Yesterday Miska and I competed in two Open (obedience) trials, hoping to earn her last 2 legs for her Canadian Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) title. Last fall she earned her first CKC leg and then earlier this year she finished her AKC CDX. So having recently trialed, I was hopeful she would do well enough to get two passes and her title.
Well, things never quite go according to [my] plan. But I should focus on the POSITIVE. Despite very little practice in the last couple of months (because we were focusing more on agility), Miska's first trial went very well. It was my first time in many years competing in the "B" class which now mixes up the order of the exercises and this was sooooooo refreshing! Her heeling was pretty good, retrieving and jumping were awesome and she had some very good fronts and finishes. Only one one exercise did Miska do the unexpected. There was a very prominent chalk mark on the black floor to indicate where the handler and dog were to set up in front of the high jump. I was doing a 'finish' after the retrieve on the flat and sent Miska around the back of me which is when she spotted the line several feet away and had to go check it out. I kept my mouth shut and the judge & I waited to see what she would do. After she satisfied her curiousity. she returned to heel position. We lost a mark or two for a poor finish but that was all. So wasn't I absolutely thrilled to learn she not only passed (yeah!) with a score of 193 but placed 4th in her class!! Hip hip hooray!! As we were competing in the company of some of Canada's top obedience handlers and dogs, it was quite an achievement to get a placement with such illustrious competitors.
At that point, I was feeling confident of a second pass. We were in a different ring under a different judge for trial #2. Miska's heeling wasn't as good; for some reason she just didn't like heeling into the corner of this room where the same thing happened the previous night at a class. However, I felt she'd still pass and she did really well on all the other exercises. The broadjump has often been our nemesis, with her walking through or onto the jumps but she cleared them both times with great enthusiasm. Then it came time for the 3 minute our of sight sit-stay which she aced about 40 minutes earlier. When I returned to the ring, my heart sank. She had stood up which means an automatic FAIL. However the judge said Miska had laid down at around 2:34 and then stood up! Had it not been for this little glitch, she would have had a xcore of 192.5 and her title. Grrrrr!!!
But what can you do? Despite the promise of another steak dinner, Miska did it her way. I think she just likes to see me spend money!! I KNOW she'll finish her CDX. It's just a matter of when.
Well, things never quite go according to [my] plan. But I should focus on the POSITIVE. Despite very little practice in the last couple of months (because we were focusing more on agility), Miska's first trial went very well. It was my first time in many years competing in the "B" class which now mixes up the order of the exercises and this was sooooooo refreshing! Her heeling was pretty good, retrieving and jumping were awesome and she had some very good fronts and finishes. Only one one exercise did Miska do the unexpected. There was a very prominent chalk mark on the black floor to indicate where the handler and dog were to set up in front of the high jump. I was doing a 'finish' after the retrieve on the flat and sent Miska around the back of me which is when she spotted the line several feet away and had to go check it out. I kept my mouth shut and the judge & I waited to see what she would do. After she satisfied her curiousity. she returned to heel position. We lost a mark or two for a poor finish but that was all. So wasn't I absolutely thrilled to learn she not only passed (yeah!) with a score of 193 but placed 4th in her class!! Hip hip hooray!! As we were competing in the company of some of Canada's top obedience handlers and dogs, it was quite an achievement to get a placement with such illustrious competitors.
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At that point, I was feeling confident of a second pass. We were in a different ring under a different judge for trial #2. Miska's heeling wasn't as good; for some reason she just didn't like heeling into the corner of this room where the same thing happened the previous night at a class. However, I felt she'd still pass and she did really well on all the other exercises. The broadjump has often been our nemesis, with her walking through or onto the jumps but she cleared them both times with great enthusiasm. Then it came time for the 3 minute our of sight sit-stay which she aced about 40 minutes earlier. When I returned to the ring, my heart sank. She had stood up which means an automatic FAIL. However the judge said Miska had laid down at around 2:34 and then stood up! Had it not been for this little glitch, she would have had a xcore of 192.5 and her title. Grrrrr!!!
But what can you do? Despite the promise of another steak dinner, Miska did it her way. I think she just likes to see me spend money!! I KNOW she'll finish her CDX. It's just a matter of when.
Congrats to you both on the great first trial! Bummer about the second but it sounds like she is pretty solid and won't take much to get that final leg. I hear you on spending the money. I entered a trial for this weekend for Riley and scratched him so that was just a donation to the hosting club :o). Trialing is expensive!
ReplyDeleteDespite the disappointing 2nd trial, congratulate yourselves on the first one which was AWESOME!
ReplyDelete