Port Allen Agility Trial 2012

Maxie: 6 runs, 3 Q's, 1 QQ, 26 MACH points, 1 1st place, 1 2nd place, 1 3rd place
Lucky Lucy: 6 runs, no Q's

L to R.  John, John R, Ken

This was our club's annual agility trial.  It fell on Easter weekend so was a bit more sparsely attended than usual, but it was the best I've been to in terms of comradery and team spirit.  Lots of new club competitors in novice - Jerri, Sandy, Robbie, Nicole, Kimberly, a few Q's among them, and they were all really good sports!  We had lots of volunteers, even from club members who don't do agility. The atmosphere was jovial and helpful.  John took 2 days vacation to serve as chief truck packer/driver and first assistant to our chief course builder.  He left home at 5:45 every morning and never stopped until bed time. Lots of other people helped load and move the equipment around where it was needed, but John and John R. were always there with the judge's maps in hand, pacing out yardage and figuring out where to put each obstacle.  It was a major job and he learned a lot. Ken Lively, a new member whose dog doesn't even compete yet, was by their side every minute.  While one ring was running they were setting the other one.  All 3 worked their butts off. Our club could use about twice as many members to lighten this load. It is really too much to ask of one volunteer course building crew to keep up this pace for 3 days.

I worked mostly behind the scenes, setting up a publicity table with AKC info and easter candy, and several people learned about our club and picked up brochures.  That was satisfying, though with a bit more planning I could have put out flyers on our upcoming Obedience Trial and Match.  DUH!  Less satisfying that no reporters came out and only a brief mention in the Advocate, though I had submitted articles to both the Baton Rouge and Port Allen papers.  Our club was short a 15' tunnel so I brought mine, helped  repair equipment, load and unload the truck, and understudied the Trial Secretary job.  I tried to keep trash and poop picked up, and the bathrooms clean.  Enough little unnoticed things that kept me busy.

Maxie's weekend started out great.  First 3 runs were solid Q's, with placement each run, although he always walked his weaves and only once ran as fast as usual.  The 4th run was a nearly Q with a pop-out at the weaves, but the last 2 runs on Sunday were disappointing, not even nearly Q's, and both over course time - a first for him.  I don't know what happened.  There were lots of burrs in the grass.  Maybe he had a sore foot.  Only other things I can figure is that my right hip was hurting so I was slower myself.  Also I brought the new puppy to the trial, and Saturay and Sunday I left Willow at home, figuring the puppy would give Maxie enough company in the X-pen.  Maybe not having his usual crate mate with him, not being confined in his crate, threw his game. Composite video, with commentary, is below.



Lucky Lucy is a different story.  Her performance was so awful all weekend, I won't bog down this page talking about it.  Suffice it to say, it was her worst trial yet, and will get a separate post.  Will she EVER be a good agility dog?

My crate space, Portia and Laura,
Willow (far left, crated) Pepper, Maxie (in X-pen), Lucky

Visitors: My friend Laura and her daughter Portia came Friday, which ended in disaster when Portia fell in love with a frail little rescue dachshund puppy after holding it 5 minutes, someone told her "this puppy could be yours" without consulting the mom, and she cried unconsollably for over an hour when her mom said no.  Such is the mysterious effect of puppies.  Mom is holding out til summer for an agility dog.  Audrey came late Sunday to wish me Happy Easter.  I felt bad I didn't have more time to visit with her, and she witnessed Lucky's terrible last run.  Trials, taking videos, take up all my concentration.  I've about concluded it's best not to have visitors at trials.

This was Winnie's first visit to a trial venue, all 3 days.  He did great, travelled well in the car, didn't seem the least tense or upset at the noise or busy-ness, not the least intimidated by the big dogs, happy in the X-pen whether I was around or not, had little trouble on leash, and didn't mind various people holding/petting him.  I forgot to take pictures of him there with me, but got one of Laura and Portia in our crate space (above), and one with John holding him at the party, below.  It felt odd telling people his name was Winnie.  Honey Bear did't feel right either.  Someone suggested "Pistol Pete" and he answered to that.  I got home and toyed with Petie, then remembered Pepper, my first Papillon heartthrob. 

I decided to name him Pepper in memory of "the one that got away".  They look a lot alike, and the original Pepper was attacked by a big dog and subsequently died.  So it's possible we have a forever name for this puppy at last -- Pepper, Pepper Tu, Peter Pepper, Pepperoni. Lots of fun baby-talk variations to play with.  He answers to them all, if I can remember to say them.  More training now required, I'm so used to calling him Winnie Pooch, etc.

I took videos of over 200 runs.  Now that so many of our club members run each dog in Time2Beat as well as FAST, Standard and Jumpers, and some run 3 or more dogs, and we have so many newbies, that adds up to a lot.  It will take me about 2 weeks to upload them all to Picasa Web Albums, 5 at a time, sort and label them all.  I won't be able to keep up this pace. Not sure how I'll cut down the number, but I must.

Memorabelia:  Swamp Dog Agility (New Orleans Club) had a party at lunch time on Saturday to celebrate Julie Hill and Smartie's recent win at AKC Nationals, 24" category.  A video of her "speech" is posted on my YouTube channel.

The table was beautifully decorated, with an alligator cake, and a red velvet layer cake, champagne, OJ, gifts and speeches..  Both cakes were delicious.  New Orleans folk know how to throw a party. 

We had a party of our own Saturday evening for our club's 3 recent MACH champions -- Noel/Flash, Cheryl/Emily, and Loralie/Jenny.  3 cakes, jambalya, fruit salad.  No decorations, but so many people showed up that the food ran out too fast for all to get some.  Another club mate was taking pictures, so I didn't take any.  Still haven't seen them, though.  That's why I like to take the pictures, so I know they'll make it into our club's Photo Album.

Upwards and onward,

Naming a Puppy

It has never been hard for me to name my pets.  The name just burbles off the tip of my tongue, and sticks.  With Maxie, I picked him up from the breeder and on the way home I just knew he was ACE MAXIMILLION.  His father's name was Ace.  He was full of maximum attitude, and my heart was so full of love for him, he was worth a $million to me.  Ace Maximillion von Fry.  Easy.

Lucky was easy too.  She was so lucky to have been found on the side of the highway at 5 weeks, adopted by me and John at 8 weeks.  She was so long legged, loose-jointed, floppy eared, and malleable, Lucky Loosey just flowed off the tongue.  Nothing could hurt her, stop her, or scare her.   Sometimes we added Lu-Lu because she was so loopy.  She could wiggle out of anything. Loosey became spelled Lucy on the AKC CAR paperwork.  Lucky Lucy Lu-Lu von Fry.  Easy.

Fooh Fooh was easy too.  As our first foster dog, we thought he pooped so much at about 10 weeks of age (4 times a day seemed excessive, so little did we know), we just called him Poo Poo. We weren't planning on keeping him.  Fontenot came from a cajun notary joke circulating at the time.
Poo Poo Boudreaux goes to a notary to have his name changed.  He said "I'm so sick of people making fun of my name, I have to change it."  Notary replies, "Yes, I can certainly see why.  What do you want to change it to?"  The cajun replied, "Poo Poo Fontenot!" 
That cracked us up.  (Perhaps only funny if you're from the South and/or hear a lot of Boudreaux Jokes.)  But then you can't go around the neighborhood calling "Here, PooPoo". Well, FoohFooh rhymes with Poo Poo, and since we found out FoohFooh means "the crazy one" in French, and FoohFooh was/is so crazy, his name devolved into Fooh Fooh Fontenot von Fry. Easy.

"Winnie" at 13 weeks.

Naming this new pooch, though, is proving a tougher job.  Winnie The Pooch is a great working title for a few weeks until I get him sold.  He's so open-minded, patient and docile.  Marshmellow would work as well - he's so soft, sweet, squishy and white.  A comfort dog, always yearning to be in my lap, nuzzling my neck. Eyes on me all the time.

But calling him Winnie is beginning to grate.  It's a girl's name.  I thrashed all night mulling over a more suitable name, then wrestling with the FACT that I don't really need to come up with a better name.  I'm not keeping this dog.  But I so often call his name, he needs a better nickname.

Then, I ran across this photo on the internet and couldn't help imagining that with Winnie's similar markings, ample snow white coat and long plummage growing 1/4 inch a day, he might one day look very similar to this AKC conformation champion.  With his excellent lineage from The Pines Papillons kennel (good genes) and good looks, and being still intact, he would make a superb first sire if I decided to become a breeder. In which case, he would really need a better name.  Not that I'm keeping him.  Jester would be cute, and accurate.  He's very entertaining. Boomerang would describe his nature of retrieving and scampering back to me with whatever I throw out to him.  A retrieving Papillon?  Tugger?  He tugs vigorously and for as long as I keep it up.  Digger?  He loves to dig.  Does a name have to describe a dog's personality traits? I can't seem to settle on anything.  How about Honey Bear?

Dearie me, someone better buy this dog AT ONCE.  I'm on dangerous ground.  With a tough year of training/trialing with 2 dogs I adore who won't be retiring for 8 more years at least, this dog can't be mine.  How could I manage 3 competitive dogs, struggling as I do with 2? Do I want an intact male in my household?  Followed no doubt by a female? Or two?  What does that entail?  I don't know.  Every pet I've had has been neutered or spayed except for Annabelle Lee, but that was 30 years ago.    Will there ever be another dog I like as well, with all the traits I see in Winnie Pooch/Honey Bear?  Will I regret letting him go, or am I just a sucker for all puppies? Yes, darnit, I've loved them all so far.  Whoever dares buy him will have to prove they will provide the best of circumstances to this awesome little champion of a pooch, and when he leaves there will be a another big hole in my heart.

Meanwhile, I'm busy polishing him up every day, and he's learning very fast.

Upwards and onward!

New Papillon Puppy, "Winnie Pooch"

Winnie Pooch, on Lois's coffee table posing with Papillon Santa!

Before we left my cousin's house today, she and I washed and took photos of several of her Papillons, including the puppy she gave me, and his parents. We dressed a few puppies up in Christmas garb and had some fun posing them. 

Landing in Tallahassee for the night, John and I settled in at LaQuinta with nothing much to do but relax and get acquainted with our new puppy, take more pictures, and come up with a working name for him that matches his personality --  until he finds a forever home and a forever name.

At only 11 weeks, already a natural poser!

I thought of Fuzzball at first because he's so soft, cute, fat and fuzzy, but that wasn't dignified enough for this 11 week old poser.  After hanging with him all evening he reminded us so much of Winnie The Pooh (gentle, malliable, trusting), we shortly began calling him "Winnie Pooch".  He presents little resistance to anything.  Crated for the 6.5 hour drive, he didn't whine.  I put a slip lead on him for the first time at our first Burger King stop, and within a few minutes he caught on and just followed along, and he did his business outside like the other dogs.

When I laid him on his back at the hotel, he just laid there, looking at me with complete trust, giving me time to grab my camera.  Not many Papillon puppies will do that without some coaxing.  At the same time, he is spunky, alert, and catches on quickly, so should be easy to train.

Max and Willow are not the least jealous of him, unlike the previous puppies I brought home.  Apparently they don't perceive him as any sort of threat.  Why is that?  It seems he has a calming influence on all of us, thus the nickname -- Winnie Pooch.
 
The only thing he distinctly doesn't like is being isolated.  We tried confining him to the bathroom tile floor in our hotel room until we were sure he had peed, and he cried without cease until I let him in with us.  He didn't pee, though, until we went outside!

I'm looking forward to getting home and finding this adorable creature the perfect forever home -- before I get too attached.  See more writeup and video on this puppy on my next blog post.

Upwards and onward!