Baby Steps

We were 4 seconds short of Qing in Jumpers.  Running, with me, no excursions, but slightly behind me the whole trip.  If she would just pick it up.

Standard was interesting.  I was doing a bit of stressing as the judge was standing just where I wanted to do on each run, and I left it to her to get out of the way.  Need the map for this, but she had the tunnel under the a-frame, and I needed to be at the fulcrum of the teeter.  Her way put me behind Macy and I needed to be ahead of her.

I went my way and it worked, Macy came out of the tunnel and I was standing by the teeter calmly.  She went up, and bailed.  Couldn’t figure out what to do – call her up the teeter and leave, or go on.  She made the decision, she went on.  I knew that calling her away from the obstacles would bother her – little stressor that she is, so I did the best thing.  Cooing “good girl, good girl”and scooping her up.  Held her and hugged her to the leash.

It worked out exactly the way I would have wanted it if I had to not Q.  SHE made the choice to get back on the teeter. 

Q rate for the year – 4 out of 9.  Way better than the old one.  — 0 —

And yes, we are getting closer, and I’m being patient on the baby steps.

Oh, and I’m seeing a different dog outside the ring – she is barking and demanding that I tell her to do something and reward her.  I am not sure I like that dog, but that dog does agility better.

We have:

2 Open Jumpers Legs (need one to move up, but do I want to).

1 Open Standards Leg

1 Open Fast Leg