With success often comes.....
Failure.
So Bruce and I had our first Rally Advanced trial today. We arrived at the venue about an hour early. I got set up and we made several trips around the site. He seemed much more comfortable today than he did Wednesday. I got the course map, and there was nothing on it that we haven't done many times during our training classes. They was only one other dog it Rally Advanced A, so all I was concentrating on was a Q, didn't care about placing. I did my walk through, everything seemed straight forward. I went and got Bruce and headed to our ring. The first dog went, a Golden, and came up lame after the jump. She didn't look to bad, but had a noticeable limp. We went to the start. I had good focus with Bruce, and we started. First 4 stations went great, even the jump. Station 5, Halt, right heal, Halt. All went well to the second halt. I told Bruce to sit, he hesitate a split second, then charged across the ring, out the gate to visit with this cute female black Lab we had met earlier. I called him once as he ran off, he hesitated, but just kept going.
One of the spectators had Bruce by the collar, and I slowly made my way across the ring, of course I was at the farthest corner. The judge looked at and said "You are excused". I looked at her and so badly wanted to say "no shit?" but I managed a smile and said thank you. I collected Bruce, the lady with the female Lab told me she was so sorry. I told her no problem. I wasn't mad and her, and it surely wasn't her fault.
In all of the training classes we've done, this type of thing never, ever happened. All I could do is pack up our stuff and head home.
Honestly I was disappointed, but when you're dealing with an inexperienced handler and a young dog, well I guess ya gotta expect things to go seriously wrong now and then!! I worked with him when we got home today, and we'll practice again tomorrow. We'll go back for Sunday's trial and give it our best!!!!!
I appreciate all the support from the board for our successes and I'll let ya'll know how it goes!!!!