It wasn't a jinx after all to write about what could be. It happened! Cash finished his Rally Novice title on Saturday with a first place and got a qualifying leg toward his Rally Advanced title on Sunday with a fourth place finish! He's such a good boy!
It was not without some frustration on my part. Saturday's course was challenging and sniffing once again came into play, but I was able to get his attention back in due course and get out of the ring with my sanity intact and a new title.
Sunday was another story. Being off leash in the ring was a new experience for both of us. We had practiced plenty but that first time can be trepidating to say the least. The first exercise was a jump designed to see what kind of control the handler has without the leash and Cash LOVES to jump. He came right back to heel position and performed the next sign, a halt (sit), down, sit perfectly. Next was a halt, about turn right, to a 270 right, to a serpentine that led us across the ring where I started to lose his attention at a 270 right that was by the ring gating. There were a number of exhibitors sitting with their dogs RIGHT NEXT to the gating. Although there was plenty of room for them NOT to be on top of the gating, not one of them moved back when they saw he was very interested in them. Sigh... I repeated that sign and moved to the next which was a halt, pivot 180, halt and back down the same side with all the spectators. As we s l o w l y worked our way down that side I actually said to Cash, "Can we please just finish this course and get out of here?" It was a fight at every sign on that side to get and keep his attention. He even went so far as to stick his head through the gating to get a good view of everyone. When we finally got out of the ring, I was firmly convinced our first experience in Advanced was a total bomb and an NQ. Imagine my surprise that his score was an 80 and a fourth place finish. Q's are Q's and as far as I'm concerned anything between 70 and 100 is okay. Not that we don't want to do better, but at least he didn't waste Daddy's entry fee. And as expensive as AKC entry fees are at $25 for the first class, it's nothing to sneeze at. I'm really dating myself when I remember entry fees when I started were $8.
All in all a decent weekend.
2 comments:
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!
And, BTW, he is so damn cute in that picture!
Thanks Avalon! He is a cute little guy, but then I'm biased. I called his co-breeder, Eva Mitchell of Dream Poodles, and I'm surprised I couldn't hear her WAHOOOO without the phone. She was elated to say the least. Now she wants photos of him for a magazine ad next year.
Post a Comment