Deuce and I had a big day today. We had 5 runs, the most he has EVER done in a trial. I was very interested to see how he would handle things as USDAA trials are way more exciting and way more GO GO GO! Miller had the first run in P3 gamblers and boy was he wound tight as a tick. Ran the first dog walk and got a pounce, turned around and ran it again and got a fall off because he was barking at me. Finished the course but didn't get the gamble because as usual, he had to stop and bark at me and missed the tunnel. I am beginning to think that gamblers may be a lost cause and that I may have to give up on my plan to get his P3 overall title. He did get a snooker Q today and a jumpers Q finishing up his P3 jumper's title but this is deuce's blog so back to deuce. Deuce had gamblers, snooker, standard and steeplechase and grand prix. We started out with gamblers and again, had great contacts. I decided to hold every one and then release him so didn't get through as much of the course that I had hoped. Overall, I felt good about the run, would have liked to get more points but oh well, time is taken up when you hold contacts. Got to the gable which was very interesting, jump to either end of the tunnel and then coming out to two jumps to finish. If you sent them in the close end, they came out nicely lined up for the two jumps. If you sent them to the far end, they really had trouble going to the two jumps and usually crashed the first one or got the first one and missed the second. Deuce took the far end so he not only crashed the next jump but didn't get the third jump at all. Oh well, no big deal, got some training out of it:)
Next run was snooker and holy crap, three reds on far sides of the course and lots and lots of realestate. Not good for baby dogs in my opinion, would rather have a course where I could keep his head but I guess running full out and jumping totally extended is also a skill. I had again looked at this as a training run and wanted to work his running past obstacles skills. Got the first one and a run by a jump I didn't want (yeah) but in the process he extended full out and jumped the 3 jump and the next red at full speed, full extension. Got him back, did a four and then a blind cross to the last red. Was planning on threadling to get his head back and get a combo and then head to the closing. Well, deuce again was running full out and jumping extended so he landed almost at the wall and turned back the wrong way. I thought he read that i wanted him to land and turn to his left since i had blind crossed him and picked him up on the right side and said here, but he didn't read it and back jumped. TWEET! Done and out before we could even get the combo or the finish so another NQ. Oh well, got to work something I wanted to work and also saw how letting him run full out on snooker does not work.
Next run for Deuce was Grand Prix and a bugger of a course. Very hard weave entry right at the beginning and a discrimination that the first time you went out tunnel and the second time you came in and took the dog walk. Let's just say that he had some good parts, did a nice 180 with a turn back to the teeter, and then a nice fast line out to the tunnel then jump, chute. Steeplechase was the same way, deuce didn't want to come in for the front cross so ran around a jump (did it in grand prix to going to the a-frame). He also missed the weaves again but both entries were very hard for baby dogs. I was so confident in his weaves and his entries but now I am not so confident. He isn't even trying to find the entry and that worries me. He is also sniffing if he misses the entry and that worries me. I don't want him stressed over the weaves. He does so well in practice and in training so I am kind of miffed. I hope it is just a baby dog thing but he sure is rehearsing this behavior alot in the ring. We had great parts to both runs and that is what I am going to take away from it.
Next run was standard and it was super late. I really didn't know if he had anything left in him. Last time he had waited all day, the last run was a disaster. He had basically been in a crate from 6 till 7 that night so over 12 hours. We played alot before the run instead of doing attention work so I think that might have helped. He had the BEST run of the day, basically clean until I sent him in the wrong end of the tunnel. So close to a Q but who cares, was an awesome run with awesome contacts and attention and that is all that matters. I was so happy to end the day on a good run after some not so great runs.
Overall, I am still not happy with his weaves but maybe it is just a baby dog thing? I think I am going to blame it on that for now and hope that I can work weaves soon (that is if the snow EVER melts)
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