Poodle Obedience Trial - May 9

Um, I WAS sitting! Really, I was! But then the dog next to me got up and moved, so it was facing me, and then the dog next to that one got up, so I figured it was fine for me to go down. At least I didn't MOVE like they did! But the judge was angry and excused all three of us from the ring for the downs, even though I hadn't moved from my place. Mom wasn't particularly pleased with either me or the judge.

But then Zippy got to do prenovice. She is just starting to train, and is doing conformation, so she sometimes gets confused about when she needs to sit, but she still got a 184, and first place! So mom was happy again.

Then Zippy and me got to do brace. Mom said that we were the comic relief for the day, but I tried hard to do everything right until about the middle of the heel free, when zippy decided she needed to visit the judge, so we trotted around, not exactly next to mom, but having a good time. Mom was surprised that we actually got a 168, considering that our heeling left something to be desired. We were the only brace (people keep telling mom that next year they are going to enter brace as well; we will see) so we got first place with that as well.

So in the afternoon we had rally. Charlie and I were the only 2 Excellent B dogs, so they had two volunteer dogs as well, so that Charlie and I didn't have to honor each other. I normally do the backup 3 steps pretty good, but I just couldn't get it together, so we got 10 points off on that; our final score was 189, so that was actually pretty good. Charlie was sorta a goofball, but he got a qualifying score and a new toy, but he decided he didn't want to do Advanced B (he was tired and hot and cranky), so it didn't count (we both already have our Excellent titles). By that time I was REALLY tired, so when I went in the ring for the FOURTH time for Advanced B, I anticipated the finish TWICE, once too soon, and once when it was a swing finish rather than a get around, so we had to redo both of those exercises for 6 points off. Sigh. So I only got a third place rather than what could have been a first. Mom said it didn't matter; the only thing that was important was that we got those green ribbons for my 6th RAE leg.

So today we are sleeping mostly.

Love, Jazz