My goal at this show was to keep working on Shane's reactivity and try to get his contacts under control. We have Q's in Standard, so I know he can do it. I also started Shane on B1, which is supposed to have a calming effect. We spent a lot of time all weekend just walking calmly around the arena. At a few times, I felt like I was just walking around with my dog. Glorious.
Shane's first run, jumpers, was incredible. I have never seen him run so smoothly, so in control, and still so fast. It was such an amazing feeling and I wish it could have lasted longer than 22 seconds. At the last jump, I paused for a nanosecond because I had forgotten to plan an exit strategy, and Shane knocked the bar. Didn't even matter.
Standard was another story. He still gets so nuts at that end of the building. He launched off the teeter. Don't even remember what happened, but I know I stopped the run. I had decided to grab him when he started being nuts as I'm still afraid of what he might do.
In FAST, he did the same thing with the teeter, but I made him do it again and he did it. We blew the bonus, but I didn't care.
Saturday
Jumpers again was magnificent, except I got lost and sent him over a wrong jump. In Standard, he did the same thing on the teeter and I decided to stop, but before I could catch him, he got back on the teeter. Tweet. You're outa here. In FAST, the teeter was part of the bonus, so I couldn't train it. Waste of time.
Back home, we dragged the teeter out into the yard, and Shane did about 20 perfect teeters. I was close, far, standing still, moving fast, even jumping into the air. He nailed that contact every time. I wanted to kill him.
Sunday
It all finally came together and we qualified in the jumpers run. At the end, it looked like he was going to run out, but he stopped. Very scary. We did finish his Novice Jumpers Preferred title.
I had high hopes for our Standard run (we practiced the teeter in the morning before we left for the show). By the time Novice ran, a lot of people had left and it was getting quiet. The first part of our run was pretty good. He did the table, which is huge. We rounded a corner to the tire, and Shane missed it. We circled the tire three times before he went through and then on to the teeter. He launched off again. Through the weaves and into the tunnel. There was a sheltie barking in the bleachers next to the dog walk, so I wanted to stop Shane's run at the tunnel. Managed to catch him. I know the reason he missed the tire is because he was headed for that sheltie. I was livid. That was the second time the photographer was planted at the finish line holding a barking sheltie. Imagine being heckled while you are trying to perform. Who knows what that dog was saying to Shane. "You suck." "You want a piece of me?" I know the dogs are supposed to be able to handle distractions, but come on. I think that is just rude, especially considering they are Novice dogs. Whatever. Something else to work on.
When we got home, we practiced the teeter. Shane nailed the contact, of course, and managed to stay there even when Maggie ran past him and barked right in his face. Shane just stared at me with a big grin on his face. What are ya gonna do?
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