I LOVE the tire jump!!

Mom and Dad took Abbey and I to an agility trial on Sunday. It has been such a long time since we actually got to compete! (well a month seems a long time to a Border Collie!). I got to go first and did ok in my 2 Advanced Standard runs. In the first course I was blasting along a line heading right for the tunnel. Just before I entered the tunnel I thought I heard my mom yell "chute" but before I could really turn around and check with her...there was the tunnel! Being the big red boy that I am, I just couldn't stop in time and had an off course. The next round I did a superb teeter flyoff, well it wasn't really as good as some of my older day ones but it was still pretty good ;) Mom made me come back and do it again the way "she" likes me to do it so we didn't Q there either.

Abbey then got to do 2 Master Standard runs. She only needs 1 more Q to get her Masters Dog of Canada title so I know my mom was really hoping for a good round. Unfortunately Abbey knocked down a bar (10"...can you believe it?!) so she didn't Q. Mom was really happy with the run otherwise since she said it was VERY hard. I didn't hear Mom say my was VERY hard! hump!

Both Abbey and I got to run in the Steeplechase class. Abbey went off course by going in the wrong tunnel entrance blowing her chances for a Q. When I went in there, I did amazing! Mom kept saying how proud she was of my run. I also had an off course (but it was a long way from the weaves to the frame so I thought maybe taking a jump on the way would be a good thing) but I kept the bars up and listened well.

The last course was jumpers :) It was very close to the Steeplechase round so I was flying. I did knock the first bar down :( so mom knew we weren't Q'ing. She had me do some hard layering stuff and said she was happy with how I handled that. Then for the final portion you went through the tunnel and then over the jump. I guess you were suppose to turn right for the final 2 jumps but glowing right in front of me was the tire jump!! I LOVE the tire jump!! It was only 3 jumps away to get to it...so I took off as fast as I could. Jump, one stride, jump, one stride, jump...just one more stride left to get to the TIRE!! What?! Is that Mom I hear yelling at me?! What is she doing all the way over on the other side of the ring? Aren't we taking the tire jump? :( I guess not. Next time!!

Bake me a cake as fast as you can......

I know, that doesn't make sense without me telling you the whole story :)

This past weekend we headed west to the February Deep Freeze Disc Series. There was a disc trial on both Sat and Sun. I heard my mom telling my dad that I only needed 2 more Q's and I would get 2 titles! I was pumped and could easily do it but then.....

We get there early Sat morning and all I could think about what was, my tummy is growling! My dad and I go out for our first round and what do I see before me but Flour!! Now, tell me, what is flour used for...that's right, making cakes (see where this is going). So, I just couldn't help myself (remember, my tummy was growling) so I took off on dad to get some flour and planned to come right back. I finally felt a tug on my collar and realized that I forgot about playing. He threw the disc for me and of course I caught it, I am a disc dog you know. That was the practice one so we start the round and I catch the first disc and then on my way back to dad, the flour calls my name..."Baxter, eat me! eat me!"...whats a Border Collie to do? So I start eating some more of the flour real fast, so that I can get back to dad but then the next thing I know, he has me by the collar and we are leaving the ring! What the heck happened, it surely wasn't a minute already? Both mom and dad didn't seem pleased :(

The next round I tried my best to pay attention to dad. Mom had worked me before going in to get my attention and I was ready to play. I just took one quick lick of the flour and then did 3 great catches over 30 yards, yeah! we get a Q. So then dad throws one more in the time allowed but I just missed it off my nose, he seems real happy with me anyway. He calls me to leave the ring and then it hits me...I need to poop! I can't wait, I have to go right now! So I squat and hear all these people calling my name, like can't they wait!?! So I finish my business and man do mom and dad seem annoyed with me. I hear mom say something about not getting the Q, woops. I then hear someone laugh and say that "he was eliminated for eliminating" not really sure what that means but I didn't really think it was funny!

We then head off to play in the hotel for the night. It was a great room with lots of room to run around. I get to lay on the bed and chew on a nice chewie.

Sunday morning we head off to the disc trial. I had every intention of being a good boy this time. I won't eat flour, I won't eat flour...this is what I keep telling myself. So we head into the ring (we are the 3rd team to go) and what is glowing big and white and tasty? right there in front of me! Maybe I can just have a quick lick! ok, that was good, maybe another quick one. Uh oh, here comes dad...look there is another line of flour about 5 yards away, I can get to that one. Lick, lick, lick...oh god this is so good but here comes dad! The 20 yard line looks scrumptious! I run out to that line, it is just perfect! The flour is about 3 inches tall and 3 inches wide...mmmmmmmmm. I run along the line licking staying away from dad. Then I find a huge pile and start to devour it but put my guard down only to realize a minute later that I am being picked up by dad and walked out of the ring! Now, have you ever heard anything so embarrassing in your life? And the judge is over there laughing!! The nerve of the humans in my life. What is a skinny red dog to do?!

For some reason we don't go in for our second round and end up leaving to come home. I felt kind of bad that I didn't get to play/eat another round. I heard dad say that he was really glad we went away for 2 days to get 7 points, woops. Oh well, next time.

Border Collies and flyball...

This weekend my breeder Tiffany came to stay at our house because the flyball tournament was fairly close. She brought 3 border collies with her (my mom Rio, my auntie Pipe and Ripley's 1/2 sister Jeepers who is heading to California on Monday to her new home). Wow was it ever fun to have so many BC's around. My mom took a picture of the 3 generations of TNT reds.


Above is: Jeepers (8 week old Flare x Reckon pup), TNT Rio (my mom) and me! Aren't we a great looking group of red dogs? :)

So on Saturday we got up nice and early and I got my first taste of a flyball tournament. Sharkfebst is a NAFA tournament held each Feb in Richmond Hill, ON. I was lucky enough to be allowed to do warm ups as a part of my new team Burnin Rubber.

Above is a picture of me doing the warm up. Grandma Tiff said I looked like a "fixated flyball dog". I am taking that as a compliment :)

For the first race the warm up is used by all the dogs on the team to make sure they are ready to run, so I got to do one recall back to my tug..what a blast that was. I am pretty sure my mom was worried I wouldn't concentrate but I made her very proud. The next time my team was running, just one other dog and I did the warm up so we had more time. This time the team captain told my mom to do 2 box turns and then a recall with me. I was a bit confused and she was rushing so it was a bit of chaos :) I did the recall great though. The team captain Pam told mom to relax and take her time with me so the next time we were up was much better! I did about 4 box turns and a good recall. The final race I got to do the warm up all by myself. We did tons of box turns and then my final recall. Man what a FUN day I had! I can't wait for Wednesday so I can learn more about flyball, I think this is definitely a game I want to play!

I am excited about next weekend, we are off to the 2 day February Deep Freeze Disc Trial! I am hoping that my dad throws the discs well and that I can catch enough to finally get my Advanced Disc Dog title....till next week!

3km walking trail...perfect!

Our friend Martin brought home a new 11 week old red & white Border Collie this past weekend. (everyone wants a red boy like me!) He is pretty cute if I do say so myself, even though I mostly ignore him. He always wants to jump up and lick my face, not sure how much I like that.

I do however like the trail that Martin takes his dog Ginger and puppy Zipper to, and we got to go along today for the 3km walk. We had a total blast, running through the snow and racing each other (Rip and I anyway...Zipper is too slow still, lol)

Here is a picture of the new puppy Zipper:


The worst part is when the humans want us to sit together and pose for the camera. Do you like my cheesy smile...and Zip knew to keep his head away from me!


Here is a pic of Rip and I running along the trail. It was a blast! I am still the fastest boy in the house :)