Below, my personal favorite...beautiful photography, beautiful moment with Bungee's brother One. (pronounced in Finnish: "o-nay")
Such expression! I just want to reach out & hug him!
Another gorgeous photo of gorgeous One!
Our sincere thanks to Helena Tiainen for sharing these great photos with us!
Happy Training....It's About LOVE!
One!
Some new photos just in! Here's the 1st half of some awesome photos we received from One's 'mom', taken on a recent vacation to their cottage at Lake Saimaa, Finland's biggest lake. Here's Bungee's brother, One, making some waves & having a swim! What a beautiful spot for a cottage & a swim! 
Or just looking on very handsomely!
WoW! Great form!!!
Ahhhh....water....
Splashdown!
Many thanks to Helena Tiainen for sending us these lovely photos!!!
...stay tuned for the next installment soon!
Happy Training...It's About LOVE!
Here is a video of Bungee's half-sister Fun running clean in 2 Finnish Agility Trial runs. Fun is a very young girl too. Here, Pirjo & Fun are doing a beautiful job handling these very challenging courses, the Finnish way. We send them big congratulations on their success!
Our sincere thanks to Pirjo Yli-Juuti for sharing this video of her & Fun with us!
Happy Training...It's About Love!
Here's Bungee running in her 2nd AAC trial. The class is Master Jumpers. She was entered as "FEO" (for exhibition only), as she has not qualified through all the necessary levels to run in Masters, the highest level, for points yet.
This past month of March, I have kept Bungee & Guinness very busy in training and classes, and at long last, starting to work on our own field at home! Hoorah!!! The snow left a bit early this year! The ground is not really ready for us to run on yet, so we are still a bit careful about where we work and how much equipment is left out.
Meanwhile we're due for some rain now, which perhaps will thaw the ground, and cause us to stay off a bit this week as we don't want to damage the turf. But, after being away with the dogs trialing, performing & working the last 5 days, including working 38 of the last 48 hours, and coming down with a chest cold as of yesterday, I have not been out on the field yet this a.m. to see where it's at. But I still see no snow and that's a beautiful thing for a trainer, even if the grass is still brown! Today is rest & relaxation for all of us, and maybe tomorrow too!
Happy Training...It's About Love!
Bungee's sister Mia and Mona Kjernholm competing in Level II Obedience at Malmo 2009. Mia won her class with 187p. While "mom", Mona, says they still have a lot of fine details to work on, it is clear that this little 19 month old girl is already doing an impressive and excellent job, and all positive training too! What a gorgeous attitude this little girl has!
WoW! Beautiful work!
Thanks to Mona Kjernholm for putting these videos up on YouTube and sharing them with all of us, and also for showing us another example of positive & "Happy Training" at it's finest!!!
I have added Mona's new YouTube site to our list of favorite YouTube links (lower right). Click on the link above or at the side to check out some great training and sister Mia too!
Happy Training...It's About Love!
OK, so I'm like the happiest person in the world that Feb. is over. It definitely wasn't "our month". First I did something to myself to destroy my back for 11 -12 days, but then Bungee badly tore a toenail on her front foot, which kept her from training, which was followed by her coming down with some really bad intestinal problems. 3 trips to the vet in 2 weeks - ugh, poor Bungee, not to mention the bank account!
We finished Feb. off with all of us feeling back to normal, and Bungee in great need of a bath. So a trip to our friend Cynthia's Grooming Salon this weekend was a nice treat. Bungee got the full spa treatment, coming out beautiful, fluffy and sweet smelling. Guinness did some training in a different environment while Bungee endured the bath :-)) (not her favorite) and then Guinness strutted around like he owned the joint in between doing his tricks at a distance, as Bungee got dried. When it was done Bungee was still eager friends with her adopted Auntie Cynthia, so it was all good.
Poor Guinness just had a partially boring Feb. with me laid up, but stayed well. I hand-stripped him last Friday. He always looks so beautiful freshly-stripped in his "underwear". I love the feel of his velvety undercoat when his wire coat is off, it's really thick too. Not that he doesn't look great with his gorgeous double coat in tact too!
Guinness had an audition for a TV commercial last week, and fingers crossed, the early word is they want him. That said, knowing they are subject to changing their minds a lot. Keep you posted. During the audition he had 48 different things they asked him to do and it went great, he did all but one, which shocked me as it was "rolling over", which was one of the 1st tricks he ever learned. Since then we're working on a few things that were weak spots and they're all responding to the skills tune-up nicely, especially "roll over", sheesh... Wouldn't you like to know what they're thinking some time. I am going to get him checked at the chiropractor just to make sure all is well. Though it's probably a case of not having done it in a long, long time.
Bungee literally turned a corner March 1, waking up ready and raring to go, and looking beautiful & happy too. I felt the same way too!
The end of Feb. brought us melting snow followed by drastic low temperatures and then a lot of ice everywhere. YUCK. Thank goodness for lots of tricks & body awareness exercises and a basement in which to work!
The snow is down to just a few inches now and I was able to find some crunchy but not slippery spots in the yard today, so we actually got a little weaving in. Bungee was thrilled and wonderful as ever! :-))
Both dogs are entered in a trial later this month, so after just about a full month off, we'll see if we can't tune up their agility skills too! Back to class tonight.
Happy Training, It's About Love!
There were a few ways to handle the start, I was the only one in the entire class to chose a Lead-out Pivot, (LOP), partially because it's starters, but even the few who might consider trying LOP's on some courses opted against due to the perceived "risk" with the chute at the start. I had no such feelings.
On the contrary - we've waited a long time for this day, so why start our career compromising on all the good training we do? That said however, good thing we video, I did not realize how much I was leaning, and even stepped out to the side - yikes! Note taken... I didn't need to talk to Bungee as much as I did as she stayed on her line nicely. Her focus was GREAT right from the start. When we first arrived I wasn't so sure what would happen, as she was focused - but on only one thing - what was happening on course! However when it was her turn to run, she was ready to go and just as focused on me.
The DH thinks she's slow off the start and takes her speed after the 1st obstacle. He may have something there. We have done an awful lot of control work to have a good start line. So, there's definitely some work to do there to get blasting off, as we can't have that! The judge thought I was "holding back" a bit...I do tend to manage her FC's a bit. Of course we lost time at the crooked line out of the chute, and the head checking with my poorly timed rear cross to the finish line. But, I told you we needed more work on Rear Crosses. But didn't she recover on that LOP beautifully? I was thrilled with Bungee and I had so much fun too!
I was really happy that the course was as tight as it was, taking up only half the field. Most of the Starter Jumpers courses I've been on or seen were 15 - 18 obstacles spread out to the whole field. Those big wide gaps make them very hard to get a fast dog around if it's not really strong on driving a line, unfortunately when they are they are often weak on turning. Bungee turns very well and is improving on driving a line all the time. All will come in it's own time. But this was about the nicest paced starter jumpers course I've seen. We're both very proud of young Princesse Bungee.
We also want to thank our friends who stuck around to the last run of the weekend to see her 1st run, and our friends who made a special trip over just to cheer us on! We are so blessed with good friends in the dogs and a marvelous agility community to play in. Thank you all so much! It meant a lot to us to have you there! I couldn't imagine a nicer way to come back to the game myself! Many thanks.
Happy Training...It's About Love!
With A Little Help From Our Friends!
Gabby - showing the youngsters how it's done!
I don't know why this picture looks so over-exposed. Straight from iPhoto it looks perfect, uploaded to the blog it's completely changed - weird.
We got these pictures 3 weeks ago when Sarah & I took the dogs for a walk behind Tamsu one day and the DH (dear husband) could come along with his camera. Sarah's dad was already out back with his training buddies doing some field training with their dogs, with the usual stack of dead birds at the line and other birds laying out in the field for the dogs to find & retrieve. We were heading east, where we'd let the dogs have a good run in the open fields as we make our way across into the bush (Canadian woods) for trails not nearly as nice as Finland!
Gabby, unable to resist the bird-doggin' fun off to the north of us, veered off on a fast line disappearing out into the field, only to come running back, clearly happy as a dog can be, holding this big duck, and looking stunning in her purple coat too (!! :-) ...much to the chagrin of the "field people" I'm sure - who had been muttering just loud enough so we could hear them about ALL our dogs in coats, Hah! Clearly this grand Golden lady was showing their youngsters how it's done right!
Vince had come along to take pictures for us, but did so only as far as his long lens would allow him to follow us... :-)) But he managed to get this one of Gabby - what a perfect shot! You can double click on it to enlarge.
Below, Bungee, Guinness & I heading for the trails, with Bungee pretty interested in the "bird work" (field training) going on off to the side. I can guarantee her she doesn't want any part of what they're doing over there.
Below: Sarah, Gabby (purple coat) and her gang 
Off in the distance, Gabby's gorgeous son, Cutter, doing what all good bird dogs will do, finds a spot a bird was laying (during earlier training that day) and rolls in it with exuberance!
Here's the whole gang, heading for the trails. See ya' in a few hours.
Surviving Winter - A Mental Reflection
Thank goodness for good friends, warm fires & home theatre! It's turning out to feel like a long season already. It's been 3 years since we have stayed home with no solid plans to get away and enjoy southern latitudes. We both want to but so far things just haven't been right. Clearly, I'm out of practice at this winter bit. Lately I've had a small case of the "winter doldrums", just a combination of things I suppose not the least of which was the news about Gabby, (diagnosed with lymphoma 2 weeks ago), the lack of outdoor warmth, sunshine, or the fact that some of my most favorite training camps & fun trials were going on down in the Florida sunshine without us. Though in my heart I really shouldn't feel that way as I know there are bigger and more important reasons we were meant to stay home. On that note we are both very happy that we are here for those reasons. Still, the last week especially, I've been pretty blue about this grey, blah, winter condition.
Then we had a near-blizzard and death-defying experience to drive 90 km. home in from our running clinic last night, complete with raging winds, walls of snow & white-outs. My goodness we were glad to see our house! Waking up (alive!) to this morning's peaceful landscape, even with a new layer of snow, suddenly seems pretty good!
Meanwhile, as we make our way through this winter, (at times one long day at a time) I'm LOVING the training we're doing, and Bungee's progress! Her contacts are coming along brilliantly and I'm just loving what we're producing now. Thank goodness for families, great coaches, great dogs & good friends!
Today we send out a very special prayer ~ God Bless Gabby!
We love her dearly and send her kisses & kisses & kisses & more meatballs!
Happy Training...It's About Love!
Surprise! Surprise!
Here's Bungee, enjoying her new coat!
Bungee in high style! 
Santa came around to see Bungee twice this year, once at Christmas and another time this week! (Even though technically it's a new year :'). This time he brought her the most beautiful coat from Finland, custom-made just for her. Made of high-tech sport fabrics for winter weather, designed in Canadian colors, complete with her name embroidered, and decorated with her national flags of Finland & Canada too! Glow in the dark safety stripes as trim and a perfect fit!
As soon as I came in from the mailbox with the parcel, Bungee came up & tried to take the package right out of my hand. Wanting to see what she would do, I let her have it and watched her carry it all around the house a time or two before I helped her open it up! Pretty sure she knew it was for her right away! She could not keep her cold little nose out of it as we opened it either! We weren't prepared to find such a beautiful gift! It's the most beautiful gift one of our dogs has ever received!
Many thanks to Auntie Helena, Uncle Ville & brother One for the fabulous coat! Bungee will be decked out in great winter style from now on!
Happy Training....It's About Love!
Welcome 2009!
I hope everyone survived their New Year's Eve celebrations without feeling too badly today! I'm starting off 2009 very excited about the prospect of seeing Bungee in trial in a couple of months.
Contacts & Weaves Camp
As you may recall, one of my Christmas presents was attendance for Bungee and I at a Say Yes workshop called: "Contacts & Weaves". The timing on this camp was perfect for us. I was really looking forward to going, and it didn't disappoint. It turned out to be just what we needed. I love it when training opportunities exceed my expectations. I have to admit I loved this camp!
First, each of our skills were evaluated in a number of areas that are necessary for good contacts & weaves. Bungee was on top of the curve with everything, with contacts themselves being our weakest skill, in my opinion. From that point a plan was set in place for each of us to get where we wanted to go with our skills. The rest of the weekend was spent working our buns off with one really fun session after another, reviewing what we just did and working again, with lots of instructor help, mixing up contacts, weaves and the complimentary skills associated with perfecting each. As camps go, this one goes on the list as one my favorites.
Contacts
I was relieved to have Susan's nod of "good" for her initial evaluation of Bungee's contacts. We were not as far off as I thought, always nice to hear. However, though technically "correct", I found then average, lacking drive and boring - definitely not the way any of us would like them to stay, especially me! This is also why I have not had Bungee working full pieces of equipment yet.
The camp information was terrific. What we learned has already improved her contacts a lot and filled in gaps for me too. I'm confident it will be a short road from here to the equipment.
The 1st "Aaaaha" Moment
The target cue should create ACCELERATION (not brakes) to the target! This was a real epiphany for me. I've always used the word "target", for my dog's contact "end-zone" cue, so I'll use that as the example here, but it doesn't matter what cue you use. But the end result should be the same, you give the cue and the dog pushes harder. I've always pictured the opposite, the target cue as brakes on the dog's speed over the contact.
But here it is, when I say the word "target" it should cue the dog to accelerate to the contact! Upon hearing the cue to "target", the dog should ACCELERATE into the contact!
How did I get such backwards thinking all this time? I suppose I just pictured it that way from the start. Lucky for Bungee she will now be the recipient of my new and improved understanding, which will really help. First giant gap in my knowledge of how to get from what I had to what I wanted closed by camp info! Awesome!
In truth, I had actually backed off training contacts recently. I was not happy with the results I had and not sure how to get the ones I wanted. Meanwhile when I did work them, it seemed I was forever working through various learning curves of my own regarding the many herding & stalking type things that a clever little Border Collie can present to you in training contacts! It's not often one of my dogs will lead the parade in how we use our training time but leave it to Bungee, she was doing just that. To say the least, our contact training time did not seem very efficient!
I am really pleased to come away from camp being able to make short work of Bungee's contacts now, they're already so much better.
Weaves
Bungee's weaves were already just rocking before we went to this camp. I've always been proud of the awesome weave skills I've been able to teach my dogs, using Susan's 2 X 2 weave method. The method has always served us well. But now Susan has expanded the training insights to allow greater proofing and create even stronger skills. So how great is it when you go through a camp and get 2 really big "Aaahaa" moments? The 2nd came in the weaves department, and it is going to help us create even stronger skills.
As for Bungee's weave skills now, she is running 12 poles brilliantly, but we backed up to 4 poles a while back to really push the envelope for entries and find every point of failure we can to train through. Once we work through this stage we will move up to 6 & 12 again and focus on handling.
Unfortunately we're in the middle of winter and coming up on our coldest season. At this point in time our only weave training limitations are brought on by deep snow, super cold temperatures and conditions that require us to wait for barn-time to get some work in on them.
Guinness 
Ketch
Bungee
Can you believe a new year is here already?
I'm really getting excited about the prospects of being ready for agility competition in 2009. I believe Bungee could handle a Jumpers or Jumpers with Weaves course now. But I intend to finish working through the new 2 X 2 program we revisited first. We'll also have to see where we're going to be for late-January, February and March trials before we go entering any. Warm beaches, green agility fields and big fish are starting to call our names once again, but at this point, no solid plans yet. With any luck our dollar will start gaining it's strength back as the first week of the New Year gets going.
Below, Bungee's sister "Mia", in Sweden.
Mia poses for the photo above, after enjoying early success in the obedience ring. She's already moved out of Class I of Swedish Obedience Competition and is now training to be ready for Class II in the spring! Wow! Best of all, reports are that Miss Mia is a very, HAPPY worker in the ring!! That comes as no surprise but is still fabulous to hear :-) Nice work ladies!!!
Big Congratulations to Mia & Mona on all their obedience success!
Our special thanks to Mona Kjernholm for the news update & lovely photo of Mia!
Happy Training, It's About Love!
For Sophie and her classmates in Cambridge, England
Here is Bungee playing her Ring Toss Game!
I also have a 6 minute video showing some of the shaping sessions we did on this. Maybe someday I'll get the uplink speed to post that one. But for now Bungee can play this game any which we way choose. There are 5 rings. I can hand her each ring, toss each ring to any side of the floor, or lay all the rings on the floor in a row for her to pick up on her own. When she will pick them all up straight-away and stack them without a pause or need for re-direction I'll update the video for you. Until then, here's how we occasionally spend some "TV time" on the winter evenings at home.
OK Maisa & Pirjo I hope this keeps those beautiful bowl retrievers at bay until we get that one up for you - but it's coming!!! :-))
Click here for our: YouTube page , now updated (by special request~thank you Sophie!) with a few new training videos of Bungee: http://www.youtube.com/user/bl0art
Enjoy!
Happy Training! It's About Love!!
EXCITING NEWS FOR AGILITY ENTHUSIASTS!
A fabulous new training tool for weave training has hit the e-market and we have had the privilege to preview it! Hold on to your hats folks - this one REALLY is outstanding!
It's Called: "Excellence in Weave Pole Training - Phase One"
It's By: Susan Garrett
Available at: www.clickerdogs.com Read more about it below!
Here's Bungee learning her weaves with 2 X 2's this past fall!
Above, Bungee is building her weave pole skills the way all of our dogs have, with Susan Garrett's 2 X 2 weave pole training method. Susan's 2 X 2 system has produced such fabulously fast, reliable and independent weaving skills for each of our dogs that I just don't think about using any other method. The shot above was taken by me, one hand to reward with a toy and the other for the camera on about her 15th day of weave training and that was actually a set of 12 poles.
Now Susan has really outdone herself (yet again!), creating an absolutely fabulous new 2 X 2 Weave Pole Training E-book called:"Excellence In Weave Pole Training - Phase One"
Available on Susan's website at: www.clickerdogs.com
I am thrilled and proud to be one of the first to have a preview of this fantastic new training tool and to be able to share in announcing it's launch with all of you. When you see the quality and content for yourself I'm sure you'll understand why I'm raving about it!
I cannot wait to get started working through it. That said, I think there is about 6 months work there if one diligently trained 5 days a week, which in my book is great value for the money. But, set your calendars to get it fast! It launches off Susan's website listed above, November 26, 2008, and it will ONLY be available until December 10th, 2008, when Phase Two is launched.
Even with my previous success in teaching beautiful weaves with 2 X 2's, I am blown away by the content and the quality of Susan's new e-book and the potential it holds for taking Bungee's skills to the highest level attainable. I am not kidding or just throwing adjectives around folks - this workbook is a MUST HAVE! I'm really impressed by the enormous amount of information and the quality that Susan has put into this as well as the value that is to be gained by any team who works through it from start to finish.
I have no doubt that the "Phase One" workbook will take Bungee's (and any dog's) weave pole skills to a world class level if followed systematically. But for trainers and/or dogs new to the method, the workbook starts you at Step One for a dog that is seeing a weave pole for the very 1st time and brings you along with instructions for producing as nice of weaves as you want to have.
Get this book while you can, it's a GEM! I myself can't wait to start working through it. I wish we didn't have a foot of snow on the ground already but that's another story!
Kisses home to all from Bungee!!
Happy Training...It's About Love!
More photos of my recent trip to Finland!
L-R: Mia, Fun, Pirjo & Chili (I hope I got Fun & Chili right - these girls look a lot a like!)
Below, our dog's fabulous breeder & friend, Mia Laamanen with Fun, then Chili, and myself.
I got to see lots of the human "Kvarkin family" at the 2008 FCI Agility World Championships, but not quite as much of the dogs as we spent most of our time at the games.
So, Pirjo generously decided to bring sisters 'Fun' & 'Chili' to see me off at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport! I was so happy to get to see them! It was the 1st time I'd seen Chili since she was a wee pup and a full year since I'd see Fun. It was so fantastic to see them! Thank you ladies for making this happen!
Fun is Bungee's big sister, a half-sister by her dam, Aino, also out of Mia's breeding and belongs to our friend, Pirjo.
Chili is Bungee's litter mate sister, and belongs to our friend Maisa who could not be there at the airport, but fortunately we got to visit quite a lot at the World Championship.
Below, assorted shots of Chili & Fun, in the airport terminal.
To read more about Fun & Chili click on Mia's: Kvarkin Kennel website here.
Many thanks to our friends Mia for "everything" and to Pirjo for bringing Fun & Chili for bringing the girls to see me off! Kiitos paljon!
Happy Training...It's About Love!
A few photos from my recent trip to Finland
Here's Bungee's lovely brother "One"
And again, One, very happy to be going out for a walk in the woods!
Here's One with almost all of his family (where's Ville?)
L - R: One, Tyyne & Roope with "mom" Helena standing behind.
I got to see One, Tyyne & Roope at lunch one day of the games. Helena invited me to come home with her to give the dogs some exercise at lunchtime. It was a short visit due to our schedule at the games but it was still a really nice walk in the local woods and it was great to see Helena's dogs and visit with them again. I had not seen One since he was a young puppy, and it was marvelous to see what a fabulous young man he's grown into! One looks so much like Bungee, it really stunned me for a second when I first saw him. He's very handsome!! Many thanks to Helena for this special lunch time treat!
If you'd like to read more about Helena and her dogs and see lots of great pictures of them, visit her website by clicking here. You can also read more about One by clicking on the Kvarkin Kennels website here.
Happy Training...It's About Love!
