i think im getting sick. its about 120123123 below zero in my house or at least it feels that way. last night in class i felt so sick that i almost left, but i made myself stick it out because i need these classes we show in two days. i came home fed animals and passed out on the couch. woke up at 3:30 am and couldnt get back to sleep, and now im exhausted.

i have a rental today at 1 pm, and then more classes tonight - and then TOMORROW IS SHOW DAY. im not sure how we will do, we will see!

yesterday we started with stays - he held them, but he sat up immediately when i returned to him and waited, rather than waiting for the exercise finished. it didnt occur to me that my trainer is judging novice while i will be in open, and that it may affect him? he better not listen to her. he should be proofed for that.

started with individuals. his ROF was nice, i was using his front platform. worked straight fronts, then restrained,a nd then regular retrieves. he was nice, collected and drivey. very accurate. beautiful even.

went to broad jump - the only guides im using is a thin go out guide on the jump and two cones - worked some games to maint. the jump and a few whole jumps - twice he was crooked coming in, but once he fixed himself to make it perfect (GOOD BOY), and the other time he was distracted and i stared at him the entire time around so that could have been my fault. but no anticipation and no breaking. good boy.

did drops - the first one, someone hit the high jump when i called him in for the second front and hemissed front positoin completely because he had to look. lets hope that doesnt happen in the ring. i just ignored him and set him back up - worked a few drops and straight recalls and he was pretty good. im going to go with only signal drops so i dont have to worry about him hearing me - but i forgot to practice where i look. need to remember to do that today.

fig 8 - he was a weirdo for the first inner post - and he darted away to STEAL A DB??????????????/ and i grabbed him and he was totally back with me after that because all i caught was an ear :( but his fig8 was VERY nice if i do say so myself. i need to remember not to cut that outer post though, if it had been a person it would have been ugly. give him time to get around, dont let him push me over.

went to high jump - this was the first time we had put the platform, the db, an the jump together. the first one he totally missed it - went over, got the db, came over, and he just didnt have space. made me realize that he really needs more than 8-10 feet. backed up to 12.
he came over and litterally LANDED on the platform and used my body to stop himself for the front. OUCH. but we worked through it and kathy was VERY pleased with how the platform is working for him - hes FINALLY looking as to where he needs to go and lining himself up before he even jumps. my biggest issue is that hes going to need at least 12 feet after the jump to get himself into front. at 8 feet we have no chance - he's LANDING at 8 feet- and if he lands past me, he is likely to just put himself into heel position. ill see how far i can get. i dont think i can ask him to collect himself anymore - its how big he has to jump to get over a jump that big when hes moving that fast.

heeling was... crazy. dont heel rah when he hasnt heeled for 3 weeks - he was off the wall. literally. jumping, popping all over the place, crazed. and this was AFTER working for 40 minutes already - i cant imagine what it would have been like had we heeled first - we ended up doing circles because rah was so bad. he finally settled down, but damnit, im going to have to heel him to death before we get in the ring
!
!!

im nervous. and maybe sick.
and rah is chasing lights off my computer.