Hi! It's Cinnamon.
On Saturday both Mint and I entered an obedience trial. It was Mint's first ever trial. Because Mum didn't want us to feel too stressy or bored in the competition ring, she entered us for practise, not for competing. If you are not competing, your human can bring toys into the ring or get out of the ring to give you some food reward between exercises, if the judge agrees. Although I competed in several obedience trials last year, Mum wanted to use the opportunity for practise again to make a fresh start.
Well, Mum's bad feeling was right. I found it a little boring. So, I didn't stay as close to Mum as I should in the Heelwork, and at the end of the Recall I just couldn't help going to check something I had found during the Heelwork and eating it, when I was supposed to sit immediately after running to Mum.
In the hindsight it was kind of unlucky. The trial was scheduled to start at 1pm. So, Mum started warming-up with me just over ten minutes to one. However, when the judge and steward came to the ring, it was already 1:30pm, which means we had to wait on the ringside for more than thirty minutes! But, I know I shouldn't complain, as such things happen all the time in competitions.
Comparing to me, Mint was lucky because he didn't have to wait on the ringside so long. Mint was waiting in our crate in the car until my run finished. After my run, Mum went back to the car, took Mint out, did some warm-up with him before his run.
It was his first trial, but he didn't look stressy or anything. Although his nose went to the floor for a second right after he started walking in the Heelwork, he did great otherwise, according to Mum (I didn't see it because I was waiting in our crate in the car).
Mum did the Sit and Down Stays with Mint. Mum was not confident with Mint's stays, as he often lies down when he is doing the Sit Stay. But, it seems he stayed sitting without problem.
Well, I have to admit that Mint beat me this time. But, I did great too when I entered a trial for the first time. So, you never know how he will do next time! Hee hee.
Hi Cinnamon - Shiloh'n Shasta here - we think u did wunnerful. You r the more seasoned performer so u no that u just never no what mite b in that ring so u gotta check stuff out tu make shur that no one gitz hurt. How did u no that there wuz sumthin'there tu eat - it cooda bin a bug or even a little bomb that cooda hurt u an'your mom. Mint did du a good job - espeshally with the sit an'down - we du tu WHEN WE R NOT WITH OTHER DOGGIEZ! We probably wooda wanted tu play with them.
ReplyDeleteAll in all - we think u'all did a great job!
I think they did great! Mint had fabulous attention and even Cinnamon was checking in and offering some great eye contact. I love that you guys can choose to make it a training run and reward your dog! That was a great decision you made to do so and I wish we had that here in the states
ReplyDeleteWhat a great sit and stay by Mint on his debut. Well done!
ReplyDeleteCinnamon, I know it's hard to resist the little treat you found. It's a beagle thing. Better luck next time :-)
Aww...seeing Ardmore again makes me homesick!
ReplyDeleteI think you still did great, Cinnamon - we all have "off" days when we get a bit distracted or feel a bit rebellious! :-) I agree though that it's great you can do it just for fun practice with rewards rather than always serious competition - Hsin-Yi has heard from some other humans that if they do it serious all the time without rewards, the dogs start to hate competitions and going in the ring because they see it as just a boring time with no rewards. So I think your human's idea was a very good one!
Congratulations to Mint! That was very well done. But I think he has an unfair advantage over you anyway because your human was already a MUCH more experienced trainer by the time Mint came to your family (she practised on you!) and so she has started Mint right in all the Obedience exercises from very young, whereas you were already much older, Cinnamon, with some bad habits already when your human started training you and you were sort of a "training guinea pig" for her to learn - so I think you're doing REALLY well considering! :-)
Slobbers,
Honey the Great Dane
I think you both did fabulous! I love Mint's attention in the heel and he's so adorable in his down stay. I love that face. Did you (Cinnamon) not do the stays this time? I bet you would have aced them. :)
ReplyDeleteWe think you did great Cinnamon :) 10 times better than we could ever do!
ReplyDeletewe probably could do it, but Laura got scared off by the scary lady training the group, so she never went back (the woman was saying we couldn't do one thing, when she went and did the same thing in another situation!?)
Anyway, Mint did great in his Stays! We were very impressed :)
Your human has don't some great training with you both :)
oops we mean..."your human has DONE some great training with you both" :D
ReplyDeleteLicks and lots of slobber,
Lexi and Jasper the Danes