They didn't.
In fact, they went very, very good. See for yourself:
The trial was a success in many way. First, as you can see above, her performance was very good. Although there were a few missteps here and there, she did well enough to score a very respectable 192 in the ring! This score, incidentally, was good enough to tie us for first place! As a result, we had to do a run-off:
Huge thanks to my friend Laura for getting video of the run-off. I did not expect to need to go in the ring a second time, so Maisy was in the car when we were called. In the midst of running to get her, I didn't even think about getting video. Laura did, though, and even uploaded it for me!
Anyway, we lost the run-off, but I can't say I'm too upset about that. I mean- look at her! She did really well for having absolutely no warm-up. I stuffed two cookies in her and went. Still- 2nd place at her very first obedience trial? NICE.
On top of that, she also ended up being the high-scoring mixed breed of the day as well as the high-scoring club member (I belong to the club that hosted the trial- the Minnesota Mixed Breed Club.)
The trial was also a success in terms of her attitude. We were connected throughout the majority of the run, and she just seemed happy to be out there with me. She was a bit stressed, too, to the point that I actually scratched her from the second run, but I did that more to prevent issues than because we were having them.
And I think the trial was successful for that reason, too. It is easy to push a dog too hard, especially on the heels of success. But when you're working with a reactive dog, it's important to avoid putting your dog in a situation she cannot handle. We were toeing that line today, and I am proud of myself for being able to recognize and act on that.
Anyway, it was an amazing day. I am so incredibly happy with how Maisy did. What an awesome little dog.
16 comments:
Great Job!!
Congrats! You guys looked great out there. Love how her tail didn't stop wagging!
SO,SO excited for you guys!!! Oh goodness she is SO freaking cute. GREAT job and huge congrats. I really wish we had CDSP in our area. What a great venue!
Oh wow, you both looked really, really good. She did look quite relaxed and happy to be out there, with a great connection to you. Wonderful job, both of you!!
Nicely done! You two looked great!
You have a lot to be proud of! Maybe I'll be seeing you in an obedience class?!?
My favorite moment is in the first video (the full run) at about 45 seconds where she forges on the halt and then hops backwards to get in position. It kills me every time I see it. So funny.
I'm surprised that everyone didn't just fall over and die of cuteness overload with a Maisy/Feisty (long-haired gray Pyr Shep) run off. The video of Maisy looked fantastic! Congratulations!
Great job. I really respect the decision to not run again... I think all reactive dog owners have made the mistake of pushing too much too fast.
Yahoo! You go, girls! And, echoing Amy, I too congratulate you for not pushing Maisy too far too fast your first time out in a long time.
What a couple of champions!
Look at that tail wagging the whole time! You both did a wonderful job!
Congratulations!! Been there, done that (am still doing it ) with a reactive dog so I know that the biggest challenges often come outside the ring. That photo of Maisy with her loot is adorable.
Awesome! Huge congrats to you and Maisy.
Nicky
Congrats-- I'm happy for you both! (and the grammar geek congratulates you for getting toeing the line right too!)
Peg M.
Peg- HA! Thanks. I *try* to be grammatically correct (although I did notice a typo slip into this post... let's blame it on my excitement), so it's always nice to know that's appreciated.
Congratulations on your run with Maisy. :) Welcome back to competition.
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