I'm a Flyball Dog!! Really, I am!!!

This past weekend we headed across the border to Betavia, NY for my first official NAFA flyball tournament! My mom was suppose to run my mother TNT Rio and I was scheduled to do warm ups on 2 teams. I had the best time ever.

TNT Baxter - keeping that ball secure :)

On Saturday we started with just doing box turns and 1 run back for the first race. I did a pretty good job so in the next race, we moved back and did 1 jump, then 2 jumps before my time was up. Waiting to go in is the hardest part (or so I thought at the time) because I really want to get in there and play so I bark as loud as I can and jump up and down. So far it has worked, I do this "popcorn" jumping/barking as my mom calls it and then we get to go in and play, woohoo!

My "popcorn" jumping/barking with mom

By the final race of the day, my mom and I had moved up to the full 4 jumps. I did an amazing job and completed my first ever full run at a competition. Our team captain said that they were going to let me run a race if I did the full run and still had a nice box turn. I did the best I could and got the call to play!! Man was I ever excited. I couldn't believe it when I had to watch all the other dogs run the line (I thought I did that only!...told you there was something harder to wait for) So when it was my turn I was all concentration. My mom was saying "get your ball" and then off I went. I was over the first two jumps and just starting over the third and I am pretty sure I heard my name being called (mom doesn't remember calling me early but it shows that it wasn't my fault on the video tape). I turned to see what she wanted and what did I see but another red & white BC like me in the other lane. I thought I would go say hi, maybe that was the box I was suppose to go to as well. I guess that was a bad thing because I got yelled at and then didn't get to play again :(

On Sunday, Pam and my mom decided to try again. This time they waited for the other lane to finish before they let me go. It turned out that on 2 of the races the other team had to send another dog at the same time and I didn't even look over there (so makes me think I was right about mom calling me by mistake) It turns out I helped my team win 2 of the 3 heats! Pretty good for a rookie dog, don't you think? So in the end, I ran 6 full runs and came away with enough points to earn my Flyball Dog (FD) Title!! (I told you I was a flyball dog!)

TNT Baxter, FD

Mom is saying that we are taking a month off from flyball until after Ontario Regionals, man am I going to miss it :) Till June....

p.s. Thank you Len from TTL Photography for the great pictures of Baxter above!!

Touch N Go Flyball Seminar

My mom and I headed to Ottawa, Ontario last weekend for a flyball seminar put on by my flyball team Burnin' Rubber. We were lucky enough to have the 4 Touch N Go Handlers that broke the world record with a 15.210 come to Canada to teach us their flyball training methods.

Both my mom and I had a great time and really learned lots. She said she would recommend anyone that can do a TNG seminar to go, they were really great ladies with tons of great training ideas. I was a very good boy (aren't I always) and did my very best over the weekend. I even ran my first ever full run! and had a time of 4.9 which for a newbie I think is pretty good. They gave me a nice report telling my mom to take it slow and that I will be a good flyball dog :)

Here is a video of me doing run backs, do I look fast? I like driving for my tug toy.



Here is a video of me doing the box turn. My mom says this is a good turn as I do not reposition my feet and don't smush my face into the box :)



After a long day at flyball, it was nice to get back to the hotel and relax.

But I hate when one of the other dogs was out and I had to actually see what they were doing.

Next weekend I get to go to my 2nd flyball tournament. My mom is running Rio and I get to be on 2 teams for warm ups...I can't wait!!

Abbey's gone MAD! and is on countdown!!

I know, it has been a long time since I have posted but I am one very busy red border collie!

This past weekend my mom and Abbey left without me to the Acton Agility trial! Can you imagine? On Sat night they came home with a very big ribbon...Abbey finally got her final Masters Standard Q to earn her Masters Agility Dog of Canada (MADC) title. She is now only 4 Q's away from her Trial Champion title and mom seems very excited about that.

On Sunday we all got to go to the trial. I got to play in the Steeplechase, Team and Standard. I had an off course in Steeplechase to keep me out of a Q but I had 2 great contacts and even got the weave entry! I was a butt head again in the Team but what did mom and Andrea expect when they make me stand in a little box while Peso gets to play MY game!? I was lunging back and forth and almost got out of the box while my mom was trying to hold me. When Peso was done, I tried to run over to see them. Both Andrea and mom flipped out and yelled at me! So then I realized it was my turn but I just didn't jump high enough and took the first jump down, then I couldn't wait at the bottom of the frame and went off course :( Sorry Peso! However, on the final run my mom was thrilled with me. I did have a bar down and missed the weave entry but I nailed all my contacts and even stayed for a sec on the start line and listened to her. I love when she is happy...I got tons of belly rubs for that run :)

Morningstar Agility Trial
A few weeks ago we headed to an 3 day weekend of agility in Kingston. It was really cool because it was just my mom, Andrea, Peso, Abbey and I. The first day was all gambles, I did pretty good in the gambles but unfortunately didn't get any Q's. Abbey however did get her first Masters Gamble Q! On Saturday I was still on a high from getting to run gambles that I just couldn't understand why mom wanted me to do the course the way she wanted :( She was very disappointed with me because I let down our teammates Peso and Andrea. Sunday was a much better day for me because mom decided to just work on my start line (I have a hard time staying there when she walks away) so I decided to behave and we had a better day. Abbey got a Masters Team Q and Peso got his final Masters Jumper Q for his Masters Jumper of Canada Title

Flying through the snow....

Wow, the snow just never ends! I know Mom is dissapointed with the snow storm last weekend because we had to miss the March Deep Freeze Disc trial :( but other than that, I just LOVE the snow.

Mom got a new Nikon D40 camera this week and took a few pics of us flying through the snow :) Thought you would enjoy.

I don't get my "flying red dog" name for nothing. Look at me flying through the snow!

Ripley is a little copy cat...where are his legs anyway?!

OK...you have to admit, my little sister Abbey is the cutest! Look at that drive and determination through the snow. I am thinking she is chasing me when Mom took this picture.

My mom Rio has come to stay with us for a month. Her family have headed south to Florida and since my mom plays disc with Rio, she had come to stay so she could go to the trial. I think Mom and Rio were more upset about missing last weekends disc trial than Dad and I were.

Here is mom Rio flying through the snow at us...she also likes to bark when we are running around :) She is also a "flying red dog" :) See, I come by it naturally, lol.

Tim Horton's Coffee is the best!

The best way to start your morning off is with a good cup of Tim Horton's coffee!!



The best time of year is when Tim Horton's has the "roll up the rim to win" contest. Here is a demo on how to best roll up the rim. I sure hope I win! Don't you think I would look good cruising the streets in a new Toyota Matrix or the waterways in a Bayliner boat?? Ok, a cookie would be tasty too :)

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.