Off to a BAD Start
Bad AttitudeDate: Sun, 19 Oct 1997
From: Eileen Dinneen of Colleyville, TX (O'Duinnin) beardie@worldnet.att.net
Ann Chandoha's Stoli (De Lorean's son) took a first place trophy in Novice Agility, finishing his title. He ran the course in 45 seconds, 22 seconds under time with no errors. WOW!
DeLorean (Ch O'Duinnin Oh DeLorean, OA, HC, CD, ROM) made no mistakes but when she got to the weaves ahead of me, I panicked and called her to me. We were given a refusal. I apologized to her right there on the course for messing up her last leg. She had done nothing wrong. But I still am learning. I left early today after DeLorean's run in Excellent. She did a beautiful job again today, but for some reason decided to enter the chute, return to see if I was there, and then went into the chute again. That, of course, at the Excellent level is a refusal and we NQed again.
Eileen in TX
================================================================ Dear Eileen,
Thanks so much for your weekend account. I have noticed that at Excellent, the handler has to be really skilled to avoid run-bys, off-courses, pop outs and refusals! By now the contacts are solid. Pop outs of weaves and tunnels are frequently caused by the handlers mind (and, therefore, feet) racing on to what is next. Somehow one has to be preparing but not getting ahead of oneself. Our Beardies know the obstacles now and are more or less trained.
Now the handler has to run faster and perfectly! Timeliness seems to be everything, since every small command or angle of the shoulder or point of the foot has meaning for our well attuned Beardies, who are doing their best to get it right and please us. I know that they feel disappointment, too, if they think they have flubbed it. Last night on course, Jack was issuing a few "Good Boys!" to Skye, when it was Jack who had gotten it wrong. That seemed to cheer Skye immensely, who gets upset, if he thinks he has made a mistake. Skye wagged his tail and was ready to pick up in the middle and give his best again.
Congratulations to Ann Chandoha and Stoli ( Ch O/Duinnin Andy gabel Stolaway, NA, HC). Many of us remember Stoli's account of his first experiences in competition and how he encouraged Ann. Sounds like both are really running well together!
Keep up the good work, both of you! Loved meeting you at the Specialty!
Regards to Gretchen "the Grape" Blackburn!
Libby