We showed in Simpsonville a couple of weeks ago. Went to a match Friday night, stayed at a hotel, was ready to show bright and early at 8 a.m. I thought all the stars were lines up perfectly to get our title. Sadly, it was not to be. At the match Friday night, we had 5 minutes of ring time. I opted to a Drop on Recall, after some heeling. The drop was picture perfect. We did a couple retrieves over the jump, mainly because on the first one he went to go right to finish, rather than front first. So I stopped him, and then we repeated the exercise, and it was very nice. Then I opted to use my last bit of time to do a mini stay. I set him up, the ring was very different looking from normal stays in the ring, since the jumps were still set up, and it was just him. He followed me right out. I firmly put him back in place, and left for a minute, and came back and praised, then our time was up. We then immediatly had group stays. He did stay, but he looked quite stressed.
So Saturday’s actual trial was not good. He did not drop on the drop on recall. I think I need to stop saying his name, then down. I think it might be confusing to him. I have no idea. We do not ever have a drop issue in training, and I do bring him lots of different busy places to do it. He has had lots of proofing. His heeling was nice, his retrieve he went to go right to finish, so since we already NQ’ed, I stopped him. He nicked the broad jump (frustrating) and he nicked the jump on the retrieve over the jump (frustrating).
Then came stays. He did not follow me out on the sit, but when I came back, he had laid down. Great. This is new. Then followed me out on the down. We are not showing for awhile.
We need one leg for the title. I do not know when we will enter another show.
Some days it is just not to be. If his stress level was rising, it is more important to do the best you can and not push so hard it becomes a chore. You know he can do it. We all have our off days.
By: dogsmom on April 9, 2010
at 3:04 pm