Agility photos!

[crysania]

Dahlia and I went to a CPE trial this past weekend and the professional photographer got a few nice shots of her. We didn't have a wholly successful weekend. It was far too hot out and she was unhappy with that. But we DID get our first standard Q. And more than that I kept running instead of stopping at every single jump. This was my favourite photo the photographer got.

I also liked this one. You can just see her eyes glittering in there!

Then yesterday I dragged my partner out to a free run-through day at a local place so he could get pictures of her. And I found out that she's wicked distracted when "Daddy" is around! Oops. Anyway, he got some decent photos!

This one cracked me up! She's such a poser.

 

[momto8]

great pictures!!

 

[Aleron]

Nice! And I'm so jealous of outdoor agility trials!

 

[crysania]

I like the outdoor ones when the weather is nicer! It was SO HOT outside. I'd much rather be in air conditioning. lol Our last trial it was 45 degrees and raining, but even with the rain my girl ran so much better!

 

[Panzerotti]

Great pics, thanks for sharing! She has such an expressive face.

I'm trying to explain to Pan that she better get used to the heat by next summer since all of our high level events are outdoors in the middle of summer!

 

[crysania]

Any ideas on how to acclimate them? My poor girl is MISERABLE in the heat.

Of course, I doubt we'll ever go to a "high level" event! But wow, she's been increasing in speed until the temps got up to around 80 and now she's slow as molasses!

And she is a very expressive dog! It's funny how people think black dogs aren't expressive because this one sure is.

 

[Panzerotti]

I've just been doing very short training sessions outside when it's hot (contact training and one jump work), and then trying to work on her general endurance with a lot of swimming. I do plan on going to more fun matches soon to run longer sequences, and am looking into cooling coats. My other dog is a big black dog and he really slowed down at summer trials too.

 

[crysania]

I've been contemplating a cooling coat too. I'm not sure which one is best, but I'm looking around. Dahlia doesn't even like going for walks in the heat of summer and I'm thinking maybe the coat would help keep her cool so she could get more exercise and enjoy the usual things she does.

She won't swim. *sigh* But she WILL go play in water so we're going to do some of that soon.

 

[BostonBanker]

She's such a pretty girl! Congrats on your first trial.

I highly recommend the Saratoga Horseworks Cool Coat (sold elsewhere as Cool Coat as well). I have one for Meg, and Gusto is getting one ASAP as well. With the dark dogs, it does one heck of a job just keeping them from absorbing so much heat from the sun. Using it dry, Meg's back will feel cool under it even if we can't find shade right by the ingate. I keep it on her until the dog ahead of us is on course. When it is really hot, I dunk it in water and keep it in the cooler.

 

[Toller_08]

Great pictures! She is such a beautiful dog.

 

[crysania]

Actually it was our 4th trial, but the first one we got a Q in standard at (we have Q's in some of the games, like Colors and Wildcard), but nothing in Standard! At our first couple trials she totally would not get up on the A-Frame or Dog walk (new place I guess) and at the last one *I* screwed up and so we lost the Q. This time we both did well enough to get it!

I think that Cool Coat you're recommending is the one they sell on Clean Run? It looks good so I'll definitely check it out! I feel like she needs SOMETHING to keep her cooler in this weather. In the winter she's the dog who is fine with nothing on while the rest all shiver in their big heavy coats, but the summer she's the one who's dragging.

 

[Panzerotti]

I highly recommend the Saratoga Horseworks Cool Coat (sold elsewhere as Cool Coat as well). I have one for Meg, and Gusto is getting one ASAP as well. With the dark dogs, it does one heck of a job just keeping them from absorbing so much heat from the sun. Using it dry, Meg's back will feel cool under it even if we can't find shade right by the ingate. I keep it on her until the dog ahead of us is on course. When it is really hot, I dunk it in water and keep it in the cooler.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Shai]

She's such a pretty girl! Congrats on your first trial.

I highly recommend the Saratoga Horseworks Cool Coat (sold elsewhere as Cool Coat as well). I have one for Meg, and Gusto is getting one ASAP as well. With the dark dogs, it does one heck of a job just keeping them from absorbing so much heat from the sun. Using it dry, Meg's back will feel cool under it even if we can't find shade right by the ingate. I keep it on her until the dog ahead of us is on course. When it is really hot, I dunk it in water and keep it in the cooler.

+2

That is the coat I use for Mira (big black dog + intense sun = oven) and it makes a huge difference and is very carefree for me.

Mira as an 11mo wearing her Saratoga coat in near-100 temps at the 2010 FCRSA specialty (cell phone pic, forgive the quality lol)