New Year Goals

So here we are in a new year, and each new year I set goals for me and my dogs.  So here are my goals for 2012.

For myself I want to learn more about the Mecklenburg handling system.  It looks interesting, and when its done right it looks so smooth. Like a dance with your dog. I'm not sure yet if I will switch to this handling system, but I think its worth learning more about. So I will be ordering the Mecklenburg video set from Clean run next week and I will see what its all about.  I would like to challenge myself to be a better handler in agility. I want tighter lines, more efficient handling and I might even explore blind crosses!  I know, I know, blind crosses are a taboo in the local agility community. But they look like fun and I can't improve as a handler if I don't challenge myself to try new things.

I also want to try Canine Nose work with the shelties.  It looks like a great sport that the dogs would love to do and the best part is you can do it in your home.  So for me it will be a great thing to work on when the weather is too cold to go outside or I don't feel like hauling agility equipment around. I think its neat to watch a dog use their nose to find objects.  I used to dabble in tracking, but I found it way to time consuming and you constantly need to find fields to track in.  With Nose work I can do it at home and we both still get the joy of searching for something hidden.  The only problem with Canine Nose work is that it isn't in Canada yet. I have no idea if it will come here, so we may never compete in it. But it will be a fun skill to teach the dogs anyway. I just have to get the scents, but I'm having trouble finding it here. So I'll likely have to order it from the U.S.

I usually set goals for my competing dogs too.  For Strider I want to earn his CKC Agility Master Champion title this year.  I am only 2 jumpers legs away, but I'm 11 standard legs away.  So that is alot of  standard legs (I would have needed the same as my jumpers Q's but the CKC took my agility excellent title away from me due to clerical errors, so we had to start again) and it will take me the majority of the year to complete this.  Especially since there are so few CKC agility trials in this area.  But it is the last big title that he can earn and it would be a great accomplishment for 2012.

For Spryte I want to earn some titles in agility, flyball and scent hurdle racing. But mostly for her I just want to raise a wonderful litter of puppies.  I want to watch a small little helpless puppy be nurtured and loved by her mom and then when they are old enough I want to do as much early education as I can to start the puppies off right.  I want to know that I did my best at raising the most confident, outgoing, playful and intelligent sheltie puppies I could.  I think this will be the highlight of my 2012.