What are you all up to this weekend?

We went out to Buckland Abbey today for mother's day, meeting with my various siblings and my neices. It was really lovely actually but we got soaked to start with walking around the estate in the pissing rain 🤦‍♀️ Aster wasn't particularly great today if I'm honest. Had her barking hiccups at a lab in the carpark 🙄 my brother and sister-in-law brought their two bonkers spaniels which tore around like complete dorks just generally being a nuisance. Honestly, I love my bro and sis in law but they have THE most irritating habit of just doing this weird whistle to "call" their dogs back, LITERALLY the entire walk. The dogs NEVER return on it. It's like a weird wanna-be tongue-against-teeth farmer's whistle but like, less than 1/4 of the power when it's done properly. Once you tune into it you want to throw yourself into Mount Doom. It's the most poisoned recall cue I've ever heard. Well.... I'm not sure it was ever a cue because there is zero association there with (hideous) whistle=come back=something good. Then my brother made the very predictable comment of saying "not very well trained is she?!" When I called Aster and she didn't come (which I followed up by going and getting her and putting her on leash for the rest of the day as punishment). Standard. Anyways, we are still building the key search indications which are really getting good. I introduced a start of the search by just having her move into the (very easy) search from the next room.

Crufts is coming up soon. Who's going? If you're not, do you plan on following on the telly?

What are you all getting up to today? We're off for a big dog walk.

This week I've been training Lando the reactive whippet. Pretty crazy turnaround in three days already. Video attached. I just got back from Ikea too. Lars sent me there to find some mats to cut up for IGP articles! I can see why. Super cheap! @Livvy Brewer is always happy for a reason to go to Ikea.