It's been a mad few weeks. Mainly full of agility!

Elton started foundation classes the first Wednesday of April, obviously hasn't done much yet, but he adores it so far. I love his enthusiasm, such a happy little boy. He's totally different from Ria which is nice for me. Ria is much more independent, fab at distance work but not always tuned in to me, not nearly so toy driven. Early days, but what I'm seeing in Elton so far is what I expected - much more tuned in to me, prefers to stay closer, more reliable! lol - but I think it'll change some with confidence (not all for the better :-)). I don't think the distance will be a problem, cos he'll drive ahead nicely for a reward. He just needs more confidence, which'll come with time.

Done 3 shows - 1 breed club show with Elton and Solei and 2 gundog group shows with Ria. Breed club show could've been better (a 2nd, 3rd & 4th) but from the 2 shows Ria came away with 2 Best of Breeds :-) And currently typing this in the car on our way back home from a decidedly soggy WELKS! It poured with rain all day, as I had a long walk between Ria and Elton's rings I was very grateful the tents were attached to the buildings so it was all undercover! Worth the trip though - Ria won her class, and Elton had another 3rd in a lovely Limit class with 18 entered.

Have got a couple of extra agility classes in with Ria, and did a training day a couple of weeks ago which did not go well (suffice to say a new venue blew her baby brain :-P), but I had some interesting input and encouraging words.

It's been so wet recently that it's been impossible to do anything much. In class last week I was given a tunnel and set of weaves to work with, and once she was concentrating she produced some lovely work, hit the entries and the tunnel also gave her more speed. She missed out the middle pole a couple of times because she couldn't collect in time, but that'll soon improve. The next day we had one of those rare things called a dry day and so I got my weaves out, because her entries need more work on one side (I broke them by doing too much on the other, oops) and whether it was the tunnel or coincidence, but she seemed to have her stride pattern :-D she was going through them so rhythmically, and with more speed. So thrilled with that, and when it dries up enough I'll go back out, hope it wasn't a one off :-P and get some video.

Oops - so much for tomorrow! I wanted to sort my camera out first, and then it's been mad. So, once again I'm playing catch up! But as I promised, for starters UK Toy :-)

Well what can I say....what a day. Solei just came along for one obedience class, Elton for two obedience classes and the toy breed championship show. I also took up four dogs for friends who couldn't make it. In the breed Elton had a 4th in the biggest class of the day (20 entered) and the other four dogs had a 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th.

It was very difficult to fit all the classes round each other, I didn't take Elton down for the obedience earlier because he is still fairly inexperienced with stays, and last year the lure of other Papillons proved too much and he broke to go and play!! So I thought I'd work him after stays and that way I could train if he broke. I managed to work Solei, who I didn't think was that good, but apparently he wasn't as bad as I thought!

Stays were later than I'd counted on, and then they broke for lunch. Just before they were due back his stakes class was called, so off I ran for that!

To my absolute delight, 18 entered in the class including champions and the Best in Show winner at SKC championship show and Elton WON it!! He went an absolute dream, felt just incredible. Just as well as our judge was hot on movement, and thus moved us all lots! This also now means he's qualified for the finals at Crufts 2013.

Elton 1st YKC Stakes UK Toy 2012

So then he had to go pretty much straight from there to the obedience. Everything conspiring again, he would have to work both his rounds one after the other. So we opted for Beginners first, I could tell he was starting to get tired but he was a little star - love that dog! No pressure for me - it was near the presentation time (he was last to work - thus needing to do one after the other) and so there were lots of people around and everyone was watching :-P His Novice round was nice, but heelwork was getting laggy cos he was really tired by this point. We had a hiccup with the retrieve because the first time I forgot to warn the judge about the end bit and then didn't like to do it without asking and so managed to confuse my dog. Then for Novice he was so tired he couldn't managed to jump on my feet, bless him! As neither went brilliantly, I hope that doesn't carry over to next time.

To my absolute delight, Elton won Beginners and Solei was 2nd to him! Elton also managed a 5th in Novice, which considering he could've done a lot better with more energy, I was really pleased with :-) and we won a small tub of dog food, salmon oil and fish treats respectively!

Obedience Winners (minus Pre-Beginners) Judge, Beginners, Novice, A, B, Judge

So yes, all in all a rather special day! I'm incredibly proud of Elton, proving he really does have beauty and brains.

Oops - have kept meaning to come and update this, haven't got there til now! Though it's been a fairly quiet couple of weeks - up til last weekend we'd only been to one show, and haven't done anything major from a training point of view - actually, I lie. Elton is retrieving! Ria is weaving 6 poles, but she was doing that when I posted my last update - I just didn't have footage. Soo...

Ria is getting almost all her weave entries now, so I need to get back out there and put a command to it! We've had a couple of weeks of not doing much, she was brilliant from almost every angle, except still struggling with the entries at about 5/6 o'clock. So I gave it a rest for a week or two, went back to it and bingo :-) I can now stand at 5 o'clock and send her in.

I was absolutely thrilled with her at agility class last night - we had one of those all coming together kind of sessions :-D Ok, I did lose her a few times to go sniff - but she came straight back almost every time, and she didn't actually run off or totally lose the plot, and especially considering I think we had 13 dogs all working independently off lead (the class isn't usually nearly that big, gained some extra dogs for this week only, though it is a massive area so there was space enough, and more than one instructor) this is massive progress. And she worked really well, concentration was better, hit all her weave entries, and really PLAYED with me, which is another massive thing. Happy, happy - just hope it wasn't a one off haha

As for Elton - we have conquered the dumbbell and won! I'm delighted with him...at one point I didn't think we'd ever get there, and even a couple of weeks ago I wasn't sure it would come back together quite as I wanted it - but persistence and patience has paid off :-) Of course, when he did an absolutely perfect one I didn't have the camera on - went out the next day and videoed, but neither came quite up to scratch! However - I present to you, Elton and the Retrieve
In show news - went to an open show on 17th March, Elton had a 2nd, Ria won her class and Reserve Best AVNSC (guess what the judge said decided it? Maturity!!). Then then both went on to get placed in their respective stakes classes, Elton won wine and Ria won chocolate - so that's us sorted then! lol

Last Saturday was UK Toy Championship Show with Limited Obedience, but that can wait til tomorrow!