Merlin's Magicians September 2009 Newsletter

Well didn’t August fly by? Seems only yesterday I was completing the newsletter for then.

We have had a very good month, a number of new people and dogs up at Starlight, in fact the one Friday evening I was faced with 10 yes TEN! Dogs, 5 very welcome newcomers all on the same evening, and they were brilliant, two had spent a weekend at the PODS training, but over three years ago! And they remembered and were, after a quick reminder, doing Flyball. I shall get names for next month’s newsletter, but haven’t had contact details from everyone yet.

Oxford? Well good news and bad news. Let’s start with the good.

The weather was beautiful, real Indian summer weather, the company was great, and thank you so much those of you that came. The bad news? Although the dogs had a great time they just didn’t do the Flyball we get from them at training. We decided to go ‘Not for competition’ with the Division team in the afternoon, as soon as they were faced with netting wings at the jump nearest the box, we were winning, except that of course we couldn’t win, as we were in effect, no longer in the competition.

Analyzing: The Starters were brilliant, before lunch, the new dogs took a while to settle to it and Rusty was fine, after lunch the new dogs were brilliant and Rusty messed it up for them, and we think we know why that was, we bought Annie up beside the ring ready for her heat and he was looking at/for her.

Division....... If we hadn't been trying to rush from ring to ring we would have had time to do proper warm ups in the allowed two minutes, I am not saying it would have worked but it might have.
All in all dogs and people did wonderfully under circumstances they shouldn't have had to face on their very first competitions; they should not have had the stressful running from ring to ring with the tanoy asking them/us to be in two places at the same time.

Now we shall put it behind us and go forward, that is the answer. I shall just be aware that we do not do Division & Starters at the same venue unless the Starters are either before or after the Division, not in a separate ring.

We are hoping not to be quite so embarrassing up in Birmingham October 3rd.

As the days are getting shorter our last Monday evening Agility session took place Monday 28th. Saturday afternoons now start at 2.30 pm and we hope to do both Agility and Flyball (at Bryn Iwen) Everyone is welcome and time etc is open to change dependant upon attendance and what people want to do, Flyball/Agility?

We attended the Burns Dogs Day Out and it was a really great day out. My lovely Annie had her second venture into Agility competition in eight years!! We did try once before about four years ago and Annie being the ‘Foodie’ she is!! Half way around took off to ‘visit’ a spectator with crisps!!! It has taken me four years to pluck up the courage to try again…………….. Well it wasn’t the embarrassing moments I had braced myself for, the ‘Large’ Agility was the first of her ‘heats’ she made one mistake, did the rest of the course perfectly (unlike her puffing owner) but was a bit ‘freaked’ by the atmosphere and almost walked the course, the ‘Any size Jumping’ the same but……………….Drum roll………….. Third class lucky, the Tunnel Challenge she did without a fault, not fast enough to win anything but SHE DID IT!!!! Look at the picture gallery; we will be putting on some pictures taken of her. I am so proud. Liz’s Ollie Collie got a sixth place in the ‘Fastest retrieve over hurdles’ and the number of entrants was enormous, so a brilliant achievement. My Rosie managed a sixth in the Veteran class of the dog show judged by Robert Alleyne of Dog Borstal fame, and Both Pretzel and Meg (Mike’s dog) got ‘specials’ in the rescue class of 49 entries!!

I have been in touch with Peter of the ‘PODS’ up on Anglesey and, if enough of us are interested I would like to arrange a training weekend up there next Spring. This would involve camping or B & B for the weekend and we would have the benefit of the very special knowledge/teaching of Peter and Delia for Flyball and Agility. How about it? Any takers?

I have also been approached by the magazine ‘Carmarthenshire Life’ they want to do a full page spread on us in the Sports section!!! Anyone out there willing to help with this, I must admit to being a bit overawed at the thought!

Keep smiling everyone, June