Dickinson Falls

Fundy National Park's Dickinson Falls, New Brunswick, Canada

A most beautiful and protected area, much like a rain forest, perhaps it is. One of the prettiest places I have been in a long time. The dogs liked it too!

But between the rain, the mist from the falls & water all around, and the wooden walkways & stairs, it was a very slippery place for fast dogs who would prefer to tear around together, with no thought to tearing themselves up! So it was leashes all around most of the time. Oh - and lots of stops for photographs!


Dickinson Falls


L-R, Jiggy, Cutter, Bungee


The folks who have helped the most over the years to make all of our dreams with the dogs, possible! Our friends & traveling companions - Mr. & Mrs. Mairs


OH! Wait a minute, where have all the women gone?
These guys look like trouble!


L-R - top: Gabby, Cutter, Jiggy, bottom: Guinness & Bungee


After a good long hike, we finally arrive at the falls view. Bungee was quite interested in the water below, as you can see her with her head between the railings looking over the side (and mom holding her securely on the other side!)


Another bunch of troublemakers no doubt...


One scene like this after another, all the way up to the falls.


Up stream from the falls, and more trouble makers! :-)) ....hmmm, they have familiar looking dogs...perhaps we know these people/grin/ Actually there were several people at this lovely swimming hole by the time we made our way, don't know how they missed the picture? Cynthia gets the spotlight! The swimming hole doesn't seem to make it into the photo either. Hmmm... But the dogs all enjoyed it and a little break here, then back to the leashes for the slippery hike out.


Happy Training!...It's About Love!

Fundy National Park

Happy Campers!


Above, a group shot from our hike through Fundy's Dickinson Falls.
L-R, top stair: Cutter, his mom Gabby, and Jiggy (Border collie)
L-R, lower stair: Guinness & Bungee

Just a quick post this a.m. We're off once again to the Tamsu demo at the Fall Fair for the Labor Day long weekend. 3 days of non-stop action and a dog troop extraordinaire! (I can say that because my dogs are in the show!!! :-))) Bungee made her 1st appearance at this event last year at about 11 weeks old. We're all returning again with many other dog friends. Bungee will be showing off her talent with her growing list of skills in 3 shows a day! Guinness was a born "ham" and loves the stage! This kind of thing is right up his alley. Guinness's theme this year is "Little Mr. Sunshine". Bungee's theme: "Princesse Dolly" performing from her special crate: "Princesse's Bungee's Dollhouse." Wish us luck!

Happy Training....It's About Love!!

Training Update - Aug. 27

Vacation homework
We each packed what equipment we could in the RV's. Our combined efforts yielded: 2 sets of 2 X 2's, 12 weave poles, portable chute, jumps & jump bumps, travel planks, crates & toys. With Sarah overseeing things, we put some great training together in the campground for our 10 canine traveling companions.

Agility
Back at home Bungee is working on small sequences for handling, jumping to height now (22 inches) some of the time. Most sequence of even 3 or 4 jumps offers an off course possibility to something attractive such as tunnel. Then working the sequence both ways, 1st to include the attractive line, and 2nd to run past following a different sequence with the same start and same attractive line, now an off course. Clear as mud? Well Bungee usually aces this one - that circle work is proving to have been worth it's weight in gold. Suffice it to say she will never have a problem turning.

We are also working on poles, table, and contacts. I still have not decided 100% if I would like to teach Bungee a running frame or not. But teaching the contact performance is a lengthy process, especially at the rate we're going with holidays and trips to the U.S. & Finland! Clearly it will be awhile yet until she see starts performing her contacts on equipment and so I still have time to make that decision.

Obedience
This week her performance suffered by lack of attention. She was easily distracted throughout the class and there were only 2 dogs present! ACK! Her skills were very good when she was paying attention, but there was not enough of that to make do. So since Guinness's Tues. night agility class has been moved to an earlier time, I have started slipping quietly in to a busy Beginner II obedience class with Bungee after Guinness's class ends. Bungee & I just work on the side and work attention, nothing else. We work 1 - 2 min. out on the floor and about 5 min. in the crate, and alternating on & off through the hour like this. We actually only get about 45 min. in after I pack off bag & crate from Guinness's class. What a world of difference even one night of such attention work made!

In obedience, Bungee's heeling is a little troublesome with preference for forging close to the front of my left leg. She wants to see all of me every second I think. We're adding U-turns now and we're also working on keeping her in place not lagging slightly. If it's not one thing it's another :-)) Other trouble spots are going down on her long sit, but her long down is good. Everything else is coming good.

Bungee's regular, group agility class is tonight and tomorrow a.m. we have a standing semi-private. Looking forward to both and what new little things our teacher will have for us tonight.

Parting thoughts
I am so lucky to have Guinness and Bungee. It's always a happy time running this black & white girl! There was a time I doubted I would ever enjoy training this much again, but the joy has surely returned to me and to Guinness too. He is really running like a million bucks again and we are having so much fun together too.

I know we have a very special little angel keeping her eye on us and cheering us on too. These moments with our dogs are just so marvelous. Guinness's class last night was just an absolute blast to see him turning on the juice and powering around with me. I came in from running Bungee this morning, and I was absolutely overjoyed with the fun we had. What a thrill to see your training coming to life as you share such a big love between you. Whatever would we do without these big-hearted dogs?

Happy Training...It's About Love

Hopewell Rocks

Scenes below are from New Brunswick, Canada's, Bay of Fundy, Hopewell Rocks area. These particular formations are called: "Flower Pot Rocks".

A little preface: The Bay of Fundy is famous for it's high tides. The tide can come in 60 feet high and it goes out equally far. We have other pictures I will show you of this. When the tide goes out it reveals it's very famous mud all along the bay shore. Stories tell of those who got stuck in the mud and could not get out when the tide returned.

What you are looking at here is actually the ocean floor when the tide is out. It is a very special place. These formations go up and down the shore about 3 km. or so I guessed from what I could see. We only walked south from the stairway in the center with these amazing scenes repeating around every corner.

We had to be out of there and back up on the bluffs above the cliffs by 7:15 p.m. as that is when the tide would return, and without being up the staircase, you would not survive this place. The trees shown at the top of the cliffs are "sea level" or the waterline when the tide is in. On to the photos - part 1 of 2 of this place...Enjoy!



From the cliff above looking down onto the ocean floor and the beginning of Flower Pot Rocks.



A family shot, Bungee & Guinn & us.


The mud








L-R, Sarah w/ Gabby & Zimmer, Me w/ Bungee & Guinness


Double-click on any photo to see more clearly

Below-Sarah with Gabby & Zimmer


Tide coming in and we can go no further


Bungee & me


John & Sarah, Gabby & Zimmer


Vince, Sarah, me & the dogs.


Myself, Sarah's dad John in the middle & Sarah w/ the dogs.


Looking back at the rising tide - these should be at the end





Sharing a moment~
Gabby & Zim, Bungee & Guinn


R - L: Guinness, Bungee, Gabby, Zimmer



Happy Training...It's About Love!

Cutter Joins Our Blog

Sarah Mairs-Heaslip & her young, male, Golden Retriever, Cutter, making his Nationals debut.





Following the video a few photos from the beach at one of our vacation stops together after National's. Bungee & Guinness are in a group shot at the end near a lobster trap we found washed up on a deserted beach on P.E.I.

Sarah runs the agility program at Tamsu Learning Center, where we train 3 nights a week and some time more. Sarah's father John, runs the obedience program as well as owning and founding the school 20+ years ago. Tamsu is like our 2nd home, at least I'm sure all the dogs think so!

Back to Mr. Cutter...I think he is Bungee's favorite playmate, after her "brother" Guinness. He was our stud of choice in our early hopes for Ketchy. He is a phenomenal dog. Starting his agility career running 7 y.p.s., the sky's the limit for him. Our biggest congratulations to Sarah, Cutter, Gabby & Jiggy on all their successes at National's. Great as he is, the big 1st place silver bowl in the awards pictures actually belongs to Cutter's mother, Gabby, who won her division!

Fantastic job on the video Sarah! LOVE that song! :-)) It really speaks for Cutter: "put me in coach! I'm ready to play! today! Look at me! I can be...Centerfield!" I think Miss Bungee is singing that tune to me too! Speaking of which, I better get her back out to our "centerfield" right now!!! :-)))


Note: When you see Sarah doing what may look like "weird distance handling" these are Gamble runs. On the ground there is orange tape staked down as lines or boxes, you cannot always see them in the video. In a gamble course you earn as many points as you can in your opening sequence which is a course you design for maximum points, according to the obstacles given to you in the opening area. The opening may include "mini-gambles", which offer higher points if you can get them. To get any gambles you cannot cross the line on the ground the judge has laid, you must send the dog to the gamble, and handle from a distance which may vary, but which is always behind the line. At 40 seconds into the opening sequence, a whistle or horn blows, and you must proceed to the main gamble and complete it in the remaining time allowed. Usually you have about 20 seconds or less to complete the main gamble. If you complete the main gamble it doubles your opening points. You must earn a minimum # of points in the opening sequence and complete the main gamble sequence within time to earn a qualifying score. Highest points with fastest time of those qualifying wins. Gamble courses are very challenging when you are trying to be consistent with your handling (for your dog's sake back in regular standard & jumpers classes)!

At AAC National's each dog gets 2 standard rounds, 2 jumpers rounds and 2 gamble rounds. There is also an optional, separate Steeplechase event with elimination rounds to a final selection round, which is often a money round with a cash prize.

Happy Training & Hugs to the dogs!...It's About Love!

A Year With Bungee!

August 24, 2008 marks Bungee's one year anniversary of being Canadian!

From this: (Bungee at 9 weeks)


To this: (Bungee today)








It was just one year ago yesterday that I returned from Finland to Canada with our beautiful Finnish puppy, Kvarkin's Princesse, Bungee. What a year it's been! Bungee is a delightful girl to live with and train. She is truly our pride & joy! How lucky we are that once again, as both Guinness and Ketch have done before her, this girl has come into our lives bursting with love, honoring us with the most fabulous relationship, and exceeding our every expectation for what a remarkably talented and lovely dog she is growing up to be!

Many special thanks to Mia & Tomi for entrusting us with this fabulous girl!

Happy Training It's About Love!

To Dive or Not To Dive

That is the question :-))

A local training group, just bought a "Dock Diving" pool and dock. Saturday they had an introductory open house with free jumps all afternoon. So we decided to go check it out. Dock Diving is a somewhat new sport here that some dogs really love. The competition length dock is 48 feet, and the pools are usually about 40 feet long. The current outdoor record for longest jump is 28 feet.

Bungee goes "Dock Diving"
Well almost... :-))
Here's Bungee with me (pink t-shirt) at the edge of the dock, not at all convinced jumping in that pool is a good idea!

We soon go down to the "learner" platform and pool exit this woman above is standing on and try it from there.

We have some success...

Now it's starting to be some fun.

Again & again she jumps willingly in from the underwater platform for exiting the pool, but we did not have enough time to build her confidence up enough to jump from the dock. It was funny the way she would spring up so high from the slightly submerged platform. She just could not get enough of that pool from that spot! But our time was limited. You get a few tries each turn, but we did get 4 turns through the afternoon so no complaints! We just need more time. Bungee did great & could not wait to get back in the pool each time.


Below are our good friends Sarah & "Cutter", Golden Retriever. Cutter, a powerful and natural talent for this game, has jumped 26 feet in competition before.

Below Sarah & Cutter next to the dock after the jump. The dock is actually a flat-bed trailer pulled up to the pool, safety sides & matting added. Experienced dogs like Cutter run the full 48 feet distance of the trailer to take-off for their jump into the pool. Cutter is also one of Bungee's most favorite friends.

Below Cynthia & Nicki, also a Golden Retriever and quite the Dock Diver too.

Below, Cynthia & Nicki again

Below, Cynthia & "Grip", an "All-Canadian", (BorderX). Grip is a very powerful and very fast girl, awesome at everything she does. She is also another favorite friend of Bungee & Guinness.

Grip

Grip again - wow!


That's all folks!! :-)) Dock Diving is pretty fun. I think we'll be going back again some time. To learn more about Dock Diving click on this link: www.DockDogs.com

Happy Training....It's About Love!

The "Move It" Moves a Dog Walk too!

Moving a Dog Walk with The Move It
(video clips below-click on link above for Move It website)


I am quite overdue for putting up these little video clips below. We shot these clips with a really tiny digital camera way back in early summer, after cutting the grass. The Move It (shown being used to move a dog walk) was designed and sold to assist one person in moving an A-Frame with ease - and it WORKS! In fact, it is one of the best pieces of agility equipment I have ever bought. On this particular day I didn't want to wait for help to put my equipment back out, so I tried to see if I could move the dog walk with the Move It too. It not only worked but it worked so well I ran in and grabbed my husband and the closest camera at the moment (thus the poor film quality) and shot this clip. Why I didn't think of trying this last year when I first bought the Move It I'll never know. Better late than never! To learn more about the Move It or any of Mary Lou's other products (Hit It, Touch It or Tug It) go to her website by clicking on: www.nosetouch.com

Below are the video clips of this little gem of a tool in action:



As always,
Happy Training...It's About Love!

Sussex or Bust!

Here's our friend Jiggy in the navigator seat of her RV as we leave Drummondville, couldn't be in better paws! :-) Bungee was nicely taking turns doing the same thing with our crew too!

We got in late, parked after dark and went straight to bed. We awake the first morning in Sussex at 6:00 a.m. to find our traveling companions motorhome has burst it seams! All this before they've found the coffee pot no less!! Thank goodness we could come to the rescue with a fresh pot of java already brewed!


By nightfall campsites are in order, dogs have settled in and are resting comfortably & all is calm. Here's our "roommate" Cassie helping Sarah's mom clean up the supper dishes.

For some of us, no RV vacation or campsite would be complete without our tacky "Florida" lights...in this case electric palm trees.


All tucked in our first night in Sussex. Ready to wake up & and give the dogs a little training warm-up in the morning before going over to the Nationals site two blocks away, set up our tenting area and check out the venue. The competition begins 2 days later. 3 of us register to compete, 3 of us register to work, 1 stays back to man the video & miscellaneous "support" tasks. Together we were one happy group!
Happy Training...It's About Love!