Success at Last!!

It's finally happened - I think the penny has finally dropped for Miss Nixy Pixy!! At training tonight she put together her first set of 12 weave poles!! YAY!! Those dreaded blasted weave poles are no longer the bane of our existence, they are friend, not foe - well..... for tonight anyway :)

Not only was she doing the poles when she was asked but was willingly entering of her own accord. She had drive into them and a spring out - it was great. She was actually enjoying racing through the poles and thought it was a great game. It is truely amazing how sometimes no matter how much we try (and lord knows I've tried with those blasted weave poles) there just isn't a darn thing more to be done until that lightbulb goes on inside our beloved canine's head and they just 'get it'.

Hmmm - now to wait and see if she can do it again!! :)

The good, the unexpected, and the 'oh my'!!

The other weekend (13/09) saw our Members Obedience comp for Northern Suburbs. Thankfully amidst all the horrible weather we have been having, the day was just lovely. All the dogs and their owners seemed to enjoy the day too. As for me, my day had a little of everything....

Firstly, young Jetzen surprised my by winning puppy class. There are some very lovely pups and talented handlers in the group and with (by my standard) the little amount of 'training' we had done I thought for sure it would just be a bit of fun and an attempt at trying something different together. So thanks little man for being such a good boy!!

Next was to take Phoenix into the ring for our equivalent of CCD. Hmmm - seems we need to do some work before the Nationals! Nix did a lovely heel routine which I was quite happy with, however we didn't do the 'stand for exam' (while practicing outside the ring, every time she was approached she would sit! So I thought it best not to attempt in the ring!) and the reacall.... Well lets just say there is a lesson to be learnt in having a smart dog. Apparently her cue to come to me was when the judge said "Call your dog" so there was no need for me to call!! Gotta love it. The judge found it mighty funny, especially as the look on Nix's face was - See, see Mum, look how clever I am, I did good didn't I?!

Now the old boy. I put Saxon in as a bit of fun. He loves to do his heel work - full of enthusiasm and a happy waging tail. I couldn't fault him. Fantastic heel work, lovely 'stand for exam' and a great recall. He gets too stressed in the stays so he doesn't do them, and neither of us mind. He is just a joy to work with in obedience and knowing how much fun he has makes it even better.

The Boys

Just a few photos of the boys that I couldn't help but share. Saxon 9 1/2 years and Jetzen 16 weeks.

The Past Few Weeks!!

Hmmm - what can I say other than life's been a bit hectic lately and thus I haven't updated the blog as often as I would like. Sorry folks :)

The furry kids are doing well, and Jetzen is growing, and growing, and growing!! My little puppy is not so little anymore. He's now 17 weeks and is only about an inch or so shorter than Phoenix. He still hasn't managed to grow into his ears yet though!! The following pic may not be the best photo, but it's a great one of Jetz doing his bat impersonation.

The little man is fitting in very well still and he and Nix play for hours on end. She is very tolerant with him, more so than what most dogs would be I think. Jetz will literally try and stand on Nix and she lets him. Nix is such a lovely girl and ever so patient!

One of Jetzen's greatest attributes is his lovely nature. Everywhere I have taken him and everything he has seen he just takes in his stride. He is still very appropriate too with his body language. He has met quite a number of dogs of all different breeds, sizes and ages in many different environments and has handled both the dog and the situation perfectly. There is nothing that seems to bother him. At training he will quite happily lie down calmly and watch - even with the likes of Indie, Domino and Maverick racing around the equipment.

Jetz is a definite character, and oh so funny and mischievous. Give him half a chance and he will get hold of something he is not supposed to and have a grand old time with it :) It's been great for helping me keep the house tidy, and for teaching the kids to put their stuff away!!

Thanks again to Mary & Stephen Bilson for breeding such a lovely puppy. I will never be able to thank you enough for both Phoenix & Jetzen.