Merlin's Magicians December/January Flyball & Agility Newsletter
December/January Newsletter
Hi! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that 2010 will be a really ‘Happy New Year!!’ Lots of great Flyball!!!
Not a lot to say, don’t all sigh with relief.
Ruby, Rottie excelled herself at the last training session, she was doing the Flyball course for Danny, no wings or netting, all we need now is to convince her she can do it in front of an audience!! Her attention span if other dogs are around can leave a lot to be desired, but…..Watch this space, Danny and Laura are hoping to come to the training weekend on Anglesey April, and that should help with our hic-cups, including distraction. Delia and Peter (PODS) have years of experience Flyball training.
Ruby’s stable mate Skye, not the fastest dog, is proving to be solid and reliable which is much more important, a bit like my Annie. Tick is also coming along extremely well and Alfie? What a change, it just took the clever onlooker to see most of the game! Kathy was watching whilst Alfie did his normal, up the run - trigger the box - grab the ball – and, drop the ball at first jump on the way back. Kathy said he was dropping the ball when Cheryl called him, stopped calling just turned her back and he didn’t drop the ball until the last jump. Kathy again noticed, this was when Cheryl’s hand went to her pocket for a treat. Alfie is now doing Flyball to Cheryl’s delight; she was beginning to despair of him ever bringing the ball right back. I have always said, if anyone sees anything, which the handler and I don’t, speak up, it isn’t interfering, it’s helping. This proved the point.
Brenda and Georgina suggested that we have a New Year meal out to get to meet and chat with each other, I have taken this excellent suggestion and contacted most of the ‘Team Merlin’s’ with the idea of having a Curry at the New place in Cynwyl Elfed. I was hoping to have a Sunday lunch time ‘do’ but they only open evenings so, ongoing………… I will be back in touch with all I promise.
Most of you will have had the list of proposed tournaments, only proposed, depending on availability of dogs/people and we do need ‘Starters’ for some of the newer dogs and these are not at every tournament. We are definitely going to form a Multibreed team, Merlin’s Sorcerers; we have 4 breeds, Rottie (in due course) - Cocker Spaniel – Lab – Collie/WSD plus a choice of Crossbreeds. The way I read the rules we can still (at different venues) use the same dogs in the Magicians if needed.
Two height dogs, possibly three!!
At Ferryside, Duffy the Cocker is coming along nicely, as is Pip the Terrier crossbreed, (Pip is really fast but does insist on doing a lap of honor so – last dog?) At Starlight, New recruit, Sam a Chihuahua cross JRT (not as small as one would expect but definitely a prospective height dog,) with his owner Hannah and her Dad Glyn have only been to one session as they were unfortunate to start just as we had to cancel a couple of weeks due to Kennel Cough, then weather, followed by Christmas, but Glyn tells me they are keen to come when we re-start.
We are not re-starting training sessions until February, to be honest folks, I need a break, I have been doing three sessions a week for almost twelve months. I am taking January to wind down and everything will re-start first week in February.
Mike, who some of you know as a friend of mine, joined Merlin’s Magicians after attending a couple of tournaments with me/us and getting hooked, is having a hip replacement operation the end of January, on behalf of us all I wish him a successful operation and speedy recovery. Mike and Meg are hoping to come to Anglesey with us.
Haven’t had the snow this time ‘round but, it is wet, windy and very cold so the pack and I are in hibernation until next week, when my daughter and family are over from Perth, Australia. Goodness they are in for a shock she said they were cold when it went as low as 24 degrees centigrade!!!
Well, I thought, I didn’t have a lot to say………………….. Wrong as usual.
Anything anyone wants included, any news or articles etc. (must be someone else with something to say). Let me know by the last week of the month.
‘HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL’
Including Graeme and Monika who ‘do’ our web site which has been/is so successful.
June