The Hennessy Hounds

Family day IOW 2010 at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-08-11T23:38:00.001+01:00

Playing Catch Up Again

2010-08-11T23:06:00.003+01:00

First the good news on Ryan, he has been so patient and done exactly as he was told which means he could do nothing but so far so good and best of all today we went back to the hospital and his plaster has been replaced with one that starts below the knee ! He still is not allowed to bear any weight on the right leg but it is so much easier and more comfortable to get around.

The last few weeks have been busy and difficult at the same time as we have had to rethink our summer but we had a lovely few days on the Isle of Wight . Every year my cousins Anne and Christopher put on a family get together, it is always a great success and a very big thank you to them both.We always have a bouncy castle and this year it was something quite different.It had a beam across the middle which some found more difficult than others to get on! once you were up the idea was to knock your opponent off with a big cushion. The kids were great hanging on upside down and had to be peeled off literally.It's become a bit of a tradition that the group photo is done on the bouncy castle and this year was no exception.

Just a quick note on the agility front ,( mixed feelings about this one as I feel so pleased that Fizzle works for me but a bit guilty at the same time )but at Rugby Fizzle qualified for Crufts 2010 teams, four fast clears put us in first, well done to my fellow team members Anne with Roxy, Wendy with Cruise and Peggy with Zoe. Fizzle was a complete star winning her grade 5 jumping, 3rd in grade 5 agility with me holding all her contacts! Not forgetting Ink 2ND in her grade 6 agility and 5TH in grade 6 jumping.

Ryan's Bad Luck

2010-07-16T21:07:00.002+01:00

No one knows whats round the corner! The last 24 hours have been very stressful.Dave went to collect Ryan from scouts last night and when he arrived was told "Ryan's fallen over and hurt himself, someone fell on top of him !". Dave found him in a lot of distress and in great pain brought him home. We had a look and decided that an A & E visit was needed. Result, yes he had broken his tibia and was put in a half cast in case of swelling and back again in the morning.They didn't arrive home until 2am and Ryan and I were back again at 8.45 this morning . More xrays showed that it was indeed a very bad fracture and he is now in plaster from his toes to his hip in the hope that it will stabilize the leg and prevent the need for any surgery, back again next week for further xrays to check there is no bone movement. To make it worse Ryan should have been at Thorpe park today with his school as an end of year celebration. He will also miss his scout trip to Finland in August not to mention all his agility.He has been so very brave - a lot braver than I I'm sure , if the tables were reversed.

Success at Axtane and Watford at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-07-15T23:02:00.001+01:00

Celebrations.....

2010-07-02T17:23:00.004+01:00

I know I've been a very bad blogger again but just must quickly post our big celebration news.

The wonderful Ryan and Fizzle are flying high and have won into grade 5 at Thames plus numerous very good top placings... too many to mention all of them but very well done to you both.

My little super girlie HAS GONE INTO GRADE 7 !!!!
After having so many eliminations recently I was beginning to wonder if we would ever get it together in the ring again, but not only have we won into grade 7 but we have had SIX CONSECUTIVE WINS starting at Axtane

grade 6 jumping
grade 6 agility
combined 4-7 jumping
followed by
grade 6 agility
grade 6 jumping
combined 6/7 agility at Watford.

I am so pleased and proud of her I can't begin to say,thanks to all those of you that have given me the support and encouragement and the kick up the ... when I needed it.

Videos hopefully to follow soon.

Ryan and Fizzle in to Grade 4

2010-04-16T12:24:00.002+01:00

Playing catch up again sorry ! Chippenham Show was an early start and a long day but so worth it. Ryan won the agility and came 4th in the jumping.

Ink was also in good form 2nd in the grade 6 agility by .o12 of a second , a lovely cocker spaniel won that is now gone into grade 7. The jumping I was so pleased with a fast flowing course with some handling as well, to my amazement we came 2nd this was a combined 6/7 course at a championship show ! To round off the day was Fizzle and Ink's first attempt at pairs and we came 7th. Made the drive home much more pleasant.

Easter celebration thank goodness put the small medium ring inside where we were on ring party. Ink's grade 6 agility was up first another 2nd what a good girl she is.
Ryan and Fizzle just to prove it wasn't a fluke won the grade 3 agility again. On the jumping rounds however we both picked up 5 on the weaves !

The Sunday got off to a mad rush Ryan had three rings going at the same time one being the juniors with all three dogs. Not sure who did the most running me back and forth to the car or him in the ring itself. All his runs were clear in juniors Ink came 6th and Fizzle 8th with Tippex just outside the placings. Grade 3 jumping they came 2nd. Fortunately Dave and the girls decided to pop down as it was a local show and they managed to see him win the 1-3 agility - lots of cheering as he crossed the finish line. They also won the small 1-5 tournament overall.

Winning Into Grade 4 at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-04-16T12:23:00.001+01:00

Happy Birthday David at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-03-23T23:31:00.001Z

Crufts 2010 at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-03-18T19:30:00.001Z

Success at Crufts

2010-03-17T19:33:00.003Z

3 dogs 4 competitions 2 rosettes. First up was Ink in the YKC agility dog of the year,started well but we weren't quite together on the day and sadly picked up an elimination, but Ink didn't know this and we had a great time.
Next was my little Fizzle and after our major scare last week I just wanted to enjoy running her. She was absolutely amazing and we were lying first with just the last dog to go, a fantastic grade seven dog and we came second. I was so proud of her to do this well in her first year of competing,as my first dog to train she has been a huge challenge with all her difficulties. We have learnt a lot from each other and I look forward to what lies ahead. She was also in the team which was quite a tricky course in the small space and we picked up five faults. With two clears and two eliminations we were out of the placings but I would like to thank my fellow team members I had lots of fun.

Pachesham Juniors 2

Tippex was a star as always and to my great suprise we picked up a 6th place, I was especially pleased as he is 13 next week and I didn't think we were fast enough to get a place. He also qualified for the supadogs final at Mid-downs before Crufts. So we will have to see how he is come October and see how he goes between now and then.

Crufts Here We Come

2010-03-10T18:02:00.002Z

Just a quick update before we set off. Fizzle is well enough to compete , test results were good back in two weeks for a final check but my vet was very happy with her! What a relief !!The big problem now is how to stop her getting to things she shouldn't apart from permanently caging her indoors which I really don't want to do I 'm not sure whats the best way!

Anyway I wanted to wish all our friends and especially Ryan lots of luck at crufts and to remember to enjoy the experience it's an achievement to even qualify !! Hope to be able to catch up with you there.

Fizzle's back home

2010-03-03T19:18:00.004Z

Just got in tonight with Fizzle.She has been driving everyone mad at the vets, pulling her drips out twice whilst wearing her lampshade !! If they put her in her cage she demanded attention ( which i think she got a lot of ) I can't thank all the team enough they have been so patient with her over the past two years and have really helped her to build a trusting relationship along the way. The difference in her confidence at the two surgeries was noticeable. Her bloods were up but she is remarkably bright and they felt she would get more rest at home ( not to mention their ears). I have to take her back Friday morning for more blood tests , but we are all very happy to have her home where she belongs.

Fizzle's grape scare

2010-03-02T16:48:00.002Z

Fizz is in big trouble once again. This time she has eaten a whole bunch of grapes!!Last night at about 11 o'clock my mum went to put the dogs out for their last toilet trip and found the empty grape stalks in her bed. She immediately rang the vets and she took her to the emergency unit in Wimbledon. They induced vomiting and put her on a drip .Mum collected her this morning and transferred her to our vets and we are awaiting further news at the moment.We can only hope that she is strong enough to get through this, at the moment only time will tell.

Crufts countdown - 4 weeks Tomorrow !!!

2010-02-08T16:48:00.009Z

Crufts is getting ever nearer and I am starting to get a bit worried about making sure I am ready. This year I am in four separate competitions, the YKC agility dog of the year with Ink, YKC medium ABC with Tip, the YKC teams and the YKC small agility with fizzle. This will be Fizzles first year so I am wondering how she will react to the conditions at crufts. She has never run on carpet before but my main worry is that she will freak out at the amount of people and the noise surrounding the ring. Mum has sorted out with Eleanor a training day on carpet during half term next week. Can't wait!

However I am really looking forward to it and am really exited. If I can get into the main ring again this year that would be great, the atmosphere is just amazing.

Recently, we have also been working on our contacts. Fizz gets impatient on the see-saw and if it doesn't tip quick enough she likes to jump of the sides.This is because I have a got into the habit of leaning into her when praising her at the bottom.I really have to concentrate on keeping my shoulders straight and feeding her from the hand closest to her. The other contact I was a bit concerned about was the A frame, she keeps going on the movement of my body, not me saying go, I need to practise running past the contact and not feeding from exactly the same place every single time.

Happy New Year

2010-01-08T13:22:00.012Z

Happy new year to all. Well my new year resolution already out the window as I was going to try to keep more up to date with the blog and already it's the 8th of January !!

Christmas came and went so quick I nearly missed it . Christmas day was lovely all the family came round lots of drinking ( tea and coffee :):) )and chatting and we swapped pressies, it was great to see everyone. Boxing day we went to visit my cousins, played silly games, ate too much food ,all the usual stuff. Then we went to the Isle of Wight to stay with cousins and see the new year in. It was great except big mistake I left my camera at home and am STILL waiting ( hint hint) for Kathryn to email me with some she took of us all walking on the beach .

The kids had one day back at school before the snow came and have been at home since.The first few days was great lots of playing, building snowmen,sledging but I have to say it took me two hours to get to work yesterday by train and mostly walking when normally I can drive in fifteen minutes! Not looking forward to doing that again!

The dogs however especially Ink love the snow.

Ink just can't help herself. While the other two look on wondering what all the fuss is about.

Tippex is saying I think it's time to go home now !

Christmas In Heaven

2009-12-25T23:34:00.002Z

I see the countless Christmas trees
around the world below
with tiny lights like heaven's stars
reflecting in the snow
The sight is so spectaular
please wipe away the tear
For I am spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many christmas songs
that people hold so dear
But the sounds of music can't compare
with the Christmas choir up hear
I have no words to tell you
the joy their voices bring
for it is beyond description
to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me
I see the pain inside your heart
But I am not so far away
We really aren't apart
So be happy for me dear ones
you know I hold you dear
and be glad I'm spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.

I sent you each a special gift
from my heavenly home above
I sent you each a memory
of my undying love
after all love is a gift more precious
than pure gold
it was always most important
in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other
as my father said to do
for I can't count the blessing or love
he has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and
wipe away that tear
Remember I spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year

There are many stars in the sky that shine but some shine brighter than others.To all the family and friends that are no longer with us, we love you and miss you. xxx

Merry Xmas to All

2009-12-21T12:08:00.001Z

Make a Smilebox greeting

Just Minis Christmas Show and Agility Catch Up

2009-12-14T17:25:00.003Z

Hi everyone

Sorry we haven't been on the blog for a while but we have been very busy.Now here for the catch up. I have qualified all three of our dogs for crufts in different YKC competitions.
Tippex: ABC medium agility.
Ink: YKC agility dog of the year
Fizzle: YKC team agility with my friends from Pachesham, and YKC small agility.
Fizzle has had a fantastic first year, she started out a bit rocky but is now coming along much better. She has been winning quite a bit and is now in grade three. We have also qualified for the agility club starters challenge final next July.

Ink has also had a good year, however she has had lots of injuries and hasn't been able to compete for a lot of it. Ink is now in grade 6.

The plan for Tippex was to retire him next year at crufts but watching him this weekend, now I'm not so sure, he thoroughly enjoys his agility and I think it helps to keep him fit. Our vet is happy for him to continue so perhaps we'll just let him tell us when he's ready to stop. You can see for yourself on the video.

Here are a few videos from just minis last weekend.

Cherish every day

2009-09-16T19:27:00.003+01:00

It's been a long time again since I've posted but we've had quite a summer. Dave's younger sister Jackie was very suddenly and tragically taken from us in the beginning of the summer holidays. It's been a difficult time and it goes to show nobody knows what's in store for any of us. The lesson we've had to learn these past few months is very much live for the day and enjoy the times you have together.

Lots of Good news.....

2009-07-17T21:05:00.003+01:00

Tippex

Can't even begin to tell you how happy and relieved we are.Tippex has got the all clear and is back to his usual happy self . There was a small piece of broken tooth in the gum which the vet believed was the cause of the infection and a course of antibiotics later all is well.What a long week that was waiting for results!

Rugby Show

I don't usually enter shows this far away as not having any camping gear it's a long way to drive in a day.But entered as Rugby has a YKC heat. Ryan had all three in this and until the last dog ran he was in 1st with Ink and 2nd with Tippex. Only the first two qualify so a very well done as Ryan and Ink are off to Crufts but I have to say I had a little tear when he ran Tip as they put in a lovely round and it meant so much to see Tip enjoying himself doing agility again.They also ran in the junior jumping and Tippex got a 5th which Ryan was rather proud of as it was all heights together with four fast collies in front of him! Fizz also did a lovely round but got spooked on the seesaw how ever she was fantastic in the jumping and won her grade 2, this was their first grade 2 show!!
Ink and I also got a 3rd in the combined 6/7 jumping so all the driving was well worth it.

Say A little Prayer.....

2009-07-08T17:07:00.002+01:00

Haven't updated for a while again as can't seem to find the time but we have been doing well lately in agility. Ink seems to be coming back on form with our first win in grade 6 and a couple of 2nds, 3rd and 4th. Ryan and Fizzle also doing well with quite a few top 5 places in recent shows. Sadly Tippex hasn't quite been himself lately but I couldn't find anything in particular and had put it down to the extreme heat and his age, that is until last week when I found a lump in his mouth.I took him straight to the vet and he was operated on last Friday where they x-rayed then removed his upper incisors, some bone and some fluid. We are now waiting for the results...I have to say he seems so much happier in himself already , the vet has said treat him as normal until we know the results so I am trying very hard to keep positive.

Fizzle's in Grade 2!!

2009-06-17T17:50:00.006+01:00

Thames was a great weekend for Fizzle and I. It started off with an Agility win which put me into grade 2. I then got a 3rd in the jumping to top off the day. The next day I was really optimistic and wanted to do well again. It started off well with a 2nd in the agility. My next run was jumping in which when I walked the course I thought to myself 'I can win this'. So when I went to run and knocked the first pole down I got really disheartened and we ended up getting eliminated (very naughty handler). Our next run was the 1-7 Olympia qualifier in which we got a 5 on the weave but nonetheless it was a good run. The next few shows should be exiting as fizz and I are begining to get it together.

The first place trophy is nearly as big as Fizz!

Happily Mum and Ink are back competing and Ink is sound. However luck wasn't in their direction and they didn't get a clear round this weekend, hopefully it won't be long.

Half Term Fun

2009-06-12T21:36:00.010+01:00

Running behind as usual but this post is particularly for my cousin Eileen who wanted to see and hear more about the Hennessy children than the Hennessy dogs :0) !!
We did lots of days out and one of them was to a country fair which included almost everything from funfair rides , heavy horse displays , sheep shearing to falconry but the main attraction was a Napoleonic Reenactment.This was amazing and the photos really don't do it justice.The best ride the children enjoyed was the Hydrosphere where the children climbed into a bubble which was then filled with air and put in a very big paddling pool and they had to try and walk to move the ball around - very amusing for spectators.

We also did a day out to see HMS Belfast as it is the 60th Anniversary of D Day this year there was a special expedition with lots of characters dressed up explaining their role during the war which made it very interesting. While we were there we were lucky to see the tower bridge open up to let a boat pass through.

Can you guess the name of this Captain?

Update and Bats Show

2009-05-16T18:28:00.005+01:00

First of all the not so good news, Ink is temporarily I hope, out of action again.I noticed at training a few weeks ago that she was measuring her jumps so off we went to our physio and sure enough Ink was a bit tender in the same spot as before. So she's back in treatment again and only allowed to exercise on a flexi.She is responding well to treatment and I'm hoping we will be back in agility soon.... I'm going stir crazy without a dog to run and she not too impressed with the flexi lead rule either but I have to do what's best for her in the long run.

Today at bats Fizzle put in some very good runs especially the 1-2 jumping,this was almost up to her speed that she does at home which is great as she's getting more confident at shows, sadly she lost concentration momentarily and missed the tunnel entrance but otherwise a very good run.

Tippex enjoyed himself today he loves the weather when it's a bit breezy, sadly no clears but he was happy with himself.

You will get that contact !

Ink's done it again !!

2009-04-28T22:10:00.003+01:00

I can't believe it my little super star went and won another jumping and agility again this weekend at WBSDS show.I think I've got one more show in grade five and then we'll really have our work cut out against all those super fast collies in 6 and 7.
Here she is waiting patiently ( almost unheard of for her ! ) in the queue for her run.

Fizzle and Ryan again were on form coming 3rd in the combined 1-3 jumping.This was a step up for them as not only was it against grade 3 's but also the ring was in the main part of the show ground with more distractions.Well done Ryan ,Fizzle's improving with each show she goes to.

Trophys at Wallingford

2009-04-21T22:36:00.002+01:00

What a weekend.First up was Fizzle in the grade 1-2 jumping which was in ring six nicely tucked away on it's own at the end of the showground.Fizzle was amazing for the very first time at a show she put in a great round really focused on Ryan with no distractions and came in 2nd.Fabulous Ryan all your hard work has been worth it. Sadly the rest of her runs that weekend were all up in the main part of the show with lots of distractions on all sides. This is something she has to get used to and I'm sure will come with time.

Saturday with Ink was not worth talking about we weren't together and got eliminated in both rounds !! Sunday however was very different what can I say Ink was a star, two fantastic runs winning both the grade 4/5 agility and jumping, putting us into grade 6 !!! I just love working this little dog she always gives it her all and absolutely loves working. It's my handling that lets her down but when we get it right it's a wonderful feeling...I don't think I'm quite back down to earth yet! To think this time last year was looking very bleak and I truly thought she would never work again.

Easter Celebration

2009-04-15T16:50:00.003+01:00

This was Fizzle's first outdoor show so I wasn't quite sure how her concentration was going to last.I think about 10-15 seconds was her maximum before she stopped and had a look round but thankfully she stayed with me in the ring!! If you take her daydreaming out,the rest of each round wasn't too bad!

Tippex was enjoying himself as usual with some lovely clear rounds sadly just out of the placings.The grade 7 jumping on Sunday was proving to be a problem with only three clears,most people were getting eliminated at the pull through between two jumps and into a tunnel,Tip did the difficult bit then ran across me nearly taking me down to do a jump rather than the tunnel straight in front!!

Mum and Ink had a good weekend ,6th in 4-7 jump and 8th in 1-7 helter skelter.A good weekend catching up with friends and the weather wasn't too bad at all.

Downland Show

2009-04-06T21:17:00.003+01:00

We had a late start yesterday so Dave and the girls decided to come along as the sun was shining! This was Fizzle's 2nd show and after the disaster at Chippenham we were just hoping to try and get her more confident and happy in the ring.Amazingly she was a completely different dog in the jumping she had just a run by but was much more happy to work in the ring so Ryan was very pleased with her.The KC olympia was next again slight handler error near the beginning got them eliminated but she worked very well.Last of all was the steeplechase a clear round fantastic.This was a 1-7 combined so lots of very fast dogs put them way out of the placings but they did get the best junior so came home with a trophy - even better ! Unfortunately the memory card was full so we didn't catch the whole run aaagh !!
Ryan and Tippex were back to their usual teamwork, did three clear rounds unfortunately were the first dog out of the placings in both the jumping and agility but got 5th in the steeplechase. They did however get the best junior in all three rounds and no he wasn't the only junior at the show!!!
My first run with Ink was the agility she was great and still on form coming 2nd to a superfast little collie.However I let her down in the jumping and she missed her weave entry and we totally blew the steeplechase.But all in all a fantastic day especially to see Ryan doing so well with Fizzle.

Port Lymph

2009-04-04T21:41:00.002+01:00

Tuesday we went to Port Lynmph in Kent. This was for Ailish's birthday treat although a little late! Ailish has a bit of a thing for giraffes so that was our aim for the day.The park is something between a zoo and a safari part of it you walk round and part of it you go in the parks wildlife safari trucks.There were a couple of highlights to the day for Ailish it had to be the giraffes which we saw from the truck and the other we saw by chance as we just happened to be in the right place at the right time.The pole feeding of the lions is only done about once every 4-5 weeks . This helps the lions to keep in shape and it uses muscles that they obviously are not using every day.

We spent ages watching these guys play and interact with each other.

Port Lynmph are very proud of their black Rhino breeding program. They have the largest collection of breeding Rhino outside Africa.They also have successfully released three females back into the wild that have now produced calves.

One very excited young lady on her way to see the giraffes.

We bought Ailish this special giraffe pillow and cuddly giraffe as a momento of the day.She was almost asleep before she climbed into bed !

Here it is

2009-03-27T17:56:00.002Z

I couldn't do it but clever Ryan has shown me up again with his computer skills !

Ink at Crufts With The Dog Reporter

2009-03-27T17:24:00.003Z

This is the link (hope it works) to Ink's encounter with the Dog Reporter at Crufts .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ9Z-zKp_Jg&feature=email

Happy St Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T22:41:00.002Z

Wishing you all a very happy St Patrick's day. xx

Chippenham Video

2009-03-17T22:14:00.002Z

Here is the video as promised.Ryan does a great job as a cameraman as usual but I must say that he missed the end of my agility round through no fault of his own, the memory card was full!

Ink 's Won Into Grade 5 !!

2009-03-15T22:32:00.002Z

The first show of the year has got off to a fantastic start for myself and Ink.We have had a great weekend.Mid Downs on Saturday and she won the grade 3-4 combined agility I was so pleased and then she came 7th in the 3-7 jumping which I think I'm right in saying the first six dogs were all grade 7 ,I couldn't have been happier.

So up at the crack of dawn to Chippenham and again she ran her little socks off coming home with a 3rd in the 4-5 jumping and a 2nd in the 4-6 agility by only 0.04 of a second!!

This was also Ryan and Fizzle's first show.We weren't sure how Fizzle was going to be as she has been a very difficult dog to train with lots of hurdles to overcome(if you excuse the pun).She was completely spooked and didn't quite know how to cope with it all but Ryan was great and persevered, he managed to keep her in the ring and she had a couple of run bys and two attempts at the cloth tunnel. Not bad at all for her first show - must ask if we can get the cloth tunnel out more at club as we hardly ever use it! Lots to work on to build her confidence up in the ring but a very well done to Ryan these two have come a long way in the past year.

Video to follow hopefully tomorrow.

All I Want For My Birthday Is My Two Front Teeth

2009-03-10T22:32:00.002Z

My little girl is not so little any more,yesterday she was six but as we were ALL recovering from this nasty tummy bug(we were doing relay trips to the bathroom all through Sunday night)we had to postpone it.Wishing you a very happy birthday Ailish hope your feeling better soon.
Your new teeth won't be long coming now I'm sure!!

Tippex at Crufts

2009-03-10T21:20:00.003Z

I was really looking forward to being back at crufts again this time with Tippex.Unfortunately Ailish was very ill through Friday night so Dad stayed at home with the girls and Mum and I went on our own as we stayed in a travelodge near Birmingham Saturday night to make the very early start on Sunday less stressful. We had to be at the ring side at 8.30 to book in for a 9am start.As I walked the course I have to say I was disappointed because it was very flowing and fast.With Tippex being twelve in two weeks he's not as quick as he used to be and we tend to do better with the more complicated courses.We were last to run out of seventeen and my heart sank a little as I watched lots of the younger very fast dogs do some cracking clear rounds.However Tippex was fantastic and we came 5TH I was really pleased with him and I'm sure he enjoyed his day too.

Ink and Ryan at Crufts

2009-03-06T22:03:00.004Z

What a day what a star!There was me worried that Ink might not cope with all the noise and crowds as she can be a bit of a wimp sometimes( sorry Ink) but she took it all in her stride. In fact she was enjoying meeting everyone that she caught the eye of the dog reporter and was 'borrowed' to do an interview. I have been told she will be on the kennel club youtube site so watch this space for the link!!

Now down to the serious stuff.The semi-final in the morning they ran a superb round, clear and finished 3rd, with less than a second between the top three it was very exciting and off to the final in the evening. Sadly Ink got a bit too far in front of Ryan and did a twizzle in front of the long jump picking up five faults. Ryan was amazing and we are so proud of him, I'm sure this pair will be back again. Well done Ryan.

We're back up again on Sunday with Tippex for the ABC final so watch this space....

Good Luck for Crufts

2009-03-04T21:36:00.002Z

Just wanted to wish all our friends that are going to be at Crufts the very best.I daren't try to name them personally as I'm bound to forget someone!

A very special good luck to Ryan,third year running for Tippex, well done boys! and Ink's debut.Lots of fun and excitement.Ryan just enjoy it all and remember the achievement you've already made in getting there.

A very sad day

2009-03-03T21:17:00.003Z

The last few months have been difficult with Dave's Dad being very ill, sadly last week he passed away after a long and brave battle with cancer.Yesterday was his funeral.He is now at peace and reunited with his lovely wife Shirley but for those of us left behind a huge void in our lives.Ryan was fantastic and read this poem beautifully at the service yesterday.

Miss Me But Let Me Go

When I come to the end of the road,
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little but not too long
And not with your head bowed low
Remember the love that we once shared
Miss me but let me go.

For this is a journey we all must take
And each must go alone
It's all part of the masters plan
A step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick of heart
Go to the friends we know
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds
Miss me but let me go.

Rest in peace Derek, you are very much loved and will be greatly missed.

A few days escape

2009-02-16T21:31:00.016Z

We were very lucky to get the chance to have a few days away just the two of us on the glorious virgin isle of St Thomas last week,all to the thanks of Dave's work.Its an American company and because Dave made his sales target for the year last year this was our reward.My cousin Ann came over from Ireland to look after the children and we are extremely grateful to her,the kids had a ball!

These were some of the views from our balcony.

These were some of the guys we found on our beach, fortunately we didn't have to fight them for the sun beds!!

The beach and the sea were amazing and we loved walking along the waters edge every day although I did feel strange without any children or dogs, it was very peaceful!!

Some beautiful flowers.

And the rather unusual sausage tree named after the woody sausage like fruit.

A long way to go for four days, it has taken me a week to get over the jet lag but I'm not really complaning.:0)

Birthday girl

2009-02-16T21:02:00.003Z

I have to apologise straight away to Sian as it was her 10th birthday last week but with one thing or another I didn't get round to this very sorry Sian!To my grown up TEN year old love you loads.xxx

Help there's a teenager in the house!!!!!

2009-02-02T15:54:00.013Z

Can't believe it Ryan is 13 years old today. We woke up this morning to all the snow and it's one birthday he won't forget in a hurry. Have a great birthday Ryan love you loads xxxxxxx

With the help of some neighbours we gave Ryan the bumps.

Video clips

2009-02-01T20:34:00.002Z

OOPS This time I got it the right size.

Countdown to Crufts......

2009-02-01T19:58:00.003Z

This weekend we went to the Pachesham simulated show, it was a great success and Fizz is getting a lot better,Tippex was a bit slow but that would be expected as he is now nearly twelve years old. In the video Tip and Fizz both do the same run and for the first time Fizzle was actually faster than Tip, I think this was because he had a wide turn coming out of the tunnel whereas Fizz was tighter. Poor Ink was out of action again, as she cut her pad open the Tuesday before.I'm hoping she will be back to training soon as we need the practice and the countdown to crufts is on....FIVE weeks to go. Ink and Tippex both qualified for the agility dog of the year and I had to choose which to take.As Tippex also qualified for the ABC agility I decided to take ink to the agility dog of the year which meant they would have one run each.

Pachesham Simulated Show dec 08

2009-01-10T17:21:00.003Z

This was one of the first times that Fizzle had the opportunity to jump a complete course as in training we focus on short exercises it was interesting to see how she put it all together the main problem we had was the contacts she stopped beautifully but wasn't keen to come off without her reward. This is something we can work on so not really a major problem. Overall we were very pleased with her and look forward to getting her out on the circuit this year.

Sian has begun to work Tippex in training and this was her first show. She was extremely nervous as she had to work in front of a different group of people.She did a great round , just stopping in the weave to ask the judge if she was going the right way before continuing! Tippex was so good with her, working to her pace even stopping with her in the weave and waiting for her to carry on, what a school master!
Hopefully she will continue to build her confidence.

Christmas catch up

2009-01-09T20:03:00.007Z

Christmas came and went all to quickly, sadly for us a lot of it was spent visiting Dave's Dad who was found unconscious at home on the 22nd December he is still in hospital now and we are all very worried for him.
Christmas day was planned for us all to be together at Dave's sisters which we did and Dave and his brother and sisters took turns to visit. There was seventeen of us at the table and after dinner I got the kids up doing pyramids and a 'special' we call the chair.
First person sits on a stool ,second person puts their head and shoulders on first person's lap with knees bent and feet on floor , third person does the same beginning to form a square, the first person then lies back to the third person's lap..... then the best bit the stool is taken away and nobody collapses !! It only took us about twelve attempts as there was so much laughing.

Just Minis Xmas show

Fizzle's first show was just minis. I was pretty nervous that she would get into the ring and just go mad and run around not listening to anything I said, however her first run was the 1-3 agility and it went quite well, apart from at the end when I took my eyes off her and she went to investigate the crowd. Luckily we only lost time and she got her first ever clear round. I was really pleased with her run, considering it was her first time in the ring. Next was the jumping round which wasn't so good, she got completely distracted by the crowd and the atmosphere. We got eliminated but she stayed in the ring with me and for her first show I went home happy.

Next it was Mum's turn, her first run was with Ink in the 4-7 Agility, Mum had a really bad cold and had lost her voice, meaning that she couldn't give vocal commands to the dogs, she had to rely on her positioning and body language. The last jump showed that she just wasn't quite up to it!

Then she had a go with Tippex, who got it perfectly and they came second.

A Year With Fizzle

2008-11-21T19:04:00.002Z

Can you believe it,just over a year has passed since this little madame came into our lives and turned them upside down!She is definitely the naughtiest dog I think I have ever owned,we seem to go forward three steps and back four.Just as I think we are making progress she suddenly forgets everything and we start all over again!!
Having said all that when she gets it right it gives us such a buzz and makes it all worth while.She is so full of character you can't help but love her.She has come a long way in this past year and is now so much more confident with the people and dogs she meets,not like the shivering little scaredy cat that she was when she first arrived.Especially well done to Ryan as he has persevered through it all,keep up the good work.

Catching up AGAIN.....

2008-09-23T15:55:00.009+01:00

Sorry folks but I just don't seem to be able to get my act together this year as far as updating the blog. Not sure where to start but first with the best news

Ink

After nearly six months of worry with Ink I am so pleased to say that she's almost back to normal exercise. We saw the wonderful Noel Fitzpatrick and he has advised us to treat her as normal as possible even to let her back to agility.Yes she has a spinal worry but there is no way of telling if it is going to give her problems in the future or not. We are to keep her as fit and active as we can and most of all to let her enjoy life.
How ever after visiting a physio (who came highly recommended) she found a very interesting problem.Ink was found to have a rotation in her sacro- iliac( I know the spelling is totally wrong)joint,which we think was done chasing a deer! She believes that Ink's lameness back in April was due to this rather than the spondylosis at L6-7-S1 because Ink doesn't show any symptoms of that you would expect a dog to have with this particular diagnosis. We had a number of sessions spread over quite a few weeks and thankfully Ink is stable so far but it will be ongoing with the physio to make sure nothing slips out of place.

Fizz

Ryan has been working hard with the Fizzle and she is coming along, not an easy dog by any means! The main problem is concentration or lack of it!! She is getting better at home in the garden they are putting in some nice work but at club with all the distractions it's not so easy.She was like this at first with getting her to play tug ,it took her ages to be able to play anywhere other than at home now it's a struggle to get her to let go.I'm sure they will get there in the end.

Shows

Ryan has had to put up with me stealing Tippex back every now and again as I was going stir crazy with no agility at all so thank you Ryan.Tippex and I have had a few places and lots of fun I really love working this dog.
With thanks to Eleanor and the Balchin kids myself and my three were able to experience Dogs in need for the first time this year.. what a week one caravan with awning,two adults, eight kids(we found two more when we got there)and ten dogs. I have to say it was great and the week went very quickly. Thanks again to the balchins.

Results

Just Ryan was working at DINAS he had a fantastic week lots of placings and got through to the final on Thursday. This was quite a difficult course but the boys put in a fab round and ended up fourth overall.Saturday was the YKC qualifier this was Inks return to agility and yes Ryan did a fantastic job and qualified her for Crufts.Now unfortunately each handler is only allowed to take one dog so decision time will be in January but what a decision.Well done done to Ryan I'm so proud of you.

Stour valley was my first show with Ink what a star she was 2nd in the ABC 1-4 jump this was mixed with the large dogs so a total of 119 altogether, I nearly lost her at one point you'll see in the video ,2nd in the 1-4 jumping and third in the grade 4 agility where again I got in her way at the bottom of the dog walk.It means so much to see her working with such enthusiasm but most of all she sound.
Ryan also had a great weekend 6th 5-7 ABC jumping again this was combined with the large dogs,4th ABC 5-7 agility and 5th 5-7 jumping.

Paws in the Park was another great show for us Ink 1st gr3-5 jumping and just some handler errors with me to give us a run by in the superdog agility. Ryan and Tippex had three clears but sadly just out of the placings,although they didn't seem in tune with each other as you will see in the clips below.

We're going to crufts. !

2008-06-24T21:21:00.003+01:00

What a day. I must admit I did wonder was it worth the early start and long drive to Chippenham show but decided thankfully to give it a go.First run was the Crufts qualifer, everyone was moaning as the course was a handling one this I told Ryan was an advantage as he usually runs in grade 6/7 anyway and had got round much more difficult courses before. They were on form and apart from a little hiccup at the bottom of the Aframe which cost them some time did a lovely round.There was 17 in the class and only 3 clears ,2nd place secures Crufts and now I can breath again!!
After a long wait of SEVEN hours was the junior jumping another good round puts them in 3rd. No time to relax and straight into the 1 dog 2 handlers.Ryan started the first half puts Tippex in the tunnel and I collected him at the other end and finish. This was a fun class to watch although I was surprised at how many dogs got confused at the change of handler and lost a lot of time or even refused to go with the second handler.Tippex bless him slowed slightly but then took off and no we have never practised this before. What a little star. What a surprise when I went to check the score tent and saw we had come FIRST I was soooo proud to be part of this team.
Fantastic day 3 runs , 3 rosettes but only 1 trophy :( :( but hey we're GOING TO CRUFTS ...... YIPPEE

Chartwell

2008-06-04T20:53:00.004+01:00

I love these flowers

The children sitting on the laps of Winston Churchill and his wife

This is the view from the terrace.

The first Saturday of half term was a lovely sunny day so we decided to go out for the afternoon.We arrived at Chartwell just in time for lunch so sat down to our picnic before exploring the beautiful gardens, the dogs were with us but had to stay on flexi leads and in some parts had to be on short leads but this was fine they still were out in the sun with us. We booked to do a tour of the house later in the afternoon so put them in the car.Chartwell was the home of Winston Churchill and his family so lots of information to take in.There was even a quiz for the younger ones to fill in where they had to find certain objects in each room so everyone was happy.

Bats and Superdogs

2008-06-03T20:41:00.003+01:00

Sunday was the first ( and last as it turned out) day of Superdogs for us. Tippex had two runs the Superdog Agility qualifier and the junior jumping.He did go clear in both,unfortunately the junior jumping was a straight up and down blast and all heights were in together so no placing against those very fast collies.In the agility with me I cut a corner to get in front of him at the A frame and almost missed a jump, I made a horrible sort of squeaky sound and Tip bless him re -adjusted his stride and made the jump although it was very messy! He did get his contacts but not very well, this is something we will forever be working on I'm sure , as in training it doesn't matter how we work them he always speeds to the bottom and stops perfectly!!!I know this is what everybody says and that they don't do anything different at a show..... any advice??? I 'm open to suggestion.

I went to the Bats show on Saturday with mum, as usual mum got chatting and I nearly missed my jumping class, heard the last call raced to the ring just in time, put in a good round and was just out of the placings, however forgot the camera for this run so don't have video. Next was grade 4-7 Agility we were clear but just out of the placings. Mum ran him in the helter skelter and did a really good round and got 3rd

Tunbridge Wells

2008-05-15T21:59:00.002+01:00

Can't remember the last time I went to a show alone but as the other love of Ryan's life (Chelsea)had a very big game on Sunday he decided to stay at home with Dad and cheer them on.So for the first time in a very long time (I don't even train him anymore as Ryan has taken him over completely)Tippex and I were reunited.We had so much fun and even came home with a rosette,4th in the Olympia qualifers,unfortunately for us the 1st and 2nd placed had not yet qualifed where as in the small the 3rd and 4th placed did qualify!!! In the Crufts singles we came 6th just out of the placings but picking up some valuable points,unfortunately as Ink is injured I haven't entered many shows so think I may have missed any further heats not even sure when they are!!The last run of the day was gr 6/7 jumping and he put in another fab round running his little socks off for me again just out of the placings not bad for an old man.Thanks to Ryan for letting me have him back although I'm not sure I'm ready to return him yet..... don't you have lots of homework to do this weekend???

Ink's Next Update

2008-05-15T21:43:00.002+01:00

Well we went to the vets last Wednesday and she was very pleased with Ink's progress.She said that she could feel no abnormality around the knee and Ink showed no signs of any pain or discomfort in either the knee or the spine.So for the past week she has been allowed to go off lead for 5 minutes twice a day(she is also getting 1- 1 1/2 hrs a day on lead to help strengthen her muscles) and as she seems to be going from strength to strength she is allowed to progress to 10 minutes twice a day and back to see the vet again next Wednesday.I am pleased to report that we have a much happier Ink although she can't understand why she 's not allowed to play with the other two!

Ink update

2008-04-29T22:49:00.002+01:00

Saw my usual vet on Wednesday last week she did a thorough examination and really checked Ink's spine,she pulled pushed and pressed - ink didn't flinch which was fantastic .Ink is now allowed to go on short walks on lead so still quite restricted but a much happier dog for it and we have to go back a week on Wednesday.Still not sure what long term will hold but a lot better than we originally thought.Keeping fingers and toes crossed will keep you posted as any more news comes in.

No More Agility.....

2008-04-21T21:08:00.002+01:00

A week ago today my beloved Ink had yet another accident.She was doing what she loves best running through the woods, when she came back to me on three legs, no blood, no yelp but her right hind leg she would not put to the floor.Off to the vet we went,they confirmed my fears- suspected cruciate ligament.They wanted to see her the next day to do a closer examination under GA.When I went to get her that evening the cruciate was not as bad as they first thought just a small tear which they want to leave for the time being and give her strict cage rest and painkillers.However there was a lot more concern for her spine which xrays showed that the vertebrae before the pelvis had seemed to fuse.This is definitely not something that is seen on such a young dog ( 21/2 yrs).Ink has never shown any symptoms of back trouble or soreness/stiffness of any kind, in fact she is the most energetic dog I have ever owned and does not know how to rest.We are due back again at the vet on Wednesday and will discuss further options but for now I am still in shock and very worried about my girl,I just want her back out of her cage running free enjoying herself like a normal dog it's heartbreaking to see her little face when I go out with the other two.Along road ahead of us but the worst bit is not knowing whats in store...

Try Again

2008-04-10T23:13:00.002+01:00

Oops this is all new to me I have a lot to learn the slide show was obviously not quite right so I have had another go!

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Snow Snow Snow

2008-04-10T22:47:00.003+01:00

What a surprise to wake up on Sunday morning, beautiful snow and a thick covering too.The kids couldn't get dressed quick enough.We had so much fun sledging,got quite a speed up on some of the slopes,we are so lucky to have it all on our doorstep.Snow ball fights, I think Dave got the worst of it with three children against him of course no one could throw any at me as I was chief photographer!!!The dogs loved it too especially Ink who would jump really high into the air to catch snowballs.Nearly THREE HOURS later we had to drag the kids home must to their annoyance.It was so sad to see it all gone the next day.I took so many photos it was difficult to choose so here are a few of the best. Enjoy!!

Easter Celebration

2008-04-10T20:03:00.002+01:00

Saturday off we went to Ardingly which is only about half an hour for us so is one of my favourite venues but I have to say I was very pleased when the medium ring was moved inside not only for working the dogs but for ring party! Performance wise one of the worst ever, 6 runs between us and 6 eliminations,as least we were consistent!!

Sunday woke up to snow and had a brief moment when I was just going to turn over and go back to sleep but decided to go and see if we could redeem ourselves.Ink was a star 2nd in 1 - 5 jumping and 9th in 1 - 7 Helter Skelter.The boys put in some very good rounds but not quite fast enough for a place.

Mid Downs and Chippenham

2008-04-10T18:39:00.003+01:00

Mid downs was not the best day for poor Ryan and Tippex. They did some good handling but unfortunately didn't quite get it together so no clear rounds this time.Ink and myself weren't much better(maybe it was something we ate for breakfast).The afternoon was a bit better Ink came 6th in 4-7 Jumping.A good day out catching up with all our friends.

Early next morning we set off for Chippenham hoping to do better. Much better today Ryan put in some lovely work with Tip but not quite fast enough for a place.He also had Titan but unfortunately Titan's mind was not on the job,he was more interested in what was going on outside the ring than staying with Ryan in the ring!!!
Ink however saved the day putting in some excellent rounds 2nd Grade 4 agility,4th 1 -7 Steeplechase and 11th 1 -7 agility.Silly me forgot to take the camera.

Video Clips From Crufts

2008-04-08T22:46:00.001+01:00

I'm Back !!!!!!!

2008-04-02T21:41:00.006+01:00

Hi all if there is anybody checking on me.Yes I have been a very very bad blogger, I would love to say that I have been off doing wonderful things but unfortunately not.Just run down with the day to day life of running a house,three kids,three dogs,a husband, a job, decorating, stripping the stairs (which I have to say I wish I had never started,but seemed like a good idea at the time)and lots more boring stuff which you don't want to know about.I can't begin to catch up on all that has been going on so I will cheat and start with Crufts,and I'm already a month behind!!

Well Ryan and Tippex were brilliant this year qualifying for the agility and jumping finals however I do have to get one thing off my chest.All year Ryan has been running and indeed qualified in the under 12's we get to crufts and because he turned 12 a couple of weeks before had to run in the overs(I know I know my baby is growing up fast).Now in the agility semi final the first three go forward to the final in the main ring in the afternoon,they put in a fantastic clear and were only just pipped into 4th now the annoying thing was there was only THREE dogs in the unders and there was NINETEEN in the overs!!No rosette to help ease the disappointment!! The jumping final was the next day,again they put in a another fantastic clear and came 2nd,the smile on Ryan's face as he went up to get his rosette was something I shall never forget.We were so proud of him.No trophy though which I have to say I think the Kennel Club extremely mean, in the heats trophies went to 3rd in the final only 1st,doesn't make sense to me. Well sorry to start back with a moan promise no more whinging,the boys had a wonderful time,great experience,lots of fun and in this house definetly 'best in show'

Discover Dogs

2007-11-26T19:02:00.000Z

Finally got some time to update our fantastic time at discover dogs. What a day with lots of fun. We got in early as we were part of the demonstration so had a look round the stalls with not too many people,found our bench and checked what time we had to be at the ringside. The girls particularly enjoyed the flyball and we all watched in amazement the HTM routine with Mary Ray and Richard Curtis so much so the children insisted we go back at the end of the day to watch it a second time.
Ryan was in the ring three times during the day so below is a short clip,unfortunatly the YKC ring was quite small so they were limited to show what they were really capable of but Ryan and Tippex put in a lovely round each time we were very pround of them.

Catch me if you can

2007-11-10T20:33:00.000Z

Fizz is really enjoying her walks off lead , Ink is having a great time teaching her to play and chase as poor Tippex doesn't have the same amount of energy as the girls( well he is nearly eleven).Here is a short clip of them up on Epsom racecourse, if you look closely you will notice Ailish running off into the distance as she also has energy to burn!! I was soooo pleased with them especially as there was lots of horses about and not one of them ran off, Tippex did look as usual I know this and always keep him close but both the girls didn't give them a second glance.We all went home tired and happy.

Fizzies Update

2007-11-08T21:22:00.000Z

For Fizz's first time off lead we decided to go to the coast, our good friends Tim and Thelma came with us for moral support( and extra help should we need it). We did lots of recall on the flexi with the clicker and treats then took a big breath and let her go.Fortunately because food is so high up on Fizz's important list there was no way she was going to stray too far and she behaved perfectly.It was lovely to see her running around free.The beach was quiet so not too many distractions but those we did meet she said hello nicely and then followed on quickly - long may it last.
Lots of treats for good dogs that come straight away we called.

CHOCOLATE WARNING

2007-11-06T22:21:00.000Z

Dear little Fizz is a real sweetie but one very naughty habit is stealing food and unfortunately this caused a lot of panic and anguish last Thursday.At some point I'm still not sure when but I think it was when I was putting Ailish to bed and was reading her bedtime storey, Fizz crept into my bedroom and managed to open the wardrobe door pull out a pile of clothes ,unwrap two plastic bags and eat some chocolate. It was a whole bag of little snowmen that I had bought for the children's advent calendars(now it's not often that I'm this organised perhaps I had better go back to last minute shopping!!).We rushed her to the vet where she was put on a drip and kept in overnight. She responded well and I was able to collect her the following morning although we had a few days of very unpleasant vomiting and diarrhoea while her little body dealt with the effects of too much chocolate.I am happy to say she has made a full recovery and no she hasn't learnt her lesson and still tries to get into any cupboard that might contain food.I'm sure you are all aware of the dangers of chocolate and dogs but I have been surprised at the amount of people that have said they regularly give their dogs chocolate and I would hate for anybody to go through what we went through last week.

Introducing Fizz

2007-10-29T20:38:00.000Z

Last Saturday we drove to Chippenham where this little girl was with foster carers.She was originally from a pound in Wales so no past history, guessing her age to be between 8 months to a year.She is very sweet natured but has not been socialised so can be a little timid until she is sure of a new situation.Gets on very well with Tippex and Ink and is great with the children.The first night was a noisy one!! taking over an hour to settle as she does have some separation issues, lots of up and down the stairs for me while the rest of the family slept peacefully ( I guess it was good that most of the house got some sleep).The second night however I only had to come down once and she was quiet all the way through till morning, by the third night she went to bed as good as gold with the other two. She is a bright little thing and is picking things up very quickly.Lots of guess work about what's in her she was described as JRT X Whippet but no one knows for sure and it has been interesting to see what different people think.She was given the name Lizzie at the rescue centre and she did respond to it quite well so as we didn't want to confuse her too much she is now known as Fizz or Fizzie and is coming along very nicely. She will of course be for Ryan to train and hopefully will love agility once she starts.

This photo was taken on Sunday so she is stilll on the flexi.

Will try and get some more photos and updates soon.

So much news so little time

2007-10-11T21:53:00.000+01:00

So much to catch up on but I never seem to have the time to sit down and fill in so here goes....

Paws in the park - what a weekend that was, on the Saturday we had the superdog heat Ryan and I running against each other which I think was a first.Both put in good rounds and ended with Ink and I 5th, Ryan and Tippex 6th only problem was the first FIVE qualify! I wasn't quite sure how to feel about this one. Sunday Ink was on good form again and won the grade 1-3 agility putting us into grade 4 . I know she has the speed but will have to work on the tight turns and control which she is not so good at.The boys also were on form finishing 4th in the 6/7 jumping which was quite an achievement as this course was the same for all heights and many of the handlers struggled not to get eliminated. Well done Ryan some excellent handling.

This weekend we also had Titan staying with us for some bonding time,he settled in with us very well taking it all in his stride. Ryan even did some agility with him over in the practice ring in the main part of the showground,they did some good work together.

Oops this photo is supposed to be at the bottom!!

Looking good for the future

Relaxing by the car after all their hard work

Calamity Ink as I'm beginning to think would be a better name for her has had yet again another accident. On returning from our walk yesterday she had sliced straight through the bottom of her pad another GA and stitches!!So very sadly will not be able to compete in the superdog finals after finding out on Tuesday that Ryan and I were both able to go as someone had dropped out! Ryan will be flying the Hennessy flag on his own in Peterborough on Sunday. Best of luck Ryan go and show all those adult handlers how it's done we will all be there to cheer you on.

Poor Ink!!

2007-09-10T19:20:00.000+01:00

Well off we went for our walk this morning and all of about three minutes later Ink comes back hopping on three legs with blood coming from one of the nails.Back in the car and off to the vet where she had to have a small operation to sort it out.Thankfully nothing too serious but no exercise and certainly no agility for a while.Tonight she is still feeling very sorry for herself but I imagine hopefully by tomorrow she will be back to her normal self although she won't be too impressed with the no exercise rule!!

New Schools

2007-09-05T17:45:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was Ryan's first day at High School.Off he went on the school bus very excited and very early( 7.30am) on his own! I found this very hard but he took it all in his stride. He loves his new school and loves being independant.I can't believe my 'baby ' is all grown up.

What a handsome young man

Today was Ailish's turn, she was up and dressed very quickly this morning couldn't wait to be going to school with Sian.The teacher was waiting to see all the new children starting and Ailish was holding my hand very tight but when the time came gave me a big kiss and off she went with a smile.She had a fantastic time and really enjoyed her first day lets hope it continues.

Ailish's first day at school

Two smart girls

Tears at Trent Park

2007-09-05T17:23:00.000+01:00

Wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do but decided that I should go. I wanted to say a special thank you to all my friends that gave me great comfort on the loss of our little Scribble. I did spend a lot of the day in tears and quite a few of you cried with me ,for those of you that met her knew what a special little pup she was. I did pass on your messages to Ryan and the girls and we are beginning to come to terms with it all now, THANK YOU.

Ink ran her best and won the grade 3-5 jumping and also along with my pairs partner Wendy Fassam with Bod we came 3rd in the Eukanuba mini /mixi .This was our first attempt as both dogs are just babies and have just started competing! Roll on next year!

A very sad goodbye

2007-09-01T21:20:00.000+01:00

Not quite sure what to say.This week has been a extremely emotional time.We have had to let our adorable Scribble go.She was taken ill on Monday and was rushed to the emergency vets and then transferred to our own vet on Tuesday morning.After a series of tests we were advised that the kindest thing to do was to put her to sleep. She had severe liver problems and the prognosis was very poor, we didn't want to put her through any more pain.

She was with us for just over two weeks and everyone that met her fell in love,such a cheeky little madam.Her short time with us was filled with fun and laughter and we have lots of lovely memories but for now a big hole in our family where a beautiful,bouncy and playful little puppy used to be.

Sleep well my little one.

Ryan's new agility dog

2007-08-16T20:31:00.000+01:00

We have been thinking for some time now that the time has come for Ryan to get a puppy of his own to train from scratch. This past year he has tried really hard to learn as much as he can about training dogs . His relationship with Tippex particularly has come on leaps and bounds. He has also been working other dogs which various people have been kind enough to lend him.

Enter Scribble - After a long hard battle and a lot of help from Lian she finally joined our family last Sunday. Everything was fine until last Friday(the morning we were leaving to go to the KC festival) when I woke to silence which was very unusual as she is a vocal puppy to say the least!!
Scribble had been very poorly in the night and had suffered with vomiting and diarrhoea, she was lying in her cage lifeless. Now we had arranged for our good friends Thelma and Tim to look after her as she was too young to travel to the show they very kindly said they would take her straight to the vets . I was so torn I felt I should stay with her but Ryan had his finals that day at the KC and I didn't want him to miss out either.So off we set leaving her in the capable arms of the vet. She was kept in and thank god started to show improvement that afternoon when she was allowed to go home to Thelma and Tim by the evening.They did a fantastic job of nursing her back to a full recovery and we will be eternally grateful to them.

She will be 9 weeks old on Monday and has settled into our madhouse very well.She is a truly naughty puppy and is keeping us all on our toes.

Ink at KC festival

2007-08-15T14:37:00.000+01:00

Well what an exciting weekend, Ink was fantastic not only managing to get her first clear round but 1st in grade 3 jumping,2nd grade 3 agility and a 3rd in grade 3 agility. Special thanks to Lian for lending me her camera so that I could capture some of her runs.

ryan at KC festival

2007-08-15T14:13:00.000+01:00

Ryan and Tippex were the real superstars this weekend with all their runs being in the placings , on the podium nearly every time. I am so proud of them both they are really working well together as a team and obviously enjoying it.
YKC Jumping 1ST qualifing them for Crufts
International Junior Jumping 3RD
International Junior Agility 2ND
International Finals 5TH Overall ( this was against all height and age groups, they were the only pair in their age and height to go clear so in my eyes making them International Junior Medium Under 12 CHAMPIONS!!! )
YKC Agility 1ST also qualifing them for Crufts .

Special thanks again to Lian for the loan of her camera and her support throughout the weekend.