Happy Birthday to me....

Yesterday was my birthday and I turned 3 years old. Mom came home from work with a special treat just for me from Timmy's :) It was this most amazing Pumpkin Spice muffin. Can you imagine my surprise when she said to get up on the chair for my birthday muffin? Up I jumped (that was easy by the way and I think it may be a fun place to get food from in future...put that in my memory bank ;)) The worst part is she put this flashing badge on me and they made me sit there while my muffin was about to burn (not sure what that was about). Mom decided to blow out the candle and then Dad took the muffin away!?! Can you imagine? I thought that was a very cruel joke.

But then he came back to the table with the muffin on the plate. You can just imagine my eyes when they sat it in front of me and said that I could eat it. I didn't even need to share it with my doggie siblings!! (Ripley was in his crate barking his head off, hehehe)

Man was that the yummiest treat EVER! I didn't want to take a chance on having to share even a crumb so I ate it all in one bite :) Aren't you impressed that I could do that?!

Mom says she is sad that I am getting older and how the time flies but all I can think of is...I can't wait to turn 4, hehehe. Wonder what I will get next year, you know all I can ever think of is my stomach :)

Bootcamp Week 4 update

Let me tell you, bootcamp is VERY hard work for a border collie! The weekend after the last update we headed to Spot On for a 1 day agility trial. My Mom decided to get there 45 minutes early to work with me on my bed and at a practice jump. She made me drive to my bed that was beside the ring, what a fun game! I really liked this game from the start and won’t leave without my new awesome release word “break”. We also worked on the 1 jump there. I was holding my stays, turning tight to her, extending and doing nice rear crosses. She was very happy with me and kept giving me kisses (how embarrassing!)

A bunch of people started arriving so Mom kept working with me on my bed and with stays. Mom got lots of questions about my bed and why I needed to be on such a small bed (didn’t I tell you it was small). It seems that once she explained the people no longer felt sorry for me :( Andrea and Arlene arrived at the site and came over to see me, I just love both of them! They seemed impressed at how well I was doing and gave me nice pets.

I got to run in Advanced Jumpers (I did great only knocking 1 bar down! but going off course because of Mom), Steeplechase (Both Mom and I were idiots on this one and I knocked 4 bars down, Mom wasn’t too happy about that), Masters Standard FEO (Mom worked my stay and contacts, leaving the ring very happy with me) and then Advanced Standard (Mom was thrilled! I held my start line, got all my contacts, missed the weaves though and had only 1 bar down!! but rocked the serp) We ended the day very happy with my progress and went home to relax with the other dogs and my Dad.

The next morning we headed east to Mont Tremblant Quebec. The cottage was really nice but was on a major road so we didn’t get alot of off-leash time. We got to swim each day off the dock though and I just LOVED that. I didn’t even bark once, just jumped in and went for the toy. I kept getting to the toy before Ripley so I was in doggie-heaven! I sure taught that little brat a lesson on who is boss. We got to go into Mont Tremblant the one day for a nice hike with Mom and Dad. We were walking on this trail when out popped 2 deer! I couldn’t believe my eyes, these guys were huge, one with big antlers!! A little way’s down from there was a house and just then I noticed this cat walking on their driveway. Man, I would have loved to chase that cat but Mom had my snoot loop on so I couldn’t go anywhere. Well guess what…those deer, they did it for me! They started jogging towards the cat and between them they tried to corner it! Can you imagine? They were my heros!!!!

After the week in Quebec we headed to Grandma Tiff’s place for a weekend of agility at the Ottawa Valley Border Collie Club/All Dog’s Sept trial. I was entered in lots of runs. My first one was Advanced Standard. Mom and Dad said they were so proud of me because I stayed at the start line while she lead out 3 obstacles to the teeter. I knocked the first bar down so Mom decided she would train in the ring. She made sure that I stayed on the all the contacts no matter what till she released me. I missed the weave entry but did them the next time. Our next course was Advanced Snooker. I guess Mom was expecting a lot but I just hate that game. I decided to make my own course so I only got to jump 3 jump and then took the tunnel, off we went :( Then we had Advanced Standard 2. I knocked another bar again but only the 1. I entered the weave poles (Mom was shocked and thrilled) My contacts were great so overall Mom was happy. The last course of the day was Advanced Jumpers. Mom lead out so far but I stayed put and waited for my release word. She was “thrilled” (her words) with my performance. She said it was such a hard course and I only knocked 1 bar down but did a threadle, serp and she said the bar was her fault because she was a bit late getting to her front cross spot. I was smoking fast and was only 0.2 seconds slower than the dog that won the class and from what I hear, that dog has tighter turns that I do. Wait until I get my turning under control….

The next day I had Masters Gamble. Man was that ever FUN! I had a smoking hot opening, nailing my contacts, getting both mini’s, doing the 4 point twice but sadly didn’t get the closing which included the weave poles. The last run was Steeplechase but after my Gamble run I was a bit spun out and didn’t listen to Mom at all :( She made me even lay down in the middle of the course which she hasn’t done in soo long. Oh well, overall she said I rocked. I didn’t bark once the whole weekend at ringside and again had lots of people enquire about my new bed.

Well that was the last of our agility trials for 2008. We are now onto training only for the rest of the year heading to Say Yes another few times. Last weekend we went to a training seminar with Tracy Sklenar (a teacher at Say Yes) who put on a 2x2 weave clinic. She gave Mom a few pointers on what to do to re-train the weaves for me so that is where our bootcamp has led us now. We are going to be working steady for 2 weeks on weaves to see if I can learn to find the entry and get it everytime. I am not sure if this will work but both Mom and I are going to try. You know, I am a RED dog!!!

I will keep you updated on the bootcamp status. Till next time….

Licks, B

Boot Camp?!?!

So it has been a looong time since I wrote but in my defense, it has been a very busy summer. After Regionals, mom decided to take some time off of agility for me. She thought that we needed a break from trialing and concentrate more on skills. We also spent a bunch of the summer doing disc dog where I was quite successful getting my Advanced Disc Dog (ADD) Title and my Disc Dog Champion (DDCh) Title! I even had some top placements in some Skyhoundz trials so my dad was very happy with me. I also started to learn the art of dock diving and have actually taken a few dives from the dock! So needless to say, the summer went fast and I am excited about this fall.

Me barking on the dock while Ripley jumps in!

Learning to jump from the ramp at first.

So you might ask, what is this "Boot Camp" about?? Well let me tell you a story...

Two weeks ago Mom and I packed our bags (mine with lots of food and toys, hers boring clothes) and headed to Alberton ON to participate in Susan Garrett's Masters Handling seminar. Mom was worried I wouldn't do well so we also let Abbey tag along (she was going to run her instead of me if I was bad...how rude!!).

We got there on Friday and once we were settled in our tent, Mom went off to hear about the rules of the weekend. It turns out that Susan's agility field is right beside this awesome pond and the rule was, if your dog went swimming without you telling him/her to, then the human had to go in and get their dog!! Mom was not chancing my bad terrier sister going in and having to get her in her clothes so I became number 1 dog!! :) SWEET.

It turns out that Susan thinks I am a great dog, too bad about the handler (isn't that a title of someone's video, hehehe). Actually Mom was very good and listened to everything she could learn over the weekend and we had a BLAST! I got to do so many runs and I really tried hard to understand these new rules...like where my mom is, is where I am going. Imagine, that seems so simple but I still have a slight hard time not running off and taking the jumps ;) I overheard Susan tell Mom 4 things over and over....don't let him flank you....get the Crates Games video....do the 1 Jump video....circle work, circle work.

So this is where Boot Camp begins. We came home and right away Mom went out and bought me this tiny little cot/bed. Doesn't she realize the size of me?! But she saw how Susan's dogs & students dogs would sit and be good while the dogs run that now she thinks that would be good for me! The only great thing about this bed is that I get the BEST treats when I am on it. I actually love running and laying down on it.

Me on my new bed...see what I mean about small?!?!

She also dug up her Crate Games and 1 Jump videos and has spent the week going through them and writing down her training plan! We have so far worked on steps 1 to 3 in Crate Games and I am very good about sitting and waiting for the crate to open and like my bed, LOVE going back in for the BEST treats!! (Boot Camp doesn't sound too bad, does it?! lol) I am starting to learn the rules on the 1 jump and love working all this time with mom.

Doing 1 jump work (not focusing forward)

Focusing forward now :)

We are also working every day on circle work where I have to stay by my Mom's side whether she is running or walking. The good part is that I get LOTS of treats but the bad part is I have to wear a Snoot Loop (those suck!!) Mom even takes me for a long walk each day on the Snoot Loop and feeds me my dinner. Lots of people have commented on how well behaved I am and even Grandma Tiff came to stay one night this week and she was saying how much calmer I seem. Well what is a dog to do when they are bone tired from all this work?!?!

Well I will let you know how boot camp is going....next week we are in Quebec at a cottage. I heard Mom say she was bringing a jump so I guess there is no rest for a BC.

Ontario Regionals here we come.....

I know...it has been a long time since I posted but it is hard to get on this computer these days. We have been very busy dogs so mom is either blogging, updating websites or else Abbey is hogging the computer! Yes, she is now a blogger too! See if I ever show her anything again and she is really trying to out-do me too.

So this weekend is the Ontario Regional Championships and I am going! woofhoo! Mom keeps asking me if I can at least get the gambles and no off courses...what the heck kind of attitude is that? I only try and get her money's worth out of the runs and she wants me to do less obstacles?! Ohh, I guess I can try but no promises. I will let you know how I do. There are 58 dogs in my class so lets hope that I can keep my brains and not come in 58th ;)

Alot has happened since I last posted. Mom, Andrea, Peso, Abbey and I went to Acton Agility a few weeks back and I rocked. I got both Masters Gamble Q's and really listened to mom. Abbey rocked too getting her 2nd Master Gamble Q.

Last weekend we went to Spot On's trial and I did great (or so mom says). I didn't get any Q's but I also didn't have any off courses (mom was thrilled) and even got most of my weave entries! I have been going to the chiropractor for the past month (Dr Helen Tandy...my new best friend) and I am feeling much better...I am able to get my big body into the weaves again. Abbey also had a great weekend, she came away with her final Masters Gamble Q to earn her MGDC title and she got her 2nd Masters Team Q. She is only 1 Q away from her ATChC.

Hey...why am I talking about her, she has her own blog! If you want to check it out (but I don't recommend it...she is just sitting here with her teeth showing making me type this) it is at www.agilitywirefoxterrier.blogspot.com

Well I think we are almost packed for our weekend adventure. I think mom is taking her laptop so I might post each day.

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