Fall is here

 

                                                                 Fall colors

 

                                      Zeeba High in Trial

 

 

Blu ribbon from Agility at Susquenango

 

It seems that since Mom uses Facebook every day she hardly ever updates our blog. Zeeba started out the summer with Lyme disease again and missed a few trials but is running great again. He now has 8 QQs and 816 MACH points. Those dropped bars have cut down on the QQ total. Robin has switched to preferred and is ExA preferred in std and Open P in jumpers. Zeeba has picked up some placements as well, even a couple of blue ribbons. At our last show we had an adventure because the RV wouldn't start and we were stranded at the Westfield fairgrounds. Our friend Lois gave Mom and Zeeba and Robin a ride home while Dad waitied until the nice mechanic managed to get the vehicle on the road. He made it home safely but the RV is still in the shop getting it's wiring repaired. The leaves are turning colors so it really looks like Fall here now. Besides agility Zeeba also showed in Obedience for his CDX title with 3 first places and a High in Trial. Now he's trying hard to learn Utility without barking all the time.

Early Spring

Hi from Zeeba and Robin. Looks like we're having an early Spring and lots of new things are happening.Mom got a new "dogmobile', a Subaru Outback. We also are trying out new phone and internet connections--we're going wireless. Hope this makes it easier for mom to help us write in our Blog. Poor Zeeba had Lymes again this winter and also a pulled muscle so he took some time off from work and play. We've been to one agaility trial so far and Robin is now showing in "preferred" since she is 10 years old. She got two ribbons--a first and second. Zeeba had one bar down in each class so he didn't Q. Mom has to send out lots of e-mails since we have a new address.

NO SUCCESS

I GUESS IT DIDN'T WORK TO TRY TO PUBLISH POSTS FROM 2009 AND 2010. THEY ARE PROBABLY LOST IN CYBERSPACE.

Unpublished posts

FOLLOWING ARE SOME POSTS THAT FOR SOME REASON NEVER GOT PUBLISHED WHEN THEY WERE WRITTEN--INTERNET WAS PROBABLY TOO BUSY. tHEY DATE FROM 2011.

Merry Christmas

Robin and Zeeba think it's about time they updated their blog. It's the first day of winter after all. We've already had two snowstorms of 10 and 7 inches but it's almost all melted so we're waiting for more for a white Christmas.

With the summer and fall agility trials Zeeba now has over 500 points toward his MACH but only 5 QQ's. Seems he keeps knocking down bars. AT the Thanksgiving weekend trials he had only one qualifying score. He came out of the jumpers ring on Sunday looking very unhappy and limping badly behind. Mom thought he looked better on Monday and he did a nice job in the Standard course but crashed the first jump in his next class so Mom took him off course. He went to the vet the next day and he had a high lyme positive titre as well as a pulled muscle. So he's had a long rest and after 3 weeks of antibiotics, Mom is letting him take a few low jumps--boy is he rarin to go--too much so. Well, I'll give Zeeba a chance to speak. Love, Robin

Hi from Zeeba! I'm so glad that Mom is letting me play again. What took her so long to realize that I was sick?? I guess I didn't tell since I wanted to keep working. I'm glad that indoor agility school will be starting in a few weeks as we won't be trialling until March since Dad doesn't like to get up early in the winter. Mom says thet the computer has been sick also but it's back from the "hospital" and seems to be working OK. Mom was sick too. She is sensitive to a chemical they put in bread called azodicarbonamide. Took a long time to figure that out but now she reads labels on all baked goods very carefully. Her doctor also is making her take a special kind of Vitamin D. Well that's all for now and we hope every has a happy holiday.

Bad Hair Day at TMAC

Hi, Zeeba here--I had to share this photo that Mr. Rosen took at the TMAC trial cuz it shows that I can really have a "bad hair day". Anyway agility is fun and I especially like to play with the see-saw. Sometimes I do it without even being asked, then wait to see if anyone is handy with a treat. Mom doesn't have much time to help us with bloggin' because she always seems to be mowing grass. If it wouldn't rain so much the grass wouldn't grow so high. anyway, this Spring my big accomplishments were earning a CD in obedience and a MXJ in agility. Our next trial is next weekend then not again until the end of July when we go to Vermont. I'm getting lots of points (almost 300 already) but Mom wishes I would get more QQ's. I only have 3, but then again I'm not even 3 years old yet.

Well I have to go and watch Mom pull weeds out of the garden--really nasty cuz she also gets ticks and poison ivy. I'm glad I don't get poison ivy--ticks are bad enough.

Robin says "Hello" but doesn't have much news to report except that she's been doing lots of swimmin.

Lost Squeakyball

Hi, Robin here: I haven't posted in a while because it's been such a busy winter dealing with all that snow and stuff. We had so much that it filled the patio and even covered up the picnic table. In places in our dog yeard it was as high as the fence. As a result all of our outside toys were lost. When the snow started going away, Zeeba dug holes and found some of the toys byt my favorite (next to Frisbee of course) Mr. Squeakyball never got found. So one day when Mom and Dad took us for a walk and we were outside the dog yard, Mom spotted Mr Squeakyball next to the inside of the fence but behind some bushes where it couldn't be seen from inside the yard. She called me over and showed me and said--"now remember where he is!" So we finished our walk and I had to make a few detours to dig up some voles. When we got home, Mom let us out in the yard and asked me where was Squeakyball. I thought for a minute, then rembered exactly where I had seen him and brought him back. Boy was I happy--and Mom was surprised that I had such a good memory. Well of course, I'm a border collie!!!
Here's a picture of me with Squeakyball.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Excellent Fast Robin

Hi Robin here, Well I always knew I was an excellent dog and a fast dog as well but now it's official. At the Thanksgiving cluster trial I earned my Excellent Fast title. so now I'm Robin, CDX, AX, AXJ, XF. I'm pretty proud of the third place because in a class of 56 dogs--some of them reeeal experienced, only 7 got Q scores. I have to rest up now because it was a long tiring weekend. I didn't manage to Q in any of my other classes and Dad was very disappointed since we'd been working hard but I just get soooo excited that I'd rather herd than jump and I just can't stay on those yellow contact things.

Zeeba did pretty good for a dumb puppy that's already in Excellent B classes. He kept the bars up in 4 out of 6 classes which is great for him since he runs faster than he thinks. He also got a Q in one standard class and in one jumpers class. that makes 4 MX legs and 2 MXJ legs. He was trying out new ways to NQ however, like flying off the see-saw--even tho he landed with his butt on the board and did his down --but it didn't save him. Then he missed a weave entrance--which he never has done before in a trial. Oh--and his steering went out in one jumpers class, but Mom is responsible for some of his errors.

Well that's the last of the trials for this year and it's time for Mom to clean house and do shopping and get ready for the holidays. If I don't get Mom to help me blog again I hope everybody has a great Christmas and other holidays (get lots of new bones and treats).

Summer update

Hi, it's Robin here. It's been a hot summer so we didn't train too much. We discovered that Zeeba is allergic to bee stings so Mom has to watch him real careful. Then when it was time to get ready for a trial, Zeeba came down with Lyme disease--poor guy he was really hurting. The vet gave him some medicine and he felt better real fast but couldn' t practice agility for weeks.

Finally we got to go to an agility trial called Susque-Nango. Zeeba was running real good the first day but being a little rusty knocked down a bar in each class. Then Saturday he aced his jumpers class for a blue ribbon and a new title: AXJ. He was going great guns in Standard but just before the end of the course, he ran so fast that he forgot about that yellow zone on the dog walk. On Sunday, he was a total brat, not focused at all and had all kinds of errors in Standard , then was doing great in jumpers but had trouble running "through the box" with a 270 afterwards so didn't Q. Anyway Mom was happy that he is feeling great and not lame after all that work.

As usual Dad and I had our communications problems but we came just one jump from a Q in most of my classes--but we did get a first place in the Excellent Fast class.

Usually we enjoy camping in the RV when we go to trials but this time was a nightmare. On one side of us were 6 PBGVs abd 2 Aussies who barked CONSTANTLY. On the other side the people invited all their relatives and had a big family reunion. Mom had a 3 Tylenol headache, then at 1 AM some noisy vehicles were driving around the campgrounds and woke us all up. it's no wonder Mom and Zeeba had a bad day on Sunday.

Summer fun

Hi from Robin, Here's some fun things I like to do in the summer. Zeeba still hasn't learned to like to swim.

Summertime

Well here I am, Zeeba, in my favorite sleeping place in front of the fan. Even the cool air conditioning feels better when it is moving around. It's too HOT to do anything outside so I'll update my Blog. We had a nice mini vacation taking the RV to Maine for an agility trial. In Three days Robin Q'd once in the Fast Class and I Q'd once in EX standard and once in EX JWW. I had some bad luck with bars falling down and Mom sort so being out of synch on a rear cross. We have to practice more of them. The courses weren't all that hard but the rings were slopey and Mom has trouble running uphill. There was a miniature horse show at the Fairgrounds and we had fun watching some of their classes--sort of like equine agility. Our campsite was right near the rings and even had electric and water. Friends we know in Maine came to visit and Dad forgot to video most of my classes. Bummer. On the way home we stopped at LL Beans and Mom and Dad went shopping. They also took us to a pet store so we could shop too. That was fun--such yummy smells!!!!!!

This Saturday was an agility trial at our club AOC. On Saturday Robin had a real good Fast Run taking a blue ribbon and getting her Open Fast title. I didn't do so good. I got so far ahead of Mom that she couldn't get me into the right end of the tunnel in Standard and I somehow got behind her in jumpers and got lost. Sunday was to be our last trial for the summer but Mom wasn't feeling good and didn't think she could run in the hot weather so we stayed home while Dad and Robin went without us. Bummer now I'll have to wait until September to try to finish my Excellent titles just need one more leg. Sounds funny since I have four :-),

SAAC agility trial June 19 and 20 by Zeeba

Hi from your friend Zeeba. Mom has time to help me with my blog so here goes. This weekend we took the RV to High Goal Farm again for two days of agility. The weather was a little better than last time but it got really hot on Sunday. Poor Robin still wasn't feeling too good ( she had pee pee problems) for her first class and it was a disaster but she and Dad got better as the weekend progressed. However just when I thought they would Q she cheated on her weave poles. Well I had a little more success. My first jumpers class Open had 3 tunnels but fortunately nooo monstsers. I did run past the first one-Mom's fault- but in Open I get a second chance and I did Q to finish my Open JWW title and a blue ribbon. Then Open standard in the afternoon I was really good and got a first place to finish my Open Std title. Next day I did Excellent courses and in the morning we did standard and Mom really made me stay on my contacts and had to convince me to keep my elbows down on the table but I got a Q and first place. In the afternoon there were NO tunnels in jumpers and if I hadn't looked at the course map beforehand Mom would have gotten lost, but I saved the day and we got our Q and another first place. I felt so sorry for the judge at the end of the day--she looked really melted.
A word from Robin: I'm feeling better, thank you, but the vet says I can't go swimming until my bladder is healed. Bummer!!!

Tunnel monsters

Hi from Zeeba. Mom didn't take any pictures this weekend but I have a story to tell about the trial at Hi Goal farm. First about Robin: she and Dad really looked like they were a team but unfortunately a few slip-ups kept the Q's away. Now Idiscovered some things Ididn't know before: there are monsters in tunnels--at least I think so. On Saturday the chute was daaark green and located in a poorly lit area of the ring (they didn't have ALL the lights on) . I was having a great Open standard run when I was supposed to push my face through that green wall--well noooo way. Who knew what was on the other side. At least the jumpers class had no tunnels so I got my blue ribbon. You should have seen twinkletoes Mom do two front crosses in a row. Then on Sunday in the Standard Class there were two-- yes two tunnels and that Green chute. Mom screwed up and sent me into the wrong end of the yellow tunnel--fortunately there were no monsters--but things got a little confusing because Igot behind Mom while she was trying to figure out how to rescue the run--and things went downhill from there. Then a Daaark red tunnel with a double bend--well no way was I going through THAT one!!!! I did it on the third try. And guess what??? There was that GREEN chute--but all the lights were on today and it wasn't so scary after all. What a relief!!! Now the jumpers class---there was that DARK red tunnel again. Iwas going great guns but put on the brakes--what if it had a double bend???-- and the judge said "refusal" but I went through after all and sincethat was only one boo boo and in Open I still got a Q--and guess what? anotherblue ribbon. I sure h ope when i go there again in two weeks that all the lights are on to scare the monsters away.

LEAP Agility trial

Hi from Zeeba: Mom said I could blog about the Leap agility trial and show the ribbons I won and the treats Mom and Dad bought me because I didn't get any new toys. (Robin thinks that some of them are for her) . The first day was great, I got a first in Novice jumpers and a new title NAJ. I also got a first place in my first Open standard class. Robin had some good runs, but no Q. On Sunday I also got first in Open standard but dropped a bar in Open jumpers--I was trying to catch up to Mom who got too far ahead of me at the tunnel. Robin yelled at Dad a lot. On Monday, neither of us got a Q. I thought that it was such a great day and early in the morning I was just so full of myself that I just couldn't connect with Mom--she wanted me to turn and I wanted to go straight. Well the grass was wet and slippery and I slipped and fell after a jump (and I was sort of crazy) so Mom took me off course. Robin didn't do well in jumpers either. I did real good in my standard course until Mom flubbed a rear cross, then I took off too early for the next jump and the bar fell down. Oh well there's another trial next weekend and I'll try real hard to keep the bars up. Here's a picture of my stuff:

PNUT Agility trial

Hi, it's Zeeba: Mom said I could show this picture in my blog cuz I looks so cute. This was from Thursday when I got first place in Novice Standard for my new title and first in Novice jmpers for a second leg. Too bad I couldn't do as well on Saturday. Mom needs to be a better handler and I need to keep the bars up when I'm running real fast. We'll try again next weekend at the LEAP trial in Granby. We'll be taking the motorhome which I don't like too much because I don't get to run and play off leash.

PNUT Agility trial

PNUT Agility trial

Weekend Agility Trial MKHA

This is Robin and do I hate to have my picture taken but Mom says I have to show the ribbons I earned this weekend at the Mid-Hudson KC Agility trial. I really love the FAST class--and so does Dad cuz he has fun figuring out a course that will get the most points. So on Saturday we got first in Novice FAST and that was my new title. On Sunday we moved up to Open FAST and won first place in that class also. So I have 3 new ribbons and 2 new toys.

Mom and Zeeba were showing also. On Saturday Zeeba took first place in the Novice Standard class but Mom helped him NQ in jumpers. He also got a ribbon and water bucket for being the highest scoring sheltie in Novice standard. Then on Sunday, a really really hot day, Gramma Toni was there and Zeeba showed off by getting his first Novice Jww leg with a very fast time and another blue ribbon (and another toy). Unfortunately at the end of a hot muggy day he goofed in Novice standard , too bad because it would have been his title. He likes to pose for pictures.

Apology?

ROBIN TO ZEEBA: I'm really sorry (not) that I accidently (not) pushed you off the dock into the pond the other day. I was in a hurry to go swimming and you were in my way. However when I first came to live here--before you were even born--I had sheltie friends who looooved the water and swam with me all the time. See how happy they look in their picture all soaking wet. That's Sparrow and Merlin who now live with the angels.