I have lots to do these days. Once a week we drive 50 miles each way to our trainer’s for agility and once a week 14 miles to Rally Obedience training.

Last Saturday the really active season began. Mummy threw me out of my crate at 5:00 and we were on the road at 6:00 to drive 50 miles to my first agility trials. Fortunately, two members of the host club are in my training group, so they set up my tent Friday night and we could get in out of the rain at once.

However, we had to take a walk in the rain to make sure I was empty before my „runs“. So I got wet after all. Though Mummy had brought towels, I was still cold. So she covered me with her own blanket, when I retreated to the back of my canvas crate and rolled up.

Finally it was time to go to the start. Mummy had said this was just for fun, so I made sure I had fun, loping through the course, unlike the border collie rockets, who take it so seriously. I didn’t make any mistakes despite Mummy’s lack of coordination in two spots. However, doing it in slow-motion cost us 21.75 time error points. I have to think about the weave poles: left…right…left…right… while Mummy is jumping around like Rumpelstilzchen, trying to make me faster. This time she left me to my job, which made me even slower. She says I am a slug, but Trainer Annika was pleased with our precision and members of both of our clubs said I was CUTE.

You can see the run on YouTube .

In the afternoon, Mummy left me tied up in front of the tent, as she always can; I am patient and confident that she will come back. I just went into my crate in the tent. While she was out of sight, our tent blew over and I was raised with it. Luckily, members of one of our clubs in a nearby tent saw the disaster, rescuing and comforting me. Thank you, Rieke! I was a bit traumatized, but soon ready for my second run: Jumping.  Mummy was so pleased with my ability to shake off a bad experience and move on.

In Jumping there was a long jump!  I had only done it a couple of times and not since January. Mummy foresaw a mess there and worried about a couple of hurdles at an angle. I sailed over the long jump and had no trouble with the trickier hurdles, but at one where she thought it was clear to me, I ran past it. To get back to her and do it right, I jumped over it from the wrong side and was disqualified. Mummy’s fault; she should have pulled me away from it to repeat it. No matter; jumping is not so important and we had a good run together anyway. Everybody says that is the main thing.

The next day Mummy and Daddy’s family came for Easter and grandson Colja did agility with me in the backyard. He thought I was quick enough. I did a better job of jumping through my hoop than he did ;-)

Tomorrow we have our second agility trials, a week later Rally trials. I’m a busy girl!