Oops, almost one month has gone without updates… Taru has been on sick leave and when she couldn’t do agility or proper obendience, I tried to do some experiments with directed retrieving and scent discrimination –> not wise at all!

Last weekend we attended district champs in obedience. It wasn’t a big competition but anyway too big for me, didn’t feel comfortable there whereas in agility it is quite the contrary… We started with sit and lie in group. It didn’t go well, Taru had turned her head, double command in rising up and she wasn’t sitting or lying straight (<- my fault). It was frustrating to continue when we already had lost 9 points. I tried hard to brighten up myself even though the order of other moments was awful for us: scent and directed retrievings were the last ones. We actually had fun in the ring, until… We started with distant control, ok, 9. Sending to square was also ok but now I’ll finally work out the final section (=coming to heeling position), 9. Heelwork wasn’t too good this time, too enthusiastic and once she stopped to watch who’s walking behind us , 8,5 was actually quite generous. In stand, sit and down square she lay when I said sit + not totally straight, 6. Recall, ok for Taru, 9. Metal, I threw stupidly sideways and Taru had to think a little moment how to come back + she jumped backward when I took the object, 7 or 8. Scent -> she took the right one, dropped, took another and did a nice return… Directed -> tried to pass by the cone and run to right, I directed her to the cone, sent to left, she tried to take the middle one, commanded back to the cone, and then it was end with the commands.

 

It was so disappointing to end the trial with those failures but it wasn’t a big surprise, anyway. Or actually I thought scent would be alright again but seemingly it wasn’t. We played and trained a bit after the ring to get a little better mood. I have also trained afterwards and Taru is very happy and tries hard, but directed retrieve has disappeared totally . Usually she doesn’t try to bypass the cone but she wants to take the middle object, especially when asked to take the left one. If the middle isn’t there, she seems so surprised… Have to work for a nicer curve, I guess…?

 

Taru has also competed in agility during weekend. No clean runs but very nice parts. For example an imaginative handling to weaves that we learnt from Anja Lehtiö a couple of weeks ago went so well!

 

Both Tosi and Taru have taken part in trainings with external coaches, so useful! Tosi hasn’t been so very proficient yet but we’re learning, I swear .