# Second time showing in Excellent Agility!



## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

The Flying Quizini and I showed in Excellent agility for the second time ever this weekend! He was a spun monkey on Friday and did a judge fly-by in Excellent FAST, and she was not amused! :no: Then he broke his start line in standard, so I pulled him and we didn't run. His jumpers run was lovely - complete with a start line - and we qualified with 2nd place for our first Ex. Jumpers leg.

Today he held his start line AND had lovely, solid contacts in Standard. I called his name right over a jump, which made him drop a bar. Our jumpers run was clean and fast - complete with a start line - and we qualified again with 2nd place.

He's really a trip to run. He's so fast that I have to handle almost exclusively with rear crosses. I think it was the cold weather (in the low 50s, which is quite cold by So Cal standards) that was working to supercharge him so much! So long as he holds his start lines and contacts, I'm happy! 

Katie is home from GA, too, and we got to see she and Dusty run! I was walking a course when she was in the ring so I didn't get to see the entire run, but what I saw looked good! Hopefully she'll post later!

-Stephanie & Quiz... 1/3 AX and 2/3 AXJ


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Congratulations to you and Quiz for a job well done. It sounds like he was charged up and ready to RUN!


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Oaklys Dad said:


> Congratulations to you and Quiz for a job well done. It sounds like he was charged up and ready to RUN!


Thanks! It was pretty funny! I kept telling him to "switch to decaf!" People kept asking how old my "puppy" was and they were all quite surprised to discover that he's five!


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Well, you don't call him FlyingQuizini for nothin'!


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

LOL "Switch to Decaf" Command. I will have to try that one on Caue!


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Yippee Stephanie!!
Sounds like a great time...I cant even imagine a dog as fast as Quiz!
In my mind's eye, I can see him 'all-a-quiver' at the line - turn me loose MOM - turn me loose!!!


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

LibertyME said:


> Yippee Stephanie!!
> Sounds like a great time...I cant even imagine a dog as fast as Quiz!
> In my mind's eye, I can see him 'all-a-quiver' at the line - turn me loose MOM - turn me loose!!!


He's Border Collie fast and is sooooooooo all-a-quiver on the start line... which is what led to our start line problem! :doh: It's such a dilemma: he's so fast that I need the lead out. I can't lead out unless he has a start line. I love to run him, so when he breaks his start line as I'm leading out, it's super tempting to just go ahead and run 'cuz it's fun! (Not to mention that AKC entries are EXPENSIVE and it sucks to forefit one just 5 seconds after entering the ring!) BUT, if I do let him run if he breaks, he'll break more often. Plus, the trainer side of me has a really hard time letting him get away with a bad start line!

I think I decided on a compromise, though. If he breaks in the future, rather than pull him, I'm going to call him back, set him up in front of the second obstacle, do a mini-lead out from there and then go. Doubtful that after all that we'd finish under course time, but then at least I get to run *something* with him. Plus, I'm not positive he's convinced that we're leaving the course b/c he broke his stay. I try to mark the offense with good timing, but being in the ring and running is so self-rewarding, I'm not sure the consequence is meaningful enough.

What I NEED to do is be willing to enter the ring, set him up, start to lead out, go back to him, pet him, release him, excuse ourselves, run out of the ring and have a HUGE PARTY! The problem is that it's so patterned trained: We walk into the ring, I set him, leave him, release him and run... so of course he's anticipating the release to hurry up and get to the good stuff! I'll have to do that painful training exercise in ASCA vs. AKC where at least entries are cheaper. Incidentally, I do that at matches quite often, but there's just nothing about a match that truly copies a trial environment. There's a "vibe" at a trial that just can't be recreated at a match no matter how hard we try!

Oh well. The journey is fun no matter what happens!


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## MillysMom (Nov 5, 2008)

How neat! My brother has a PONS that is soooo fast with agility... when they get it right they get it right... but, she is normally acting like she's had 3 Red Bulls when they get in the ring! Glad you guys had a blast, and I always think if you end it on a good note than it's a great time!


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

MillysMom said:


> How neat! My brother has a PONS that is soooo fast with agility... when they get it right they get it right... but, she is normally acting like she's had 3 Red Bulls when they get in the ring! Glad you guys had a blast, and I always think if you end it on a good note than it's a great time!


Ohhhh.... I'm drawing a blank... PONS? What breed is that?

LOL about the Red Bull! Between saying "switch to decaf" today, I also threw in some "no more Red Bull for you!"


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

I think we were just gifted an AX leg today...

When we ran, I thought we knocked a bar. When I looked at posted scored, they had us as clean, but they had us listed incorrectly in EX B and not EX A. I spoke to the secretary and we discovered that it was her error (I'd entered correctly on the form) but since we didn't catch it until after I ran, there was nothing they could do about it and the qualifying score wouldn't count. Didn't bother me, b/c like I said, I thought we'd knocked a bar. I told her that.

I just got an email from her saying she spoke with the judge and the judge said they could correct it and reprint the catalog and she'd re-sign it, so the qualifying score would be recorded correctly in EX A.

That was very nice of the event secretary... but I feel bad... I really didn't think we qualified... and I told her that. But in the end, it's the judge's call, and if she says the run was clean, that's what the AKC will go with.

It feels a little strange to keep a Q that I'm not sure I really earned... and I'm really not sure... I mean, maybe we ticked the bar and it didn't fall? On the other hand, I totally know that sometimes you're also robbed of a Q when you did earn it, so I guess I just suck it up, thank the universe for today's gifted Q and remember it when my time comes to be robbed of a Q that I should've had. 

Hey, it's more about having fun with my dog than collecting Qs anyway.... but like I said, it still feels kinda strange!


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

Congrats Stephanie and Quiz! I love days like that when everything comes together...The first time I had Murphy in excellent jumpers I made it through 3/4 of the course when all of a sudden I had this moment where I stopped, was watching my dog have a fantastic run and thought "wow, we've made it 3/4 of the way through our first excellent JWW course and we haven't made a fool of ourselves" and then promptly called him off a jump with my shoulders...CRUD!

BTW: I was about to say that we would kill for December agility weekend where it was 55 degrees (we're from Vermont afterall) but we're forecasted to have 55 degrees here tomorrow! Of course it's coming with rain...and it's turning my backyard into ICE (on account of the 2.5 feet of snow we got last weekend)...

Erica


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Woohoo! Yay Quiz! It was great seeing you guys run! And you could totally have made some of those front crosses. Terry needs to start yelling at you all to run faster : and sending ahead to tunnels and all, that's easier than trying to outrun Quiz.

Dusty needs decaf too, I think. The 20" table is the springboard for great leaps into the air, and it's perfectly okay to turn so wide that he loops all the way out of the ring, and there's no need to clear the bars if it would require that he adjust his stride at all. Oh well  He was running well and having a lot of fun.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

katieanddusty said:


> Woohoo! Yay Quiz! It was great seeing you guys run! And you could totally have made some of those front crosses. Terry needs to start yelling at you all to run faster : and sending ahead to tunnels and all, that's easier than trying to outrun Quiz.


Haha... the problem is, when I kick into gear and run faster trying to make a front cross, I run so paranoid that I'm not going to make it, that I get all off-track with what I'm going in the run... and of course, if I lose focus for a nano-second, we're hosed! :doh:

Yeah, I need to make a point to do more front crosses in a class setting. I'm not confident with them, so I stick to rear crossing -especially in a trial setting. It works for us... but it would be nice to have the option of a front now and then.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Congratulations to speedy Quiz. I wish I could see you guys fly around the ring.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

sounds like a wild and wonderful weekend! Way to goooo!


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Congratulations Stephanie and Quiz!!!!

At the last trial Belle and I did she completed her Excellent A jumpers title. We run preferred. We still need two Ex A standard, which I HOPE :crossfing to complete at our trial at the end of January. Excellent is quite a step the courses are quite different from Open. 

I would love to watch Quiz in person. I think he must be so cool.


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## FranH (May 8, 2005)

I think some recent videos of Quiz is in order


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

FlyingQuizini said:


> Haha... the problem is, when I kick into gear and run faster trying to make a front cross, I run so paranoid that I'm not going to make it, that I get all off-track with what I'm going in the run... and of course, if I lose focus for a nano-second, we're hosed! :doh:
> 
> Yeah, I need to make a point to do more front crosses in a class setting. I'm not confident with them, so I stick to rear crossing -especially in a trial setting. It works for us... but it would be nice to have the option of a front now and then.


You know it's funny (ok maybe not HA HA funny) I have two dogs that I'm running in agility right now - 4 year old Murphy who is average speed - makes time but is really inconsistant. If he wants to play he's spot on, but there are days we get up to the line and he's not in the game...It's just who he is. Teller is nearly 2 and more drive than I know what to do with. In the two days of trials he's seen he's consistantly 10-20 seconds under novice SCT (in NADAC and AKC). With Murphy I mainly do rear-crosses - and had the whole "front cross phobia" you mentioned earlier - getting where you need to be for a crossand losing sense of where you've put your body - and I tend to have near-misses with contact equipment - or the judge  I handle Teller almost exclusively with front crosses - even though he's considerably faster. 

The difference here is drive - Teller will work all day and will play any game asked of him - any time, any where. So I have more lateral distance with Teller - Murphy requires a certain amount of babysitting around the course - Teller just needs guidance and direction. So with lateral distance and a strong out and go I can get where I need to be in time for front crosses.

I have to say, watching them on video the front crosses are MUCH prettier 

Erica


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

MurphyTeller said:


> You know it's funny (ok maybe not HA HA funny) I have two dogs that I'm running in agility right now - 4 year old Murphy who is average speed - makes time but is really inconsistant. If he wants to play he's spot on, but there are days we get up to the line and he's not in the game...It's just who he is. Teller is nearly 2 and more drive than I know what to do with. In the two days of trials he's seen he's consistantly 10-20 seconds under novice SCT (in NADAC and AKC). With Murphy I mainly do rear-crosses - and had the whole "front cross phobia" you mentioned earlier - getting where you need to be for a crossand losing sense of where you've put your body - and I tend to have near-misses with contact equipment - or the judge  I handle Teller almost exclusively with front crosses - even though he's considerably faster.
> 
> The difference here is drive - Teller will work all day and will play any game asked of him - any time, any where. So I have more lateral distance with Teller - Murphy requires a certain amount of babysitting around the course - Teller just needs guidance and direction. So with lateral distance and a strong out and go I can get where I need to be in time for front crosses.
> 
> ...


Quiz ran about 10-12 seconds under the excellent course times this weekend.

I have lateral work on him, and in a class setting, I can use it. It seems that right now, he's so sprung in the ring, it takes that much more of my brain to concentrate on keepint us all togehter. Adding anything else -- like trying a front cross when I'm more comfortable with a rear -- just frys my brain! :uhoh::doh::uhoh:

I use them sometimes - pin wheels and 180s mostly. The jumpers course had a serpentine into a tunnel. Lots of people were doing a front cross to get them on the landing side of the serpentine. No way would that've worked with Quiz. I had to hang back and do a rear cross. Several people got messed up with that particular front cross, although for the people who made it work, it did look nice.

I'll keep looking for ways to do them in class and hope to will myself to try them more often at trials.


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## MaddieMagoo (Aug 14, 2007)

Congrats Steph and Quiz!!! I think it must be something with the cold air and Goldens...Maddie gets the zoomies out in the snow...hahah! and the past 2 years at a Rally show in May...Sunday is always the cold day...and she just gets a nip in the bud and is crazy...ugh..i dont know what im gonna do with her! 

I just wish Maddie had some sort of SUPERCHARGE to her....shes fast...but we could be a little bit faster...with more attention too! =] But...we just gotta work at it! As I read this...I'm starting to miss agility class......=[ ...but we get to start back up in the spring! yippeee!!!!!!!!! =]

Congrats again...let us know when your next show is! =]


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

FlyingQuizini said:


> It feels a little strange to keep a Q that I'm not sure I really earned... and I'm really not sure... I mean, maybe we ticked the bar and it didn't fall? On the other hand, I totally know that sometimes you're also robbed of a Q when you did earn it, so I guess I just suck it up, thank the universe for today's gifted Q and remember it when my time comes to be robbed of a Q that I should've had.
> 
> Hey, it's more about having fun with my dog than collecting Qs anyway.... but like I said, it still feels kinda strange!


Hi Stephanie and congratulations to both you and the Flying Quizini.
As for the "undeserved" leg, do not let it bother you. These things do have a tendency to even out over time. Lke you said there will times when the judge will call a refusal or missed contact or something else that you will think is not deserved. But I do understand the "guilty" feeling. just remember that just like obedience the judge is paid to judge and they sometimes do make mistakes.


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## Jersey's Mom (Nov 25, 2007)

Sounds like a good weekend for you and Quiz!! Congratulations!! I can't wait to get Jersey running again. The only trial I ever brought him to, one of the days was cool with a strong breeze. All the dogs were REALLY amped up.. I think it's definitely something to do with the weather!

Julie and Jersey


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

I did a rear cross there too because unless you can go REALLY far ahead while they're in the weaves, the forward motion to get to the front would push them into the tunnel. Most people who did the front cross were having ugly turns (other than the show-offs who could be all the way up there by the time the dog finished the weaves). But there were a couple other places where you could send into a tunnel and then get in a front cross pretty easily.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

katieanddusty said:


> I did a rear cross there too because unless you can go REALLY far ahead while they're in the weaves, the forward motion to get to the front would push them into the tunnel. Most people who did the front cross were having ugly turns (other than the show-offs who could be all the way up there by the time the dog finished the weaves). But there were a couple other places where you could send into a tunnel and then get in a front cross pretty easily.


Yeah, I probably could've done it on the last tunnel of that same course. I'll have to push myself to move out of the happy little "rear cross" box in which I presently reside!

Good luck this weekend. You're doing the Industry show, right?


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Yep, trying to squeeze in all the trials we can  Thanks!


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

Woo hoo congratulations!!!! Sounds like so much fun. Are you going to run at the GR Regional? I am planning on entering the boys in agility. I would love to see Quiz run!

When I have been jump setting I have seen many bars that have been ticked, even make a noise, but do not fall. So it's possible that he was clean! Either way I would be thrilled!

Way to go Quiz and Stephanie!!!


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

sammydog said:


> Woo hoo congratulations!!!! Sounds like so much fun. Are you going to run at the GR Regional? I am planning on entering the boys in agility. I would love to see Quiz run!


Thanks!

When and where is it? Haven't received a premium yet...


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Nevermind... just looked it up. Hmmmmm.... there's a LOT I want to do there! I'd love to do obedience, agility, rally and the WC. I have to find out if I'm in town that weekend. There's a slight chance that might end up being the weekend I'm up north running my weekend training camp at the beach.


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

FlyingQuizini said:


> Thanks!
> 
> When and where is it? Haven't received a premium yet...


It is at or near Prado on April 24th-26th

There is an ad in the current GRCA News and also info is on this webpage
http://www.grcgla.org/western_regional.htm

Hopefully you can make it!


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

FlyingQuizini said:


> Thanks!
> 
> When and where is it? Haven't received a premium yet...


April, LA Club. Here is a link to the info
http://www.grcgla.org/western_regional.htm


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

FlyingQuizini said:


> Nevermind... just looked it up. Hmmmmm.... there's a LOT I want to do there! I'd love to do obedience, agility, rally and the WC. I have to find out if I'm in town that weekend. There's a slight chance that might end up being the weekend I'm up north running my weekend training camp at the beach.


You were too quick for me!!!

Yes I want to run Mira in the WC too. Also looks like they added CCA, so maybe that too. As well as agility with the big boys. So much to do, so little time!

Hopefully you are free!


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

FlyingQuizini said:


> Hmmmmm.... there's a LOT I want to do there! I'd love to do obedience, agility, rally and the WC.


And if you added the CCA Quiz would an opportunity to qualify for the Triathlon Award.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

AmbikaGR said:


> And if you added the CCA Quiz would an opportunity to qualify for the Triathlon Award.


I would LOVE to, but he's below standard, so he doesn't qualify for the CCA (unless I've misunderstood). Sucks -- 'cuz I'd love to show off his versatility in all the performance venues.


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

_*From the GRCA Standard*_
_*Size, Proportion, Substance*_ _-- Males 23-24 inches in height at withers; females 21 1/2-22 1/2 inches. Dogs up to one inch above or below standard size should be proportionately penalized. Deviation in height of more than one inch from the standard shall disqualify._

So what this means is if he is between 22 and 25 inches he is okay. Above or below that is a disqualification.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

AmbikaGR said:


> _*From the GRCA Standard*_
> _*Size, Proportion, Substance*_ _-- Males 23-24 inches in height at withers; females 21 1/2-22 1/2 inches. Dogs up to one inch above or below standard size should be proportionately penalized. Deviation in height of more than one inch from the standard shall disqualify._
> 
> So what this means is if he is between 22 and 25 inches he is okay. Above or below that is a disqualification.


He's 21.5.  Hmmm... I wonder if I can enter him anyway, just to get triathalon status? He'd end up with zero points in CCA, but he might do well in all the other catagories. It really irks me to think that he can't be in the running for a multi-sport award just b/c he's small! Especially b/c I think he's well proportioned for his size.


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

FlyingQuizini said:


> He's 21.5.  Hmmm... I wonder if I can enter him anyway, just to get triathalon status? He'd end up with zero points in CCA, but he might do well in all the other catagories. It really irks me to think that he can't be in the running for a multi-sport award just b/c he's small!


On any given day I have seen dogs in agility measured high or low... So I would say it is worth a shot! Maybe he will measure 22...


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

FlyingQuizini said:


> He's 21.5.  Hmmm... I wonder if I can enter him anyway, just to get triathalon status?


Afraid not. The first thing they do is measure with an agility measurer. If a dog is within 1/4 inch of the allowable (22 or 25) either way one of the judges then measures. If the dog is not within that range he is DQed right them and does not get evaluated any further.

Sorry.


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

sammydog said:


> On any given day I have seen dogs in agility measured high or low... So I would say it is worth a shot! Maybe he will measure 22...


I guess you could but remember you do NOT get a refund of your entry fee and your slot is not allowed to be given to an alternate.


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

AmbikaGR said:


> I guess you could but remember you do NOT get a refund of your entry fee and your slot is not allowed to be given to an alternate.


That stinks! Maybe not. I think it would be worth it if you got to at least hear the rest of the evaluation... But if you are DQed right away that could stink!


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