Puma de Malandanza & Pico vom Haus Mecki

Pictures from the trip - see the photo gallery!

Tuesday 24th November 

Arrived Belgium yesterday 23. Nov (Puma, Pico & me) after driving in storm and rain through Germany and Belgium only to find that the cottage (pictures under) I had booked for my stay was in terrible condition (cheap is not always the best ), and with neighbours (Polish workers) partying all night I moved out this morning...

Luckilly. I have found a nice small hotel 'In den Hoek', (which I can reccomend for all of you travelling with dogs) which is close to the club in Veerle.

Bert & Nicole are on holiday and will arrive on Thursday, but Gilbert Coudron helped me in tracking this morning. Pico was in drive for tracking, but I'll have to work more on his corners and will try something new tomorrow

I was also doing some obedience on the club in Veerle and I was happy that Pico is doing exactly the same as on training home in Norway. I'll still have to work on his long down and the retrieve, but the rest is 'for us' ...ok. I am happy to notice that Pico doesn't care what field he is training on...and has better nerves than his handler...I have no big expectations for this trial, both me and my dog are unexperienced, but no matter results - we will learn a lot just to try!

Wednesday 25th Nov 

A new day with rain and wind, but good for training. Gilbert showed me another way of laying my track (an easier way for the dog ...) and Pico did the corners perfect   Thank you Gilbert!

This evening I was doing bitework with Ronny van der Berghe, who will be Picos helper on the trial. I was very satisfied with Pico. He was doing the same work as always and did not take notice of all the people standing around the blind etc. Ronny was also happy with his work and I feel quite sure that he will do a nice bitework on the trial. Were looking at the dogs in this club, but enjoyed specially the attitude of Ronnys dog when he is training with him in obedience.

Friday 27th Nov

Tracking in a lot of wind and rain, still some small problems that I hope we can fix in a week. Bert was doing a very nice work with Nero in tracking. Compared to what I saw last year the dog is now super concentrated, calm, but intense.

Vegard (a training colleague from my club who will do his IPO II) arrived today and it was great to speak Norwegian again and to have someone here who knows me and my dog too. I am still working on Pico's long down....It is my fault....I have not trained on this since his BH  He wants to go for the other dogs dumbells (yes - I know because I don't have enough pressure on him...) and I'm so nervous and worried that he'll do this on the trial, and of course angry on myself who has put myself (and my dog) in this situation.

Saturday 28th Nov

Obedience and protection work with Bert. I'm getting more and more nervous and only thinking about everything that can go wrong, which is typical me...Vegard was tracking with Bert this morning and was quite happy. He also did some obedience with Haro and I am pretty sure that Vegard will have the best obedience of them all.

Vegard was working on the blindsearching (or big tree searching) and was not happy that the trees forces the dog to make big turns around the 'blind' - compared to me who now has a dog that is close around the blinds for the first time

20 dogs will participate on the trial, which is the highest number they've had on this club.

Monday 30th Nov

Tracking was very good with Pico this morning. The conditions were very easy, but he was calm and did the corners and articles perfect. In obedience he would not (absolutely not...) go down on the sendaway, but after some corrections (on the field and outside) I hope he'll be in another mood tomorrow...

Bert was also doing bitework for Pico today. Picos work was brilliant, the recall, grips, long flight -everything - except a new problem coming up....he will not listen to the outcommand, which has never been a problem with him before , but now (before the trial) is probably the time to experience new problems....

Sunday 6th Dec

Trial day.....we met at the club 0730 hrs for breakfast. It was still dark, but the club were already full of people. Ronny (van der Berghe) asked if I was nervous and I didn't have to answer  We drove to the tracking fields around 0815 and they started with the schH II dogs. Vegard, who's main goal was to work and improve Haros tracking, got 98 p!!!!! and was of course happy.

I layed a a very `nice` track (read: heavy steps and sore legs the day after )  for Pico, but the judge was polite and only commented (a little bit...) about the way I was laying Mr Pico's track.... Anyway, Pico did a great job. It was the first time!!! on 10 m line and I was of course nervous....but Pico was tracking better without food and was also marking the articles perfect. He should have been a little bit more calm after the first article (lost 1 p) and also lost 3 p on the last line when he got all the cars, dogs, people just in front of him and he had to control for a sec. 96 points!!!!

We drove back to the club and I managed to see the last part of Vegards obedience with Haro. He was doing a very correct and nice work and deserved all of his 98p!!! Congratulation Vegard! The best obedience of all the participants!!!

...and then The (not so...) Marvellous Mr Pico ;-) He was in super drive, very eager to work and I felt that this was too good to last...and it was...When I went to pick the dumbell, Pico was so 'polite' and picked it for me.....got no correction -  and decided to take advantage of this 'situation'  no down on the sendaway and no long down......Yes, I know (I have heard it 100 times ;-)) I need more pressure on him and I promise you all (even if you don't believe me) I will work on this, but thanks to all of you (guy's) who have offered me help with this

73 points, but pleased with his attitude and willingness to work. I have never done all the exercises before without reward and I noticed that he was about to explode when he had no reward (a good experience)

After some lunch at the club it was time for protectionwork. I had already been given Pico food (before the obedience) hoping that this would make him calm down....and after a couple of walks and blues/jazz music in the car....(those who knows me know this is true ) ...I crossed my fingers that I would have enough control on this red energy bomb.

He got excellent on the blindsearching, the guarding and the recall, but lost points because he was not sitting quiet (believe me....he was not tired...) the flight, out and guarding was excellent. Before the courage test I felt that he was much higher in drive than usual and I decided to hold him in the collar before I sent him, which (of course) just made him even higher in drive (and is not what I normally do). He lost points because he was not sitting calm ( no - not at all) his courage test was excellent really hard and fast direct in Ronny's body, but then...when it was time to scream 'aus' I saw on his attitude that I would have problems and I was screaming 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSS' the highest I could (so hard that I got a headache, a sore troat and that Roger Snollarts commented it - but it was worth it...) but lost a point because of my loooong command. 94 points

Pico got his SchH I with 96-73-94

Vegard and Haro got 96 points and Bert and Nero had the best protectionwork (together with Danny) 98 points and CONGRATULATION!

Nero's bitework (above)

Neros obedience (under)

Thanks a lot to all of you who has been helping me with Mr Pico!!!!!!!!!!

7th Dec driving to Spain with a car full of dirty clothes, a sore throat and some broken nails , but with a lot more knowledge and motivation to work harder for our SchH II in May 2010