Wednesday, August 8, 2012

23 days and counting

Now that I've gone and entered my obedience dog in veteran sweeps at an upcoming local ABTC supported entry show, I figured maybe we should review gaiting and stacking.

No. Wait. You can't review something you've never done. You have to learn it in the first place.

Jamie never showed in the breed ring and my years of handling in breed were a long time ago. A very long time ago. A very, very long time ago. I was in my teens. Yeah, THAT long ago.

But I suppose this stuff is like riding a bike.

So outside Jamie and I went last night to learn to be a "show dog."

Me: I don't have a show lead. Can you work on Phoenix's agility slip lead? We'll borrow a nice lead later.

Jamie: Will there be cookies?

Me: Yes.

Jamie: Put me on a piece of baling twine and gimme a cookie.

Me: Okay, this is a down and back. You just trot along.

Jamie: Duh. Okay. Trotting. Looking at you. Done this for years. Where's the cookie?

Me: Um . . . no . . . don't look at me. Look straight ahead.

Jamie: Um . . . no . . . I look at you. That's the rules.

Me: The rules have changed.

Jamie: Did you fall and hit your head?

Me: No. Seriously. Don't look at me. Look. I'm not looking at you either. We're running and not looking.

Jamie: You are going to run into a tree.

Me: Sigh. Let's try stacking.

Jamie: You stop, I sit. That's the rules.

Me: The rules have changed.

Jamie: Holy crap, woman, you're confusing. Just give me a cookie.

Me: Okay. You stand and look pretty and stare at the cookie.

Jamie (lunging): Gimme the $#@! cookie, don't just be waving it in front of my face!

Me: Ouch! Shark! You just look at it and be pretty. Try not to have your feet going in four different directions.

Jamie: Seriously? I will drool and flatten my ears and look pathetic. See. Pathetic old dog. Can't even have a cookie. I will sit. Sitting always gets a cookie. Standing never gets nothin'.

Me: Let's try moving in a big circle.

Jamie: Am I looking at you or not looking at you?

Me: Not looking.

Jamie: I hope you're looking where you're going.

Me: Don't worry. Hey, you're doing a good job!

Jamie: Whee! Look at me go! Maybe I'll gallop!

Me: No galloping! Now we're stopping and you're going to stand.

Jamie: We're stopping and I'm finding heel position. I know exactly where heel position is. I will go there and sit and get cookies.

Me: Noooo! You stand and you get cookies for standing.

Jamie: You've been out in the heat too long.

Me: Sheryl McCormick, this is all your fault.

6 comments:

  1. Use your Utility stand signal/command. It'll help him understand.

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  2. Yes, what Kat said. Also, put a chair at the end of your down and back and put food on it and mark it like a go-out with a verbal command to 'look out' or whatever your go-out command is' and wait for him to look and then say "let's go" and then GO to it. Silly girl, where is your brain? He's trained in all of this already... :-) I think we sometimes forget that obedience is a very useful tool, when we remember to use it... or when we think outside the box with it!

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  3. I laughed so hard I was crying. Maybe you can get someone to video Janie's Veteran's Sweeps debut and post it?

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  4. Funny!!!! I want to know what Phoenix was "saying" while all this was going on!!!
    Cant wait to hear the report from after the show.

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  5. Poor Jamie!!

    Tell him I understand, rule changes need to be spelled out in triplicate, require three readings in committee, voted on and signed before they can even move on to the group at large for review. Did he even receive the memo?

    You will be great! Your sense of humor will carry the two of you to nice ribbons and lots of COOKIES for Jamie!!!

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  6. Dialogue was hilarious-loved it. I entered Zodiac in a conformation fun match at BC nationals one year. Neither of us had ever done it-went pretty well considering!

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