Ah, day one of USDAA and it is of course team day. We had a team of all aussies, will have to get a pic and post it. Flurry, deuce and bailey were 2 (get it deuce) wild and crazy girls. Well, after a valiant effort and some smoking runs, we just ended up below the line. Oh well, it was a great effort and everyone had a run they could be super proud of. All three dogs are still very young and showed flashes of brilliance on every course. I was a little worried because of course, gamblers was first and that just seems to be my hang up. I plan a course so I know exactly where I am going, I don't tend to panic, and I still SUCK. I was planning two a-frames and as I headed back after doing 2, 7s (the weaves), he flicked off of me and took the tire jump and another jump instead. I guess he got 4 points instead of 5 but it kind of rattled me. We got lucky in that the bonus was get as many obstacles as you can and get out. Anything you got doubled and I really wanted two teeters but ended up with just one and a tunnel and one jump. Oh well, didn't want to start the day out greedy. I do hate when he flicks off of me though and of course snooker was next and I needed 0 flicking for this course. Again, wasn't going for broke, planned a 5, 6 and a four and then the closing. Was going well until I headed to the 4 which was a tunnel. The judge was standing right in the way of the entrance so deuce ran to the other end and took it which put me in a panic mode. We started the closing but I think i was a little panicky so I caused him to knock the first bar of the 5 combo. DANG IT! Snooker is usually our thing but this was a very tough course that bit most teams before they even got that far so I was happy with how we did. One of our teammates got all the way to the 7 which helped. It was funny because after gamblers (thanks to that same teammate) we were in first. We dropped down to third which was nice but still three more courses to run.
Standard was next and boy what a course. Really funky angles and LOTS of traps. Deuce ran it like a pro, listened, was tight, held contacts and was headed for home. I am not sure what happened but we had an evil ending line that had a dog walk to a winged jump, out to wingless, back in to a tire, back out to a wingless and over a winged jump. Blink and your dogs were extended and missing a jump. Deuce took the first jump of the evil line and saw the a-frame. I was holding back trying to help him pull into the next jump which i think also confused him as I like being ahead, not hanging behind. Got him back and then he missed the tire and took the next jump. DANG! An evil E to go with the evil ending. It bit alot of dogs but I was so dang proud of the rest of the run that I wasn't mad at myself for long. He did some really good things on that course and listened and never even looked at some of the off course options.
Jumpers was next and again a little bit of a tricky course. We were doing well until we hit the broad jump and when I say HIT, I mean HIT. I was taking off for a front cross and I have no clue what happened but i heard a huge commotion, looked back and saw deuce rolling through the broad jump. It was one of those big metal ones so it made alot of noise and the crowd of course gasped. He picked himself up and we finished the course but it was a nasty way to get a fault. Guess I need to buy a broad jump and practice HUH? Anyway, he seemed fine so I wasn't too worried. I think those metal broads just sound loud when you hit them. Pairs was last and we were a few points below the line but the relay course was pretty good. First teammate made it through clean, second teammate had an E :( and then deuce had a bar. I was determined to get this front cross in that no one else was doing and I did and it worked beautifully so i didn't care that we had the E. We were one team below the line but as i said earlier, everyone had runs they were super proud of and I think that is the take away message here. Deuce hit all of his weaves and listened (other than gamblers) and I was very, very happy with him at the end of the day.
Now on to the dog I was NOT happy with. Decided to take stella since I had no clue when I would be home or how late tony would be working. BIG mistake. I can't lug metal crates in so thought I would take my cloth crate in for her. I even gave her the one crate that isn't screwed up thinking she would appreciate that i treat her like a queen. Brought my peanut butter and her kong thinking that would keep her busy. After I took deuce out for the second run, stella decided even though she had PB, she would eat her way out of the crate. She tore a hole in mesh door and had her head half way out. URGH!!!! I knew better than to trust her but I thought the power of PB would overcome. Luckily my teammate had a wire crate that she lugged in and let me use so stella at least couldn't get out. She did scream even though we had PB and I had to enlist people to stand by her crate and give her cookies when she was quiet and finally had to just put her in the car. I will be leaving her with her daddy tomorrow. I can't have to deal with a screaming dog and focus on my runs. I would rather her be at home. She is for the most part, leaving her stitches alone (i had her spayed and yes she is young but I can't have deuce stella puppies). She seems more bothered by razor burn so will try and get something to soothe that tonight. She is leaking a little but I hope that stops. Really don't want to have to put her on meds:( but i guess we will do what we have to. Anyway great day minus the screaming and torn up crate. She really keeps me on my toes!
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