# Lily on the way to a RACh



## lily cd re

After getting done in by bad weather last Saturday for an AM/PM pair of trials we did make it to New Jersey yesterday for another pair of trials. This was the first time we did triple Q entries for two trials in one day. I was interested to see how Lily would do with such a long day and so many times in and out of the ring (6 total runs). 

It was really hard to get up so early as we did with the clocks having moved forward on Saturday night and it was unpleasantly rainy. Lily got up when I told her she had to and then slept for the roughly hour and 20 minutes it took to get to the site, so she was tired but not so much as I was. She did act a bit sleepy in the morning Master and Excellent courses, but she clearly woke up and got engaged by the time of the morning advanced run.

We did not get any Master points yesterday which is a bummer (got an 89 in the morning and an 87 in the afternoon) but we did get points from three of the excellent and advanced runs. In the morning excellent we had two IP (-10) for not taking the jump on a send to jump and for not doing a decent back up 3 steps back up 1 or two steps left, leaving us with a 79, but the other three runs had scores of 96, 96 and 98 so we got points from those.

In the afternoon trial the excellent and advanced courses both had the broad jump. On the first time through with it Lily ticked the last board. I probably should have said big over instead of just over, but we only lost one point on that. For anyone who does rally do make sure you practice the broad jump. Lots of dogs had much more trouble with it than Lily did including a top level agility dog who walked through it. It doesn't show up too often since it is slower to reset than a high or bar jump but you want your dog to sail over it when it is there.

All in all we had a nice girls' day out and now I will have to make plans for where to go next.


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## Click-N-Treat

Sounds like quite an adventure. Getting up early is always a challenge for me, and with the time change, I would have been a zombie. Good on you for pulling through it. Noelle has never done a broad jump. I'll have to train her how to do those. Thank you for the warning that they may show up in a rally course.


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## Skylar

I am looking forward to the time when we no longer have daylight savings. It just doesn’t make any sense to throw off the timing of routine activities twice a year with no benefit 

Lily must have enjoyed her girls’ day out with mommy. Sounds like a fun adventure with the girls. Congratulations on a good rally trial. 

It’s always funny but heartbreaking to see a dog walk on top of the broad jump instead of jumping over it. Funny, especially when it’s the dog’s first encounters a broad jump. But heartbreaking when it means important loss of points or disqualification. Lucky Lily just was slightly off in her timing if she ticked the last board. We rarely get to practice the broad jump. 

I’m going to be struggling with the 6 runs in a day too. I don’t know how people do it.... both keep their own energy up and making sure their dog is prepared for it too. It’s a high bar to get excellent scores with three runs in a morning trial and to turn around and repeat it in the afternoon. Now that we have our level 3 title this is what people do in WCRL rally. Catherine do you know of any training to prepare for this or is it just a matter of doing it?


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## lily cd re

Thanks for the nice words Click and Skylar! I think Lily did really enjoy it once she woke up. She has always been a natural night owl more than a crack of dawn type. Therefore I have to give her kudos for bearing with the early alarm. I too will be happy to do away with changing the clocks back and forth. I sort of think I would like permanent daylight saving (the current clock setting, right?) since I like my light late in the day.


It is important to practice all three types of jumps for rally bar, high and broad. You can make or buy practice jumps (I actually have two sets) to use in your yard. Each jump presents a very different picture to the dog and any of them can show up on a rally course. The second jump in the excellent course with the broad jump was a bar and in the morning trial the excellent course had a bar and a high jump.


I have been practicing for the six run in a day scenario by going to matches where all levels of courses are available. Each "run" you pay for gives you time to do each course you enter twice. By taking entries in advanced, excellent and advanced I get the equivalent roughly of two trials in one afternoon. Also at my club on Fridays I get there early enough to practice particular exercises in isolation from other things and then most weeks after my novice class ends I set a course (these days usually advanced, excellent or master since the other people are in advanced for trials, practicing excellent and master works for them too). We each then take two runs through that course by turns. I usually start to make sure I laid it out right and to talk to the others about why certain things are as they are. On Saturdays when I rent at my trainer's facility I do work on isolated exercises and short sequences but without putting signs up.


As an aside I saw Bob Fullum and Zorro at the morning trial (they are the first RACh team). He was my marker dog for getting on deck so I was able to watch them out of the corner of my eye while waiting to go in. Everything I saw them do made it abundantly clear why they were the first to get the rally champion title. Bob treated himself to a vanity plate to celebrate. He will be the only person to ever claim that plate noting they they are the first RACh. Another nice aside is that two nice teams (Cardigan Welsh Corgi in the AM and standard Schnauzer in the PM) also finished RAChs. I spoke with the trial chairperson before leaving and thanked her for putting together a nice event. She told me they are planning another two trials one day event in July and they have a nice judge lined up for it so as long as it doesn't conflict with our usual trip to Binghamton we will put that on our campaign calendar.


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## lily cd re

We took ring rental time yesterday and spent part of it building on some rally work we did yesterday. We did the send to jump again (high jump yesterday, bar today) and I worked on sending Lily from a little farther than needs to happen for the actual sign on a course to firm that up since she didn't do the send to jump last week. We also did the broad jump today with good results. We did spin and twist, side by side spin and lots of back up 3 steps which seems to have gotten soft. I also sent Lily to the cone a few times since I think that is another one that can never hurt to refresh. I also did some fronts and finishes throughout. I also threw in the moving down walk around and moving stand walk around to keep them nice and crisp. Lily does those very nicely always but I think that is because I throw them in randomly in all we do. She had a great time! I love how clearly happy Lily is doing rally.


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## lily cd re

I started our ring rental time this morning with rally work for Lily. We did all three jump types (high, bar and broad) and we did all major variations on jumping that we can encounter (dog jumps as handler passes next to jump beside them (AKC advanced sign 103); send dog to jump and have them return before handler crosses the plane of the jump (AKC excellent sign 210); and recall over jump/finish/forward in a new direction (AKC master signs 301, 302, 303). Lily did great with all of them. She clearly loves all of the variations of spin/twist and circling around each other. The only problem is that I spin a lot slower than she does. We also worked on various version of back up three steps with dog in position (heel). This continues to be a bit shaky after having it totally fallen apart in the process of getting spins installed. It will improve, but Lily needs to be patient and wait for an order instead of thinking she knows what do do. I am not worried. She is a clever girl and loves to do stuff like this with me. I didn't do video with her today but will next week.


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## lily cd re

That will be Javelin in the background barking to give distractions during this video. If she can ignore him she can ignore most anything. We had fun!


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## Skylar

I’m so used to watching you work with Javelin. I can clearly see Lily is more petite and feminine. She is so pretty. 

I’m going to have to practice that send the dog to jump and have it come back into heel before handler passes the plane of the jump. I hadn’t seen it done before so I’m glad you included it.


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## lily cd re

Skylar since you have done agility work you shouldn't have any problem with that send to jump. I have been practicing it recently since Lily missed it at our last trial (the morning of changing the clocks). I think she missed it because of being a little sleepy and inattentive, but she missed it so we practice it. I also practice the broad jump more often now since she ticked it that day in the afternoon the first time we saw it.


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## Skylar

lily cd re said:


> Skylar since you have done agility work you shouldn't have any problem with that send to jump. I have been practicing it recently since Lily missed it at our last trial (the morning of changing the clocks). I think she missed it because of being a little sleepy and inattentive, but she missed it so we practice it. I also practice the broad jump more often now since she ticked it that day in the afternoon the first time we saw it.


Yes, I think she should pick this up quickly. We do something similar but she comes into heel past to the plane of the jump before the next sign. This is different because the dog jumps forward then has to turn and go back to you into heel. I do think agility helps in this.


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## Click-N-Treat

I love watching your videos. Thanks for posting them. Some of those Rally Master signs are hard to figure out, so I appreciate watching you and Lily doing them.


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## lily cd re

Thank you for those kind words about my videos. They don't have a lot of production bells and whistles, but I do always hope they provide useful information for people. If you ever have a particular sign you want demonstrated just let me know and I will try to capture it and post it. This assumes that the queen cooperates! I also posted a few new Javelin videos you might want to check out.


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## Charlie's Person

lily cd re said:


> That will be Javelin in the background barking to give distractions during this video. If she can ignore him she can ignore most anything. We had fun!
> 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZRdgUIvyx4


How wonderful! BOTH of you look like you are having fun. I really enjoyed the video, thanks for sharing. Best of luck in the upcoming competitions. It was so interesting to observe the unique chest thrust out and head back posture while sitting. It's my first standard poodle and I've never seen that pose in another dog.

Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk


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## lily cd re

Alright everyone, wish us luck from the rally gods tomorrow and Sunday. We are in Rhode Island for three trials in two days. Tomorrow there are two trials and Sunday there is one. The master walk thrus are at 8:00 AM each day (a bit early for the queen). The entries are also pretty small with only three to five dogs in all classes so it is going to fly along. The 2nd master walk thru tomorrow is on the program for 10:45. I think it may be pretty intense, but we are going to aim high and hope for the three triple Qs and nice scores to rack up some points. I will update when we are finished tomorrow and after we get home on Sunday.


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## Skylar

Wow, you’re in Rhode Island, I used to live there many years ago. 

Good luck with the three trials.


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## MollyMuiMa

Go get em Lily!!!! Good Luck!


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## Carolinek

Good luck- hoping for Qs all the way!


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## MaizieFrosty

Wishing you Qs, high scores, and lots of blues


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## mashaphan

All paws crossed for the Queen!

Martha,Che and Wildman


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## lily cd re

Oh boy are we tired, but...


We got two triple Qs today! Unfortunately we did not get any master points, so we are temporarily lagging on that 150 points towards the 300 total needed for the RACh. However we did get three first places, a 2nd place, a 4th place, points from excellent and advanced along with the first trial exc/adv high combined.


This was a very hectic pair of trials. The entries we somewhat low so everything was very fast. We started at 8:00 (and I had only gotten one crate set up for Lils around 7:40 and had to leave Javelin in the car) with the first master run. We got an 82 which I was not surprised with since this was our first time at this venue and Lily didn't have a lot of time to settle into the surroundings. She collected her head well and got a 98 in excellent and 98 in advanced for the high combined. The second trial started at 10:50 and then we went flying through the three classes before noon. The second master run wasn't pretty (76), but the excellent and advanced classes went much better (89 and 99 respectively). I think the pace of things was a bit of a challenge, but she collected for the last course very beautifully.



Lily has been having a really good afternoon sleep since we got back to the hotel.


BTW I can't get over some of the nonsense from the conformation people. Several dogs urinated in one ring and in the main aisle between obedience/rally rings and the conformation rings and I saw a cocker spaniel defecate in the open floor area near the rally ring that was being used for warm up. The handler did pick up the poo, but seriously are you kidding me? That kind of stuff gets you NQd when it happens in obedience and rally if it happens in the ring, so obedience and rally handlers generally have potty on command and make sure their dogs are voided before they show up at the ring entrance.


Here are some pictures of my sweet partner.


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## MaizieFrosty

Congratulations, Catherine and Lily!!! Well done, team  :adore:


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## Asta's Mom

Loved seeing Lily with her ribbons. Good job team.


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## Skylar

What a lovely haul of ribbons - congratulation. But it's too bad you didn't earn any points towards your RACh. It sounds like it was very stressful due to the pace and you not having time to crate Javelin when you first got there. Lily is wonderful for working so hard under those circumstances.

As for conformation - disappointing that so many are having potty accidents. Now some of them are still puppies and they are excited making it more difficult. But anyone who competes in dog sports know you potty your dog before going into the ring.


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## lily cd re

Skylar said:


> What a lovely haul of ribbons - congratulation. *But it's too bad you didn't earn any points towards your RACh.* It sounds like it was very stressful due to the pace and you not having time to crate Javelin when you first got there. Lily is wonderful for working so hard under those circumstances.
> 
> As for conformation - disappointing that so many are having potty accidents. Now some of them are still puppies and they are excited making it more difficult. But anyone who competes in dog sports know you potty your dog before going into the ring.





We did earn 25 points, just not master points. You need 150 from master and 150 from advanced and excellent. We now have 83 points total, but only 16 from master. If by the time we get our 20 triple Qs we still need master points then we will go back to just doing master legs to collect what we need.


The cocker spaniel that pooped wasn't a puppy. I actually think it might have been a special and the handler clearly was expecting the dog to go since she had a wad of paper towels in her hand. It was very rainy most of the morning, but even Queen Lily pottied outside.


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## Click-N-Treat

Lovely ribbons and a fantastic job. I have yet to try triple Q. It sounds hard on the handler, let alone the dog. High five and hugs!


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## lily cd re

We are home! It was another speed demon of a trial this morning! The entries were small especially for triple Qs (only 3 of us) and a couple of extra Master dogs. Today we got Master points with a score of 95 (which gives 6 points) and then a 95 (6 points) in excellent and to finish out a 97 (for 7 points) for advanced. We had placements of 4th, 2nd and 3rd.


Overall I am very pleased with how things went this weekend. Lily showed me she has the stamina and enjoyment to do this monumentous project with me. I lasted pretty well despite not even having a chair to sit on since the crating was very tight. Thankfully all of the sets of courses were well nested so after I got through the master course in each trial I didn't have to do more than one walk thru for the other classes.


One thing I wish I had been able to deal with differently was Javelin. I pulled his Beginner Novice entry and have no regrets on that since the afternoon conformation rings were going when we would have been in for our run and I think he would have been overwhelmed. He has made such great progress with so I didn't want to do anything to take any of that apart. Having decided that though, I never had a crate set up for him because by the time I had a chance to go get it the space next to Lily had been grabbed by conformation people. Sadly he spent most of the weekend in the car. Thankfully the weather was cool and with windows open a bit he was fine. I did take him out to do some training around the traffic of conformation dogs yesterday and while he started out pretty distracted he did collect his head nicely so that was time well spent.



Since we finished early we hit the road early and made it onto a 2:00 ferry (rather than the 5:00 I had reserved on). Thus we are really home three hours earlier than I had anticipated.


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## Skylar

I'm impressed with both Lily and your stamina. Those are long days when you compete and not to have a chair to sit in due to tight crating space is really annoying. Your campaign is definitely working.

But poor Javelin, this couldn't have been a fun weekend for him. I'm glad you were able to get that earlier ferry so you can relax and prepare for work on Monday.


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## Click-N-Treat

Glad you made it home safely and everything went well. Congrats on those Master points, and the rest, too. Not being able to repeat a sign makes Master really hard. I'm impressed that you both were able to do so many runs in a weekend and not get completely confused with all the different courses. Rest. You earned it. And then onward, onward, you'll get a RaCh and you'll hear me cheering all the way from here.


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## MaizieFrosty

Welcome home, and congrats on another successful day! I know Javvy will get his turn to shine soon too


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## lily cd re

Skylar we are off for spring break week so no school today. We got to sleep in a bit and I finally have no choice about tackling my taxes (since I live in a high SALT state and have heard sad stories from many of my colleagues I am kind of dreading it), so it is good I don't have to go to work. 



We had a mostly good sleep until the early predawn when there was an incredibly intense thunder storm. Javelin totally slept through it, Lily a bit nervous but thankfully Peeves did reasonably with some CBD oil on board.


Javelin was very forgiving of his mostly boring weekend and I am sure he will tell me soon that he is ready to get back to trial rings.


Aside from dealing with tax day I also have a couple of entries to send in for our next triple Q rally trials.


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## lily cd re

Friday at my club and Saturday at my rental I worked with Lily on some focused attention and finding her way back to heel if she goes out of position (just goes to show you always need to practice and refine things even for an advanced skills highly trained dog). One of our favorite games for refinding heel is that we heel around in crazy patterns and me telling her to stop on a sit, down or stand while I keep going. I then call her to heel as i continue moving. I think she thinks this is very funny and silly and it does really improve her connectedness. Doing it and her better heeling because of it reminded me I should pull this game out of the box for her more often.


We also worked on the two signs that continue to be pretty unreliable in trials which are the paired signs of back up three steps followed by turning left or right and backing up one or two more steps to make a direction change. I am feeling directionally challenged right now but the one where you essentially turn into the dog's path is not too awful but the one where you turn away from the dog is atrocious. I have tried working on both of these with a cookie on her nose, but she gets so obsessed over the cookie that she kind of goes off the rails and I almost fell backwards over her a couple of times. Any suggestions on how to make this work better will be greatly appreciated.


Friday afternoon I set up a master course for myself and two friends who are entered in rally advanced in May. Where they needed to they did alternatives exercises to the master signs. Lily did the course twice with me and did a nice job, so we rally onward!


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## Click-N-Treat

Yes, back up 3 steps turn signs are hard. Since I back up automatically to the left like I'm drunk, Noelle has that one figured out. What I'm working on is backing around a corner to the right. Stand the dog in the doorway and back around the corner. It's going poorly, but I am trying. Noelle also goes bananas for the chicken in my hand and doesn't learn diddly, so luring is out. If anyone else has any ideas, send them my way, too. There is a toy poodle in my class who nails backing up like it's the easiest thing in the world. Gets me jealous every time!!!! 

I'm glad Lily likes to play find heel games. It's so good for them for us to be playful. That's why we rally. Onward, team. Onward!


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## lily cd re

When we did our three excellent legs for title and the first RAE the back up 3 steps with no turn was not reliable, but as we went through more RAE levels it improved really nicely and we always had pretty enough back up that we got lots of compliments. Then we got to master and we went through a phase where dealing with the spin relates signs actually messed up the excellent level back up 3 steps because my hand signals for those things looked too similar and she decided she loved to spin so now everything was about spinning. Now we have that sorted out since I dropped any hand signal for the back up. However for the master level back up with the turn and back I have reverted to using a hand signal just for the back up after the turn so Lily goes way out of position with the signal (sometimes throws in a spin too). That is what made me resort to the cookie on her nose, but it isn't helping since like Noelle Lily loses her head over the cookie. I have tried having a turned on its side broad jump board behind us and let her back into it to tell her she has to move out of its way and using cones and letting her know over a cone or to to give the same message. Neither of those has made a marked improvement so I am actually thinking about a leash on her collar held in front of me and a second one around her waist and held behind me to tell her something like get in and give a little prompt with the leash behind me to help her start the turn. These signs are the main ones that are costing us master points.


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## mashaphan

Ok, Dog knows I am no where near Master's level,but we do practice some Master's signs in class. Are these not just left or right pivots with immediate repeat backing? Could they not be treated as such? ( I do not look relish doing these-I have a hard enough time going FORWARD!)

Since I have class tomorrow night,I will see what trainer has to say,as well,and perhaps try it myself..IF WildMan is having a good session!:adore:

Martha


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## lily cd re

mashaphan said:


> Ok, Dog knows I am no where near Master's level,but we do practice some Master's signs in class. *Are these not just left or right pivots with immediate repeat backing? Could they not be treated as such?* ( I do not look relish doing these-I have a hard enough time going FORWARD!)
> 
> Since I have class tomorrow night,I will see what trainer has to say,as well,and perhaps try it myself..IF WildMan is having a good session!:adore:
> 
> Martha





There's a thought that might work... I'll try it and let you know what happens.


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## Click-N-Treat

We could... Back three steps, pause, right pivot, pause, back 1 step, and then gradually soften the pauses. That sounds so much easier than the doorway dancing we've been doing. Thanks for the suggestion!


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## lily cd re

*Girls day out*

Lily and I had a rally trial close to home this morning. We had to get up early (always sort of a challenge for both of us) since I wanted to be sure to get a good parking spot as I worked from my vehicle today. It was cool and cloudy and the crate space is sort of dark and has an echo effect going, so this was the best way to handle that.


We got our triple Q but it was not pretty. It is a one ring venue with not a lot of warm up space at a building that has a pet store then the trial space then a grooming area and in the back the warehouse for the pet store (where the crates can be set up). There are often sparrows flying around in the rafters of the training/trial ring and/or the store. It also tends to be super quiet. Today no sparrows, but some sniffing distraction spots like where the door from the trial space to the store. I also think Lily found it a little too quiet.


The other thing that probably didn't help was a big thunderstorm that I had not expected and against which I had not given any CBD oil before we went to bed.


The first sign in master and excellent was about turn right/two steps/about U turn and Lily went wide on the first turn both times and went to the edge of the ring to flirt with people who she knew. She came back, but was just not well focused after her detour until the second half of each of those courses. We got a 78 in master and a 76 in excellent. No Points there...


Advanced was much better all around and we got a 94 so points there.


Despite some of the fairly excruciating moments for me I was really happy that Lily did all of the signs, including a clockwise spin which is her less favored spin direction. Most of her points off were for a couple of sign retries in excellent and way more pleading to come back than should have been required for master and excellent.


We will be trialing in the same place the first weekend in June and I hope she will have some memory of the place and not be so inattentive.


This was triple Q number 7!


We stopped at Costco to pick up chicken to cook for the dogs and then stopped to visit my mom for a few minutes. Lily enjoyed seeing mom and her mpoo, but mostly just had a blast playing with his toys. She helped my mom out by finding a couple of his toys that he abandoned behind the sofa in the process.


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## MaizieFrosty

Congratulations! I would be thrilled to Q under those difficult circumstances! Good girl, Lily, for doing that clockwise spin! My trainer always emphasizes that that is the harder direction. Sounds like a lovely visit with your mom afterwards. What a nice day you two had!


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## lily cd re

*Triple Q number 8*

We had a local trial this morning with one of our favorite local judges this morning. It was very hard to get up early since I had class last night and didn't get home until close to 11 PM. We had to be out to the trial site (about 30 minutes away) around 7:30. Obviously I didn't get enough sleep.


This is a bit of a funny show site since it is generally best to work from your car. Thankfully it remained cool enough to do so without worrying about Lily in the truck. There also is really no indoor warm up space to speak of, but it is so close to home it would be silly not to go. 


We did get our triple Q and that was the eighth of 20 needed for the RACh so we are approaching the halfway mark. It was also the 8th legs towards RM2 and RAE10.


Lily was better in this venue than the last time we were there in early May, but we did not get any points today. I am not concerned about that since I know the points will come. I am really happy that she is consistent in getting the triples. She has gone 8 for 8 on that front so far. She is super at sticking with me for the three runs.


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## Skylar

Team Lily is doing amazing work. Consistently getting triples is fabulous. It’s hard work for you and her, especially if you didn’t get a good nights sleep.


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## Click-N-Treat

8 TQ's is amazing. Just amazing. Keep up the fantastic work. I don't know if Noelle will have the energy to Q three times in one trial. That's a lot of work on both of you. I can picture myself getting confused by which course map goes with which entry. Studying the Excellent map, walking the Master course and being completely befuddled. What's that circle right doing there? Oh man. Three entries. Three courses. Triple the chance to blow it. So far, you've done triple Q's instead. I'm impressed. Keep up the great work.


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## lily cd re

Click I am really pleased with her energy and endurance for longer days. Don't forget that we did three of those 8 TQ legs in two days when we went to Rhode Island in April. Our next trials are an AM/PM pair in New Jersey as a one day there and back trip. We did the same sort of trip in March too for our 2nd and 3rd TQs.


As to getting confused about courses I never look at the excellent and advanced maps before I am finished with Master. For the Master course I walk it in my head while waiting for the actual walk thru. Then I actually walk it three times, stopping where we need to stop, telling my imaginary dog what to do and so forth. I will get Lily out and offer a potty opportunity and a chance for a drink and then practice lightly things I think would benefit from it. If I have time before our run I will walk it in my head a couple of more times. We take our run. I feed Lily a jackpot and put her in her crate. While waiting for Master to finish I take my first good look at the excellent map making note of how nested it is to Master and where the changes are. I generally don't take her in for the awards unless we were the last run or if we are finishing a title. As soon as I can walk Excellent I go in and usually if Excellent is well nested to Master I walk it twice with my invisible dog to save myself a little energy. If I think there is something that could benefit from practice after her potty and drink opportunity I do some practice. I do the same routine for Advanced and usually if it is well nested to the other courses I only walk it one time and often there is nothing to practice for Advanced.


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## Click-N-Treat

Thank you for the advice. I learned about endurance at my last trial. Switching between Rally and Obedience made it super challenging. I think being able to keep my head in just Rally will be helpful for both of us. 

I walk the course and do the signs with my imaginary dog, too. But, I tend to have a problem of not cuing a sit when the sign says sit, and cuing a sit when the sign says forward! I've lost more points that way. I'm going to have to change how I study the maps. Next time I go, I'm bringing a highlighter to mark the places where Noelle has to sit. Then during the run, I'll remember, sign 4 is pink, sit. Sign 7 is pink, sit. And I will practice thinking pink=sit using old course maps during practice. Could also use RED for right. If it's not red, it's a left. I don't usually mess up my left/right, but the operative word is... usually.


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## lily cd re

Lily and I have AM/PM trials this Saturday so since I had the private lesson scheduled with Javelin yesterday I took Lily to my rental time at my own club. We worked on some basics that needed refreshing like fronts/finishes and ring entries/exits and the excellent sit stay get your leash. We also did all of the variations of all of the jumps (send to/pass by and master recall over; broad, bar and high). I also had the figure 8 with distractions including one of Lily's favorite types of balls as one of the distractions. She was very tempted by the ball a couple of times including going over the broad jump where the ball was clearly in her line of sight. After a couple of leave its she got it that she should leave the ball alone. I also worked on the master back up 3 steps then pivot back up in new direction and she did a couple of pretty decent turns on those. Both directions of spins were beautiful and she also did nicely with the send to cone.


I am very happy with how she did and think we should have a good day Saturday. I am giving rally run thrus on Friday and will set a Master course for all of us who will do the course. That will be her last practice before the trial.


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## Click-N-Treat

I hate the offset figure 8. Noelle loses her mind. Thank you for reminding me to refresh that one before we trial. Good luck this weekend. Go team, go!


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## Skylar

Good luck for this weekend. 

I’m thrown off mentally by the off set figure 8 simply because I’m so used to regular figure 8s and the similar WCRL figure 8 which we nicknamed the ribbon. The offset looks like a mistake but we’re getting used to it.


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## Click-N-Treat

The mistake is putting wicked distracting toys in the ring!!! What diabolical mind thought that was a good idea? Let’s heel around these here cones and let’s pretend that there aren’t toys to play with. Yikes!


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## Skylar

WCRL has food and the dumbbell out on the floor. No toys. Now that we’re playing AKC Rally I have to train toys too. 

Nose work adds toys and food too......really good food.... judges like to use bacon from breakfast and steak or hamburger leftover from supper the night before. And one local judge loves to stick her dogs real rabbit fur toy in the ring.... smelly rabbit toy. 

Training challenges.......


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## Click-N-Treat

Skylar, that's reason number 9,284 why Nosework is way above my skill level. You're amazing, you know that?


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## Skylar

:2in1:


Click-N-Treat said:


> Skylar, that's reason number 9,284 why Nosework is way above my skill level. You're amazing, you know that?


I wish I was amazing. It’s a challenge and we are training for that. People don’t realize how much work goes into training a nose work dog. 

I should add animal pee and poop in nose work. A dog peed in the interior dog search area in our recent trial. And the last one a dog pooped. It gets cleaned up but who knows what scent lingers. Even worse with outdoor searches on grass where there’s plenty of wild life and perhaps a dog or two may have peed the day before it became the search area. The judge can hide a scent in grass where something peed the day before. 

And dogs pee and poop in the Rally ring...I’ve witnessed that. 

Noelle’s a nose work dog, she has to alert you to your highs and lows no matter what distractions there are.....so you are an amazing trainer.


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## lily cd re

Click in older versions of the offset figure 8 with distractions only food bowls were used as distractions. Judges would throw a couple of milk bones or a handful of kibble in a bowl and then tape the screen on top. They would reuse those bowls forever and the stuff would go stale. The only thing that made some judges change out what was in the bowls was if a dog couldn't resist and took it all apart. I would rather that my dog took interest in a toy than rotten food. All that happens with the toy is an IP (or maybe an NQ) whereas food that isn't good could make the dog sick.


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## Skylar

lily cd re said:


> Click in older versions of the offset figure 8 with distractions only food bowls were used as distractions. Judges would throw a couple of milk bones or a handful of kibble in a bowl and then tape the screen on top. They would reuse those bowls forever and the stuff would go stale. The only thing that made some judges change out what was in the bowls was if a dog couldn't resist and took it all apart. I would rather that my dog took interest in a toy than rotten food. All that happens with the toy is an IP (or maybe an NQ) whereas food that isn't good could make the dog sick.


my club does the stale crappy food in the bowl too, but the last WCRL Rally I was at, that judge took out the stale food and replaced it with meat leftovers from her supper the night before. It was fun........


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## lily cd re

Skylar said:


> my club does the stale crappy food in the bowl too, but the last WCRL Rally I was at, that judge took out the stale food and replaced it with meat leftovers from her supper the night before. It was fun........



That is a true temptation to keep the dog off fresh meat scraps. Good on those of you who triumphed over the food.


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## lily cd re

*A great girls' day out for me and Lily*

Today happens to be a significant birthday for me (you know one with a new first number and a zero)!


Lily and I left the house at about 5:30 and drove to a pair of AM/PM rally trials. The judge is someone I've shown to and also stewarded for many times and I really like her courses since she has a doberman so her courses always work well for big dogs.


We entered for triple Qs (master, excellent and advanced) in both trials. And we got those triples in both trials. As is often the case Lily gets better as the day goes on (until the last course of the day where she clearly was somewhat tired). In the morning trial our scores were 90, 96 and 99. In the afternoon we got a 96, 99 and 93 (for both those are listed in the order run of master, excellent and advanced). We got points towards the RACh in the middle four runs, including master points in the 2nd trial.


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## MaizieFrosty

Wow, what an awesome way to spend your big day! :adore: Congrats and Happy Birthday!


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## Click-N-Treat

Yes! So happy for you both! And happy birthday! Wow!


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## Skylar

Happy birthday, what a way to celebrate. Yahoo!


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## StormeeK

Happy Birthday Catherine! So glad to hear you and Lily had such a great day!


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## lily cd re

Here are a couple of pictures from yesterday. 



First me and Lily with our lovely judge Karen Wrey who is displaying our loot, two lovely new title rosettes and 6 green ribbons for our qualifying runs.











And Lily smiling away in my truck ready to head for home.


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## Click-N-Treat

RM2 is really cool. Some of those signs are hard. The back up three steps, pivot, back another step ones... oy! Side by side spins, which way is right again? All of your TQ's are inspiring. I'm so proud of you.


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## lily cd re

Click-N-Treat said:


> RM2 is really cool. Some of those signs are hard. The back up three steps, pivot, back another step ones... oy! *We had one of those yesterday,but the better one where your turn blocks the dog's path.* Side by side spins, which way is right again? *We also had one of those*. All of your TQ's are inspiring. I'm so proud of you.



I am so thrilled that we haven't had any NQs in getting the triples so far. thirty runs without any scores less than the mid 60s. What a good girlie my Lils is.


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## Click-N-Treat

We do our first TQ attempt next weekend. Ask Lily to send Noelle some magic rally sprinkles.


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## Skylar

Good luck to the both of you. Those TQ are hard


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## Quossum

Congrats! That is an amazing achievement, and having it as a birthday gift makes it even sweeter!


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## lily cd re

Thanks everyone! Click just make sure you work on keeping focus and you will be fine.


Looking back on how things went Saturday it is interesting to me that the two lowest scores were the first one in master and the last one in advanced.


There was not much warm up space so we might have started better if there had been a clear area for on deck/warm up that was far enough from the ring entrance to have food. You aren't supposed to have food close to the ring entrance and I really don't like flaunting the rules by making the judge wait for us while telling her/him that I have to wait for the dog to chew and swallow (and then worse potentially having them hack something onto the ring floor).


Clearly the lower score in the last run was because Lily was tired (so was I). She didn't IP anything but had a number of slow responses and out of position points off. When the judge brought my leash I said it was good that we were done for the day. She agreed that lily seemed to have hit her limit. Thankfully there is no way we will ever end up doing more in one day than we did on Saturday.


ps, I just noticed I said no scores lower than mid 60s in post 61, should say mid 70s.


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## Click-N-Treat

I thought that had to be a typo. 

Not having good warmup space is a problem for sure. I went to a trial that was packed with 400 dogs, and crates and had a sliver of an area to walk in. There was no where to warm up at all. Noelle lost her mind and I did, too. Now I look to see just how many dogs signed up for a trial the year before. I'd rather not be packed in like sardines, thanks.

This will be our 6th trial venue. Noelle has come a long way in a very short time. Are we ready to TQ? I honestly do not know. Thanks for the vote of confidence. I am sure Lily girl was quite tired, but I'm still really proud of both of you.


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## lily cd re

I gave rally run thrus at my club yesterday and one of the people who came is one of our local rally judges. We set an excellent course nested to last week's master course for the benefit of one of the regulars whose big problem is getting herself lost on course. When this happens to her at a trial she slows way down and her dog gets demotivated. Having the layout over two weeks be similar seemed to really help her.


Having the judge with us was interesting too since it gave us all a chance to talk about some signs which different people seem to interpret differently. We also talked about how to train the Master back up 3 steps and then one or two steps in a new direction. Joy clearly sees it as back up three steps have the dog pivot to the new direction and then do the one or two steps. I worked on the harder version with Lily today and can see that will really clean it up.



I can't say whether it was just because it was excellent vs. master of Lily having some memory of the pattern of the master course from last week, but she did a beautiful run on that course.


I took Lily along with Javelin to our ring rental time this morning and worked on the back up with both direction changes today. I see the light bulb starting to glow more steadily for her now.


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## lily cd re

I gave rally run thrus at my club yesterday and one of the people who came is one of our local rally judges. We set an excellent course nested to last week's master course for the benefit of one of the regulars whose big problem is getting herself lost on course. When this happens to her at a trial she slows way down and her dog gets demotivated. Having the layout over two weeks be similar seemed to really help her.


Having the judge with us was interesting too since it gave us all a chance to talk about some signs which different people seem to interpret differently. We also talked about how to train the Master back up 3 steps and then one or two steps in a new direction. Joy clearly sees it as back up three steps have the dog pivot to the new direction and then do the one or two steps. I worked on the harder version with Lily today and can see that will really clean it up.



I can't say whether it was just because it was excellent vs. master or Lily having some memory of the pattern of the master course from last week, but she did a beautiful run on that course.


I took Lily along with Javelin to our ring rental time this morning and worked on the back up with both direction changes today. I see the light bulb starting to glow more steadily for her now.


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## mashaphan

well,I think people can develop muscle memory,too! Che hates nested courses,as he hates repeating anything! (So do i for that matter!)

Did I not say the Master's back-up was a pivot? Happy the judge saw this,too. (not that I will not have to be careful not to fall over Otter!)

Three courses in one day (not to mention 6!) are a lot. I could barely get Che to do 2 for RAE,especially if nested. Thankfully my SOTC doesn't do more than 1 trial/day..I do not know where we would find the time,anyway:adore:

The Queen chugs on..Long live the Queen!


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## lily cd re

A few people have commented on Lily's attention to the gallery and other such distractions recently so we have been focusing on working the attention angle. Saturday I had ring rental and for Lily I dropped little toys, pom poms and a utility glove out on the floor. One of the toys is a particular favorite of hers. She did pretty well at collecting her head, sticking with me and doing the few exercises I threw in with the moving around and stopping near distractions. Here is the video to prove it.


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## Click-N-Treat

Lily did a nice job of ignoring all those distractions on the floor. Noelle would have lost her mind, I think. Our big problem is distracting ring corners. Something interesting is always happening in the corners, and I lose Noelle's attention.


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## lily cd re

Try just doing some focus work in corners then or even better perhaps put a distraction like Mr. fox hanging on the ring gate in each corner and work on decreasing the distance before Noelle looks at Mr. Fox to teach her that even if something she really loves is in that distracting interesting corner that she can't disconnect. Eventually of course she has to ignore Mr. Fox completely even if he is right there by her head. One of the little toys on the floor in that video is one of Lily's absolute favorite things in the world. My mom bought it for her when we were away at a trial weekend in the finger lakes. It is a felted wool little ball with felted legs somewhat like a little octopus. I keep it in my gear bag and we only do things with it in training or at trials. and she often doesn't see it for months at a time, but always remembers. Any time I have it out the last thing we do with it is play fetch in the ring we were working in. It has huge value to her. The level of impulse control that she displays leaving it alone is very powerful and is always richly rewarded by total off duty playing in the ring..


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## Click-N-Treat

I'll give that a try. Our last trial we had squeaky toys in the ring during the offset figure 8. I thought Noelle was going to lose her mind. She got around them, but it was, um, kinda ugly. I think the toys the next judge uses in her rings are boring looking empty Kong type toys. Noelle will notice, but not lose her mind. Well, hopefully, she won't.


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## lily cd re

We've done offset figure 8 with distractions more than once for a judge who has a pyramid of glued together tennis balls as one of the objects. the first time was a disaster once Lily saw them all the way from across the ring and I actually asked to be excused. Never again since then. Lily is truly ball crazy (my mom recently asked if she still loved ball play, YES) and so whenever I see that sign on a course I always warm up with her by putting a ball out and heeling around it, halting next to it, having her do a drop next to it. When we are finished I pick it up, make a very short toss to her and have her bring it to me. We can do that in a five foot diameter or smaller circle if needed. She has been hard proofed for ignoring balls on a trial ring floor. This is what proofing is all about.


BTW I added some videos to Javelin's training blog, including articles (week 3 around the clock).


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## Click-N-Treat

Tennis balls would be a disaster for a lot of dogs, I would think. Off-set figure 8 is one of those signs that makes my stomach drop. That and back up three steps and turn is the other. If I see that back up 3 steps and turn, I just assume we'll IP it and focus on getting as much of the rest of the course right. 

Today in Rally, Noelle laid down every single time I asked for a sit. Maybe she was having a laugh? I always say Noelle's rally runs have a theme song: Yakety Sax, Benny Hill's theme music. Today she proved me right!


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## lily cd re

We are back! The wifi at the place I stayed this week was so slow it was useless.

Well we had no offset figure 8s this past weekend, but we did have an intense three days. 

As has been the case for millions of people we have been under the heavy heat since last week so it was an add on to take care of keeping Lily, Javelin and myself safe from too much heat on the road and in the process of getting things into and out of the building while also having dogs safe in the car. Thankfully I can leave my car running with AC for 15 minutes and walk away with the electronic key to keep it locked which helped along the way.

I had entered Lily for three days of triples and Javelin for two days (Sat/Sun) of beginner novice. 

This trial site is everything you could ask for in the summer. It is on an ice hockey rink floor, so plenty of room for three obedience and one rally ring lined up side by side, along with a good amount of crating space. Plus luxurious air conditioning, so much so that I actually bought a long sleeve sweat shirt to keep warm during my down time. I crated near two friends of mine, one from Long Island and one who is a road trip trial friend. We all were near the rally ring. This made it easy to keep an eye on how things were running and easy to know when to get on deck.

On Thursday I had to put together food for the dogs and pack my clothes...so unfortunately I didn't get on the road until about 3:30 PM which meant that I hit bad traffic getting out of the NYC metro area. I also drove through some epic thunderstorms. As a result we did not make it in time to set up that evening or get into the Thursday practice rings. Well that showed on Friday. Although Lily has been here many times it is just once a year. It was pretty noisy and she was a little stressed, but oddly up stressed (not her usual). I had given her some bites of string cheese while we practiced a couple of the master signs before we went in and it was if I had given her rocks of crack cocaine. She was a nut all the way through the master course. We eeked out a 71, so a Q but way out of her normal range (needless to say no cheese for her the rest of the weekend). She did better in excellent and advanced so we did get triple Q number 11 that day, but no RACh points.

Friday in the late afternoon I took Lily in the rally ring to practice and got her to collect her head. She did nicely there. I also took Javelin in the novice/beginner novice practice ring. The rally ring was being vacuumed on one side and there were working dogs in the open ring on the other side of us. He struggled to stay focused, but did okay with some decent heeling, sit stay walk around and recalls. I didn't think he did well enough to take him in on Saturday though, but was happy to have a chance to work with him under some real pressure to let me see how he would cope. I marked him absent on Saturday morning. I figured if I worked Lily for the next set of triple rally runs and watched the novice/beginner novice ring I would have a chance to gauge how my conflicts might be managed for Sunday.

Saturday was humbling.

Lily and I had a good warm up for master. The course was great, but by the time we got to the third sign or so Javelin started barking in his crate. Whenever you are in a situation like this it is easy to ignore dogs that aren't yours, but your dog barking is like having a fire alarm going off in your ear (speaking of which the hotel fire alarm had been ringing for about an hour Friday evening). It turns out that the barking doesn't just bother you but bothers your other dog as well. Lily went flat with stress and actually left the ring when we were about halfway through the course. I got her back and went to the next station and after that station she started to leave again. I called her back and turned to the judge and asked to be excused, so there went our perfect triple Q qualifying streak. We Qd in excellent after that, although it wasn't pretty as she was still mopey. Javelin was quiet since one of my friends stood next to his crate armed with the magic words (do you want the pennies). The judge asked why I didn't retry a couple of stations that were lousy and I told her I had decided not to correct Lily in the ring if she was looking stressed. She agreed that made sense. Lily then worked beautifully in advanced and did everything I told her to, but I was so focused on keeping that attitude that I walked right past a sign and NQd us. If you don't attempt any one station (or more) it is an automatic NQ. I really didn't mind much at that point since I was just happy to have my girl back after she checked out in Master.

I took Lily in the rally practice ring again Saturday and practiced just a couple of things like back ups and spins. Mostly we just played fetch with one of her favorite little toys that I only bring out when we train. She was super happy and relaxed. I was very pleased to see she had totally let go of her worries from the morning. I also took Javelin back in the novice/beginner novice practice ring on Saturday. I suppose part of how he acted was him sensing that I was pretty annoyed with him for the barking (just on its own along with its effect on Lily), but he was totally disconnected from me. He got particularly obsessed with watching dogs practicing open next to us. It took me 7 or 8 minutes of our total 10 minutes to get him to acknowledge me for more than a second or two. That sealed the deal in my plans for Sunday. He was absent again on Sunday. It was still worth having brought him since he learned some things, as did I. Boy do we need the distracted dog training "party" we are doing this week!

Sunday's rally was the same judge as Saturday (a favorite of mine, Karen Wrey who we showed to for our RM2 and RAE10 most recently). When I saw her during our first walk through we had a short little conversation about this being a new day. Well it was a totally fresh day! Javelin did no barking even without anyone watching over him. Lily was very happy to work and did just wonderfully. She got triple Q number 12 with a 99 in Master, 99 in excellent and 98 in advanced and even though none of those scores got us placements, we did get 26 RACh points and especially nicely 9 of them were from Master.

I hope you all find our saga interesting. It is great fun to share my successes with Lily and Javelin but I also think it is important to tell the full story of how we struggle sometimes as well. None of this is easy and there are times when we fail in ways that might make some people quit, but for me it is a measure of my character to learn from fails (actually learn more there) and to take those moments as challenges to rise to rather than to shrink from.

The thermometer in my vehicle told me the outside temperatures were 100 up to 105 for a while on the way home. I made one potty stop at a place where it was safe to leave the windows open wide in the shade while I made my pit stop and then I could let them take a potty break in the shade. After that no shade at roadside rest stops so we just booked it. When we got at about 6:00 PM I was hot and tired. BF and I ate a quick dinner and I took the poodles to bed.


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## MaizieFrosty

I really did enjoy reading your trialing chronicles of the weekend, Catherine. Great job to Lily and Javvy, and to you for always putting their needs above everything else. You are an excellent role model for those of us who are green in dog sports.


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## Click-N-Treat

Oh bringing two dogs to a trial sounds really super hard. The barking must have thrown you off. Glad to hear Lily collected her head and you earned so many points. That was awesome. Ups and downs are definitely part of the journey. Javelin being too distracted to work well sounds familiar. Noelle has struggled with DOG TV during trials.

Lily went nuts for cheese in the same way Noelle went nuts for chicken at our trial. She thought I had chicken during our Master run and got upset that I wasn't handing it to her in the ring. She even, gasp, BARKED once! Mr. Fox is now banned from competition. It's so high value that she loses her mind. 

I'll have to think about rally being a treat free zone on Tuesdays, with a fantastic jackpot at the end, and rally being about clicking/treating for precision on Thursdays. On Thursdays, Liz throws out the most ridiculously hard courses just for Noelle and me. The rest of our Thursday classmates are in Novice and Intermediate. We're the only ones working on Master and RAE. And boy does Liz make that hard for us! Thursday is hard, but less distracting. Tuesday is distracting, but super easy. It's just the right level to challenge Noelle if I didn't have a treat.


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## lily cd re

The cheese thing was really odd, since it isn't as if she never had it before or even not recently. MF I see lots of green team people who want to give up when they fail. I think it is important that those of us who aren't green admit that we still fail. Two friends who are OTCh handlers had a tough time this weekend too. It happens to the best of us!


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## mashaphan

I was eagerly awaiting news of the weekend! Sorry it did not go as well as hoped,but yay ,Lils in the end!It was SO hot..I knew Susque-Nango was air conditioned,but worried about loss of power and getting to/from. (Maybe someday I will SEE the venue,car permitting:aetschIt has been so humid,we have not had Wednesday classes in 3-4 wks,and the Sat/Sun classes were xld this wknd. (I should start a"Otter's Long Road to the Ring" thread.but as I say often, i may not live that long. :2in1: Interesting insights last class,which ended up as a private lesson,as the other student did not show.

Onward!


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## Click-N-Treat

Thanks for sharing your struggles with me. It's made me feel less worried about my own progress, or lack of it.


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## lily cd re

I think it is really important to tell the stories of tripping over your own feet (hopefully just figuratively) to green handlers. It can be very discouraging to watch OTCh handlers without understanding how truly deeply hard work went into getting that. There was a couple with two beautiful black spoo boys who used to train at my club. They really wanted to do well with the dogs and the husband had read the AKC rule book like a text book many many times.. Unfortunately he didn't ever quite figure out that he couldn't walk the ring and have heeling without teaching the dog what heeling was. He would march around doing pace changes and such dragging the dog along or having it forge or having it taking lunges at other dogs and never gave the dog any information about anything. His dog was somewhat reactive and eventually got into a fight with another dog (nobody broke eye contact (dogs) and when they got close they went at each other). They stopped training which was too bad. A friend at the club who has minis and I used to talk about training and showing the dogs to CDs for them. The wife and her dog had potential, but the husband was the decision maker in that house.


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## Click-N-Treat

That's sad. Dog training is not easy when both the handler and the dog have no idea what they are doing. Some students are able to humble themselves enough to learn, and some are just... not. He sounds like he wasn't open to instruction. Without that openness, any knowledge you offer just bounces off. It's a hard thing when you want to teach someone, but the student's got a wall up. I'm also sorry the woman wasn't able to continue.


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## lily cd re

I think to some extent he suffered from the view that poodles are so smart that they are going to just get it on the first try. Well I always tell my human students that if you get a technique right in lab the first time then you got lucky and that you don't have mastery. The wife was just along for the ride at some level.


A colleague of mine has a sign on her office door that says something to the effect of "if you are not willing to learn then there is nothing that anyone can teach you."


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## Click-N-Treat

Well, the poodles might have been smart. Jury is out on the handler. I like the sign on the door. Then again, when I first went to training class with my first dog, I thought they were there to teach the dog stuff. Turns out, they were there to teach me how to teach my dog stuff. The dog wasn't the student. I was. 

And I still have a ton to learn, like my shoulder posture when heeling. I am the worst at this. I turn my head to find my dog and guess what happens to my posture? That's right, I'm sending off, please lag, signals. Someone put a shock collar on me and zap me every single time I drop my shoulder!


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## mashaphan

Just expecting the dog to know it is one of my issues, both with the whippet and poodle. And if they do it right once,they know it,right?:ahhhhh:


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## lily cd re

Oh Martha! That is too funny, you really do know better I am sure. 



Being right the first time is luck, doing it right the 8,000th time is well trained. Even Stacey and Bonnie hit some bumps last weekend...


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## lily cd re

*Planning phase II*

I had made plans for through the July trials in Binghamton back when I first decided to pursue this project with Lily. Now we are taking a short little August break from trials, but I am busy getting plans together and sending entries for our fall season of campaigning.

Our first trial will be on August 31st in New Jersey at a place where we've done lots of workshops and matches. It is only one trial, but also a one day there and back to ease us back out onto the road. In later September we will then go to Staten Island for a 2 trials in one day with one of our favorite judges (who we got our RM2 and RAE10 titles on my birthday). This happens also to be a fundraiser to purchase armored vests for police dogs, so a nice event to support. The club puts 100% of entries to the fundraising.

October will see us on the road to southern NJ on a Saturday evening for a Sunday AM/PM pair of trials at a place we haven't been to before (but with a judge we really like showing to again). If all goes well with those three events we should be up to our 17th triple Q.

In November things are going to get hectic. We will be out to show at least two and maybe three weekends. This should see us finished with triple Qs (need 20 for the title) and then we can just do Master runs to finish off the points needed for the RACh title.

In December we have AM/PM trials at our home club. I doubt we will finish the RACh there since we still need a lot of Master points, but we should be getting somewhat close by then. After those trials we will again take a bit of a break for the holiday season and to see where we are on points from Master so I can plan for the big finish.


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## lily cd re

I did one online entry for a single trial on August 31st. We have been to the location many times and it is an easy one day round trip to New Jersey. I also mailed entries for three two trials in one day events taking place in September-November. One is on Staten Island with a favorite judge and the other two are for a new venue that I asked about through FB and got good feedback on. There will be other entries to send, but they don't have premiums up yet. This cost $602 (just for entries, two days will require a hotel too), so Lily you better get these seven triples and some Master points please. This is an expensive title! If we get all of those Qs that will get us to 19 of the 20 needed.


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## Click-N-Treat

Dear Lily,

Your mom just spent a gazillion bazillion dollars for you to go through rally lots and lots and lots. Here's what I wants you to do. I wants you to line up at the start line, and look right up at mom and... No, not that eye twinkling, sneaky poodle gonna cause a ruckus, look. The other look. The good poodle look. Looks right at her and then dos all the rally together.

Reads the signs and dos them righter than you've ever done them in your life. You can do this. I knows you can. And I am counting on you to be my big sister poodle and shows me how to do it right. Q and Q and Q. You gots this. I knows it. I'm proud to call you my friend. After all, you teached me that rally is fun fun fun fun fun. Good luck, Lily! Go!

Love,
Noelle


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## lily cd re

Hi Noelle,


Mom just read me your message. I always try hard but the silly Javvy barking in the crate last month was just too distracting for me. I couldn't take it, so I tried to tell mom I had had enough and she did let me stop Master, but then she made me go back for the other two. He was quiet for them so I got happier. Mom promised me Javelin will stay home for these other days and that it will be just a girls' day out for us to do the work this fall, so I think we will do a good job.


Love,
Lily


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## Click-N-Treat

Dear Lily,

Aren't girls weekends the best? My mom shares her scrambleified eggs with me and I gets all kinds of nice treats. We go in the most interesting buildings to sleeps. They have lots of different people to watch and then we go in our new room with the big big bed. Did you ever go in one of those small box rooms with the wiggly floor that moves up or down? I loves riding on those. Mom always gets a room on the top floor because I likes the ups and down box so much.

Oh, I wish I was coming with you on your adventures! I likes adventures. Do all the rally and then let me know how you did. I will be cheering for you. Poodle Promise.

Love,
Noelle


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## lily cd re

Hi Noelle,


I always flirt with all of those people at the big houses just full of rooms for sleeping. It is lots of fun. Mom Likes sleeping in a room where we don't have to ride the wiggly box especially if Javvy is with us. She says the two of us are too involved in trying to play and that if other people get in with us we are embarrassing. She likes how I ride with her since she tells me sit and I do just that even if people flirt with me. Mom always complains that we take up too much space on the big bed, but if it is just me I leave it so she isn't falling off the edge.


Your dear girlfriend,
Lily


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## Click-N-Treat

Dear Lily,

I think getting to frolic with your brother in the little wiggling box room sounds wonderful! It must be loads of fun to make a ruckus in that small room. I wonder why your mom thinks it's embarrassing? I hopes you get a room with a big big big bed. We gots one that was huge. I stretched all the way out, and I stretched more and more. I likes those bed rooms. Mom gets pizza and shares it with me. 

At our last hotel, there were four kids running and yelling in the hallway. Running and running and jumping and making a huge fuss. After 15 minutes, it got so annoying, my mom went in the hallway and made a gargoyle face at their mom. She brought her kids in the room and they was quiet. But, I never barked. I was good. Does you ever bark at the weird noises? I almost never barks. But someone called HOUSEKEEPING knocked on our door. I didn't likes housekeeping, so I barked like this, woof woof woof!

Love 
Noelle


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## Charlie's Person

Click-N-Treat said:


> Dear Lily,
> 
> I think getting to frolic with your brother in the little wiggling box room sounds wonderful! It must be loads of fun to make a ruckus in that small room. I wonder why your mom thinks it's embarrassing? I hopes you get a room with a big big big bed. We gots one that was huge. I stretched all the way out, and I stretched more and more. I likes those bed rooms. Mom gets pizza and shares it with me.
> 
> At our last hotel, there were four kids running and yelling in the hallway. Running and running and jumping and making a huge fuss. After 15 minutes, it got so annoying, my mom went in the hallway and made a gargoyle face at their mom. She brought her kids in the room and they was quiet. But, I never barked. I was good. Does you ever bark at the weird noises? I almost never barks. But someone called HOUSEKEEPING knocked on our door. I didn't likes housekeeping, so I barked like this, woof woof woof!
> 
> Love
> Noelle


Love your stories. Please tell your mom my person makes awesome gargoyle faces

Sent from my STV100-3 using Tapatalk


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## lily cd re

Noelle,


I used to bark when we first started going on those trips. And one time Peeves ran out of our room and into other people's room. They thought a wolf had found them. Sometimes Javvy barks at people in the hall and if he does I will too, but I don't start the barking business.


Best,
Lily


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## Click-N-Treat

Dear Lily,

I used to bark at the noises outside our door. Now I ignores them, unless someone knocks on the door. Then I barks. Housekeeping is scary. What is housekeeping? They knock and say, "Housekeeping." And I say woof woof woof to that.

I don't barks at people in the hallway, I just wags my tail and they say, "Aw, what a cute poodle." And that makes me wag my tail more. I wags my tail in the moving box room. Since it's just you and mom, ask to stay on the up up up high floor so you gets to ride it. And sit when mom says sit because that's good. Ever ride the moving box thing on your belly when you lie down? It tickles your tummy just right, so tell your mom I said you should be in a down sometime.

Love,
Noelle


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## Charlie's Person

lily cd re said:


> I had made plans for through the July trials in Binghamton back when I first decided to pursue this project with Lily. Now we are taking a short little August break from trials, but I am busy getting plans together and sending entries for our fall season of campaigning.
> 
> Our first trial will be on August 31st in New Jersey at a place where we've done lots of workshops and matches. It is only one trial, but also a one day there and back to ease us back out onto the road. In later September we will then go to Staten Island for a 2 trials in one day with one of our favorite judges (who we got our RM2 and RAE10 titles on my birthday). This happens also to be a fundraiser to purchase armored vests for police dogs, so a nice event to support. The club puts 100% of entries to the fundraising.
> 
> October will see us on the road to southern NJ on a Saturday evening for a Sunday AM/PM pair of trials at a place we haven't been to before (but with a judge we really like showing to again). If all goes well with those three events we should be up to our 17th triple Q.
> 
> In November things are going to get hectic. We will be out to show at least two and maybe three weekends. This should see us finished with triple Qs (need 20 for the title) and then we can just do Master runs to finish off the points needed for the RACh title.
> 
> In December we have AM/PM trials at our home club. I doubt we will finish the RACh there since we still need a lot of Master points, but we should be getting somewhat close by then. After those trials we will again take a bit of a break for the holiday season and to see where we are on points from Master so I can plan for the big finish.


Wow! I am so impressed. Good luck! Will be cheering you and Lily on.

Sent from my STV100-3 using Tapatalk


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## Asta's Mom

Sounds like you have a plan for Lily and I will be rooting you on - what a team. Now what is Javvy's plan?


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## lily cd re

Claire, a plan for Javvy? What's that???? Just kidding. I have done tons of good work with him this summer. We will finish off his beginner novice at a trial sometime this fall and then polish up his novice work. I am taking him to a fabulous four day workshop in September where I can troubleshoot a lot of the open and utility exercises.


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## lily cd re

Triple Q number 13 came today. The master course was really wonderful but we got two IP (minus 10 each) stations so along with some out of position points off our score was only a 74. The two stations were similar in that Lily and to stay out and then return to me. For both she moved to return before I gave the order to do so. Anticipating orders are automatically scored as incorrectly performed. Obviously we will have to do some stop and wait until I tell you to move training.


Excellent and advanced were much better with a 98 and then a 99. Despite those lovely scores we didn't place. In advanced there were four 100s and in excellent there were 2 perfect scores. 



It was a nice girl's day out.


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## Mufar42

Aww, well those were good scores. Now you have a next time...


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## lily cd re

Mufar I am always happy for another day with my sweet girlie.


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## Mufar42

Yes indeed!


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## Streetcar

A wonderful girls' day out . Some victories, a triple Q!!!, and some info on things to refresh. You two continue to be a phenomenal team .


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## Click-N-Treat

Another TQ is a big deal. It takes a lot of focus to TQ. Keep it up, keep it up!


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## lily cd re

Click I think I now have all of the excellent and advanced points needed, but have to keep doing triples until we get to 20. I hope Lily will get more consistent in Master since we need a lot more points there. I don't want to have to caravan around the Northeast looking for her favorite judge. That would be a long road. If you have a chance to you should show to the judge we showed to this weekend, her name is Karen Schroeder. She was terrific, nice courses, sharp but consistent pencil.


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## Click-N-Treat

Thanks for the judge tip! I like a sharp pencil and flowing courses. You feel like you earned your score. Ever shown to Dianne Allen? Same deal. But, by god, you'd better know how to pivot. Dog and handler must move together on pivots. There will be several in her courses. She will IP you for not doing a solid pivot, or deduct serious points off. Noelle loves to pivot and has a flashy as hell pivot in all directions. Needless to say, yep, I've shown to Dianne Allen a lot! Rally Novice leg 1 and Novice leg 1 in obedience. Final RA leg. Final RE leg. And, cross fingers, final RM and final RAE legs in October. She's a tough judge, but fair and funny. She's on my cross state lines to show list. 

Yes, the 20 TQ's is a challenge all right. My plan is to do 19 TQ's then just do Master until we have our full 300 points. We are on track to have RAE points by 19 entries, I think. It's easier since both RE and RA have points so you only need to earn 75 points each. But, I'll tell ya, those Master points are elusive creatures. Walking out of the ring with an 89 or a 90 is just... oooh, painful. We have 21 master points. 150 feels like a million miles away. But we'll get there. So will you. RACH on, Lily and Catherine. Just keep on RACHing. You will get it. I know it. I just do.


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## Skylar

lily cd re said:


> Click I think I now have all of the excellent and advanced points needed, but have to keep doing triples until we get to 20. I hope Lily will get more consistent in Master since we need a lot more points there. I don't want to have to caravan around the Northeast looking for her favorite judge. That would be a long road. If you have a chance to you should show to the judge we showed to this weekend, her name is Karen Schroeder. She was terrific, nice courses, sharp but consistent pencil.


I know Karen, she's so gentle and nice but very knowledgeable. Is she your favorite judge?


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## lily cd re

At the moment my favorite judge for Lily is Karen Wrey, but Karen Schroeder is a super close second. The nice thing for me about Karen Wrey is that I've shown to her for years and she is a Doberman person so her courses clow well for Lily. Also since she is from NY (in the Catskills) I have lots of opportunities to show to her often with very little travel, like September 21st when we show to her in double trials on Staten Island one day there and back.


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## lily cd re

Our next day out is tomorrow and we will be getting up very early (around 4:30 to leave at 5:30) to make it with time to spare before the 8:00 AM start of the first master walk thru. This is one of those AM/PM double headers, but with our favorite judge. It is on Staten Island, so one day there and back. This is a fund raiser for an organization that buys vests for police dogs so a nice cause to support to boot.


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## Click-N-Treat

Oh, awesome! I'll be sending you happy waves of focus and joy all day. May the course be with you!


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## Skylar

Nothing better than showing before your favorite judge..... I love Click's statement, "may the course be with you". Good luck.


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## Johanna

Keeping my fingers crossed for you tomorrow - good luck!


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## lily cd re

Wow was that a long day! Now I remember why I generally avoid Staten Island. It is a bear of a trip if the traffic is unkind to you. I left with a Google Maps prediction of a 7:15 arrival and arrived at about 7:40 and the Master walk through was at 8:00. I hate getting someplace important that close to start time. Coming home wasn't much better (took 2 hours). Depending on the route it is between 65 and 70 miles almost entirely on highways. My back is killing me!


Despite those concerns Lily was a trooper. She stuck it out for all six courses and got better over the day. Sadly I made a mistake in the PM excellent course that cost us 10 points (got an 87). She started out with some lack of focus in AM Master. There was figure 8 with food bowl distractions. I suppose she wouldn't have been so interested in those bowls if I had had time to feed her breakfast...


Anyway we only got points out of one class (had scores in the 80s for five classes and a 99 in the last course of the day), but we did get two triple Qs. I have enough RAE points and now have 15 of 20 triple Qs, so we are getting close to being able to focus on Master only and getting the rest of the points we need from there.


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## Skylar

Oh no I know what you mean about not getting there early enough to get settled and go through your pretrial routine the way you like. 

Poor Lily having to avoid food bowls on an empty stomach. That’s asking a lot. She’s a real trooper. 

Well it was a good trial since you earned points towards your RACh.


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## Click-N-Treat

Every TQ is a huge victory. And food bowls first thing? After a horror show of a drive? You did a great job today. Five more TQ's and then just Master. You are on your way and I'm really proud of you.


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## Mufar42

Staten Island, boy that place sure has changed. There was a time you could drive from one end to the other in like 30 minutes. Back then I thought that was a long time. I grew up there and back then it was pretty rural in areas. Our street was gravel but we had storm sewers. Once the Verazzano Bridge was built things changed, big time. Lilly was a real trooper and so were you. All in all it sounds like it was a good day.


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## lily cd re

Mufar, the location for the trial was Ellis Street, just under the Outerbridge Crossing, so about as far away from me as could be without going to New Jersey. Lily is a big time trooper for all of this. She has fun in trials, but the travel can be a drag. 



I was talking to the judge yesterday about how we both with that club's would run their rally trials from novice to master. My POV includes the following issues: novice folks would know exactly when to be ready to go; people like me would be there getting organized and be able to cheer them on; advanced would serve as a warm up for excellent and excellent as a warm up for master; and Karen agreed with me on those points and also said she thought it is easier to build the simpler courses first as well


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## Mufar42

LOL I am very familiar with the area. I grew up in Tottenville. My brother lived a block away from Ellis St. and I took that train from the beginning of the line in Tottenville to the end in St George everyday for years. I am so happy that I moved, the island really is not what it was.


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## lily cd re

Mufar42 said:


> LOL I am very familiar with the area. I grew up in Tottenville. My brother lived a block away from Ellis St. and I took that train from the beginning of the line in Tottenville to the end in St George everyday for years. I am so happy that I moved, the island really is not what it was.



The club that hosted the trial is right across from the Arthur Kill stain for that line.


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## lily cd re

Lily and I will be hitting the road in a little while to go down to southern New Jersey for a pair of AM/PM rally trials starting early tomorrow morning. The judge is a poodle person to whom I have shown before with the pupchick ages ago. Wish us good runs. This will hopefully be triple Qs number 16 and 17, need some master points girlie girl.


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## Click-N-Treat

Awesome! Master points are hard to get, so I'm really sending you good vibes and love. Go team, go! Hugs!


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## Skylar

Wishing you great runs tomorrow.


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## MaizieFrosty

Good luck, Lily and Catherine!


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## Charlie's Person

lily cd re said:


> Lily and I will be hitting the road in a little while to go down to southern New Jersey for a pair of AM/PM rally trials starting early tomorrow morning. The judge is a poodle person to whom I have shown before with the pupchick ages ago. Wish us good runs. This will hopefully be triple Qs number 16 and 17, need some master points girlie girl.


Best wishes 

Sent from my STV100-3 using Tapatalk


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## lily cd re

We are back! We had a great day today with a 95 in AM Master (6 points), an 88 in Excellent and 96 in Advanced to round out the morning. In the afternoon trial we got 94, 94 and 96 respectively in Master (5 points), Excellent and Advanced. I did get points for all of the scores in the 90s, but really only care about the Master Points since I don't need more Exc/Adv points. We now have 48 Master Points, 237 points total and 17 triple Qs.


Here's the skinny on the 88 in AM Excellent. I IPd us at one sign by doing finish forward instead of finish sit, so Lily got a 98 and I got the 88. Lily was awesome all day. She was consistent and had nice energy all the way up to the end. What a great girl she is!


I had never shown at this facility before and wow was it hard to find. Google maps was wrong in telling me it was on left die of road when it was on the right. I arrived after the Master walk thru had already started. Yikes! I did not do my usual walk routine and I worked straight from the car. Thankfully I was able to put up the crate in between Master and Excellent since it rained most of the day and although Lily would normally work out of the car with no problems she would not have enjoyed all those trips back and forth in wet weather.


We had a crazy drive down last night it took an hour and a half to get off Long Island (should be 40-45 minutes) and we had pouring rain the whole way home. I am really happy to be here. Lily is resting next to me and I think we will all be going to bed soon.


Here is the Queen with her loot, which includes three fourth place rosettes along with 6 greens.


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## MaizieFrosty

That's awesome! Congrats! Lily looks so pretty


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## lily cd re

She is a pretty girlie girl, isn't she? Our judge today is a spoo person herself and although I haven't shown to her often recently she is very nice and we see her a lot when we are in New Jersey for matches. MF do I recall that you were doing an event this weekend too?


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## Click-N-Treat

Fan-freaking-tastic! Just fantastic. Master points are just the best. Congratulations. Way to go!


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## MaizieFrosty

lily cd re said:


> She is a pretty girlie girl, isn't she? Our judge today is a spoo person herself and although I haven't shown to her often recently she is very nice and we see her a lot when we are in New Jersey for matches. MF do I recall that you were doing an event this weekend too?


She is gorgeous! How nice to show to a spoo person 

I was going to go to a poodle specialty this weekend, just to spectate. But, due to some issues, I didn't make it. My pups are still on hiatus from any events.


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## Skylar

Doing the Happy Dance for you and the gorgeous Lily. What a fabulous girl Lily is to work under stressful conditions because you must have been anxious trying to find the facility.


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## Moni

Nice going! Nice loot! She looks very pleased!


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## Mufar42

Congratulations to you both. You are certainly dedicated and it is paying off! She looks so pleased with herself and her "loot". So I am always curious when my old stomping grounds are possibly near, so where in NJ did this take place? NJ has a lot of nice competitions it seems, even some 25-30 years ago. My friends daughter is having her first baby next month and I'd really like to get up there, her mom (my friend is gone) so it would be nice to be there for her. Between the dogs and my hubs though not sure I will be able to. Anyway best to the best!


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## lily cd re

Moni, if there had been toys as placement prizes those would now be her favorite toys. She knows which toys she has earned, but is nice to Peeves since she will share some of them. Javelin doesn't play with toys so he has no interest. Maybe that will change for him when he wins them.


Mufar we were in Lindenwold, so pretty far south. Although it is a long trip I am toying with driving to the next trial there (in November) early AM on the day of. The traffic getting off Long Island got me to our hotel later than was greatly useful for having a good night's sleep.


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## mashaphan

The Queen! That RACH is coming soon,Lils-just wish it would be up here! Congrats!


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## lily cd re

mashaphan said:


> The Queen! That RACH is coming soon,Lils-just wish it would be up here! Congrats!





I still need a bunch of Master points so I expect the title may actually come mid year 2020, maybe the June trials.


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## lily cd re

Lily and I hit the road very early this morning (in the car around 4:20 PM) and drove to southern New Jersey to the Lower Camden County Dog Training Club in Lindenwold. Our judge today was one of our favorites, Karen Wrey to whom we've shown a few times recently. The drive there was much better going early as compared to when we went on Saturday evening and spent a horrible amount of time in traffic and I got not much sleep.


We got triple Qs 18 and 19 today, no Master points, but two fourth places and aside from Master all scores in the 90s. We got to chat with some poodle (and other) friends too. The drive home wasn't all that bad.


I am tired, but all in all we had a very nice girls day out.


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## Click-N-Treat

Two TQ's. Fantastic. I'm impressed at how good you both are at rally. Are you going to just focus on Master until you get all your points (which you will get!!!) and do a final 20th TQ? That's our plan.


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## Streetcar

You two are doing incredibly well . Huge congrats on the success this weekend. Those Master points are coming, probably all in a rush of about three weeks or so . You have a great handle on the big picture.


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## lily cd re

We have an AM/PM entry at our home club in early December where we should get the 20th triple Q and the RM3 and RAE11 titles. We still need a significant number of Master points so we will need some time to pick those up. Hopefully Lily will get better at taking the first (presumably sometimes only) run of the day more seriously so we are getting those points reliably. After we finish up what is already on the schedule I will do some searching for the next round of trials.


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## Click-N-Treat

Those Master points are so hard to get. I keep getting scores of 89 and 90. My last show I got an 82 because I completely blew sign 213. About U turn About Turn Right. I went left both times. Oh man, so stupid. Lost Master points because of that foolishness. 

On paper, Master doesn't look that hard. Why is it so hard in reality?


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## lily cd re

I keep doing IPs. Like your sign 213. I do finish sits instead of finish forwards or the reverse. Lily always does what I tell her. It is me that is wrong more than her. So 98 turns into 88 and such. Bleh, stoopid hooman.


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## Click-N-Treat

Blech, stupid hooman indeed. I get my left and right mixed up way more often than I like to admit. And yes, finish sit and no sit get me every time. I brought a highlighter pen to my last trial and highlighted the sits on the map. That helped me out a lot. Not so much with sign #213, though. Darn it!


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## lily cd re

I hear you my friend!


The aftermath of yesterday, starting my day at 3:15 AM and making a 14 hour round trip to New Jersey and back is costing me dearly in the later part of the day today. I am exhausted, but I think it was worth it in the long run. I would not make that same trip just for Master points but still may go to these trials next fall. At the host club in October and November they have obedience and rally trials. One obedience trial each on Friday and Saturday and two rally trials on Sunday. If I Qd everything Javelin obedience Friday and Saturday then two Master legs if I still need to collect Master points (which might be the case if I persist in being stoopid hooman). With hotel Thursday to Sunday would be an awesome outing.


Oh and as an aside I think Javelin has his nose a little out of joint today since all day long he has been doing things like not watching my feet and missing me turning. Doing crazy amounts of critter patrol and pulling as a result. I sort of wish I left him home since I don't have much energy to respond in any way other than with annoyance.


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## lily cd re

*Triple number 20 plus a spare*

We had a pair of AM/PM trials at our club today with two sets of triple class (master, excellent, advanced) entries. We only needed one set to get the last of our triple Qs, but did both just so I have a bumper in the bank. We did not get master points in the morning, but we got five in the afternoon trial. We got a 4th in the morning excellent class and a second in the afternoon advanced class. All PM score were in the 90s. 

True to her quirky form Lily always gets better as the day goes on even though she was clearly tired. She took a big yawn during afternoon excellent, but not a stress yawn a tired one and she barely poured herself over the afternoon advanced jump. Silly goose!

We will now turn to getting those master points, of which we still need many, but not quite so many as yesterday.

Oh and lest I forget we earned two more titles today, RM3 and RAE11! The evidence is in the pics below of us with our very nice judge, Dr. Karen Westerfield Tucker from Massachusetts. Please forgive how creepy I look. I had something fluish all week, didn't eat for five days and dropped a whole pants size (not a good way to diet). I am still pretty wobbly, since my first real meal since Thanksgiving was Thursday this week.



















ETA Martha you should think about bringing this judge to Syracuse. She is wonderful and does both rally and obedience.


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## Charlie's Person

lily cd re said:


> We had a pair of AM/PM trials at our club today with two sets of triple class (master, excellent, advanced) entries. We only needed one set to get the last of our triple Qs, but did both just so I have a bumper in the bank. We did not get master points in the morning, but we got five in the afternoon trial. We got a 4th in the morning excellent class and a second in the afternoon advanced class. All PM score were in the 90s.
> 
> True to her quirky form Lily always gets better as the day goes on even though she was clearly tired. She took a big yawn during afternoon excellent, but not a stress yawn a tired one and she barely poured herself over the afternoon advanced jump. Silly goose!
> 
> We will now turn to getting those master points, of which we still need many, but not quite so many as yesterday.
> 
> Oh and lest I forget we earned two more titles today, RM3 and RAE11! The evidence is in the pics below of us with our very nice judge, Dr. Karen Westerfield Tucker from Massachusetts. Please forgive how creepy I look. I had something fluish all week, didn't eat for five days and dropped a whole pants size (not a good way to diet). I am still pretty wobbly, since my first real meal since Thanksgiving was Thursday this week.
> 
> 
> View attachment 453831
> 
> 
> View attachment 453833
> 
> 
> 
> ETA Martha you should think about bringing this judge to Syracuse. She is wonderful and does both rally and obedience.


Congratulations! 

Sent from my STV100-3 using Tapatalk


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## Click-N-Treat

Good job on the show. Congratulations on those titles. I'm so proud of you. Now, hopefully you feel better and can eat again. It's scary getting sick like that. Heal, Catherine. Gentle hugs.


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## Skylar

For someone who was feeling ill, you look great and so does Lily. 

Congratulations on a job well done. It will be so nice now that you can focus on masters points.


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## lily cd re

I am thinking I had a mild case of flu, that my immunization didn't fully take and I avoided the fever but got all of the gastro effects and the malaise. I still feel a bit weak but not remotely as awful as this time last week.


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## Mufar42

Congratulations, glad you are getting those points. You all wo rk hard for them. I hope you are now feeling better.


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## mashaphan

Lots of stomach bugs around here,too! But WTG, Lils! (Sadly, I have no input on SOTC judges. One of the more influential members just got her license, so we may or may not see her judge here soon. And Dottie really has no input either-but I will post on members site FWIW!)


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## Charlie's Person

lily cd re said:


> I am thinking I had a mild case of flu, that my immunization didn't fully take and I avoided the fever but got all of the gastro effects and the malaise. I still feel a bit weak but not remotely as awful as this time last week.


So sorry. Get well soon 

Sent from my STV100-3 using Tapatalk


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## Streetcar

Congratulations on your success with Lily, just I'm so sorry you have been ill. The two of you overcame the difficulty - way to go .


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## BabetteH

Congratulations on your success! Thanks so much for sharing your detailed story. This is really helpful to read for me as a newbie. Good luck with the remaining points!


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## lily cd re

BabetteH this has been a ton of fun for me and Lily. I hope you and your pup continue to enjoy rally. It is a really great team building activity.


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## lily cd re

Okay I am now planning what should be the final phase on getting to the RACh with my sweet Lily. All we need to do now is Master points (not sure exactly how many, but probably will need to do somewhere between 10 and 20 entries to get there since I have been making some mistakes and Lily sometimes does flaky things. I already have three entries for early February, all on Long Island and all with judges either from Long Island or Massachusetts so they should be pretty weather proof. Hopefully we will be in sync and get a good amount of points. Hopefully I can find a couple of sort of weather proof places to go in March too.


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## Click-N-Treat

We need 129 Master points and 67 RAE points. We are not in the same zip code as a RACH title. I admire your training and tenacity. Master is not easy. There are so many ways to mess up my dog and I think I've even invented some new ones. Keep striving with beautiful Lily. Onward!


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## BabetteH

So cool! Is that a three day cluster or three separate shows? I think I'll sign up for some as well - Long Island is sort of close to home. 

Are you goinig to Rye Brook, NY as well? It's two concurrent shows both with Rally and Obedience. Does anybody have experience with entering 4 trials in one day? Will I run into scheduling conflicts? 

And this is a silly question: Is snail mail the only option for many rally entries? I'm so used to online entries for conformation.


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## lily cd re

BabetteH I think Rye Brook is right in the middle of the Long Island events. What are the Rye Brook dates? For Long Island one of those shows is the Long Island Golden Retriever Club on Thursday evening February 6th and you can enter through Rau. The other two are AM/PM at Suffolk Obedience Training Club in Deer Park on the 8th with a judge I really really like, Danette Chorney. Here is a link to the entry form which has to be sent by snail mail. http://suffolkobedience.com/SOTC Files/RallyAKCtrialEntry2020Feb08.pdf

I would love it if we could meet up at some one of these local trials. As to multiple entries in one day or weekend, Lily and I have done a whole bunch of triple Q entries for AM/PM rally (so 6 total runs). We only NQd and missed the triple one time (and it was Javelin's fault since he barked his head off in his crate while we were on the Master course). Lily was very miserable that morning.


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## BabetteH

Thank you so much for the link. I think I'll enter Suffolk, especially if you say you like the judge. Rye Brook is on Friday, 7th. I realized I can't go on that date. Would be lovely to meet you!


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## lily cd re

Oh that is lovely! I have shown to this judge a few times at the Big in West Springfield and at Suffolk. I wish I could do all of that including Rye Brook but I am having rally run thrus on the 7th and my regulars will be disappointed if I cancel. We are also having a match on Wednesday the 5th, LMK if you want the info for it.


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## mashaphan

well,we are certainly not weather proof, but there is the 4 day cluster at Syr fairgrounds the end of March. I don't know if I will go (certainly not Otter  ) due to recent events ;(, but the new Expo center is lovely.


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## lily cd re

I am thinking about going (probably just Lily). Do you know who the rally judge(s) will be?


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## mashaphan

Looks like they are going the cheap route-Thurs/Fri is Donna Blews-Pappas (?), Sat/Sun is Joan Greenwald.


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## lily cd re

Hmm, not quite worth a long trip to me. Thanks.


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## mashaphan

'Twas my thought exactly!


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## mvhplank

I apprenticed for UKC Obedience judging under Donna Blews-Pappas, but I've never entered AKC rally under her (just UKC rally). I don't have a lot of feedback to offer, personally. She usually judges out of my travel range.

Catherine, I wish you and Lily much success!


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## mashaphan

Glad to know ,as I had never heard of that judge-on a high note, one of the show chairs asked for suggestions ,so I was able to submit Dr Westerfield-Tucker finally!


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## lily cd re

After missing out on RACh points mostly due to me doing things like have Lily sit when I should have finished and then gone forward without the sit (uh duh) I finally got my head together and Lily, doing as usual, what I told her we got Master points today. We lost some score points over some out of position exercises, but got a 95 in our AM trial and a 93 in out PM trial so a total of 11 Master/RACh points/ So now we need 86 more points. It is still going to take some time but we will get there.


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## BabetteH

Congrats! Where was the show today?


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## lily cd re

Thanks BabetteH. You should look at this place. It is close by in New Jersey in Westwood, First Dog Training Club of Northern New Jersey. They have another Rally Trial in July. Nice people, one ring and good judges.


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## Click-N-Treat

Yeah, Master points twice in one day! That's the way you do it. Yeah! Awesome. So happy for you both. You will get rally champion. I know it. I just... do. Meanwhile, team Click and Noelle are miles behind you. We only have 21 Master points. We need a grand total of 197 points. 68 points in RAE and 129 in Master. I look at that number and think, oh boy, but we'll get there, too. One trial at a time, you and I will get there. Rally on, team. I am doing a happy dance for you both. So proud of you.


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## lily cd re

You will get there too. You have plenty of time. Remember that Lily is 11 1/2 years old. I know she can do it, but I have to keep it moving.


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## BabetteH

Thanks! We're trying our first Obedience Novice next month. Having a hard time fading the treats, especially in Rally. Might be a while until we try advanced (or intermediate).


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## Click-N-Treat

I do like that rally is a friendly sport for older dogs. Only jump in Master, and a much smaller jump height than obedience. With 86 more points to go, you could have that in eight more trial weekends. I believe in you and Lily, too. Stay healthy and rally on. I can't wait for you to tell me you got RACH. You'll hear me screaming for joy all the way in Chicago.


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## Carolinek

Congratulations! Good to hear of her of Lily’s progress. I love hearing about seasoned dogs continuing in the sport. My Lily at 10 1/2 is still going strong in agility, just does your heart good to hear others enjoying the time with their seniors.


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## lily cd re

Years ago a friend of mine (loves animals, but highly allergic; no dog of her own but still lets my dogs lick her) asked when Lily would be done with all her shows and titles and I told her when Lily tells me she doesn't want to do any more of it. Rally really is perfect for her.

Click from your keyboard to the ears of dogs; higher power on finishing in 8 or 9 more trials. 99s and 100s are very elusive for us in Master but we always have fun no matter what the score since it all reflects on her still being a happy partner despite her age.

BabetteH are you going to be at the poodle trials in Allentown, NJ? If yes, we will meet there. I wish you success in fading treats. I have to be super careful when I stop treating in warm ups with Lily since she will get crazy over food rewards and look for them in trial rings.


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## Click-N-Treat

Let's do some quick math, because math is fun. You need 86 points. Given how hard Master is, let's work off scores of 91, which is worth five points. 86/5=17.2 So, based on scores of 91, that's 17.2 more trials, or 16 trials, because you'll get a six pointer in there. 16/2= 8 weekends. 

Noelle on the other hand... 129/5 = 25.8 more trials. Round that up to... 26/2 = 13 more trials with scores above 91 to tally up enough Master points. In reality, I'm betting we have RM5 and RAE5 before we get RACH. Still, trialing is fun, so onward!!!!


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## Fenris-wolf

Nice? Congratulations to you and Lily.


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## lily cd re

Click, then yes, by your math maybe ten thereabouts weekends with more than one trial. We will certainly finish an RM4, hopefully won't need to get to RM5 for the points to finish the big goal of RACh. BTW one of the folks showing yesterday finished the first RACh on an Irish Water Spaniel yesterday. And a friend of mine got the first RACh for a Cairn Terrier in February at our club.


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## Click-N-Treat

Oh, RACH is possible. I've seen several people get it at trials. I just... Gaaa, why is Master so darn hard? The signs look fairly straightforward. It's the execution that's a challenge. Finish left and don't sit. Finish left and sit. Call front don't move backward. Call front, you can move backward... It's that fiddly handler stuff that makes rally so much harder than it looks. 

But, it's still fun. Even when we get a 72, it's still fun.


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## lily cd re

Well we got run off the road by COVID. Our last trials were in early March. We had a great time and got points, but then everything came to a screeching halt. I had planned entries all around NY and NJ from April to now and probably we would be very close to having the Master points we need (all other requirements are already done) if we had been able to execute my plan. Now that things are starting to open up one of the Long Island clubs is having two days of obedience and rally trial next weekend. Initially we were waitlisted, but someone pulled their entries and we are now in. I don't have great expectaions since my sweet girlie has spent most of the last five months on the couch but I have been able to get some run thrus at the trial site. She is rather flat so yesterday I took her to my club and used her to demo a couple of things that she knows very well. She had fun and she also got to play a bit with another spoo and my spoo owning friend's granddaughter who came along for the ride. At the end of our scheduled classes I had my assistant video some playful doodles. She is perking up.

For your viewing pleasure, look here.


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## Liz

Good luck next weekend! 🐩🏆 After 5 months off, I bet it feels like cramming for a test.


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## lily cd re

Yes it does. But she is still very sprightly for being almost 12. I think we still have time to get there, but it may not be in 2020 since I am still not willing to stay in a hotel. I barely am willing to use public restrooms. We will have one local trial in September, but then i will have to go to some NJ trials. Thankfully they can be done as day trips.


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## Liz

I'm glad to hear that there are options opening up, and people are learning how to trial safely. And yes, Lily looks quite keen to keep going, even at 12 years young!


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## lily cd re

We had a good outing today and got a 96 in rally master which means 6 points towards the RACh title. Good girlie pupchick!


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## Click-N-Treat

Fantastic! Yay team.


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## Skylar

Congratulations. These are such trying times to compete for handlers and theirs dogs. So a very special congratulations to Lily for working beautifully.


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## SMSP

@lily cd re Thanks for sharing the video of Lily doodles


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## FloofyPoodle

Hooray Lily, and you!


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## lily cd re

We have another trial today with one of my favorite judges! I stewarded for her yesterday for rally advanced, intermediate and novice. It was a long day, but since there are people who just weren't willing to stay long to work and the club's core members are agility types they really needed someone who had knowledge without needing training to help out (and I can do any stewarding job for any class of obedience or rally). Today I am just running in master and waiting for the end of the class and the awards. Then we will be coming home to watch the Indy 500. It is sad not to be there, but no hotels, crowds or public restrooms yet.


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## Skylar

Yes the few trials around me are having trouble getting stewards. They begged me to be a table steward for our rally trial but I refused to stay inside the building and had a “new” position of outside Stewart getting everyone in when it was their turn to walk the course or trial. And we kept the running order and posted scores outside. I’ll do the same for obedience. I just can’t stay inside for hours with so many people especially when you add up all the competitors. I did help with set up and take down because there was a small group of people at that point remaining. 

That club was lucky you helped out


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## lily cd re

Skylar we had outdoor steward jobs too. They took people's temperatures and gave wrist bands to those who were normal so they didn't have to get continuously rechecked. They also monitored how the classes were running and got people who were finished cleared out then calling the new classes in. Armbands were distributed outside by those folks as well, so that was a really important job and I think will continue as such for the foreseeable future so I am sure your club is happy to have had you doing that job.

Usually this venue has three rings, but in the interest of distancing in the crating area it ran with 2 rings. The days were somewhat longer, but it is a very well ventilated space and it was easy to remain well distanced. Thankfully there are enough agility people who were willing to learn jobs, along with things like not using an article judge in utility but instead having the judge set the pile that I think it was safe and I know there were many people like me happy to work our dogs again. All three judges for both days live close enough to go home last might and be back for today.


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## Johanna

lily cd re said:


> We had a good outing today and got a 96 in rally master which means 6 points towards the RACh title. Good girlie pupchick!


Hurrah for you and Lily! She is such a special spoo! I'm afraid I have not done any training this summer - too darned hot and no classes in our air-conditioned building. I just tend to wilt in the summer and not do anything useful.


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## lily cd re

Johanna I would wilt in your summer heat too. I've never bought into that idea about itis dry heat so not so bad concept. If it is hot it is hot!

Our trial today also went well with a score of 94 and 5 RACh points. The judge is a friend and she knows Lily well. Our running joke is that she (Lily ) almost always takes a break to listen to crickets of look at birds somewhere on course. Today is was at the send to cone-sit-return to dog sign. I was pointing to the cone and she looked over my pointing finger at the start sign and I told her to "go cone" and she went out and around the cone but took a detour to her left and sat closer to the start sign than the cone but then also took a big butt scooch (half stood) while I was returning to her. Other than that she was happy and did a really nice job with everything else. When Karen gave the awards she talked briefly to people who wanted to know where they lost points. As she approached us I said I know the cone was ugly and her reply was "and we both know she does it well since we have watched her do it well more than once together." In the meantime Lily was flirting with my friend Laura and her mpoo Nova, whom we have know since both the dogs were barely two years old. Silly goose!


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## lily cd re

Who knew it was going to be hard to get into trials? I sent an entry for a trial that moved from outdoors to my club on September 27th and got waitlisted. I will hold out hope since I got into the 2 August trials from the wait list, so maybe the third time is the charm. I also sent entries for two dates in NJ that are both two trials one day. We have shown here a couple of other times with the first time being a hotel stay the night before. Once I figured out that it wouldn't be terrible to make a one day round trip I did that on the other trials there and really wanted to get into the trials at this location again since it will be a no hotel, work from your car type of event (low COVID risk). Hopefully Lily will keep up her points streak. They are having another pair of trials in November at this same site, so if we get into those we have 6 runs in 3 outings and hopefully would be able to collect 30 or 40 of the current 75 points we need for the RACh title. 

Anyway I was waiting and waiting to get an email of preliminary confirmation or for wait list for a couple of weeks and even sent email over the weekend to ask whether I was in or not. Anyway the trial secretary called while I was doing a lab class and I stopped class to talk to him. I think I have answered my cell phone during class only 2 or 3 times in 30+years. I am happy to say he told me that we are in for both the September and October trials. I will send the November entry as soon as it is open to be received. I also have another November entry I will do at another day trip location in New Jersey. Then my club has two trials in one day in early December. Even if I don't get into the local trial at the end of the month that will still be 9 trials before the end of 2020. If by some miracle we got 99 or 100 in all of them we would finish this year. I won't hold my breathe since Lily isn't that sort of a dog, but I can feel it getting good and close.


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## Click-N-Treat

Onward, you two. I still haven't entered a trial this year. I have two possibilities in October. I'm inspired by Lily being able to go to a trial and get back in the game. Hopefully, we'll have success, too.


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## Skylar

There’s so few trials right now that the few around here are packed. I hope it works for you and Lily, it’s so hard during Covid-19.


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## lily cd re

The number of entries being accepted is lower than normal to allow extra time for people to get in and out. Also if you have a big novice class you might find groups being split since the distance between is now 8' instead of 5'. It is still taking some getting used to I think.


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## mvhplank

I haven't entered an AKC trial since the pandemic started. But the club I'm most active with is a UKC club that also holds CDSP Obedience trials. We had two UKC Rally trials and two UKC Obedience trials one weekend in July and a weekend of four CDSP trials in August. There have been a few adjustments for safety and as far as I know, no one has suffered any ill effects from attending. 

The bonus to not doing a lot of showing has unexpectedly showed up in the last week or two--more my epiphany than Neely's. My issue with Neely's UKC Utility runs is that he tends to decide when he should turn and sit in the Directed Signal Retrieve. Some quick background: Directed Signal is a glove retrieve--you send the dog to the middle of the ring, tell him to sit, then send him to the glove the judge has chosen, to the dog's left, right, or behind him. Gloves are in a baseball pattern and the handler stands at Home.

Neely wants to stop short of the middle--that's at least points off but not always an NQ if he goes far enough. However, If I don't holler "SIT!" when I sense that he's decided he's gone far enough, then we could NQ if he sits without being commanded to do so. But he loves to go for glove 2 at the far end of the ring, and runs with great excitement. So I started sending him to 2 and sometimes I let him get it and sometimes I tell him to sit when he reaches the middle.

All because I set up a training area in my way-back yard when the pandemic hit. Imagine that!


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## Johanna

I'll be sending positive thoughts your way. No trials here. No training. Our governor has a background in public health, so she has set strict mandates - mask to be worn in public, no gatherings of more than half a dozen people. It's hard, but it's working to keep our numbers down. Once a vaccine is available, I wonder if that will change things? 

I am the show chair for the poodle club and the chair for the independent specialties organization. I met (zoom meeting) with the chairs of the two all-breed clubs regarding how we plan to handle the May shows. Our shows are completely indoors in a superb facility (the state fairgrounds buildings), but we did discuss moving things outdoors - yuk! It's hard to predict how things will be eight months from now


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## lily cd re

We have no UKC or CDSP activities on Long Island so I don't train for them and even if I did I am not willing to go anyplace that I would require a hotel stay to do at this point. But I agree that the training I have been doing has let me trouble shoot a bunch of things.

Johanna I got wait listed for a rally trial the last Sunday in September because it has traditionally been outdoors at a venue that has had a large all breed cluster, but I guess the all breed shows may not be happening so it was not practical for the host club to rent that outdoor space so they are renting my club. That announcement was made on the late side and so I sent my entry late. I don't show outside these days especially when weather can still be hot. I hope you can owrk things out for your shows and that your governor keeps up the good work. Gov. Cuomo made some stumbles at the very beginning, but when it became clearer what was happening he got things on the right track. Since federal leadership is lacking states have to do the best they can on their own.


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## Asta's Mom

Congrats Team Lily.and am so glad for you to get involved as Lily continues in her quest for more initials in your sig. I love hearing about dog sports and as you know, You and your dogs are are always a good read. You have helped me so much and I often find information that I can use with my dog.


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## lily cd re

Claire thank you so much for those kind words. I think you and Asta are pretty special yourselves. You have done amazing things in his training.


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## Raven's Mom

I have not been able to find any UKC trials or shows in my area either. I was planning just to use for ring exposure but there doesn’t seem to be any. Wren and I are trying the taped version of Rally Novice tomorrow night. There is a full trial in Oct. that I usually enter, but Raven has me so ”gun shy” from our series of failures I haven’t been able to finish the entry...so frustrated that we cannot finish the CD. 

I know Lily will get her title soon🤩


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## Click-N-Treat

Good luck on your video, Raven's Mom!


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## Carolinek

Good luck to Lily and team, I hope you are able to get off the wait list. I was unable to get into a recent agility trial, they are so limited in numbers. We also have a trial the last weekend in September, It’s outdoors and hopefully the weather will cooperate.
Raven’s mom, let us know how the video rally tape goes!


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## lily cd re

Carolinek, lowering the number of entries is a challenge for getting into lots of events. Are you referring to the Wine Country shows in Romulus at the end of September? That is a lot of fun as an event overall. Lots of good shopping too. I think the weather is usually good there. I wish you clean runs.


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## lily cd re

We were fortunate to have a professional photographer at our recent obedience and rally trials and she got some nice shots of us. Here you go.


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## lily cd re

I got up around 3:45 AM yesterday and got the final steps of being organized for our trip to NJ for a pair of trials. I got Lily up around 4:20 and by 4:30 we were on the road to southern New Jersey with Lily sound asleep most of the way (sense a them, I was jealous of how much she got to sleep while I did the work of getting us there. We arrived a few minutes before 7:30 (took a couple of potty breaks on the way), and were a few minutes earlier than the judge (perfect timing for my thinking).

The entries were very low which is too bad since the club did an excellent job at running a safe event with checking in happening outside and having well planned and clearly marked ways for traffic flow to keep people at good distances from each other even during the walk throughs. Classes were awarded outside near the check in area too.

We got two Qs and those were legs 9 and 10 for a new title of rally master 4, but no points towards the RACh. We struggled in the first trial where we were in the ring at about 8:15. Lily was still sleepy and hadn't had breakfast. It was also clear she didn't remember the venue very well since the last time we were there was November 2019. She ended up being pretty unfocused and I had to do a lot to get her to collect back to me. It was also a hard course with signs that aren't her favs, back up 3 steps pivot left back up, a wide array of spins twists, circles next to each ather and around each other. At one point I thought about asking to be excused since neither of us was doing well, but then just toughed it out for a 76, which since there were actually only 4 master dogs got us a 4th place. The second trial was much better, more to Lily's strengths and with both of us now having breakfast on board more focused, but again the dreaded back up 3 steps with pivot back that we IP'd in both trials (that is a -10 and puts us out of RACh points by math). The rest of it was decent though since our score was an 87 (lots 3 points mostly for some out of positions like crooked fronts). We are entered for two trials in the same format in October and hopefully November (entry in the mail), so as we return to the same location I hope we will see improvements in scores and get points!


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## lily cd re

Lily came along with me and Javelin for our ring rental. I spent time with her after I gave up on Javelin for the day trying to fix our various versions of back up 3 steps with and without pivots. It was really hard, but we did make a bit of progress. Note to self: don't bring out any food with Lily until you are done all you want to. She gets so obsessed with the idea of the food that she forgets what she is there for. Again Oiy for her as well as for Javelin.


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## lily cd re

We got up super early this morning and went to the same trial site we went to in September and October. One of our super favorite judges was there and she gave very nice courses. Lily wanted to visit her in the first trial, but came right back. We finally got back into RACh point territory with a 91 in the first trial and a 92 in the 2nd trial. That got us a total of ten points for the day. Good girlie Lily!!! Let's keep it up now. We have three more entries in early December.


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## Skylar

Good girl Lily - she is a good girl. That's wonderful that you earned points towards your RACh. Congratulations.


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## Liz

Congratulations to you both!


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## lily cd re

Oh dear I have gotten behind here. We did some trials in December and January and one day in February. Then there was another hiatus because I still don't want to be needing hotels. Now we have a number of one day there and back trials in the next couple of months, so I am just needing to get my dance partner back in the groove. We finished another level of Rally Master (5) yesterday and we got some RACh points. Stick with me Lily Pupchick!


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## lily cd re

We matched last week at the same place we trialed 2 weeks ago then again yesterday we trialed in the same location. It was quite a day. Heavy rain in the morning delayed our arrival. I always plan for an extra 20 minutes or so, but it took almost an extra hour to get to the site. I missed my first walk thru which felt like the kiss of death to me. It was also a little hectic to check in since there was no cell signal and I hadn't committed my number to memory. I got that taken care of and then was able to watch two teams run the course and to study the map before we went in to take our turn. I know the judge very well and she had noticed I didn't make the walk through so she talked me off the ceiling and gave me enough time to chill and to reconnect to Lily. I still wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised with a 90 (no points but not bad for going in with none of my normal routines for going into a trial ring.

In between my morning and afternoon rings I had a lot of down time. I spent some of it watch comings and goings but mostly the progress of the ring we would be in for the afternoon. It ran very slow. The stewards worked reaally hard to keep things organized and safe, but unfortunately there just weren't enough of them to enforce the COVID policies about how many people and dogs were in the building. At one point I noticed two older women (well into 70s) go past me with two newfies one dog (huge) and one bitch. Both dogs were wearing head haltis which are prohibited on tiral site grounds. The head haltis raised my antennae big time! Well less than five minutes the dog went after an all American type medium to large dog and made contact but didn't bite hard or long enough to cause physical damage. Two really great handlers lit out of the building like rockets launched to get their dogs away from the problem. Others who didn't have dogs with them broke up the fight. Poeple started screaming. I loudly called for people to stop screaming and to move the dogs and break the eye contact. The screaming stopped, but nobody moved very far and the male newfie once again went after and made physical contact with the same dog. After that the newfies were sent out of the building and sent to put their dogs in their cars. The dust settled somewhat. I was so glad Lily was in my vehicle. These were clearly green handlers and green dogs, but the whole thing was a hot mess. Many of the dogs in the buillding at the time were very upset. One of my friends who had brought her young dog to give him ring time since he is a COVID pup at 16 months old now. She had him entered for rally novice so he could have some positive trial exposure and had anything but that, although she is so good she got him to recover fairly well. It is great that no one got physically hurt, human or canine, but on telling BF about the whole thing it does point out some gaps in trial situations. His really excellent suggestion was to make amore formal situation to provide mentoring to green handlers for their first few matches or trials. I couldn't agree more. This could have been entirely avoided by good handling. I saw too many dogs on long leashes within reach of other dogs also on long uncontrolled leashes. I saw dogs making heavy eye contact and saw people who were totally not paying attention to their dogs until it was already blowing up. I talked to the trial chair, whom I know well, a spoo handler who is also a judge I've shown too. As I noted to her I would not let Javelin have more than 6" of leash and I would never break eye contact with him in a situation where we were in close quarters with lots of people and dogs. He can be fear reactive in close situation since he had a toller attack him at a trial precicely because the toller's handler was too busy talking to people and not keeping connected to her dog. I worked really hard right after it happened, but we went into our BN ring with him still concerned about where that dog was. I micromanaged him through it, but was repeatedly having to recollect him throughout our run. It is part of why (virus issues are the other) his obedience entries have been delayed. That was three years ago and I still am dealing with the consequences. For any of you who have dealt with these sorts of situations I would love to hear your thoughts, especially to know if you think mentoring would help reduce these problems and if you tink you would be able to provide that kind of assistance.

Okay so finally I thought I had handle on when I needed to be ready to walk my afternoon course, 12:45 PM. I showed up (with several other handlers) to walk at 12:45 only to find the first mastrer dog was alreaady taking their run. Holy s*&t! really? How could I now be facing doing another ring with no walk through? The judge got pretty defensive in insisting she had never said the walk through would be at 12:45. But there were three sings that said exactly that and four handlers who had been under the same impression. Under protest from the judge she did stop the class to let us walk. I thanked her profusely as did the other people (but understandably one of the other handlers said she was worried that her score would be nitpicked in return). I had a bit of a wait since we were the 2nd to last team to go in, but we managed to get in and out in good order. To my surprise we got a 95 (and 6 master points) despite the craziness. The last sign was side by side spin counterclockwise. Lily made a mess of it and I would have scored myself an IP (-10 points) but the judge must have looked away for a second and we scored a 95 and got 6 master points. As I said to a friend who was the first dog in the class sometimes you lose points you shouldn't and sometimes you get points you shouldn't. I think it evens out in the end and all in all we made progress in those master points.

We have another pair of trials at a place we frequent next Sunday (different than the most recent entries). Hopefully more points then!


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## Click-N-Treat

Oh, friend. Oh my god. What a mess. Congratulations on those Master points. After all that, after such a hard day? Wow on both of you. Seriously. Wow. Hugs.


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## lily cd re

Click-N-Treat said:


> Oh, friend. Oh my god. What a mess. Congratulations on those Master points. After all that, after such a hard day? Wow on both of you. Seriously. Wow. Hugs.


Thanks love. I knew you would get it!


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## mvhplank

Sheesh! Glad it all worked out.

Back in March I put Hobbes in his first Rally Novice class and I missed the walkthrough while waiting for them to pin Beginner Novice. But faking your way through a novice course is nothing like a Master course! I have a chance to finish his RN next weekend.


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## Click-N-Treat

I think I would have thrown up from the stress. I'm impressed you were able to overcome so much at this trial. I do wish there was a way for novice handlers to have a pre-trial meeting. Perhaps the night before hold a mandatory meeting that if they miss it they don't trial. Leashes need to be kept short. Keep your dog's head out of another dog's space. If you want to talk to someone, crate your dog first. Stuff that we learn over time should be spelled out. It's tough to start dog sports. Everyone thinks you know the unwritten rules. Then disaster happens like at your trial. 

I hope they got kicked out of the trial and the dog is listed as dangerous. It's supposed to be fun. Dogs like that make it no fun at all.


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## lily cd re

One of the things I micromanage at my classes (and I never have fights or even the hint of fights at my classes) and with my private clients is eye contact between dogs. For so many breeds hard eye contact is totally unnatural. Herding dogs will stare, Peeves did and it was never a source of anything good for him or me. Javelin can get in trouble by looking too intently at other dogs too. He is often concerned he will be attacked (like he was by a toller at a trial) and unfortunately he thinks staring them down will make them go away (not). If you as a handler think you can be absent from attending to your dog and what it is doing outside a ring or even in the street you are really being irresponsible and unfair to your dog since it invites trouble.


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## Skylar

Congratulations on those Master points, amazing considering all the chaos and challenges. I can understand missing the first run through because of traffic and weather in the morning which was unfortunate. The second one was illegal according to AKC, they shouldn’t have had it without everyone present if they did it early. It speaks to your experience and Lily’s work ethic that you two did so well under such stress. 

But, OMG, wow.... I’m reading this and I’m horrified with the dog fight. Didn’t anyone see the head haltis and question them? You do bring up an excellent point, I don’t remember ever any discussion about this in my classes. I did take a special small dog class where we discussed the safe way to enter a ring, looking around for potential trouble and trying to find the best path to the ring. It’s a lot harder with a small dog, they are far more easily Intimidated by the larger dogs in the crating area. But no one ever said, keep your dog on a short leash, don’t let them lock eye on other dogs etc. You would think it’s common sense. 

I‘m like you, I micromanage the students and dogs in my classes especially keeping more reactive dogs away from each other and below threshold. I watch all the dogs behavior in class. Best to avoid problems than have to deal with the aftermath. 

I never talk about how to keep safe when crating inside, in crowded conditions in a trial. Clearly there’s a need for it.


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## lily cd re

Skylar I am glad to hear you are a careful manager in your classes. I am not sure everyone does. There was a dog fight at another instructor's class a while ago at my club. It is important to encourage green teams, but not at the expense of dogs and/or people being physically or psychologically injured. I do talk to my students about why I am positioning them the way I do when it has to do with concerns about reactivity and the potential for fights. I noticed the head haltis, but I suspect many people didn't since they were black nylon and both dogs were black. One thing that is still sticking in my brain is why these women had these dogs. I think the male was pretty close to the weight of the handler. There is no chance on earth she can control the dog physically. Only excellent handling could have prevented this event.

As to the afternoon ring, everyone had checked in with the table stewards and the ring was running behind the time noted in the judging program. So no rules violation. The problem was that there was no crating in the building. We were all working from our vehicles. There probably should have been one or two more stewards to scour the parking areas to give heads up to people out there who couldn't hear ring calls made from the doorways of the buildings.


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## mvhplank

Regarding no crating in the building and thus unable to keep track of the trial's progress ... for our club's UKC conformation shows--which are well attended and can be very crowded--we also did not allow indoor crating or grooming. However, someone on staff found a free cell phone app called Remind and instructed volunteers and exhibitors to install it. It was designed for schools and set up so teachers could send out mass reminders to students. So our club was the school and the event was the teacher. Users could opt for email, text message, or both, and we'd send out notices on which breed was finishing up and which breed and class was on deck. People in the parking area would share the updates with each other, too.

It got a little congested indoors when teams who won their class were waiting to do their next round, so we'd have to shoo some people out in order to stay within the mandated indoor capacity.

I usually suggest it to show organizers when I have the opportunity.


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## lily cd re

I know about Remind but at trials I've entered it didn't work very well, too many people sent too many reminders and it was very stressful to me having my phone pinging every 90 seconds for everyone entered. For me blech and this trial didn't use it anyway.


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## mvhplank

lily cd re said:


> I know about Remind but at trials I've entered it didn't work very well, too many people sent too many reminders and it was very stressful to me having my phone pinging every 90 seconds for everyone entered. For me blech and this trial didn't use it anyway.


I don't think we had that issue--all messages came from the show chair. It may be possible to turn off replies, or have them only go to the teacher. It sounds like incomplete learning on the operator,


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## lily cd re

I agree that the trial committee didn't use it very efficiently. there were different people sending messages for differfent classes, but at least one person sent messages to multiple classes at the same time. It could be used well, but in that case the person who instituted using it frankly is as dumb as a box of rocks.


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## mvhplank

lily cd re said:


> <snip>... It could be used well, but in that case the person who instituted using it frankly is as dumb as a box of rocks.


Well DANG, there's no help for _that!_.

Glad you survived and made progress toward the RACh!


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## lily cd re

We have finally been out to a few trials since April. There have been some mixed results. We had one day that was just awful where we NQd both the AM and PM trials, but retrospectively I think Lily was just having a punk day since before and since while we haven't gotten RACh points out of every run we have gotten decent scores like 88, 90 and such. We also have gotten points in several trials and as long as we can avoid the bad luck things like the noxious woman with the out of control Vizsla that tried to jump into my car the first Saturday in June we will get there.


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## lily cd re

We went to an AM/PM pair of trials with great judges yesterday and for the first time since very early 2020 we were able to crate in the nicely air conditioned building. Since it was very humid yesterday we were grateful for the nice cool space and Lily who is very chill about crating was her usuall happily settled self. Other dogs were pretty barky and otherwise edgy all day and I think that was probably because most of them haven't spent much time crating at trials since the time that things shut down last year.

We had 2 really nice courses. I blew a since and took us out of getting RACh points in the morning, but Lily was great since she did do exactly what I told her to, but I told her wrong as one station. In the afternoon we showed to a judge who we had done two NQs with back in April. As it turned out I think the judge had been right that day when I was talking to her about how unusual those NQs were and mentioned that I was concerned that Lily was perhaps telling me she was ready to retire. She said maybe Lily just didn't feel great that day since she has done really nicely since then (except for the day the Vizsla scared her. She did a nice run on the same judge's course and got a 93 for 5 more RACh points. We're getting closer.


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## Click-N-Treat

I'm so proud of both of you. Congratulations on today.


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## lily cd re

Thank you very much my dear friend.


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## Skylar

Congratulations Team Lily. 

Just like the rest of us, Lily is slowly getting back in the groove. Being able to crate inside in air conditioning makes a huge difference; she must have been more comfortable.


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## Click-N-Treat

Master is hard. At my last trial, we got a 74 in Master, a 98 in Excellent and a 94 in Advanced. There are more freestyle dance moves in Master. Sign says spin dog counter clockwise. Gesture clockwise. Dog spins clockwise. 10 points off. Side by side spins. Sign says dog spins left while you spin left. Spin the dog left, you spin right. 10 points off. Walk backward three steps, pivot left, walk back two steps, forward. Dog wanders out of heel position, doesn't pivot and walk backward again. 10 points off. Call front two side steps left, finish forward. Dog sat in heel position before going to front. 10 points off. It's a wonder we even qualify in Master. 

Getting Master points is an achievement. We have a whopping total of 21 master points. We need 126 more for champion. I fear it will take 83,423 trials for us to get 150 master points. Go left, no your other left. 10 points off...


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## lily cd re

Skylar I am hoping there will be more and more trials with indoor crating. For Lily being able to chill in her crate at a trial is a much more routinized picture of how things are supposed to work. She always seems a bit stressed when I take her out of the car. Also it is much easier to keep an eye on what is going on around her if we are together and I can still be watching the progress through the class for when we need to be on deck. If the trial is tall to small and we are first or 2nd in there isn't much to think about. But if it runs small to tall then we could be very close to last and it is harder to know when to get ready.

Click I wish we could trial together. Your description of the many altered versions of Master that are IPs are so hard to deal with if you are surrounded by people with identic memories for what you are supposed to do. If we were together at least we would have each other's shoulders to cry on.


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## Click-N-Treat

Catherine, we can meet up at a trial in Ohio. That's roughly halfway between your place and my place. I'll keep Javelin company while you show in rally. We can cheer each other on, and cry on each other's shoulders. And you can play Yakkity-Sax on your headphones while we are in the ring. That's Noelle's theme song. And together we can watch Border Collie 100+++ take first place in Master. Border Collie 100++ take second place in Master. Border Collie 100+ take third place in Master and Golden Retriever 100 take fourth place In Master. 
Then, for even more fun, we can watch Border Collie 100+++ take first place in Excellent. Border Collie 100++ take second place in Excellent. Border Collie 100+ take third place in Excellent and Golden Retriever 100 take fourth place In Excellent. And look, Border Collie 100+++ take first place in Advanced. Border Collie 100++ take second place in Advanced. Border Collie 100+ take third place in Advanced and Golden Retriever 100 take fourth place In Advanced. 

Then we can hang out in my hotel room and drink cocktails.

Wait... We could actually do that. We totally should do that.


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## mashaphan

Oh, I can relate to that Border Collie 100+++! I think our local took 3rd in rally nationals last year


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## lily cd re

Although I haven't updated here it isn't that we haven't been to trials. We have been to a number of events and have a pretty full schedule upcoming. Our most recent trials were unpretty Qs, but I learned a lot from them. We had a weekend at the end of August with 2 great (husband and wife) judges. Both days we scored in the 70s. For the first one that problematic Viszla and his clueless handler was there and their presence put me out of sorts. I was nervous so I made Lily nervous trying to stay away from them. They were not there the 2nd day so I was much happier. On the 2nd day we were the first team in Master at the start of the trial. Lily was very good and did everything I told her except she spum anti clockwise but should have gone clockwise, so that was a minus 10. When the judge announce that we got a 76 and told me it was a very nice run I looked at him quizzically. Since we had eaten together the day before since I had stewarded for Mrs. Judge the first day he knew Lily was older but recognized she was very fit. He said we lost the 10 I knew about and that she clearly knows all of the signs very well. He noted that most of the other points we lost were because she was working way out of position. Instead of being in correct heel position he told me she worked wide all the way through the course. I had an aha major light bulb moment when I heard that comment. It reminded me to think about why she was doing that and I realized that had been happening since sometime back in the spring when I stepped on her right front foot. The little "elephant never forgets" brain she has just didn't want to work close.

Since then I have worked a lot at getting her to stay close by running some on leash heel work to prepare for a veteran's class entry next weekend. She has been well paid with cheese and now is not at perfect heel for off leash, but a lot better and it showed yesterday. We went to an AM/PM pair of rally trials where we got an 85 (my fault since I was dizzy during a side by side spin) in the morning and then we got a 96 in the 2nd trial (and that gets 6 master points for the RACh). I feel like we are on track now. We will being going to this same location two more times this fall. We also have a few other events before a holiday break. I don't think we are likely to get all of the points we still need before the end of the year but am happy that the math is getting easier and easier.

Oh and we earned an RM6 title on Labor Day weekend, the day before Lily's 13th dirthday!


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## Skylar

Congratulations on the new title and those master points. It’s so good to get feedback from the judges like that. Sometimes we focus on one problem and overlook something else.

I think the best information you got was a knowledgeable assessment that Lily at 13 was still fit and doing great at rally.


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## Johanna

lily cd re said:


> One of the things I micromanage at my classes (and I never have fights or even the hint of fights at my classes) and with my private clients is eye contact between dogs. For so many breeds hard eye contact is totally unnatural. Herding dogs will stare, Peeves did and it was never a source of anything good for him or me.


Zoe is very concerned about dogs who stare at her. She is much better on the agility field than she was right after the Siberians tried to get her. I hope she retains that confidence.


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## lily cd re

Skylar the best thing that Russ said to me was to remember to be happy that I have a 13 year old dog who is still fit enough and happy to play such silly games with me. She brings joy to me every day.


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## lily cd re

In September we went to one of our favorite venues for a pair of same day AM/PM trials. I had worked a lot of getting Lily to stay closer to me and our training paid out well with a 96 with 6 RACh points. I was really happy that I know our out of position problem can be fixed and good position can be maintained without a ton of hard training. I don't like to push Lily too hard on training and she really doesn't need to practice signs, but sticking to me.

We went to trials in New Jersey (same place as September) on October 24th. The courses were really wonderful and the judge was very nice. I never showed to her before but would happily do so again. In the first trial we had a super fun run, but Lily decided not to do one sign (clockwise spin which cost us 10 points for a 90 (she really was otherwise perfect)), so no RACh points but really nice work. She was joyous (and so was I)! The afternoon course was much more challenging and everyone had lower scores in the afternoon than in the morning (so again no points for RACh). I ran a rally match at my club yesterday to see how other people would find it. It was challenging for all of us in the same area where Lily and I had problems with it in the trial back in October. It doesn't change our score, but it does give insights.

Today we went to a single trial that was mercifully close to home (about an hour away in White Plains). I thought Lily was a little wild, but the judge (who knows us pretty well) instead found her to be "enthusiastic." We scored a 91 and took a 4th for the class (much to my surprise). We also get 5 more RACh points from that score. We are getting closer bit by bit.

We have 3 more AM/PM trial pairs on the calendar for 2021, one before Thanksgiving with today's judge at our good NJ venue, one on the first weekend in December in NJ at a different but also good venue and the last one at my home club on the 2nd weekend in December. We would have to get 6 RACh points at at least half of those trials and five points for all trials to get the points for the RACh title. I am going to try not to make myself crazy over this but there would be a lot of holiday cheer here if we can finish in 2021.


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## Johanna

Way to go, Catherine and Lily! You'll get that RACh soon! Now if I can just get motivated to start training Zoe again.


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## Liz

Congratulations! I hope Lily's enthusiasm carries you both to RACh!


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## Asta's Mom

You got it Team Lily. Remember not to stress
but have fun


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## cowpony

Good luck. You have worked so hard with her


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## lily cd re

Thanks all of you. cowpony your point about work is food for thought! There hae been days where I feel like I have had to work very hard in the ring with her. She is a poodle after all and can be a clown as easily as she can be a genius. I just need the genius to show up big time in the next trials. Today I had a bit of a clown, but she worked happy even if not quite so hard as I worked. Mostly though it has all been fun and will be for as long as she wants to keep going.

I do want to finish this with Lily so we can just play in the ring. It is time to get Javelin back into trials. He needs one more Beginner Novice leg (sent entry for December 3rd trial). I also think I might ave a friend help me do Rally Intermediate Virtual with him around the time of the holidays.


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## Click-N-Treat

I'm cheering you on. You know that. Master level rally signs are tricky, especially the spinning ones. I am very proud of how hard you worked. And thank you for your inspiration and your help. It means a lot to me.


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## Streetcar

You are such a dear team. Hearts together in this, and you both will be there soon 🤩.


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## lily cd re

Click I just wish we lived close to each other so we could hang out at trials together.

fixed typos


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## Mfmst

Almost there. It will happen, and I hope joyfully.


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## lily cd re

Whenever it happens it will be joyful!


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## Carolinek

Congratulations- stay the course and enjoy the journey! Although I totally understand the frustration of being being so close.


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## Skylar

lily cd re said:


> am going to try not to make myself crazy over this but there would be a lot of holiday cheer here if we can finish in 2021.


Whenever it happens we will all be celebrating with you. It is exciting but also stressful to be so close: enjoy the journey as well as the destination. Lily is amazing.


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## mashaphan

I wish I could hang out with Lils and you again, Catherine. (Not that the Wildman would be welcome , and Lils would definitely hate him) Jessica said he will be ready by the time he is 15- know NEITHER of us will live that long! At least Lils liked the Charming Chelo.

Best of Luck finishing the RACH!


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## lily cd re

Martha I hope we have a chance to hang out together in the not too distant future. Javelin and Otter can beat each other into some common sense while the girls hang around and chill.


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## lily cd re

Lily and I hit the road at about 4:30 yesterday morning to go to an AM/PM pair of trials with a judge we like showing to down in southern New Jersey. The first Master walk through was at 8:00 AM. The course was very nice including that there was a side by side spin in the anticolockwise direction (which Lily favors). Things were generally bery good until just before the side by side Lils saw something on the floor that she couldn't resist checking out. When I recollected her she ended up spinning the wrong way! Oops that was a minus 10 points and a final score of 87 so no RACh points for that one. We fared mu ch better in the 2nd trial where all the spins were done in the opposite direction (but thankfully there were fewer than in the morning course). We finished with a 94 and got 5 RACh points so now we need less than 30 points to get the RACh title. We have four trials left in 2021 so I think I will be looking for some trials in early 2022 to get there. Mathematically it is possible to finish in the four trials we have already entered, but now we would need 97 or better in all of those runs. We will be patient and let it go as it goes. The most important part is that Lily was happy and had fun flirting with some of the other exhibitors.


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## Skylar

lily cd re said:


> Lils saw something on the floor that she couldn't resist checking out. When I recollected her she ended up spinning the wrong way! Oops that was a minus 10 points and a final score of 87 so no RACh points for that one.


Oooh a painful mistake. But you both are doing really well and that goal is in sight if not this year, then definitely next.


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## Carolinek

Sorry you didn’t meet your goal today, hopefully tomorrow but glad she was happy. As the owner of another social butterfly, I smiled at the “flirting with exhibitors!”


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## lily cd re

Our 2021 return to trials has finished. We had a slow return to good work. Both Lily and I needed to pull ourselves together and there are still moments of "say what?" We are still on the road to the RACh, but much closer to the end than I have thought we would ever get.

We had our last two trials yesterday at our home club. The judge was very nice (but had a somewhat inconsistently sharp pencil, which is frustrating). The weather was atrocious and we don't allow crating in the building to keep people and dogs well spaced while waiting to go in (well appreciated since the current Long Island positive test rate is now over 7%). We had some leftover rain in the morning and it was a heavily cloudy sky all day. I don't think I was ever really fully awake and therefore I gave a huge amount of misdirection to Lily who did everything I told her to, but I told her four -10 IPs worth in the morning trial (ouch). We fared better in the afternoon for an 86 but still no RACh points from that. That one is on Lily who was very slow to put her elbows on the floor for a moving down walk around sign. It was the 70th Master Q overall though, so we added an RM7 to our title list. 

We now have off until January. i found a few trials in New Jersey that should not be bad to get to as long is we wouldn't be on the road while snow is falling. The sites are good, the judges look good and the ones I plan to enter are 2 events in one day so worth the trips. Lily and I need 22 RACh points from Master and I am sure we will get those in 2022 so long as trials keep going around home. Yesterday's judge commented on how Lily doesn't show her age in the least, so we are both still ready to go. There are also a few trials on Long Island in February (weather permitting).

I am thinking to take Javelin along for the 2nd NJ January one and to enter him in Rally Intermediate. He has a rough go with the beginner novice sit for exam 2 weeks ago, so the plan is to get him back to full confidence without anyone having to touch him while still practicing the beginner novice routine to get the sit for exam proofed.


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## mvhplank

That sounds very positive (except for icky weather). Hobbes finished his RE in fine style in October but I haven't entered rally trials since then. I'll probably go for some RAE legs vs. a Master title for now. I get discounted runs in UKC and CDSP for working at trials, but haven't made that kind of connection with an AKC club, so it's always full price.

Keep us posted! I love hearing about you and Lily.


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## lily cd re

Marguerite you probably had sort of similar weather yesterday (I think we got the "de-energized" weather that was so awful further west. Even de-energized I still found it to be a miserable day yesterday. My hair kept blowing all across my face and getting tangled in my glasses and mask, etc. My glasses kept fogging up so badly that I ended up taking them off completely which was okay until we had sign 318. The judge had put a 2nd 318 facing where we ended up to call the dog, but at 15 feet away I was squinting big time to check what to do (recall to front and finish left sit). At that point (end of 2nd course and hours after we started in morning) I couldn't remember if I was calling to front or to finish or whether it was a finish sit or finish forward. Power squinting got me through it.


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## mvhplank

lily cd re said:


> Marguerite you probably had sort of similar weather yesterday (I think we got the "de-energized" weather that was so awful further west. Even de-energized I still found it to be a miserable day yesterday. My hair kept blowing all across my face and getting tangled in my glasses and mask, etc. My glasses kept fogging up so badly that I ended up taking them off completely which was okay until we had sign 318. The judge had put a 2nd 318 facing where we ended up to call the dog, but at 15 feet away I was squinting big time to check what to do (recall to front and finish left sit). At that point (end of 2nd course and hours after we started in morning) I couldn't remember if I was calling to front or to finish or whether it was a finish sit or finish forward. Power squinting got me through it.


Yes, but our worst weather was after dark--wind and rain. The sun is starting to peek out today, though. Currently in the low 40s.


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## lily cd re

We still had wind last night, but awoke to nice bright sun! In the 40s here too.


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## Carolinek

Congratulations, happy to hear you are getting close! Fingers crossed trials continue to run the winter.


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## Click-N-Treat

Onward! Go team! I’m cheering you on! RM7 is incredible. 70 qualifying scores. Fantastic. And I agree with giving Javelin some rally experience. I was just thinking about that today.


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## Skylar

lily cd re said:


> we added an RM7 to our title list.


That’s amazing to earn RM7. Huge congratulations to the team.

You‘re getting so close and you’re both getting back into the swing of things… 2022 will be your year.

I agree, rally is a great place to get Javelin into the routine of trialing without having a judge touch him.


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## lily cd re

If Javelin had horrible heeling I wouldn't do rally with him at this time, since I don't think rally is a venue to build pretty heeling. His heeling even in our foreshortened beginner novice entry a couple of weeks ago was pretty nice though so Deb and I both think it will be more useful to use rally as a way to get him into trialing without anyone approaching to touch him. He will be on leash for intermediate also so I won't have to worry about zoomies.

Lily seemed to sense she is truly off duty since she has spent most of late Saturday on to this morning snoozing in her favorite comfy spots.


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## lily cd re

We ended our holiday hiatus with some points yesterday! We went in the freezing cold to a pair of AM/PM trials in New Jersey and had a lovely judge whom we have shown to with success previously (got at least one title with her). The courses were awesomely nice. In the morning we got a 93 for 5 RACh master points. I think that gets us down to needing 23 more. In the afternoon the run was even nicer than the first trial with the exception of a minus ten for a girlie who spun clockwise when she should have gone anti-clockwise at the very last sign.


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## Click-N-Treat

Yay on the points! Congratulations! I’ve been there done that on those spins. I’m considering changing my gestures. Anti-clockwise hand down arm stirring. Clockwise arm up stirring motion. Will I look ridiculous? Of course. But maybe it would look more clear to Noelle. She tends to mix up spins and go backwards.


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## Carolinek

Congratulations! Clockwise or counterclockwise sounds like a tough discrimination.


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## lily cd re

For all of her life, Lily has loved to spin anticlockwise as part of her welcome home routine for me, but has mostly not wanted to spin on command in either direction. There are almost always spins (with both directions possible in master courses. My first legs in master got terrible scores since she never did any of them. It took a lot of work to install them as reasonably reliable and now mostly pretty good. Along the way she got my signal for back up three steps mixed up with spins and started spinning any time I showed the back up signal. I know just give a verbal order and a big high step back for the back up and give a flat hand signal with my hand moving in the needed direction for the two spins. She gets very hyped up over spins now though and sometimes start before she reads the direction, which is what happened in the afternoon yesterday. It is a tough discrimination and I am disinclined to fight with her about it. She is who she is and we don't have far to go.


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## lily cd re

We are forging ahead in 2022. This will be a busy weekend for all of us, but especially with 2 entries on Saturday for pupchick and me at our home club. Thankfully it will be comfortable temperatures and no expectations for any precipitation until the overnight. Here's hoping for points. Spin the way the signs say please missy.


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## mvhplank

*Good luck!*


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## lily cd re

Thanks Marguerite. This will be the first year I am really balancing trialing both dogs. I am a bit daunted, but thankfully they are at different points on their journeys. I updated on Javelin over here. Javelin's road to ring ready!


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## Skylar

May the gods be smiling down on you and Lily this weekend.


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## Sroodle8

Go get 'em! Have fun and enjoy your dog.


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## lily cd re

Sroodle8 I always enjoy my time with my sweet girl, every second of every day. All the more so now that she is 13+ years old.


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## Liz

Catherine, what you and Lily continue to accomplish is really amazing. You are definitely setting a high bar for those of us with older poodles. It's so easy to think that because they sleep more they don't need the same quality of enrichment, but Lily is proof that poodles are lifelong learners and adventurers!


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## lily cd re

Quite a number of years ago a friend from work on hearing about a new title (maybe RAE2 or 3 or so) asked when Lily would be retiring or rather done with shows and new titles. My reply was that we would continue until Lily told me she was finished (like consistently refusing jumps). Well she hasn't told me that yet! There are days when I think she might not be feeling it, but then again there are days where I feel that way too. So on we go as a happy team. If we get a great score and RACh points I am thrilled but she is happy no matter what does or doesn't happen.

I know she likes to go out with me for fun and unusual sorts of things. She is happy in the car. She is happy in her crate if we are using one. She has been a great neutral dog for CGC tests where she is working for someone else. On the other hand sometimes when I get home from working with Javelin I find she has made mischief like taking papers out of the recycle box and shredding them, so I do really know her preference is to be out and about with me.

All of us with older poodles should do things with them that they like and that connect us to each other. I think those enrichments extend lives on both sides of the equation.


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## lily cd re

We had a great day today!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had 2 trials at our home club with a lovely judge. The courses were beautiful, appropriately challenging but nicely flowing with a very similar footprint for both. We got 96s on both courses. This was so huge since often we get points on one course but not the other when showing 2x in one day. I think the similar layout was really helpful for both of us on the second course. That gives 6 RACh points for each, a total of 12 leaving us needing only 11 points for the RACh title to be finished. We have 3 trials entered in March so next month could get us there.


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## lily cd re

BTW the queen is showing me exactly how to spend the rest of the afternoon...sacked out on the couch! Time for some nice snoozing I think, even Javelin is all in for that.


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## 94Magna_Tom

Great job by the both of you! Congratulations! Your hard work and practice is paying off! It won't be long now!


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## Sroodle8

Congratulations to Lily and partner! Lily, please continue your nap, pausing only to survey your kingdom for well-deserved treats.


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## TeamHellhound

Congratulations!


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## Click-N-Treat

Fantastic to hear! So proud of you both.


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## Streetcar

What a wonderful outing 🤩🏆!! Huge congratulations to you both!!


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## Skylar

Amazing, congratulations team Lily.


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## lily cd re

One of the folks I saw yesterday is a man who has corgis. His older dog already has a RACh and his younger dog is working on the triple Qs. I see him at many trials, including a club in southern NJ that is having a trial today. He is also from downstate NY and has to make quite a trip to get to that club. He asked if I was going there today and I had not entered, so no. I opted out to give a day off for dogs and for me. I didn't think I would want the drive after everything we had on our calendar for Friday and Saturday. Now that it is snowing more significantly than even last night's forecast suggested there would be I am really glad to be safe at home. The roads look decent, (plows have been by more than once) but there is well over an inch sticking on other surfaces and it is still coming down lightly with no stop predicted for several hours.

_eta fixed typos_


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## Carolinek

Congratulations, what a team!


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## lily cd re

Almost there...

We went to a trial in New Jersey with one of our favorite judges today. Our run was quite the adventure (more below) but we got a 95 and 6 of the 11 points we needed when we got there to take our turn. 

I was careful to pay attention to fine details where I knew I could make mistakes like finish forward vs. finish halt and such. The trial was indoors in a fairgrounds building with mats from the show superintendent on top of concrete. These mats get used for conformation shows as well as obedience and rally. I doubt they get cleaned at all and there were a few dogs who could not resist sniffing their way around, but thankfully Lily kept her nose off the floor. She also managed to ignore the judge (who she adores). Our big challenge came when a facility worker came along just outside the ring along the back wall where we were working. He wanted to adjust the thermostat. Lily ran over to say hello and also there was back and forth discussion between him, the judge and me. I got Lily to come back to me without moving thinking we would just wait where we were to continue. However (and here is why I love this judge) she let me go back two signs to wait for him to leave and then continue from there. After this huge interruption and big thought disruption Lily stuck with me and we finished in good order.

The weather is supposed to be bad tomorrow so we are staying in, but Sunday morning we will take a trip to Staten Island for match time. This gives us a chance to play for fun at the place we will show on the 19th and hopefully finish this wonderfull journey.


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## Liz

Good for you! What an amazing judge! Congratulations and stay warm tomorrow.


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## 94Magna_Tom

Congratulations! It won't be long now!


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## Skylar

lily cd re said:


> We went to a trial in New Jersey with one of our favorite judges today. Our run was quite the adventure (more below) but we got a 95 and 6 of the 11 points we needed when we got there to take our turn.


Ooooh, so close, almost there, and quite the memorable run thanks to a wonderful judge. Congratulations


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## MaizieFrosty

Congrats, Catherine and Lily! Glad the judge was fair and kind. I can't believe how close you are to the finish line!!!


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## Asta's Mom

Way to go team Lily!


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## Streetcar

Oh my goodness, this is lovely to read 🥰. What a fantastic day and fair judge. You just know she'd have done that for any exhibitor so interrupted.


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## Sroodle8

Oh heck yeah, Lily!


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## lily cd re

Skylar, yes, so close yet so far. I am not hoping for but am prepared for Lils to decide to do silly things next week and get no points. We just need one score of 91 or better to get the five points we need. Not a big ask, but we've had dry spells before. If not next week, then we have another shot in early April at a poodle specialty.

The judge was very kind and I am sure she would have done the same for whoever was in the ring when the maintenance man showed up! It was a tiny bit sad for me when she pinned the class since it is incredibly unlikely that Lily and I will show to her again. We have a long line of Qs at just about every level of rally other than novice including our last triple Qs and a number of titles. She loves Lily's spirit, but she will also get to meet Javelin down the road.


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## Carolinek

How great the judge allowed you to go back, recognizing it as an unusual distraction. That is good use of a judge’s discretion.
ETa, Lily sounds like she has a lovely spirit


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## Click-N-Treat

What an incredible job you did keeping your head. I know Noelle's mind would have melted down and there would be no way I could get her back to work. Training, experience, passion, patience, good humor all came together. You both did a wonderful job. I'm inspired by you and proud of you.


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## lily cd re

Carolinek and Click when we were directed to go back I wasn't sure what would happen since we waited in a corner with nothing to do for probably about 45 seconds. It felt like an eternity but Lily sat and stayed with me even though I am sure the thought "oh look there's Auntie Karen, I should go say hello" crossed her mind. That was a great challenge and she rose to the occasion even though she is a free spirit who could have pulled out her clown self.

We went to a match at the club where we will trial next week. I am very glad we went since she was a bit silly when we started, but she collected herself well an I htink it will be to her benefit next week to feel she is on familiar ground.

One of the people at the match this morning was at the trial on Friday. Apparently I missed out on all sorts of crazy stuff after I left (not long after Master class was pinned). A woman in novice fell and hit her head, knocked herself out cold and gave herself a concussion and broken nose. She is doing okay now, having been released from hospital and gotten home with her dog. There was another problem though and this one is very upsetting. There was a couple entered in rally novice A who had littermate brother GSDs. So these folks were total newbies because they were in the A't. class. They were standing in the reasonably wide space between the rally ring and the two obedience rings and their dogs were very aggressively unruly. Apparently quite a number of people were really upset and the rally judge didn't like what was happening. She stopped her trial and left her ring to go talk to them and one of the dogs growled at and took an aggressive lunge at her. She wrote them up and excused both of them from the site. It is sad since clearly someone led them to believe their dogs were show ready when clearly they aren't. It sounds like these people have made many mistakes with these dogs and are not getting good help in trining and handling them.


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## Streetcar

Lily CD RE, those people with the GSDs need you and your training, for sure. Acting in such unsportsmanlike behavior is no help to dog sport - or any sport. It almost sounds planned, but to what end, I can't imagine.

You and Lily are such an amazing and graceful team. I expressed myself poorly about the trial judge, and really just meant how fair-minded she was. That seems like the best sort of judge. High expectations yet uses her discretion wisely to help provide a level field for all.

Thank goodness the injured woman will be all right. That was quite a fall.

ETA I want so much to give huge congratulations and cheer you two loudly, and do, just quietly. Afraid of startling the universe, maybe. So very excited for both of you and your wonderful, successful, loving journey together.


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## lily cd re

Streetcar I didn't take any negative feeling from your comment about the judge. She is very fair minded and takes he job seriously. She has judged at Rally Nationals so yes a very well regarded and sought after judge. Even her take on the GSDs was very professional. Sadly they had no business being there and dismissing them without allowing them to show was the best decision for all of the other exhibitors. I hope they can find a god trainer to even just get their dogs socialized properly. As they are it sounds like a dangerous situation. Having had Peeves, who was in many ways a cupcake, but still very powerful I know they are not a breed for novice owners. Physicality does not work with them. You need to be the thinking partner in charge of the relationship.

Our journey may be getting close to the end of its public life, but rest assured I will continue every hour we have ahead of us.


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## Skylar

Wow, quite the trial with all those happenings. That poor woman who fell - I hope shes okay - they probably had to call Paramedics or EMT to come to the club, assess and take her to the hospital - that must have been extremely upsetting and disruptive.

The fact that Lily got back to work with you after that major distraction is a mark of the relationship and training you and her share.


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## lily cd re

Skylar, yes it is my understanding that she was out cold and EMT/ambulance were called. The facility was very nice, a building for exhibits at county fairs. It had a concrete floor with rolled out rubber mats that gave no cushioning so she must have hit her head very hard. I am in pain just thinking about falling like that. To give an idea of how non-cushioned the mats and floor were I spent the first half of our run trying to figure out why I kept hearing clicking next to me. I realized when the maintenance man showed up and Lily trotted off to greet him that it was her nails clicking despite my having trimmed them earlier in the week. I fell once on much more cushioned mats at an agillity trial and messed my knee up, but even more important Lily was so upset by it that she still doesn't like that place and I don't show her there, years later. One part of poodle smarts is that they have memories like elephants.


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## lily cd re

Well now that Lily and I are so close to finishing the big one of our career seekng one of the highest titles available for us I am keeping close track on MyAKC for our points record. To explain a bit we need 300 points earned from Rally advanced, excellent and master with 150 of them being from master, plus 20 triple Qs (advanced excellent and master) in one trial. This is a prefix title and those are very big deals! 

We got the last triple Q before COVID and have had the 150 points from advanced and excellent before COVID as well. Lily spent the better part of a year and a half on the sofa while COVID raged all around us and trial opportunities were cancelled (including a couple of entries I already had in late March and April 2020). Finally trials resumed under new conditions that were designed to keep everyone safe but took some getting used to. Lily clearly needed time to get back in the groove and wer had some NQs and a bunch of non-point earning runs before we finally got things back on track. AKC has had its issues to with many people still working remotely and updating of records being a bit on the slow side. I have my own spread sheet which is completely current, but have been anxious at seeing the AKC records lagging behind for a couple of months. At any rate I checked this morning and with the exception of last Friday's results everything has now gotten updated. I was so happy to see that!


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## Carolinek

Wow, that sounds like quite the trial! Must be something about GSDs and rally/ obedience this past weekend. A friend of mine was at a rally trial and a GSD had three instances of aggression. Iguess they talked about a bench hearing but decided instead to write it in the report, ask them to not return on Sunday, and counsel them. Must have been some strange energy with that storm!


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## lily cd re

Well as many of you know we did get the RACh title on March 19th. It isn't quite official yet since it isn't recorded in Lily's AKC record yet. Always interested in making sure all the Is are dotted and Ts are crossed I did enter at a Poodle specialty in New Jersey tomorrow. We will do 2 Master runs (and should finish an RM8 title). I hope we will also get some bumper master points. Right now we have 151 of 150 required. A couple of extra points in the bag sound good to me.

They are also offering Veterans which is for dogs 7 or older and consists of a novice obedience routine. They are giving nice awards personalized for the dog's titles. It will be the icing on Lily's life cake.


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## Charmed

I enjoyed watching your videos, too. We used to go to the Silvergate dog show in Del Mar to shop for specialty items. The conformation dogs had poor manners there. At the time we had our Airedale and she was very well behaved even when other terriers snarled at her. Dogs lunging was a common occurrence. It is so annoying when people allow this type of behavior. Lily is such a lovely girl.


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## 3ps

Congrats, Veterans is fun. After my dogs had their otch I would enter in veterans when they were older and it was the only obedience I really liked.


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## lily cd re

We had a nice day yesterday. Since there was no coffee ready before I left I was a little fuzzy headed for the morning rally master run, but I did manage to get us through the course and we got an 89, took 4th place and earned the RM8 title. For the afternoon we had a great run and got a 96 and took the class! I guess not having big expectations has freed my end of working and it felt great to make our way through the course. I know Lily had tons of fun too for that run. We hung around to the very end of the day to show in veterans. I think we were both a little tired at that point because we didn't place (although placements and Qs are not the main point in veterans). We had fun and got a beautiful personalized rosette (pics later). When the class was done the judge noted that veterans is a class to show off all the great stuff we have done with our older dogs. She had each of us introduce our dogs by name, age and titles. Congratulations my dear girl!

It was probably the last trip to show I will do with Lily as the primary worker, so honestly I am sort of sad today. Lily is fine and had a nice day for girls' day out, but of course she doesn't understand that her show career is essentially over. I'm feeling it though.


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