Viewing Single Post From: Working Trials

Viewing Single Post From: Working Trials
RJL	Apr 28 2008, 12:37 PM
Chatterbox Posts: 1,382 Group: Full Members Member #179 Joined: January 25, 2006	Sunday's training was great! It was raining, which is not Dill's favourite weather. He looked at me like I was mad when I asked him to jump into his travelbox, then folded his ears back and cringed at my feet. I suppose even so-called 'unconditional' love has its limits when it's pouring down and someone asks you to jump into a car that stinks to high Heaven of coconut airfresherner - following a spring clean. Once we arrived, I reversed into a space and Dill started clucking with excitement (or maybe aprehension, as he does tend to call my reversing skills into question) He flew out of the car, towards the jumps, which were being set up, so he had to make do with giving everyone a heeler-headbut, before he was popped back in the car. He complained bitterly for a few minutes, but soon settled down. We still need to keep up the socialisation, as he did have a minor panic when a lovely young GSD lolloped forward to have a closer look and he gave him a warning snap. The shepherd looked mildly puzzled for a second, before going back to being a big happy puppy. Dill needed some quick focussing on flats, sits and stands to give him something else to worry about. He's addicted to work! When I stopped and tried to have a conversation, he showed everyone how well he did 'speak' - which resulted in a swift march back to the car - where he demonstrated the 'sulk'. Once he was quiet again, I fetched him out and he was all happy and brimming with enthusiasm again :hyper: The sendaway went really well- possibly because the marker was a couple of cones on sticks and Dill, being tiny, found he could lie down right under them and get out of the rain :yippee: He really is a clever little pocketweiler! He had less idea with the tracking, or rather, I had no idea, but we were soon put right about how to hold the lead and by the end, he was working quite well. I need to practice this though. Apparently, when dogs get the hang of it, they get really excited :hyper: In Dill's case, this will probably mean he will stand on his hind legs and make a noise like a strangled chicken. I have to buy him a harness, which is proving tricky as I really want a soft leather one, but have you ever tried to find a small harness that befits a dog like Dill? I found some lovely soft leather ones at National Terrier, but they had little diamonds stuck all along the back :yikes: Why does everyone seem to want the Barbie does Bondage look for their dogs - or else the 'we're super outdoor-types - look at our eyecatching nylon weave!' look. I can just see Dill fudgung a recall in some of that stuff 'sorry - couldn't hear you - my collar is too loud!' The jumps, he loved :yippee: He gets so excited and he's managing the scale with just a steep ramp on one side now with confidence. I do have to get him out of the habit of balancing on the very top to admire the view though :rolleyes: At the end of the session, I got to run with the big sleeve and get aprehended by a flying canine - which was so funny. I find being a criminal disturbingly enjoyable :ph43r:


Working Trials · Working dogs