Picture: Melissa Wilson

Hi
My mum says today was very special - the first of my "Big  Competitions" (whatever that may be). She was so terribly pleased with me. We got one of those ribbons and it says "second" - she really likes those ribbons, my mum. Very odd. I live in a family of weird creatures. My brother Chippy loves sticks and my mum likes those coloured ribbons. Good thing at least I am sane!

Let me explain to you what really happened.
My friend Allez (who also got a ribbon today ... mum must be so happy!), Cassie, who just came for the ride, my "real mum" Quincy (who also just came for the ride and for the walk afterwards), my brother Chippy and I left after breakfast with mum.
Mum then played agility first with Allez and then with me. She was really happy afterwards, but so was I. I actually got her to run quite swiftly today .. maybe there is hope after all. My friend Benji beat us. He went clear and faster. But he is a real pro ... Mum says it's OK to loose against him. she says we are still "babies". I hate when she says that ... I am no baby .. perfectly capeable of looking after myself and everyone else ... Benji's mum agrees with me that I did make that contact, but the judge said I didn't ... humans ... I tell you, there is no telling what they think they see. So we got 5 faults, but really I didn't make a mistake, it was the judge who made a mistake.
Anyway, Chippy didn't listen again, so he DQd. Chippy likes to run far away from mum when he plays Agility. I keep telling him he must stay close like I do - it is much easier to control mum like that, because sometimes she suddenly changes her mind, and even if there is a perfectly good obstacle in front of us, she wants to make a funny turn. You have to be close to get those turns, else she is off by herself again ... can't let that happen. But Chippy, well, he just doesn't get it. I watched from the car ... saw exactly how it happened. there was that perfectly good jump in front of him and mum just turned and wanted to do the dog walk, but he went on and did the jump anyway before going back to catch mum. I really don't get it why she wanted to turn there, but mum at times is like a sheep - you never know what she is going to do next .... HAVE TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON HER!
Then the second round was Non-Contact. Now that is my speciality. I am much better at it than Chippy is. I am already in A3 ... he is still in A2. mum says that is how you can tell who is best.

Today Chippy got lucky ... he beat me. Not quite a second, but he beat me .... Huff ... anyway, overall I am still better than he is, cause at the end I got the bigger bag of dog food than he did and I got the ribbon that said "second", his said "third". Benji won ... he got a *really* big bag of food! WOW, I think I could eat for a month on that, maybe longer.
Afterwards we went for a walk. But it wasn't nice at all. My paw got really, really hurt ... I mean really badly. I cried and ran back to mum (she was trailing us as usual!). Mum looked and looked and touched and then she said it was probably a bee ... she just expected me to continue with the walk! She had no idea how painful my paw was. At times mum can be so callous :-(. Just told me to come along :-(. It was not nice. I was glad when we got back to the car. Now it is better. It must have been all the licking I did - have to do everything yourself around here, even looking after my injuries.

Mum says we are going to play Agility tomorrow again ... Ypiee, can't wait.

See you
Lollie