# Finally!



## grab (Jun 1, 2010)

This weekend, we finished out Brooks' BN with a second and fourth place, respectively, with scores of 194 and 189.5 (we had some distraction from the wind during heeling this afternoon  )

Now we'll continue to work on Novice exercises and will probably try for some Rally legs this spring


----------



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

grab said:


> This weekend, we finished out Brooks' BN with a second and fourth place, respectively, with scores of 194 and 189.5 (we had some distraction from the wind during heeling this afternoon  )
> 
> Now we'll continue to work on Novice exercises and will probably try for some Rally legs this spring


Huge congrats!!!!!!!!


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

*Congratulations! Well done! You guys rock! *


:cheers2::congrats::first:


----------



## Axeldog (Aug 29, 2014)

Congratulations! That's great!


----------



## grab (Jun 1, 2010)

Thank you, I'm very proud of my sweet guy  He did it all with enthusiasm, if not necessarily the greatest of precision, lol. But, he did place for all three legs  (his first leg was a first place with 196  )


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Congratulations! That is just wonderful. I hope you have fun moving forward in obedience and rally. I have found rally to be a great way to keep Lily ring savvy while getting obedience routines into ring ready shape.


----------



## grab (Jun 1, 2010)

Rally isn't really my thing....I want to like it, but I think my ring nerves get in the way of executing it well, lol. I don't dislike it, I'm just not very good at it, lol. But, we'll do it anyway, to keep the Poodle lad on his toes


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I think the head game thing about rally (like agility) is that you don't know exactly what you will be asked to do. That is nerve wracking. In obedience the worst thing you are unsure of is the order in which the set of exercises will be performed if you are in open B or utility B.


----------



## grab (Jun 1, 2010)

Definitely! Combined with my irrational fear of the spiral exercise (where do I start?! How many loops?! lol) it makes for a nerve wracking experience  But, we'll manage  Most of the exercises are things we already do in practice anyway, but nerves 

I will say I was very proud of him this weekend. Historically, we've occasionally had issue on the recall. He has a very speedy recall and sometimes his momentum shoots him past me, and once back there he seems to be deciding whether to sit there, come back or wander around. He did both recalls well, including one that was right by the ring gate (he's never left the ring, but these things are always a fear, lol)


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I hear you on that spiral. I count out loud to Lily when I have that sign! I am also a somewhat obsessive walker and talk to my imaginary dog while I also perform any hand signals I plan to use.

Lily used to wander off on the return to heel after the front if I sent her to the right. I think she would notice something behind me and decide to go visit it. When I switched to using a left finish she did less wandering since her view was more directly of moving towards my left side when she started to move. Now she does both with no problem. With Javelin right now his recalls are so fast that he often just goes skidding past me (depending on the flooring).


----------



## AngelAviary (Aug 12, 2014)

Congrats! Good luck to you two as you move forward.


----------



## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

What a happy happy day for you!


----------



## grab (Jun 1, 2010)

lily cd re said:


> With Javelin right now his recalls are so fast that he often just goes skidding past me (depending on the flooring).


This is our problem. Those speedy recalls are a blessing and a curse, lol. This past weekend, the judge had a giggle as he came in fast and ended up doing a little hop at the end to stop himself rather than running past 

He's the first dog I've had more success with a left finish with, so it's what we usually do (but he does know both)


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I had a very hard time in open with Lily for the drop on recall. She is also very fast and sometimes by the time the judge gave the drop signal she was so close when she dropped that we NQ'd. If the mats were slippery she often skidded after the drop too.

I was working on recalls with Javelin on Friday and he was just flying past me as he got close. I reinforced the sit by doing very short distance recalls so he didn't have so much speed and the sit became easy. I think that helped but our next training of recalls will show better.


----------

