The weekend

Ok so Saturday I arrived at the obedience show the earliest I have ever arrived at an obedience show, at 8am!!! I was so early I was parked in the first row of cars!! Tia found nothing to freak out at, much to my relief. I did some training with her and she was very hyper and keen, more relief! Then I went and watched the first 10 or so dogs, trying to learn the pattern of the round so I help Tia rather than hinder her (I probs still hinder her but not as much!). It absolutely chucked it down while one poor dog was in the ring, I felt SO sorry for her as had that been Tia she would have done her wet lettuce impression!

Soooo got her in the ring and she was still fairly bubbly, I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be, just excited! I think this was because the round was fairly straightforward, some of them are sooooooo complicated that I am sure I will never get my head around them!

Tia did some stunning heelwork, did her 3 positions on the move brilliantly, her fast pace was not great, I think it was the longest FP we've ever done, my heelwork training normally consists of 80% normal pace, 18% slow pace and 2% fast pace, more work needed!! I'm too lazy!!

Anyway I think not only was it the longest FP we've ever done, but the longest heelwork we've ever done as I finished it and I was KNACKERED! I am so unfit!!! I cannot actually believe how tired I was, which I find quite embarassing!

Then DC, here is when I kick myself a bit!!! It was 'leave your dog in the stand next to the marker on the floor', so I set Tia up and she won't stand next to the marker, so I have to reset her. Not good in her books! Then when I give the first position command (the sit), my voice goes all wobbly (tiredness!) and she misses it! Stupid Char! All the other positions she did really nicely.

She did a lovely sendaway just losing 0.5 I think on the pickup, and 0.5 on retrieve, for a slightly crooked present.

Sooo as I walk out the ring to go and play with Tia the judge stopped me to say what a shame she had missed the sit as it was such a lovely round - wow :o) I looked at her marks and she had, at that time, the best heelwork marks of the day, and had she not missed the position, would have been in the lead... the dog that won it lost 9.5, and Tia, had she not missed the position, would've been on 10.5... Tia lost 9.5 on her heelwork, which is the same as this dog that won (it went clear on set exercises) so if you discount DC Tia wasn't far off the winner, which in my books, is FAB, as all I wanted was to go in and not look like total muppets!

Ooops sorry this post is getting rather long!!

On Sunday Lee came to the obed show (open this time). Lee wanted to go home after he'd eaten his lunch lol! Tia gets SO excited when Lee comes to shows, she can't stop staring adoringly at him, grr bad Tia, I half expected her to go and take the retrieve article to him!! She worked a nice round again, didn't have quite the same spark that she did on Saturday but we both need the ring experience as it's only the second C we've worked (ie not trained) since May. She then did a scent which I was SO SO SO pleased with as she went over the decoy several times before eventually finding the right cloth. Had a run off for first but I didn't do it as I knew Tia would be tired and I didn't want her to switch off. So came 2nd, really really pleased. We got a lovely write up too, thank you Claire :o)

"2nd –Charlotte Harding and BEKKIS BEYOND BELIEF OW AW, BC, Losing 11.25. Ran 10th Wow – Tia has so improved since I last judged her! There’s a ticket in her, I can see it! Just have more faith in her – she CAN do it. Beautiful NP, but FP needs tidying. Declined the R/O with above dog as Tia was ‘tired’…ahem. Well done on this place."

So Tia is in my extra good books, hehe. Such a good girl. Me and Lee had our training eve with Tash yesterday, but I have rambled enough, so I will post about this later in the week!