You know I'm busy at work when I don't have time to update my blog.

After my post about feeling unprepared for nationals I went ahead and totally overbooked Icon for agility practice.  I had him doing some sort of lesson/seminar/practice/coursework every day but Wednesdays for 2 weeks!

But it turned out to be a good thing in the end because about half of them them got canceled due to weather or other unforseen circumstances.  So we've been practicing what I would consider a healthy amount.  We signed up for the Laura Derrett Advanced Focus session on Monday nights for 4 weeks and we finally had our first one this week after one was canceled due to rain and other canceled due to a dead generator (which was needed to power the lights).  When I signed up I knew that I was going to hear 'early, early, early' a lot and I wasn't disappointed!  Doh!
 
Rampage has gotten less practice lately thanks to Icon but we are going to weekly classes now, so that's good, although we are only doing jumpers type equipment because the contacts are on the dark side of the field. 

I haven't done much on the running contacts with him lately.  I'm only doing them in sequence and in general they look pretty good.  But I took him to Pacifica when I was doing course work with Icon and the little bugger leaped from the dogwalk every time and only did slightly better on his a-frames.  He had never seen the equipment before and it is rotting and shaky (there is grass growing on the a-frame slats!) but it sure was frustrating!  His weaves looked great though! 

This weekend we have a pre-box seminar with LD.  It's a half day seminar which I think will be too much for him.  I suspect he'll start out strong and then start to slow down pretty quickly.  I've learned he's not a dog that can stand much drilling.  So I think I'll take a spare dog with me just in case.  And I sure have a lot to choose from since I'm watching a friend's two dogs for a week!

Apollo is back in the top 5 boxers for AKC invitationals.  Yay!