Rhonda Carter in Melbourne - April 2008

Last week I submitted my application for a working spot at the Ronda Carter Advanced Handling Seminars to be held in Melbourne, in April this year ... they approved my application! So we’re off to Melbourne in a few months.

Backyard Fun!

I love the feeling of opening the back gate and just letting the kids RUN, and we often do ... the sight of Border Collies, a Dalmatian, a Malinois and the Papillons all running free together is just delightful! We got this funny photo below when playing around in the backyard the other day ...




Who says you can't train multiple dogs all at once?! ... from left to right there is Sketch following Chilli following Summer ... and yes, each of them were rewarded for their 2on 2off contact!

Agility Seminar with Stacy Peardot

Last week I attended three nights of agility seminars with Stacy Peardot (arranged by Deb Kelly of Blue Moon NSW and Tom Weir & Jody Bronovich) ... what a great start to the new year. Stacy is a pleasure to train with and so full of great advice for every handler and every dog, her handling skills are second to none and she teaches clearly and simply, easy for all to understand and apply.

A nice group of keen and focussed dog/handler teams attended - I took Ticket along. By the end of the three evenings Ticket and I were running some very complex courses and much faster than I would have imagined! Wow, what an awesome feeling ... the freedom of running with your dog as fast as you possibly can, without micromanaging or losing your mind!

It just proves that good handling skills will carry you a long way, along with correct evaluation when walking the course and deciding on the best path to take. There were very few bars down and the more we pushed and the more accurate and decisive we were, the keener and better the dogs performed.

Stacy made it clear that we should evaluate a course based on the BEST way to handle it, NOT to suit the dog and it's skills (or lack of) ... if we continually analyze courses based on our dogs inability to perform certain skills then we will never go that one step further to improve our training and handling.

Being consistent, clear and precise is essential in order to work your dog at top speed with accuracy and remember, that "off course" jump that you're worried about may be the distance challenge jump that you're worried about not getting next time - it's just how you look at it!

Stacy leaves me feeling very capable and motivated. Thank you Stacy for a great agility training experience once again! Come back soon!!!

Reminiscing ... 2007 at Westurn

2007 at a Glance ...

2007 saw us say “Good Bye” to our two dear old friends, Jenna & Sonny, early in the year. Even though it was imminent that they were not for this world much longer they still left any empty spot in our lives and our hearts and I have to admit, a thought doesn’t go by without the temptation of a tear now and then.

On a brighter side, life at Westurn has been increasingly busy, with the building of our new Kennels, Battersea Park Boarding Kennels, which were completed and also started operation later in the year.

Amongst all this, we still managed to continue to train, trial and exhibit, we worked hard, we struggled but didn't give up, and we were rewarded with our achievements.

Some highlights were …

• Battersea Park Boarding Kennels were finished and opened for our first customer in August.
• Comet, Fyaril Westn Star Gazer, our first Papillon in the show ring was awarded a Minor Puppy in Group and a Puppy in Group plus was also invited to the Puppy of the Year Competition 2007.
• Chilli, Ch Vanrusselhof On Fire, completed her show Champion Title, collecting a number of Minor Puppy in Group awards and invitations to the Puppy of the Year Competition 2007 along the way. We also saw the Malinois population grow in the show ring early in the year, giving us some nice competition.
• Kota, Westurn Dakota Kid, picked up an Intermediate in Group Award, still trying to break the ice, he collected Reserve Challenges behind his dad, Denver (Au Grand/Multi Ch Borderfame Heart N Soul)
• Hunter, Westurn Sun Hunter, started his show career, turning some heads and although sparingly shown here in WA he was awarded Baby Puppy in Group and also invited to the Puppy of the Year 2007 Competition.
  Satu, Fyaril Westn Fairytale, joined us, adding another Papillon to the Westurn family - thanks again to Fyaril Papillons.
• Rocket, Westn Rocket, still the only Papillon competing in agility in WA, gained his Novice Agility (AD) and Excellent Jumping (JDX) Titles, and also qualified for the State Agility Finals in Novice Agility and Excellent Jumping, placing 3rd in the Agility Final!
• Cash, Edenbrae Western Mustang, now 8 years young, finished his Open Jumping and Agility (JDO & ADO) Titles, along with his Strategic Pairs Excellent (SPDX) Title with partner Sonny (Brynbank Magic Sunday), taking numerous wins and places together. Cash also qualified for the State Masters Jumping Finals.
• Carrie, Mistydal My Western Girl, still the only Dalmatian in the agility ring in WA, finished her Snooker (SD), Gamblers (GD) and Strategic Pairs (SPDX) Titles – still teamed up with her reliable Strategic Pairs partner, Meg.
• Summer, Westurn Secret Summer, joined Helen’s training team and began her agility training … she can’t wait to get out there!
• Sketch, Westurn Solitary Man, although a late starter he gained his Jumping Dog (JD) title at the end of the year.
• Ticket worked hard on her agility and was rewarded with a number of wins in Excellent Jumping, still working on teaching Helen to move and think quicker!
• Cash, Carrie and Rocket featured in a local television advertisement.
• Westurn Performance Dogs Achievements reached a total of 41 Titles and 160 clear "Qualifying" rounds in Agility & Jumping! See our Achievements Page for full details.

Looking forward to 2008 ...

• Look out for Hunter in the Working Dog show ring as he grows up.
• Comet will continue strutting his stuff in the Toy Dog show ring and Satu will join him to start her show career early in the year.
• Chilli will start her agility career, and maybe try her paw at some obedience.
• Summer will bring a new generation of Westurn Border Collies to the agility world and enter the trial ring later in the year.
• Cash & Carrie will continue trialling at Agility Games and Pairs.
• Ticket may even head East to Melbourne for the Agility Nationals in August (we’ll see)
• Apart from being thoroughly spoilt at home, River & Delta will take in the odd show and Delta might look at planning her next litter.
• Kota will continue to chase a few more challenge points.
• Battersea Park Boarding Kennels will continue to grow and look forward to many more happy customers.
• Rocket will continue in his very important role as “PR Manager” for Westurn and Battersea Park, keeping everyone informed and assisting Mum with the daily reception and operational tasks.

… who knows what else might evolve around here!

Agility Training with Johanna

Johanna Allanach – Bluewhyle Shelties & Border Collies (Denmark)

Johanna is so much fun to train with … always interesting with different ideas, her comments and feedback flows continually whilst she works with you. Her suggestions are always “do-able” and she communicates easily and clearly what she wants you to do. I still have her voice echoing in my head with advice she gave me when last visiting, two years ago …it is invaluable.

Whilst Johanna was here this time I was lucky enough to be able to steal her away from her family for a couple of training sessions. She worked with me and Ticket on some interesting sequences, asking (no, actually telling) me to do it this way and that way – my initial response was “Ticket won’t do that! …” but I gave each one a go and low and behold after a short time Ticket and I were working some sequences that I would never have thought possible, and if I’d come across them on a course I would have struggled with how to handle them.

Now I have lots of training to do … firstly to teach Ticket the skills she needs in order to confidently perform the moves that Johanna taught us and secondly to practice/perfect my own handling skills. I have so much flying around in my head and I can’t wait to get back to normality (after Christmas/New Year) and get stuck into it!

“Thank You” Johanna for sharing your knowledge with me once again and brightening my Christmas … you are a pleasure to train with and also great company! I look forward to catching up again, be it here in Oz or on your side of the world! Good Luck at Cruft’s this year!