Team Small Dog, what did you think of the new spot for the USDAA trial in Monterey?

Ruby: Liked the breezy spot for her crate, atop a little hill with a fine view of a pine tree.

Dislked not really anything at all. Maybe that I never spend enough time with her these days when we go away to dog agility.


Gustavo: Liked Masters Jumpers. Awesomeness. Liked the weave poles in gamblers so much that I ran him right out the ring in joyful, obstacleless fast running after he did them. Ooh, and the many tunnels of snooker. Hurrah for tunnels.

Disliked the breezy tarps blowing and flapping too nearby the rings. So much so he slammed on the brakes with the wide eyed freakies more than once, once causing total mayhem and meltdown, until the jumpers run that we prefaced with a meet and greet of each and every tarp, shade cloth and festive beach umbrella up close and personal.


Otterpop: Liked most of her startlines. Ran fast for her Q's this weekend.

Disliked the startline in gamblers however. Just that one. She won't tell me why; we will never know. What makes some runs happy and another one sad is her own dark secret that she'll share with no one.

Bonus extra dislike of the kilt wearing bagpiper who was Saturday evening's entertainment, during our IHC Jumpers run, blowing into big plaid bags just a few yards from the team's xpen.

I liked it Otterpop was so mad at that screeching pipe blower that she ran through that jumpers better than anything else. Much more fun than regular old jumpers.

This was a new spot for a trial, under the plane path for the Monterey Airport at a swanky private school in the Monterey foothills. Many opportunities for coffee between the site and my house. It was scenic and less than an hour from home. I ran the dogs in fewer classes, and was happy to have my favorite Otterpop back. Gustavo was Gustavo, but boy does he like running in Jumpers. Sure was nice to have a good day out with all my dogs.