GCDOC Agility Trial general comments

I usually really like this trial site. However, this weekend it was very cold. I'm not sure if it was the cold wind outside or if they had less heaters, but this weekend it was nearly unbearable. I arrived each day by 7:20 a.m. On Saturday I left at 5:20 p.m. and on Sunday I pulled out at 3 p.m. Two long days of being very cold, and I must admit that probably affected my attitude on the "little things" that happen during a trial.

I was also worried about the dogs and warming them up properly. I took extra time to walk them before doing any stretching or jumping. Ian was in a great mood for most of his runs (more on that when I recap his runs). 

Devon was ready to go every time I pulled her out of the crate! It was interesting that she warmed up well and tugged in the crating area, but the minute we stepped into the arena where the rings were located, she wouldn't tug and I had to move to food. She also sniffed the dirt in the arena area more than she did in the crating area.

Generally, I'm not sure I'll return to this trial site again. In the future I may crate in my car to avoid the dirt that invaded everything I owned, from my clothes to my crates and blankets to my vehicle. It was so cold, I opted for inside. However, several folks said their vehicles were warmer than inside due to the sun.

My dogs did run very well, so overall it was a successful weekend for them. I guess I'll just have to make those decisions next year.