TTry again next time!

Ah, Rah...

I should start keeping a list of almost, but not quites...

I also should really start thinking twice about trialling outside. I know part of it is me psyching myself out, but for real. I hate being hot, my dog hates being hot, I sweat like mad, and its gross. And my dog melts.

It started with me driving in and seeing a domesticated pet rabbit on the field and dying a bit on the inside - I chased it off the field and threw rocks in its general direction, threatening to make stew with it if it showed its little rabbit face (its John's daughters rabbit - don't ask). Of course, the dog before Rah, right in the middle of his routine, it hops its little bunny self out onto the field...

Rah was flat, I didn't have attention heeling. he stayed mostly with me, but it was more like loose leash walking. It's SO LONG... his left about turns were horrendous, and he didn't want to sit - his prime avoidance behavior. His figure8's were actually quite nice, go figure, and his off leash wasn't terrible, he didn't run away from me (my fear) but he was just in general not pretty. Then, as I set him up for the sit in motion, Rah gets stung by a bee. Lovely - he starts spinning in place, afraid to sit down, afraid of the ass monsters (those who know Rah, know his insane obsession/hate of bugs, his insane fear/paranoia about things touching/hitting him in the back end - this is a combo of both) - I get him back, but the minute I start heeling he darts in front of me for a small circle. I call him back to me and we start heeling and thank god he actually comes back and we do the in motions and its OVER. Ugly, but over. Only the long down.

UGH. the long down. Apparently the point of this is that your dog does a down. For rah, this lasted about 30 seconds before he started eating grass, rolling on the ground, and then started chasing chipmunks, bees, and other assorted bugs. Needless to say, we did not get enough points to make it to the second portion. If he had done the down, we could have passed - but the down killed us.

Poor Rah. It just wasn't our day. watching some of the other people, i could have made smarter decisions for rah, which would have helped him out. part of it was my inexperienced nature in this game, him being my first BH attempt - sherry didn't bother with the schutzhund or left about turns - she just did the regular right about turn and had the judge comment and yell at her, but that would have definitely helped rah out and made our routine smoother. some people also had their hands in what i thought were not allowed positions for some portions which are kinda double commands, but also would have helped rah out. i was very concerned with following the rules to the T, so i didnt know what i could "get away with". in the future with rah, some of these things may be places where i take a hit rather than rah, as the judge put it. smart handling to cover for your dog, ya know?

this judge was also one of the most strict judges ive ever seen in the bite sport world, which kinda wow'd me! ive seen dogs leave the field and still pass their BH's! no doubt, rah and i did not DESERVE to pass, i am not complaining - the judge was very nice and helpful, and he gave me some good things to work on, and he was very nice to me on the back half while rah was (not) doing his down. (ha!)

I will say though, I've had it with the stay issues - I pulled out his e-collar, and we had a session. This is getting to be a safety issue, not just an obedience issue - if I tell you to stay and walk away, this could mean a car coming one day, or anything else of the like - I NEED him to understand that when I say stay, I do not mean it is an option to get up and walk away just because you feel like it. He doesn't take this seriously. I've tried everything else I can think of, from the 300 peck, clicking him, feeding him, special methods from the front and finish list, morgan spectors timed schedule (i dont remember if he clicks it, but i know i did it without the click), tension stays, backties, opposition, having someone else treat him, having someone else correct him. he understands i want a position, but doesn't seem to understand that MOVING IS NOT AN OPTION from that position.

got to see some great friends, some new faces including someone from the dobe boards (yay!), made some nice new connections, and got some new inspirations. learned some new things about my dog and myself, and need to get back to work :) and hopefully gave some other people a laugh. would have loved to come home with a TT. more training, better handling, im sure we will get it in the future. and im DEFINITELY going for a winter/fall trial next time. enough of this sweating stuff...