Dog show was fun. I get stressed about it and I dunno why. I bought some Rescue Remedy from Whole
The first day, when I called Toe to come to me, he sat at the other end of the arena with his ears perked like, "Really? Me?!" and he stayed there. I had to call him a second time which disqualified us but he did everything else... his stand for exam, the sit and down stay etc. He got lots of praise and treats when it was all over!
The second day he decided he couldn't sit in the ring.
I stopped walking while he was heeling and he's supposed to sit but instead he stood looking up at me. He came running when I called him and instead of sitting in front of me, he stood. And when I gave him the finish command where he goes to heel position he did it but remained standing and looking up at me. Those were all points off, not anything enough to flunk. Funny, because in the stand for exam, he fell in love with the judge - began wiggling his whole body so hard - and he sat to look adoringly up at her. The only time he sat in the ring and that sit disqualified us.
Today his heeling was ugliest of all.... (hey, it's good to know what we need to work on!) and he stood for exam, came when called, did his sit stay and down stay to earn a leg, or score, toward his novice obedience title. Score of 173.5 out of 200. Yay Toe!
My nerves settled way down after the first day - I relaxed, enjoyed doing something with my little dog and I had a lot of fun talking with other people about their dogs....
Of course when Toe didn't do well, after we left the ring, I could "shoot" him. He plays dead with great enthusiasm and accuracy. Told ya we we'd be a comedy act! Las Vegas here we come...
6 comments:
CONGRATS!
So humbling to work with animals.... thank goodness for the "shoot" comand!
Yippee!!! For Toe!!!
Our first dog as a married couple was a golden retriever/collie mix and as beautiful and well behaved as either of those breeds could ever be, plus she had a low thyroid so she was pretty much a rug :D Since she was the only "child" she was brilliantly trained, down, sit, stay, heel, give, leave it, she could even give high fives and wave!!
Now 3 kids, four horses and two cockapoos later, I can't say that any of them respond with a whole lot of obedience, ug!!! I'm just thrilled if my dogs will give up eating horse poop long enough to look at me when I'm calling them!!! HA!
Congratulations with Toe!!!
That shooting trick would make a popular youtube video. Tie sounds so cute!!
Finally posted sketches from my Buenos Aires trip, with links to my FB photo albums, btw.
:)
Funder - thanks!
Kelley - I know, fun and good practice for interspecies communication!
mommyrides - Yeah - our little cattle dog mix is like that but when she was young and ready to do stuff, AKC didn't let mix dogs compete. Now they do but our Little Dawg is 12 now... and geez, with 3 kids, to even keep up with it all? You are AMAZING to me!
Cheryl - WELCOME BACK!
What a fun event to have you Toe in. I bet he knows when your heading out now its going to be all about him. Dogs are pretty darn smart if your just paying attention and they sure reward you in all sorts of ways. Just them being HAPPY is such a satisfying feeling. Your doing exactly something he needs to do!! Your such a good Mom!
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