Tuesday, January 2, 2018

2018 Dog Goals

Sonic - 6 years
Sonic will hopefully have a litter of puppies in late February, so we won’t be competing much in the first half of 2018. 
  • Puppies
  • FCRSA National in May
    • Master
    • OB & UB
    • Gun dog Sweepstake
    • Field trial bitches
  • Obedience-related
    • NOC June? Likelihood of being in season may eliminate this as a goal.
    • Open B 1st
    • UDX3 - need 8 more legs for this
    • OM4 - need about 25 more points
    • OM5
    • OTCh - ended 2017 with 84 points, still needing Open B 1st
  • Field-related
    • Let her enjoy herself
Jag - 3 years
  • BTCA in September
  • Obedience-related
    • UDX
    • OM1
    • OM2
    • OTCh points
Tigger - 22 months
  • FCRSA National
    • BN
    • Rally
    • WCX
    • Senior?
  • Field-related
    • Finish Swim-by
    • SH
    • WCX
    • Make progress on Master concepts
  • Obedience related
    • Master Rally title
    • BN
    • Teach him to jump
    • Matching in Novice and Open by end of the year

2017 Goal Review

For some reason, I didn't publish my goal review at the end of 2016, nor my goals for 2017. Here I am, getting back on track.

The things in blue were accomplished. The things in pink were started. Those in black were not done. Other than the BTCA National, I did not do any other agility with Jag, and don't see me doing anymore any time soon. Too much other stuff I'd rather do.

Overall, it was an excellent year of competition with the dogs. Sonic had an unprecedented qualifying streak, passing every Open class from October 2016 up through the trials before the NOC. She also passed Utility each time we showed from January-March. The wheels fell off a bit after the NOC, but still overall, I think she had a better Q rate than I've ever had with prior dogs.

Jag made tremendous progress from where he was in December 2016, with the icing on the cake winning a Utility B class - something I haven't done since February 2015 - for 10 OTCh points 2 weeks after finishing his UD.

Once I focused on Tigger, starting after the FCRSA National in May, he really came into his own with his field work. His obedience work is still very much a work in progress. I think I'm getting him figured out, but only time will tell.

Sonic - 5 years
I plan to devote at least the first 1/3 of the year to obedience, heading into the NOC tournament, and most likely at least through May (National Specialty). Sonic seemed very happy to be back showing in obedience again. 
  • FCRSA National in May - OB - NQ :-(, UB 2nd place, MH - PASS!, WCX - pass, Field trial bitches - zippo, gun dog sweeps - 1st place MH bitches!
  • FCRSC National - NB, Open bitches (Wendy?)
  • Obedience-related
    • NOC March 25/26 - Sonic passed everything on day one except the dratted sit stay. Super proud of both of us. We worked very hard for this event and had a blast attending.
    • Open B 1st
    • UDX - need 2 more legs to finish - leg 9 - 2/10/17; leg 10 - 2/11/17
    • UDX2leg 11 - 2/12/17, leg 12 - 2/25, leg 13 - 2/26, leg 14 - 3/11, leg 15 - 3/12, leg 16 - 4/15, leg 17 - 4/16, leg 18 5/26, leg 19 10/8, leg 20 10/21
    • UDX3 - leg 21 10/22; leg 22 11/26; 
    • OM2 - finished 2/10/17
    • OM3 - finished 4/16/16
    • OM4 - my records show 171 points towards OM4. She came in season right before last weekend when I’d hoped to finish it.
    • OTCh - ended 2016 with 69 points, needing Open B 1st; ended 2017 with 84 points, still needing an Open B 1st
  • Field-related
    • Train at Jorgensen’s weekly
    • Train with Terri P regularly
    • Get marking back on track
      • Improve understanding of hip-pocket doubles
    • Passed all 4 Master tests we entered.
Jag - 2 years
  • BTCA in April - NB, OB, OA, OJWW, T2B
  • Obedience-related
    • GN February-April
    • Novice B (final time) and Open B (1st time) at BTCA National in April in Florida - HIT out of Novice B class
    • CDX April-July - earned 5/25-5/26 at Kazoo cluster 196, 195.5, 195
    • Ready for Utility by Marshbanks in October
    • UD - leg 1 10/8/17; leg 2 10/21/17; leg 3 11/26/17;
    • Wasn’t a goal, but he got a UB 1st place and 10 OTCh points on 12/9/17!
  • Agility-related
    • Practice weaves on a consistent basis - have poles set up in back yard in warmer months, and work on hard entries.
    • Work on obstacle discrimination
    • OA
    • OAJ
    • NF
Tigger - 10 months
  • FCRSA National -  Show in:
    • Puppy Sweeps - zippo
    • Bred-by - zippo
    • Rally novice - 1st leg, 1st place (54 dog class!), 100+
    • WC - passed!
    • JH - Passed! leg 1
  • Field-related
    • Finish Force Fetch March 
    • Whistle sits - started March - lots more in June
    • Pile work
    • FTP
    • Water force - June
    • Finish collar conditioning - obedience (heeling, whistle sits, FTP, burn out of the hole) June
    • T and TT - teach him to handle - started teaching casting in April, T in June
    • Pattern Blinds - started in mid-August
    • Blind drills
    • Swim-by - August and September - did a lot of work, but not QUITE there 
    • WC - May 14, 2017 @ FCRSA National
    • JH - first leg at FCRSA; leg 2 at July MI Flyways; leg 3 8/19; title 8/20 at MI Flyways
    • Develop marking skills
      • Lengthen singles
      • Double concepts
      • Singles in complex set ups
  • Obedience related
    • Teach him to heel!
      • Rhythm heeling
      • Turns
      • Halts
      • Figure 8’s
      • Pace changes
      • Proofing
      • Off-leash - for Rally October/November
    • Continue with PF exercises
    • Rally titles - RN 10/6/17; RA 1 (10/21) RA 2 (10/22); RA 3 (11/18); RE 1 (11/18); RE 2 & 3 (12/8)
    • BN - did not even try. I didn't spend a ton of time on obedience with him, as I concentrated on field.
    • Teach him to jump