got into a new light and totally blows me away with how well she worked and how she gave me everything she had despite the fact she was really badly sore. So sorry mate I wouldn't have trialled you if I had known - you were only giving me your all. Fingers crossed we can see the back of this injury soon as its driving us both insane.
Her enthusiasm and attitude alone should stand her in much better stead then many others when we get to the higher classes. She is loving every minute in there and her focus is outstanding and that is the biggest killer in the higher classes from my experience with Ness. A little over the top enthusiastic heelwork while seems to be doing damage to my scores in Novice will only get better and more refined as we progress.
We now have 3 trials under our belt, 3 trials where Kenz has managed to work with strange judges and stewards and not really miss a beat. I was doubly impressed with my little girl last night because I was flustered and a little upset and had maybe 2 minutes get her ready for stays and she came through even despite this niggling shoulder injury she is carrying at present.
Fingers crossed for the next few trials so we can put novice behind us.
Well done again though Kenz - regardless of the scorecard your still my special little black and white midget and I know your giving me your all in the ring and thats all that matters.
ETA. A physio appointment the Monday following the trial confirmed I had one very sore little midget. Her right shoulder still had some major trigger points and her left shoulder some more superficial stuff from over compensating for the right. That kinda puts the score she got into a new light and totally blows me away with how well she worked and how she gave me everything she had despite the fact she was really badly sore. So sorry mate I wouldn't have trialled you if I had known - you were only giving me your all. Fingers crossed we can see the back of this injury soon as its driving us both insane.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Kenz's Novice Debut - so close yet so far
Well its the day after first obedience trial for 2011 - Kenz's first attempt at Novice - all that worry and concern I had eventuated into nothing.
No we didn't manage a pass this time - Kenz lay down with 10 seconds to go on the sit stay but such is life.
Her rate of progress still continues to amaze me - thinking of where she was this time last year to where she has got to now.
Her work was delightful, her enthusiasm super. She is going to be a force to be reckoned with and is absolutely everything I want in a performance dog and then some.
She had a ball in the ring. In fact we both did.
Her heelwork was stunning - her transitions between paces were smooth, her focus was outstanding, her position looks great and she had attitude to burn and it was just lovely.
Her biggest point loss was due to anticipation on the finish after the recall - ah well will take that and run if thats the worst that happens.
Looking forward to the next trial in a fortnight :).
No we didn't manage a pass this time - Kenz lay down with 10 seconds to go on the sit stay but such is life.
Her rate of progress still continues to amaze me - thinking of where she was this time last year to where she has got to now.
Her work was delightful, her enthusiasm super. She is going to be a force to be reckoned with and is absolutely everything I want in a performance dog and then some.
She had a ball in the ring. In fact we both did.
Her heelwork was stunning - her transitions between paces were smooth, her focus was outstanding, her position looks great and she had attitude to burn and it was just lovely.
Her biggest point loss was due to anticipation on the finish after the recall - ah well will take that and run if thats the worst that happens.
Looking forward to the next trial in a fortnight :).
Monday, February 21, 2011
Bored of nothing
Another quiet week - one very very bored Kenz and an equally bored me. Fingers crossed we can get back to some training soon.
Been nearly 3 weeks since I have run a proper training session with her. We have done a little stay work and some metal article holding but aside from that not a lot we can do.
Been nearly 3 weeks since I have run a proper training session with her. We have done a little stay work and some metal article holding but aside from that not a lot we can do.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
One very sore little girl
Well this week has been a total write off. Kenz's shoulder is still being a problem so another trip to the chiro vet and we have another 10-14 days of no training and then if all things are going well we can start back with agility in around 3 weeks time.
Ah well we competed successfully on NYE with no training in 3 weeks and it appears we are destined to have to pull a similar stunt at our first obedience trial for the year which is 3 weeks today!!!
Eeek.
Ah well we competed successfully on NYE with no training in 3 weeks and it appears we are destined to have to pull a similar stunt at our first obedience trial for the year which is 3 weeks today!!!
Eeek.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
First Week Back
This week had some highs and lows. It started off with our very first club training round last Tuesday night.
Kenz came out on fire. All the hard work I had been putting into her heelwork lately seemed to have payed off. She was working a lot straighter with her heel position. There was lots of great stuff happening. Her SFE, Recall, COP and ROF were all lovely. Sure we have some continued polishing to do but on the whole I was thrilled to bits with her work. Her Novice exercises all ran as though she had been doing them her whole life.
She was working with the attitude she has been over the summer and nothing seems to phase her to much.
Video of the training session is posted below
All seemed set for a great start to 2011 and then the bad news.
Wednesday saw us back at the chiro vet with her injured shoulder again and the outcome another good week to 10 days of no training as we aren't allowed to tug. The rest of the week as been a little trying to say the least. Kenz has been anxious to do stuff and I was really looking forward to getting her ready for the first trial of the year at the beginning of March. So for now we are back to playing the wait and see game.
Kenz came out on fire. All the hard work I had been putting into her heelwork lately seemed to have payed off. She was working a lot straighter with her heel position. There was lots of great stuff happening. Her SFE, Recall, COP and ROF were all lovely. Sure we have some continued polishing to do but on the whole I was thrilled to bits with her work. Her Novice exercises all ran as though she had been doing them her whole life.
She was working with the attitude she has been over the summer and nothing seems to phase her to much.
Video of the training session is posted below
All seemed set for a great start to 2011 and then the bad news.
Wednesday saw us back at the chiro vet with her injured shoulder again and the outcome another good week to 10 days of no training as we aren't allowed to tug. The rest of the week as been a little trying to say the least. Kenz has been anxious to do stuff and I was really looking forward to getting her ready for the first trial of the year at the beginning of March. So for now we are back to playing the wait and see game.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Where we have come from and where we are going
I have had a few weeks off from blogging and taken a little time for reflection. Christmas break from training has traditionally been a time off from serious training and a time to recharge batteries. This year we have gone against tradition and continued on with training and growing from strength to strength. After the forced time off for injury over December, January has seen us right back on track.
Kenz's Open and UD exercises are starting to come together nicely. Solid foundations have meant that she has picked up where we left off and her continued increased confidence has made training exercises a piece of cake. The last week or so has seen some serious commitment to reducing her crabbing and forging heelwork. I think we are starting to make progress so I am waiting eagerly to see what happens with our first ring session for the year in a couple of days time.
Any way from where we were at this time last year compared to where we are now the picture is looking a hell of a lot different. Kenz is now the performance dog of my dreams and then some and looking forward to lots of trials in 2011 and hopefully a CD and CDX title. No pressure though and just out to have a good time.
Kenz's Open and UD exercises are starting to come together nicely. Solid foundations have meant that she has picked up where we left off and her continued increased confidence has made training exercises a piece of cake. The last week or so has seen some serious commitment to reducing her crabbing and forging heelwork. I think we are starting to make progress so I am waiting eagerly to see what happens with our first ring session for the year in a couple of days time.
Any way from where we were at this time last year compared to where we are now the picture is looking a hell of a lot different. Kenz is now the performance dog of my dreams and then some and looking forward to lots of trials in 2011 and hopefully a CD and CDX title. No pressure though and just out to have a good time.
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