Few Updates

So a little while since my last blog post, and a couple of things have happened.

Firstly, I got around to filling out some entry forms and cheques and envelopes, and have done entries for five upcoming trials (July, August, September). Sixty eight bucks just for two runs at each, so it's probably a good thing I'm skipping out on agility for the time being.

We've got triple jumpers at the Gold Coast this Saturday, which I'm so excited about. Last trial as a junior handler, and it'll be the same comp we first ran at two years ago, as well as the same comp we got our first title (JD) at last year.

I've been working on Charlie's "around" and he's snazzy at right to left, and we just started working on left to right yesterday and after a rather rocky start- he had a tendency to swing into close position, or start to shoot round and then dart back up my left side; naughty moose- we've made some progress and have it down pretty consistently now. It's nowhere near as fast or confident as right to left, because that's "his" side, but it'll get better as we work on it more.

I feel like a bit of an idiot, with the huge hand signal I use for it, but if I'm any more subtle I've found Charlie gets confused and offers another behaviour. I've got too many cues for too many different behaviours too close to my body, hehe. And because he still doesn't one hundred per cent get left to right around, he'll look like he's about to commit and then change: "Reverse? Close? Circle? Between? Whatcha want, lady?!" I even got tripped up yesterday morning because he went out of his way to shove his head between my legs as he passed behind, and started offering a leg weave.

Two modes, that dog: he either doesn't think at all, or he over thinks.

I need to get Charlie back up to the chiropractor again because I think he's out in his shoulders- again, gah that dog- but I need to time it around upcoming comps because it's usually a few weeks to an available appointment and I need to rest him for a few days after he gets adjusted. He really does need to go up every few months because he bashes his shoulders around so much.

Noonbarra updated their website and have four litters listed: one's about five weeks old, another around one week old, one due towards the end of July, and one due towards the end of August. Maybe my puppy's somewhere in amongst that lot? Would be bloody brilliant if it was, but all I can do is sit back and wait and see.

I went into work with dad yesterday to pick up the final fish additions to the tank- three phantom glass catfish to add to the other two, as well as two Pakistani loaches to address the snail population- and of course took Charlie along because he loves the car and going out and about. He gets lots of love at work :) We've got two guinea pigs as store pets, and he knows exactly where they are. We were waiting to go and get the fish scanned through at the "Chook Out", and he was crying because he knew the piggies were just around the corner, but he couldn't quite see them. So before we headed out, he got to have an intense-kelpie-stare at them, and then I had to drag him out of the store so we could head home.

We've got training on tomorow, and I have to say I'm especially enjoying the past few times we've gone- not only because I get to do agility with Charlie, but I get to help socialise (read: cuddle and play with) my instructor's new rottie pup, who's adorable and making me get puppy fever even worse than I have now. Charlie's kind of intrigued by him, but Nugget's surprisingly non-dog focused for such a young pup, and I think that puts him off a whole lot of real interaction and play, because he isn't getting much attention back. Last Monday, Charlie caught sight of the cat inside, parading up and down on the dining room table, and that was it: lost all puppy focus and it was just catcatcatcatcatwannaseethecat, so he wasn't much help at all.