Keep thinking I ought to post and never quite got round to it...too hot! That's a lousy excuse but still, I can't think of a better one.

It's been an interesting few weeks. The most notable event is that Ria (finally) came into season last week! She was 16 months old on Saturday. So everything with her has gone on hold, she can't go to any shows/classes or out for walks (not worth the risk given she would really not appreciate another dog running up to her cos she smells good) and thus I've decided to have a complete break from agility for a few weeks. To be honest it's actually not bad timing from the point of view that I was considering having a bit of a break anyway, as we've been going at least twice a week for the last few weeks and I was starting to feel slightly burnt out! The last classes she did were not great, but they were the Wednesday & Saturday before she came into season so I'm hoping that was part of it. Wednesday's problems were entirely caused by the fact she decided the seesaw was scary, then the dog walk was scary because of the former. I've never had a problem with either before, but I know a season can make them all over the place, and this is her first one too. Saturday she just wasn't really concentrating/tuned in.

She was ok for the first few days but is now feeling sorry for herself! She's still up for a game of ball in the garden and I've been using the time to strengthen commands like left/right/walk backwards/heel position (static) and want to try and desensitize her to the chair - her heelwork position is just not and it's because she's worried about the wheels, think I've run her over one too many times :-X so we'll see where we go with that.

Solei is free to good home :-P He decided she was coming in 3 days before she did, and has been a royal pain in the butt since. Thankfully Elton has (so far) caused me absolutely no problems and all I have between them is a pen panel (obviously never unsupervised). Solei has been relegated to another room and is still being more annoying than Elton.

I had nothing planned (besides agility) the weekend before last, when of course I could've done anything as Ria wasn't in season! However, with Solei's warning on the Monday I took the opportunity to have a really good walk and so we had a long walk along the canal, which was even longer when we had to backtrack and add an extra loop to get round a gate I couldn't open!

Elton is still going to his agility foundation classes as I've paid for a block, Ria is most unimpressed she can't come too.

Solei has actually been very well for the last couple of weeks, not sure what to do about him - I'll give it a bit more time I think, I can't afford to start him back at the moment anyway. It's nice to see :-)

Went to Bath Championship Show last Friday, only had Elton entered and he was so bad :-( Arrrgh. He galloped round the ring, wanted to get his head down all the time on the stand, stood badly because he wasn't being compliant - I came out of the ring and almost burt into tears, and it was nothing to do with the (lack of) placing. Though there was a bright spot - Elton's son from his first litter was there and qualified for Crufts at his very first show :-) He behaved better than his daddy - sad state of affairs when a six month old puppy at his first show is better behaved than his three year old father who's been showing for two and a half years!

On Saturday Ria was meant to be competing in her first agility show, but that was off the cards as she was in season! I chose to go anyway to watch, and took both the boys with me instead to get them away from her and also give Elton some agility show experience - Solei has been to a few, but I don't think I've ever taken Elton. Half the people from Elton/Ria's club were there and we all had a fab day, though it was a bit hot!

Sunday was an obedience show - again Ria was entered and couldn't go, but this time I had the boys entered too - both in the Pre-Beginner Stakes and Pre-Beginners. So once again Ria was left at home with dad, whilst the boys and I went to a show (three disciplines in three days...)

Solei did a beautiful round in the Stakes, Elton's heelwork wasn't up to scratch but given (imo) he is usually very good it was still more than passable.

Pre-Beginner stays were before either of them had worked their Pre-Beginner rounds, and it was hot - Solei decided it was far too hot and went down in the sit - to which Elton decided that was end of exercise and wandered across the ring to me. Elton then did exactly the same in the down, with no provocation. Bit of a disaster all round! That was only the second set of stays Solei has broken in three years, the other lot was also a down from a sit on a hot day. I am mindful of the weather and don't always do stays if I don't feel it's in their best interests, I think his tolerance is less now he's older so will have to move the goal posts a bit! That said - at least half the class must've broken.

They later were both clear in their Pre-Beginner Stakes stays, so that was a relief - esp Elton, who I worked on last year and thought we'd cracked so was a bit concerned we'd gone backwards - time will tell!

Given the stay situation I decided to train both boys Pre-Beginner rounds. Solei's heelwork was so-so, HOL wasn't bad but HF ended up very laggy - however, he did the best recall I've had to my new chair, it was perfect. Fast, straight, accurate!

Elton did the most fabulous HoL, which would've been the lowest mark of the whole class (I asked the judge to mark him - lost 1), a nice recall and then got completely distracted for HF, he's not done that before but still! It'd been a long weekend, especially the day before being very long and very hot. The first stretch of heelwork was down towards the ring entrance and there was quite a lot of activity, he stopped for a couple of seconds to watch and I right turned without him! After that it took the majority of the round for him to really focus on what he was meant to be doing, though I think the last stretch was quite nice.

Elton played with me in the ring, and Solei did some nice play outside :-) In the Pre-Beginner Stakes they tied for 4th & 5th. I opted not to run off with myself as it was hot, so settled for Elton 4th & Solei 5th! So all things considered, not a bad day.