Sorry it has been so long since I wrote, but I have been busy writing the new edition of "Rally On". It is in the final stages and just about to go for proofreading. Hopefully it will be ready for print in the new year.
Gali and I have not been out much this summer. We do have 3 AE legs in rally, but this summer has been so busy that I could never quite get organized to get to the local trials and with the price of gas it seemed silly to spend all that money for what amounts to 6 minutes in the ring (on a really bad day, I might add!) I am hoping to finish his title as Ribbon is out being shown at the end of the year and into next year.
We didn't ever get our last leg for our OTCH. I was seeing signs of stress in a dog that LOVES to go to trials and bee bop around the ring. I will admit to being haunted by the fact that I couldn't finish it. In August I actually started to lose sleep over this - did I give up too soon - am I losing my ability to train a dog? - I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. In August I lost 3 days sleep over this and decided it was crazy that I was going to put him in one more trial. I entered one of my favourite trials, knowing that there would be a match the night before. The deal I made with myself was that I would see how he worked at the match and decide if I would run him the next morning. I kept the fact that I had entered him to myself. One of my thoughts was that I was putting too much pressure on myself and not doing my best job with my dog. This thought was a large part of my not sleeping for 3 days!
The night of the match Gali's heeling, front/finishes, articles and signals were really, really good!! I was having fun with him and he was having fun with me. He was a little hesitant on his go out and didn't take the first jump, but I really felt like I had given my signal too fast for the bar jump and I had also said over instead of bar. I redid it and he was really good, the jumping looked nice and he seemed comfortable, the second half was fine. We did glove last, when I sent him out for the glove, he went straight out looking for the glove and he couldn't see it!! The glove was located about 6 feet to his right. He stopped for a few seconds, put his head way up in the air and started air scenting to find the glove, which he did quickly and returned to me.
I felt my heart sink - these cataracts really are affecting him! I pulled from the trial the next day and ran him in rally only. I am at peace with this now. I would never want my dog to get hurt doing the sport I chose for him. That is that!!!
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