Humiliation Works

Double dogging part one, Stockton on Tees. It’s a glorious day too. Although I discover that miracles don't happen and I wake up with the communal cold.

My parents accompany us, while L intends to walk up the Cleveland Way to Saltburn by Sea. Saltburn is an old Victorian seaside town with a long pier. It sounds a nice walk but it won't be the same without an errant collie, who I kind of need with me. L hopes to persuade Daughter to join her. Hmmmm could be tough; Daughter’s packed several DVDs and the TV guide but I'm pleased to say I was proved wrong, they both walk to Saltburn, although they get the bus back.

At the show, we totally cock-up on our first course. Doggo completely misses his dog-walk contact and then although he gets his see-saw contact, he doesn't stop and wait on it, like I tell him to. So I put my foot on the see-saw pushing it back down to the ground and at the same time pick Doggo up around the mid-rift and put him back on the contact point. I can see the look of pure humiliation on his face. All the poodles will be laughing at him. Serves him right he should listen to me. The judge meanwhile is making a slitting gesture across his throat which means it's elimination for us. It's illegal to touch the equipment or to pick your dog up. He repeats his mistake on the A-frame so I repeat the process. More mortified looks from Doggo. We even miss the first weave although that may have been my fault, my concentration had gone by then, or maybe Doggo was doing it deliberately by now.

Things can only get better, as they say, which they do. We concentrate on getting all our contacts on the next agility course, treating it as a training run. He hits every one. Humiliation obviously works. In fact we go clear for the rest of the day in all of our remaining three runs. We miss the placing by one position on two occasions. Overall though a good day.

We needed to hit good form because there is controversy over the selection process for our team for the Crufts qualifying event tomorrow. We were supposed to have two teams of four and we were in the 'B' team but only five people have turned up. This means five people for four places and we are in, the person to be omitted is not happy. Understandably.

The first two Rugby quarter-finals take place today. Amazingly England put in a terrific performance to defeat Australia. Then in the evening France create a huge shock and dump out the hot favourites New Zealand.

In the football, Derby seem to get the team selection all wrong again and go down 1-0 at Reading.

We find a pub for the evening, the food is good, although we all over eat. The beer is naff though, they have no real ale on, despite having the pumps for it. I drink something called Tetley's Imperial, whatever that is. Get home very sober.

Doggo seems too tired to get up the spiral staircase, whereas last night he confounded all of us by making light work of it with his climbing skills. Eventually I have to persuade him to join us upstairs where L and I concentrate on keeping the noise down in the four-poster because my parents are sleeping next door. It's almost like being sixteen again.