Anyone have any updates? Has anyone been showing?

[Annette47]

No one has posted in a while, but I think a few people (Anna Scott, IndyBindy, etc) had been planning on showing so I was just curious how things were going?

I've been showing my yellow girls in Open B for ring experience - they've been getting better but still make the occasional "green dog" mistakes. For example Cookie blew what would have been a nice placement in a very competitive class (was working a 198) by going on the judge's command instead of mine over the broad jump ... things like that. We're mostly focused on preparing for Utility - have been doing a ton of matches, etc. I have a lesson next week with my instructor to evaluate whether they will be ready to trial soon - hoping maybe April?

[Tanya]

It will be awhile before we're competing

BUT we are crazy busy training and Ivy has a ton of behaviour started. We are in advance obedience and start rally-o in a bit. Likely a class to start prep for the CGN which will be...hard for Ivy haha. But the advance class is helpful as we are starting the steps to stand for exam. We hope to eventually compete in rally, formal obedience. This spring we will work on dock diving and hunt classes hopefully.

Ivy has earned her novice trick title earlier this month. We are close to intermediate.

Good luck iwth your girls!

[Anna Scott]

We did our first opens awhile ago. Most of the mistakes were mine, for example I put the wrong height on Elle's jumps 20'' instead of 18''. I freaked and lost my concentration worrying about her because of the hip. She hit the high jump a good rap and that was it for me. The next day she anticipated the broad jump. M was a beast, on the drop on recall she got up and was sniffing along the wall, new scents to discover and she blew the out of sight 3 minute sits both days. She is my cling-on.
We are entered again this coming weekend but if the weather is nasty I will stay at home.

[Annette47]

We did our first opens awhile ago. Most of the mistakes were mine, for example I put the wrong height on Elle's jumps 20'' instead of 18''. I freaked and lost my concentration worrying about her because of the hip. She hit the high jump a good rap and that was it for me. The next day she anticipated the broad jump. M was a beast, on the drop on recall she got up and was sniffing along the wall, new scents to discover and she blew the out of sight 3 minute sits both days. She is my cling-on.
We are entered again this coming weekend but if the weather is nasty I will stay at home.

Good luck! And she probably hit the jump because she wasn't expecting that height, not because she physically couldn't ...

[JenC]

We've got nothing until mid-Fed. I have Franni in her first shows with me as her owner. 3 conformation shows. I have a handler on her since I won 3 free days from a great local handler at our lab specialty back in September. Since shows are so expensive lately, we only put the griff in one conformation show to see how she is doing now, haven't shown her since August! Starting April things will start picking up more. Hoping to get the griff in some more obedience and rally since she's ready. And then maybe some JH tests again.

[Anna Scott]

Well we trialed this past weekend. Elle got two legs of her CDX. She was the only dog to qualify in her first trial and got a 4th in the second. She was in a group with all dogs working on their MOTCH titles so I was pleased with her result. M did not qualify in either of her trials. She is anxious when I go out of sight and is getting up on the long sits. I am going to switch her over to the change of position exercise so I don't have to leave the ring.
I was really nervous for Elle's first trial and lost her a number of points fidgeting with my hands. We have one more trial at the end of the month.

[Annette47]

Well we trialed this past weekend. Elle got two legs of her CDX. She was the only dog to qualify in her first trial and got a 4th in the second. She was in a group with all dogs working on their MOTCH titles so I was pleased with her result. M did not qualify in either of her trials. She is anxious when I go out of sight and is getting up on the long sits. I am going to switch her over to the change of position exercise so I don't have to leave the ring.
I was really nervous for Elle's first trial and lost her a number of points fidgeting with my hands. We have one more trial at the end of the month.

Congratulations!!! Sounds like you are doing well. I had to google what a MOTCH is as CKC titles are a little different, LOL. It's nice that you guys offer the option of stays OR command discrimination at the Open level - I think that might have resolved a lot of the complaining I hear about the AKC's decision to eliminate stays and replace it with the position changes.

Good luck at your next trial. Do they show in the same class? Lots of fun juggling two at once, isn't it? ;-)

[Anna Scott]

They show in the same class so I only do one trial per dog so there is less chance of conflict. I think the long wait in the crate was part of M's problem. She was firing on all cylinders when we entered the ring and then the broad jump was the first exercise that set the tone.

[fidgetyknees]

Don't think I have posted in years!!!!

But my youngest dog and I have 2 UD legs (out of 4 tries), getting to open and utility was new for me with this dog, I am an agility person through and though. Anyway I am over the moon with this dog, he has got to be one of the most enthusiastic obedience dogs out there, he is just so happy to play and is super high drive (and what I mean by high drive, is he has a lot of focus and puts his heart and sole into his work).

I am almost glad for the break so I can work on the couple of things that have bitten us in Utility and hopefully we will get to finish up the title later this year. So what we are working on is doing signals with a high amount of distractions and go outs.

IndyBindy's dog is awesome! Seen them at trials a couple of times, another lab that really loves to work.

[Anna Scott]

Well the best laid plans often go a rye. All of our obedience trials were cancelled so we will have to wait until next Fall to try again. 90% of the field trials are now cancelled, may get to run by mid August, hunt tests will be September. I have been trying to get into a routine for training but the weather has been so crappy we can`t even do that. I can stand the lock down but I can`t take much more of this awful weather.