The KNIGHTs Shelties

Last night was very tense! I kept thinking about the caravan. Two community police officers came to knock on the door about 7pm to ask how do I feel. You must be joking! I told them I fell insecure and I WANT PROTECTION! The caravan park right close to the house (we are very lucky to be able to park the caravan in our front garden, you don't have much space in London), can you imagine someone (or more than one!) that you do not know are in your compound! They told me it could be just a one off because there is some form of pattern that some foreigners got so drunk and they live miles away so they will just hang about at someone's property and my caravan became their target! WHAT?

I was ready to sleep in the caravan with Sing and Seagull and a baseball bat (sorry, I am a fighter!) but Colin reminded me that the CSI said I need to clean the caravan with strong detergent before using it ... so this option is out! How annoying!! I also told my nephew off for being so NOT alert, his bedroom is just above where the caravan is park! He told me he was far asleep at 9pm the night when the intruder broke into the caravan!! Arrrrgggghhhh ...

I was still unwell, my cold and cough is still very much bothering me but I didn't want to take anymore Night Nurse. I tried to stay alert but it just got me very tired at the end ... but I didn't hear any dog barking.

First thing I woke up this morning was to run straight to the caravan to check it out. Thank God it is safe!

I rang the police again, I am not a patient person, I would like to get things done there and then, I hate waiting! I managed to speak to the police operator and she put me to my loval police station. I gave my statement through the phone and asked them to send someone here to have a look.

After an hour, I've got a phone call from the Police, they asked me a few more details questions regarding the caravan. The Crime Scene Investigator turned up pretty soon after I spoke to the Officer. He spent an hour working on the "crime scene", taking finger prints, blood, checked everything inside and outside of the caravan, taking photos ...

I also got to speak to my neighbour, she said she and her husband heard someone very loud and noisy in the front garden last night, maybe between 2am - 4am. I don't know if that is a clue.

The Investigator can't find any finger prints on the window, the interior wall inside the caravan are not smooth so it is harder to find finger prints too. The only evidence they could take is the blood from the door and on the bed. Then, later, he found a bunch of key with a TV remote control as a keychain not far away from the caravan. He wasn't sure about that but I told him that is definitely not belong to us, so he took it in as well.

Just before he left, he told me to use glove and strong detergent to clean the caravan, because he is worried about the blood, just in case the person who left it carries hepatitis. That got me worried more!! I don't think I would want the blanket with the blood, I would prefer to chuck it away!! YUK!!

Hopefully, I will get the result from the Police as soon as possible!!

One thing, when the police called me back this morning, she did ask if I would like consult. Well, when I got my brand new mobile stolen from home many years ago (we had a plumber in then), I reported to the police, they also asked me if I need consultancy. I think our police are funny!! I don't want any consultancy, I want PROTECTION!!!

If you remember a couple of weeks ago, I said I was sad? Well, I felt uncomfortable to live in this area anymore. When we moved in about 6 years ago, it was very quiet and peaceful. Eventhough we live by the main road but the traffic isn't very bad or busy all the time. There is only a certain time when it is busy for half and hour and that's it. The neighbourhood is safe and friendly. The Common is only 3 minutes walk from home, it is a fantastic location for us.

I guess it all started about 3 years ago when the Common got disturbed by the yobs. They raced motorbike on the Common. Saturn and I got nearly ran over by the biker when he was about 5/6 months old! I challenged the biker by standing on the track to stop him from racing through the track as Sing, Seagull, Saturn and Titan were behind me! Every Summer, about 5pm, they will be a group of biker, all young kids with their bikes riding on top of the hill then race down the hill where the pond is. I go out three times a day to the Common in the Summer so many times we were so close to get run over by them. I rang the police when I saw them but the police nevers turn up or when they turn up with their siren on, those kids had gone!

Then, last two years, there were a lot of burnt cars left in the Common. I don't know how they drove the car into the Common. Well, the gates are lock and there is no easy way to drive the car into the Common. We always found one burnt car every week! It is very unpleasant. I have taken some photos but I am too lazy to find them.

Then, gypsies camping on the Common!! You can't imagine the mess and rubbish they created!! The council blocked off the road where they camp with big cement blocks but they still be able to park their caravans on the road!! Walking the dogs are not easy!

Just recently, people started to use the Common as a houshold dump! See photo below:

To me, this kid's bike looks new:

We haven't have any serious crime happened to us (touch wood!) but we do have druggies tried to break into our back garden and kids as well. Our two doors on the left, it was a petrol station before when we first moved in here. Then, they demolish it. The gypsies quickly moved in with their caravans, so we had a few months of hell life next to them. They slept during the day and sang/shout during the night. They dump their rubbish in our garden and made shits everywhere! It was very nasty and walking the dogs pass them was a nightmare!!

Finally, they got kicked out and they develop the place into flats. During the contruction period, we have some druggies slept in there during the night and they climb over the fence and start intruding our back garden. It was quite scarry at that time but luckily it didn't last as Sing and Seagull were very alert, their bark probably had scared him off, instead he broke into our neighbour!!

Then, another time, I woke up one Sunday morning to find a black kid standing at the bottom of our garden. We had a very long garden, 180 foot. I was very stupid then, I saw him from the kitchen window, instead of sending all the dogs down in the garden to frigten him, I lock all the dogs in and went to confront him myself in my pyjamas!!! Luckily he was very frightened of me and ran off after I show my aggressiveness towards him!!

I hope the police can restore the peaceful of this area, I do like where I live, so convenient to take the dogs for walkies!!

Also, I forgot to mention, we have two bicycles stolen from the train station. My nephews ride the bicycles to park at the train station so they can go to Universities by train, by the time they came back, there were gone!!

Well, I have heard so many of our agility friends' caravan been stolen for the last two years and I have always been careful about ours. We only had a tiny little caravan that is big enough to squeeze into the front garden. Colin said those gypsy only want big carvans, so we should be alright but I always make sure I will leave a car park right in front of the caravan to block it to be removed.

This morning, as usual, I have to send Colin to the tube station. When I open the front door, my vision is always looking at the caravan but I noticed something different. The silver blind on the window facing the the house is lifted. I pointed it to Colin, he said: dont' worry, just the wind! I thought the weather was quite calm yesterday, indeed we have a beautiful sunny afternoon, where was the wind?

After dropping Colin, I came home and took my caravan key to investigate the mysterious window. When I turned the key, the door lock! Mmmm ... I got suspicious, I am a very careful person, I never leave the door unlock. So, I turned it the other way to open the door, the door open but only the top part of the door open and the bottom part was still shut. This means, the lock that lock these two parts have been touched! I've got more suspicious. When I open the full door, I know someone has been in there. I have a piece of towelling blanket on the floor near the door for the dogs on the wet weather, it wasn't straight, it look like someone has walk on it, if you didn't walk carefully, the blanket will move or twist (didn't I sound like a good investigator?). Well, I know my things. When I walk in, I can see the beds have been touch. I wash/clean all the beddings (human and dogs) when we finished our last caravan trip. I pile them all up on the beds (we have two separate beds), other than the two sleeping bags still on the beds, the other dog beds are ontop of the garden fencing. The two sleeping bags have been used/touched. I also found some blood staines on Colin's bed (the window that got broke in). The blood still look red, so it must be just so recent, either last night or this morning. I checked the window, 3 our of the 4 clips that lcok the window together are broken, so it is definitely a FORCE break in!

I cannot see many things missing, a dinner plate and a drinking glass are missing so far. I rang the police this morning but no one there to pick the call, so I left a message, hopefully these lazy cows will call me back! I thought Police is 24 hours?

I was very ill last night, my cold has turned into nasty cough, so after having the Night Nurse I was in deep sleep, I didn't hear the dogs.

I also have a good around outside the caravan and I found a piece of car aerial by the window they broke in and a Gingster Large Sausage Roll wrapper!!!

Mmmmm ...

I guess I have to sleep in the caravan tonight to see if he or more than two comes back again!!! Maybe I will have my dogs all sleep in there to chase them off or protect me! Real Bastard!!!

We went to Shrewsbury on Friday evening, after picking up Colin from work. It was pitch black all the way there (well, the evening get dark very early now!). It was more than 200 miles each way. We did stop half way to get something to eat and gave the dogs a quick toilet trip. We arrived at Travel Lodge slightly pass 11pm.

I was still not 100% in fitness, this cold can drag on forever, after 4 hours drive, I was exhausted, so we went to bed almost immediately for an early start tomorrow. I think it was a big mistake as Sizzle has never been in Travel Lodge before. I didn't give him time to settle and turn the lights off straightaway. I can felt he was uneasy and he barked when he heard the noise from outside. I was too tired to comfort him either.

We woke up 7:15 (the showground is less than 10 minutes away), I took the dogs to toilet while Colin collected all our stuff from the hotel room. I thought we will be there by 8am but we spent some time at the petrol station, filling up the fuel and stuff some breakfast ... so we got there 8:15. Oh yes, and it rain! It was wet, but not so cold! I was soak through my skin!!

I have two classes to walk first thing, one is the jumping pairs and one is the Graded 6-7 Agility. I have Sizzle pairing with Bracken in the small pairs and Saturn in the medium pairs with Seamas; Saturn in the Graded 6-7 Agility.

I like the Graded 6-7 Agility course. When I walk it, I thought it is Sing's course. I know Sing will handle the course very well, shamed that he was not fit enough to run. Saturn was his naughty self that morning. I have learned from this year, if he barks at the start line (silly bark, not the one that I asked him to "speak") or in the queue, I know he is not with me and he will do crazy thing in the ring, like taking his own line and ignore me. He did his crazy bark when I asked him to "set up", he wouldn't go between my legs (for the set up) and when I got him in between my legs, he wouldn't sit! I know straightway we will get eliminated and I was right. It was a jump to see-saw to start. I want to recall him from the see-saw, so I have enough time to do the diagonal box but he broke his wait, when I turned and looked at him, he already stand up and stood right in front of the timer, so the run was a disaster!! Not worth mention further!!

After the disaster run, I have to run over to the jumping pairs as there were only a few pairs left to go.

The Jumping pairs have 20 obstacles, each dog does 10 obstacles and there is a baton changeover. The first part of the Jumping pairs is all jumps (and a long jump), the second part has weave and tunnels. I walked the two parts and felt I am more comfortable with the second part with both Sizzle and Saturn. It has a very difficult weave entry, I find it challenging, also the WET and heavy cloth tunnel is my worried, I wasn't sure if I should put Sizzle through that. He just only started to compete and I don't want him to get stuck (and he did stuck in the cloth tunnel!). I had a word with Matthew, I told him if he is happy for me and Sizzle to make mistake in the weave, I will take up the challenge!

As we were a bit late, everything got tense. I've got Colin to bring Sizzle to me while we were quieing. I don't know if it is the cold or wet or what, we were about two pairs to go, I picked him up, he was all shaky, but the jumping went very fast, we were next to go and I was still unable to calm him down. It is definitely not the excitement shake. Before I could do anymore to help him, it was our turn to run. My plan to handle this run is to have him on my right to start with, hopefully with a pull, he will pick up the weave entry. I told Matthew this is his first pair and I do not know how he will react watching Brax runs, so the best way maybe is to carry him until the baton changeover (safe and lost time in the baton changeover). Matt is very understanding (this is why I like to pair with him, there is no pressure between us), he told me to do whichever way I like. When Matt and Brax on the start line, Sizzle was still shaking, even worst than he was, so I decided to put him down but holding his collar. He was better when he was on the ground, he watched Brax but the pocket rocket did the 10 jumps in seocnds, I wasn't sure how he will react when Matt run to me to pick the baton but I didn't let him go until I am sure he is with me. Thank God, he didn't even look back and did all the things I asked him to, even the hardest weave entry, he did it beautifully. I think we lost time in the cloth tunnel, we came 3rd, the time wasn't far behind, the first three places were all in the 27 seconds. I was very happy with Sizzle handling the pairs so well. Thanks to Matt and Brax for pairing with us!

In the Medium pairs, Saturn nearly miss the cloth tunnel! Phew! Thanks to Brian and Seamas for pairing with us!

The classes seems to finish quite efficiently, there were four rings. I only have to wait for about half an hour (in the rain) for my next run(s). Yes, unfortunately, Sizzle's three other classes all happened at the same time.

I ran him in the Graded 4-5 Jumping first. I thought it was a very nice course but he missed the weave entry! It was a jump, tyre to weave to start. When I looked through the tyre at Sizzle's level, I could see the problem, the foam of the tyre has blocked the vision of the poles. I thought if I recall him in between the jump and the tyre, I could tell him "weave" but I was wrong, the weave was set further right after the tyre, he went into the 2nd pole on the wrong side. Maybe if I were to recall from the tyre and call him towards me and send, he probably would pick up the entry. There is something I could work on! Also, the pipe tunnel was set close to the two jumps which he got eliminated by going into the tunnel twice! And, our pull through still need a lot of practise!!! Our first pull through I can see my shoulder was turning the wrong way so he wrap around the wing instead of doing the pull through!

His second jumping round (combined 4-5) was so much better. I thought the course was harder than the graded and he handled the beginning part so well. It was a very difficult start; jump, jump, tunnel and sharp left ... a lot of dogs took the jump in front of the tunnel but Sizzle didn't even look at the jump at all. He responsed to my call very well and I managed to put a front cross to do the "go around" the jump, he also picked up the weave nicely, everything was so smooth until I lost him in the box where he took the finish jump! You can hear these people said: ohhhhhhh ... I know!! It was a shamed. I have watched other dogs ran this class and I have to say, other than we took the finish jump to get eliminated, Sizzle was the one that ran this class smoothly.

I am very proud of him. He is only a baby and he is allow to do baby mistakes!! I have been thinking about the silly mistakes he made in the jumping, the graded class where he went into the tunnel twice and the combined class where he took the finish jump. I have been teaching him to take anything in front of him, so that is a good behaviour but now he is up at the Novice Level and he needs to do something not so straight forward. I am actually a little confused. He is only 18 months and I would rather he can do something straight forward to gain the confidence and speed.

Our Agility was another disaster! It was also another "run straight from one class to the other" case. I have watched a few handlers and they all starting their dogs from the left and there were a couple totally missed the DW. It was an odd angle from the jump to the DW so I ran Sizzle on my right and he missed the DW by quite a margin. I saw him leap off straight into the tunnel (more homework!!) and he picked the weave entry nicely but I wasn't aware he missed the last two poles until the judge told me! You can see me tried to run away from him to the A Frame because I was afraid he will take the jump in front (from our last jumping experienced) instead of the A Frame but I forgot he prefers the DW, hahaha ... His see-saw is improving! At least he stays on the see-saw for as long as I asked him too (eventhough not very long)!

Oh dear me! Sounds like I have tons of homework with him! I'd love running Sizzle, he is so different to Sing and Saturn!

Saturn was also naughty at his Graded 6-7 Jumping. It was another challenging course, I was hoping he will get place in that but he decided he will miss ONE jump! Other than that, he did the course beautifully!

We finished the day with Saturn's combined 6-7 Jumping. His only clear round of the day! I didn't wait til the end of it, I was very wet and uncomfortable and all I want is to go home as soon as possible!

our runs on Saturday:

Thank you to everyone who sent best wishes to Sing. He is better!

the above photo was taken on Sunday in Mitcham Common, the happy Sing is back!

I still haven't got a clue of how Sing injured himself on either Thursday evening or Friday. When I sent him on the DW, he walked really slowly and he did the jump and weave becuase he wanted to pleased me (I am a CRUEL mummy!). I only noticed he is not right when I threw the tennis ball for him to chase!! He just stood there watching the tennis ball landed and roll away; then later I realised why he didn't follow me up and down the stairs was because he can't climb the staircase!! Then, I knew he was seriously injured!! I have to carry him up and stairs and on the bed! Luckily when we lodged in at Travel Lodge on Friday night, we had a room on the groud floor so he could just walked in but I have to pick him up and put him on our bed! I gave him a lot of arnica over the weekend to help easing the swelling bit or bruise (if there is any). He was very grumpy that he didn't get to run at Shrewsbury, he was winding everytime I took Sizzle and Saturn to the ring and left him in the car! I spoke to Kevin, my vet about him this morning, he said as long as he is not in pain, give him a good rest!