The past will always haunt you.

Its been an eventful week. Monday I was flicking through the AgilityNet site and found the perfect van, already kitted out with 6 cages which we want, and a good price. We hadn't really started looking seriously but had decided with Cove getting so big now, that it was going to be a struggle to travel our dogs to shows safely in my truck. Everything looked hopeful, the people who are selling it are well know for their cages and vehicles, and were very helpful on the phone, agreeing to a few additions we would like and then I discover they don't do finance. Although we can buy it through the business as another company van, we unfortunately are black listed as individuals, which means that as Rog is a director he will be checked, and although the company is successful, debt free and profitable it doesn't count. Our mistakes years ago are still haunting us and its made me very down this week. We were stupid back then and we are paying the price now. Nobody else to blame but it doesn't help my dogs and my current situation so we have hit a brick wall. In a months time we have some money coming to us and could easily buy the van but I doubt they will want to wait, and who can blame them.

On a slightly brighter note, Fern finally became an official apprentice trainee for Devon Dogs and is now working full time and doing her NVQ. She is a natural with dogs and learning all the time and I have no doubt she will make a good trainer, so the best of luck to her for the next year.

My gorgeous hubby has finished my A frame & Dog Walk too this week, and to cheer myself up I have just built 2 more jumps for myself so as soon as the wind and rain settles down this week we will finally have a full set of equipment and training can really begin. We have entered so many exciting shows this season, with lots of qualifiers so Lily & Olli will have a lot to do and need as much practice as possible. That is of course, if we can get to the shows!!! Grrrrrrrrr!!

Valentine and beyond.

Valentines weekend, and Rog & I finally managed a weekend away for 2, without dogs and not in a caravan! It was a real spoil ourselves weekend in a very posh hotel overlooking the marina in Dartmouth. The service was amazing, the food gorgeous and we had a lovely relaxing time. Talked loads without a wet nose shoving itself under your arm pit, or a toy being dropped on your lap, and had fun being a couple.

A week later and we have taken Nellie the caravan over to Taunton for her yearly service, after cleaning the green scum off the outside where she has been standing for 4 months. I have started running and getting Lily & me fit and ready for the show season. 2 Km yesterday and 1.5 today, and surprisingly not bad! My puff is better since the cigarettes have gone down and I really enjoyed the 1-1 time with Lily.

At training on Thursday Olli was amazing. He is really maturing and developing his skills. Amazed me that he recalled through weaves to a tunnel as its not something I have really practiced with him, and the other way he flew through the tunnel and straight into the weaves perfectly every time. So looking forward to his progress this year as I think he will surprise some people.

Dave has been for a couple of runs with all the dogs including Cove this week and its been good. Wearing a muzzle does mean that he cant bite Ollis elbows, or nip anyone when passing but he does head butt them well! Much better though. We also took Dave & Cove to the town again yesterday and they were very good, especially Dave who walked past numerous different sized, shaped, coloured dogs without a murmur!

So we have 5 weeks before our first show, and a few little jobs to do getting the caravan ready, and lots of training workshops for Lily & Olli to make sure we start well, and a whole season to look forward to.

Valentine now seems an age away.

Not a bad week.

Its been one of those weeks where work has just ticked over, Rog has been busy so we haven't had much time together, and nothing much to report.

However on the dog front, which is the main reason for this blog, its been an interesting week. Dave has been up to the field nearly every day, training over jumps, tunnels & Seesaw as well as channel weaves, and he loves it. Very fast and keen, so potentially a great small agility dog as long as he continues to find it more fun than chasing moving prey! We walked him with Cove for the first time, and although I muzzled Dave for safety he didn't attempt to be nasty to Cove, and in fact ran and played for a while. Progress is being made!

Cove started his puppy foundation training, and was extremely well behaved. Crate games were a breeze, focus was great but his lead walking was a bit mad! We have bought him a gentle leader since then and he walks beautifully on that, getting used to it in just a few minutes. Better than yanking his neck like he was. He too is enjoying practicing start line waits, running through the tunnel, which he loves, and even a few wing wraps. Nothing intense at his age but he really is a natural, so the breeding obviously works.

Finally, 3 months late again, Lily has started her season, so although it means missing a workshop we had planned for tomorrow, it also means that she will be finished before our first show, and clear all year, so I wont be missing any at all this year!! Yay!!

Olli has finished shooting now for the summer, and maybe just maybe he will not go again next year. He is so much better at agility than I thought he would be, I am beginning to think I will concentrate on that, and not risk injuries from wire etc on the farm land we shoot. He is an amazing gundog to work, but sometimes decisions have to be made for the dogs best interest. We'll see what happens over the summer.