Obedience Disapointment.

Bell was entered in an Obedience show in Madison today. She did really great things and a bunca not-so-great stuff too.

Before Utility she was in a GREAT mood! I was so excited she seemed to want to do somthing and was all happy n all. To start it off she didn't sit when I told her to on a Go out (-3) points. It's not a failure. It's kinda a good thing for her cause she was excited about doing her jumping. So I didn't tell her to sit again which would have failed us. But she had some nice fronts and finishes on that excercize. Then came the Moving stand which she NAILED! She has to stop when I tell her to while heeling and then stay there untill I call her back to me. I tell her to jump up when she comes to encourage her to come fast. Usually she does great but this time she LEPT up with ALL FOUR FEET and came racing to heel. LOVE IT!! Next came Gloves and for the first time EVER she took the wrong glove. I must have pivioted too much and she took the middle one instead of the far right one. I haven't trained Gloves lately though. So that failed us. Then came Scent Articles. We have always had a hard time with them. She shops around by picking the right one up and then droping it...then looking around some more...then picking up the right one again and coming part way....then she will throw it at me then go back and seach the pile again to make sure. Then she will bring the right one back....all as I am sitting there stressin out! Well today she went out picked up the right one and came directly to me and gave me nice fronts and finishes to boot....ON BOTH LEATHER AND METAL!!! WHOOO HOO!!!! HUGE in our book! We have been training that ALOT lately! So our work paid off! Then came signals. You cant talk to your dog at all, you can only use hand signals. Bell started off great but then went back into her old anticipation/stressin out crap. She did awful for part of the excercize. I was ticked. We have been working so hard on it!!! I am at a loss for where to go from here. I have tried so many different things. It all comes down to that I didn't teach her correctly from the beginning. Poor dog was my first dog and had to put up with my crap. Qwik is SOOOO much farther along in the beginning stages of heeling cause I taught her correctly. Unlike Bell. I dono if I can ever get her to the point of being competitive again.....we will see!!!

Bell did sorta better in Open. But same exact thing with her heeling. She also was being a brat and kept trying to suck up to the stewards and leave the ring to go get some liversausage! I have LOTS to work on before this weekend. I have her entered on Saturday and Sunday in Racine. Its a busy show with LOTS of entries.

One other side note is I worked both girls at a park today, outside on a soccer field! It was very dry! Prolly the only NON soggy grass in the county!!! Well Miss Qwik is having her Novice Debut the end of April, at the Curly Coat National Specialty. The show is being held ouside though. I have a hard time walking a strait line on matts indoors...we will see how it goes outside! But Qwik did AWESOME! I was soo proud of her! I have to remember to keep working with her outside. Being the little scatterbrain, I gotta keep her focused. I am getting so excited to start her actual showing!!! :)