Farewell to the 2008 WAC

Day 3 of Competition was the Team's events. To compete in this Australia would need 3 competitors with at least 1 competitor running a mini or toy dog. So we spent the day in the stands cheering on the other teams and watching in awe of some of talented dogs and awesome handling. I was really itching to be down there running Gizzy in the Agility and Jumping legs of the teams. I just felt we were starting to meld and that I was understanding his needs more and fine-tuning my timing; and the courses looked challenging yet do-able. But it wasn't to be... Still the closing ceremony and the presentations were great. The team results were Russia 1st, Netherlands 2nd and Canada 3rd.

Gizzy and I had ended up being placed 16th in the Maxi class All-Round Challenge (Agility + Jumping + Snooker + Gamblers). I'm very proud of this achievement considering we first met on Wednesday afternoon for a brief training session before working together for an hour on Thursday at the official practice session and Friday and Saturday competing together.

Gizzy is very different from my own dogs in nature and to run, but we had a lot of fun together once I got a feel for what he needed from me as a handler. There are many things I have learned over the time I've been working with Gizzy... the plan I had loosely laid out in terms of games to play to help our bonding went out the window the first day and I realised that everything needs to be completely flexible to fit with what the individual dog finds rewarding. I had made assumptions going in that I should not have made. Perhaps the first and most important thing is to discover the list of rewards the dog has from most rewarding to least rewarding and use these accordingly.

So it is all over now, and today I leave Ingelmunster and start on the next part of my trip. There were three very very special people I've met here in Belgium that have made our stay very welcoming... an experience I will never forget. So to Ronny, Els and Niko, a HUGE thank you! Competing at the WAC for Australia would never have been possible without your willingness to loan us your dogs and then your constant and unwavering support throughout the event. Ronny was always nearby, quick to answer questions about Gizzy and to help us celebrate each run. I hope one day to be able to return the favour and hospitality!

Mal's Runs

I will be uploading Mal's runs with Malinka to this blog. I will edit the entry as I get each run up online.

Saturday's Snooker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw1kAJQkyxA


Saturday's Jumping

Day Two of Competition

Wow! What a day! Four runs today with Gizzy and with the exception of our snooker run I was really pleased with each. It was fun! I came off the three courses feeling like we are really starting to click and that my timing is improving. I wish we were running tomorrow too!
In the snooker, he tried really hard for me but just got very confused about running past obstacles. I could really feel his frustration with the game. In Belgium they do not play games often. But the gamblers was a good run; it was hard to know how to plan the opening section as I still didn't have a feel for his rate of travel, so was one obstacle short of where I had planned to be when the whistle blew, which I was quite happy with, but that meant that my run down the gamble line was closer than I'd intended to be, leaving myself no room to push back in on him after obstacle 2 toward the tunnel. I was still ecstatic with our opening though; it wasn't huge on points but it was fairly flowing which was my aim for us both to start out the day. Both the agility and jumping runs were a lot of fun and I'd love to do more.

These are the videos of the runs with the course plans. (Sorry no video editing software with me, so they are still in raw format!)
Run 1: Gamblers





Run 2: Agility






Run 3: Snooker






Run 4: Jumping





After each run, Ronny, Gizzy's owner was there to help celebrate and to reward Gizzy for his efforts; it was always good to share that 'after-run' feeling, and made it feel like a team effort. I couldn't have asked for a more supportive and helpful owner from which to borrow a dog. Ronny has been incredibly generous in offering his dog to the Australians and then has gone out of his way to help us in any way possible. I can not thank him enough!

Day One of Competition

Today was Day 1 of Competition
We started with the Opening Ceremony with all teams in full uniform. Dogs were optional... I felt Gizzy would benefit from staying in his crate. The atmosphere wasn't as stimulating as I had feared, but I am still happy with the decision.
It was a teary moment moment heading out onto the field and thinking that it is all about to start... hearing and seeing the supporters and I was glad to be wearing my sunglasses.



The first course was Power and Speed and was judged by Cathy. Some really nice runs in that; though also many eliminations within the power section as dogs blew weave entries or missed contacts. Both Mal and I were E'd off early in the power section. Gizzy and I missed our weaves... I have a new word to learn... sounds a bit like "Poledjar".


Second run was Agility. Nice course from the Russian judge. Gizzy and I had a really great run with which I was pleased. We coped well with the discriminations. We incurred 10 faults; so one weave entry problem and one refusal at a serpentine. We were placed 17th in the class. Unfortunately no video footage of this run. But below is the course.


The final run of the day was jumping. I had some good moments in this run but Eliminated Gizzy at a pull through to the cloth tunnel as I was just way too slow to tell him about the turn. But I was thrilled with our connection over the early part of the course.

Ring Practice

Gizzy and I had an interesting day. I was really happy with some of the work we managed to put together during the practice sessions, especially what we accomplished in ring 1. He needs me to support his line a little more than I am used to having to do, but at the same time he is more than willing to work really hard for me. This dog really loves his agility! Though at the same time, he is still not wanting to play with me... he likes to do things on his terms; I don't think the four days with which I have to play with him will convince him that my terms are better ;-)
Here is a short video of some of our practice session.


Tonight was the welcoming dinner as well. We had our Aussie koala and Aussie flags flying high! The ceremony was great and we got to meet a number of officials and handlers from around the world. Already people are approaching us arranging gear swaps... hats for hats, shirts for shirts! There is a bit of an art to negotiating the best swaps I'm finding! At the moment I'm on a promise for a US team shirt, a Belgium hat and a Netherlands hat. I'm wondering what I'll get for the blow up Aussie finger that is being waved wildly from the grandstand...

Gizzy it is!

So we had a productive practice session Wednesday arvo and settled on the dogs we will each run for the WAC. I'm honoured to be running Gizzy. Mal will be running Malinka.
Gizzy adores his handler Ronny and was quite focussed on him at our session yesterday and play was a little hard for me to engage; but put an agility obstacle in front of him and he was more than willing to work it! So I'm very excited about today and the next few days of the WAC. Today I get to work him at the arena in the rings. My focus will be on keeping myself moving and talking to him a lot throughout the obstacles to keep a connection with Gizzy. And keeping it upbeat and lots of fun. Ronny plays rough with Gizzy so he is definitely more a Zoom type dog to engage with than a Jonty dog. He loves balls... but the challenge for me with the ball is getting him to return to me with it. So I'll be focusing today on using a tug toy even though it is not his absolute favourite toy. He loves movement too... so quick and short 1-2-3 games will also help build the connection. And the sessions will be short as I'm exhausted after a couple of minutes of full-on play with him... definitely no faking it with this puppy!!!

Overall it is so very exciting. I also got my uniform last night... and couldn't help myself; had to try it on! The green and gold... it made me feel very Australian! Actually it was a bit of a "war dance" moment... hence the silly grin! Forgive the mirror shot, best I could come up with at the time, to record that 'OMG' moment.

More this evening after the practice sessions!

Arrived in Belgium

Well, I've arrived in Belgium; our GPS has decided it does not wish to work, so we got a little lost and had a scenic tour from Paris to Ingelmunster, but we are here now! After a week in Philadelphia with limited internet access I am a little behind on my blog and my emails. So imagine my surprise when tonight I log in to find a best wishes YouTube video from the ADAA crew. Thanks guys... you are all too awesome for words!



Today we briefly met with one of the dogs and her owners. And we have another session scheduled tomorrow afternoon with both dogs to work out which dog with which handler. Thursday is the official practice session with the dogs at the grounds with Australia having a half hour slot in each ring. Thursday night is the welcome dinner and then the opening ceremony at 9am Friday. Then we start running these puppies for real!
Aside from all the logistics, it was nice to get a chance to work with a dog again today. I feel like I'm coming back into my element. I really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to tommorrow arvo and am thinking about the best plan for that time.