Yes, yes, I know.  I haven't added anything to the dog training blog for a long time.  I was out of town for a week (missing, of course, the last big USDAA agility trial for a while), and had computer problems when I got home.  The cord to my laptop randomly stopped working, so when the battery ran down I couldn't recharge it.  Then I had to wait a week for a new one to be shipped. 



I went to Portland, Oregon for a week for a job representing a nationwide veterinary clinic at the LSU School of Vet Med.   I had a blast.  We were treated like royalty while we there, presumably so we would say good things about them at school.  While I was gone, a fellow LCCOC/OCAC dog person, Joy (Shadow the mix and Adam the boxer's mom) babysat Sparrow.  I hear that I missed out big time at the USDAA trial in Mississippi.  The Masters Gamblers courses were doable, so Sniper could have gotten those last elusive legs for his ADCH.  I might go to the show in Shreveport in September, because there aren't many chances for USDAA legs around here.



There was an AKC obedience and rally trial in Mandeville Louisiana August 5 and 6.  Red was entered in Novice A obedience and Rally Advanced A both days. 



Saturday was great.  Red was the first dog in Novice obedience.  I didn't realize that they did walkthroughs in Novice, so I was standing by the ring gate with Red.  When we went in for the walkthrough I had to give Red to one of the stewards.  Needless to say, it was a big scary man steward.  Thankfully, Tracey was there and grabbed Red and distracted him before he could get all nervous and fall apart.  This was the happiest Red has ever been at a dog trial.  He was bouncing up and down and actually forging on the heeling.  Red had a lot of fun and actually did well on the individual exercises.  We were qualifying with a 181 when we went into the stays.  Red got bored and laid down a couple of seconds from the end of the long sit.  Then he did the down correctly. So close!  In Rally on Saturday, Red qualified and got first place.  It was wonderful working with Red when he wasn't stressing.  If only I could see that happy confident Red more often.



On Sunday Red started acting nervous.  His heeling was sloppier than the day before, but we were once again qualifying going into the stays.  When I left him on the sit, he laid down again, much earlier into the stay than the day before.  On the long down Red looked terrified, and then he broke and slunk over to me.  We entered the Rally ring, and Red started doing the stress behavior he does in the agility ring.  He refused to move, and when I called him to me he play-bowed.  I grabbed Red and took him out of the ring because I don't want to let him act like that and get into the habit of doing it.  So Sunday wasn't a very good obedience day for us. 



Red has now qualified on the individual exercises and NQ'd on the stays several times.  This surprises me, because I considered stays our strong point and heeling our weak point.  I guess I need to rethink that and train accordingly.