summer_jackel: (Coba ^_^)
summer_jackel ([personal profile] summer_jackel) wrote2011-03-30 04:05 pm
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A Coba win!

I'm pleased to announce that my wee sheepdog has earned his first points toward his first obedience title! The show was oh so conveniently located within walking distance from Kyn's house. Coba had been performing beautifully all week, and our "rehearsal" the night before was fantastic, so of course on show day, the little furball was totally in a mood and not performing well at all. He did pretty well in the morning trial until he marked the ring, which of course disqualified him. Time to practice our show heel around the perimeter of the dog park, right...?

The afternoon run saw Coba throwing a polite sheltie tantrum full of lagging, slow sits and general surliness. It was his worst performance in the ring to date, but I have to appreciate the humor in the situation (and let's face it, the concept of competitive dog obedience is intrinsically hilarious)---he didn't do anything to actually disqualify himself, so he got his first points. Our score was 176 1/2; the lowest possible qualifying score is 170. Since there were only two qualifying dogs in the class, he got second place, a pretty rosette and a dog toy almost bigger than he is as well.

The day was stormy and a lot of entrants didn't show up. Unfortunately one of the people I did share a ring with was not only so new to this obedience thing that he didn't have the first clue as to how to do it, which is certainly forgivable, but was also a huge jerk, which isn't. He showed up with two dobermans that weren't even close to being ready, and during his runs repeatedly yelled at them, jerked on their collars, stomped his feet and raised his fists at them and even smacked them, all of which are strictly forbidden in dog shows and, had the judge been less nice, could have gotten him kicked off the grounds. His dogs got more and more nervous and upset as he dragged them through a process they had not been trained to understand; the bitch (who appeared to have whelped a few months ago...lovely!) actually took a snap at Coba as we were going in for the stays. I was a bit freaked, but thankfully she didn't get close, and was gated for it. The dog looked like he wanted to bite someone, too, but since he broke his sit within a couple of seconds, the handler held onto him (being an angry dick while his dog got even edgier) for the rest of the trial. Oh, and this fellow also insulted his wife loudly in front of everyone assembled, too. I am sincerely hoping that I never hear a judge telling a competitor not to smack his dog, in the ring no less, ever again.

Coba's stays were perfect this time, though. Even if he did make the ring in the first trial. Sigh.

Two more successful runs, and beastie will have his CD title. Fun and progress!




Normally I would never post a photo of me that was this bad, but this is so bad that it's wonderful, and a drop of humility isn't going to hurt me. I am a total nerd and so is my little dog.

Photobucket

[identity profile] kynekh-amagire.livejournal.com 2011-03-31 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
Blame the photographer. :D

Congrats on your little blue spill absorber and his barely-qualifying performance! I'll bring binder clips in fashion colors for next time.

[identity profile] summer-jackel.livejournal.com 2011-03-31 01:07 am (UTC)(link)
Dorky handler, dorky dog, dorky photographer...what can you do? It was fun, and lots more so with you around. Thanks. <3

[identity profile] archteryx.livejournal.com 2011-03-31 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
Well, hopefully he'll be better behaved next time.

Or someone'll invent a talking-collar for him, so he can tell you exactly what he thinks of you for all this dorky obedience stuff. ;>

[identity profile] summer-jackel.livejournal.com 2011-03-31 01:14 am (UTC)(link)
I wish I had a talking collar! Although Coba telegraphs his feelings pretty clearly. In this case it was, "dude, do we have to do this AGAIN? I already demonstrated my ability to do this. Besides, there are things I want to sniff here, and I am also pretty certain that some of these other dogs are BITCHES!!!!!! ...oh. You're still requesting a velcro heel. Well then. Snit."

[identity profile] a-rowan-dryad.livejournal.com 2011-03-31 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
LOL

Dorky is fun, cute and awesome. :D Especially when combined with brains which we all know you have an abundance of.

*loves on the barely qualifying, wants to sniff, passive aggressive, stubborn, blue cotton ball... err... doggy* ;)

[identity profile] archteryx.livejournal.com 2011-03-31 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
He's such a prissy little thing, your housefox, isn't he? ;>

[identity profile] tacet.livejournal.com 2011-04-01 12:09 am (UTC)(link)
SQUIRREL!! ....Hi dere!

[identity profile] leora.livejournal.com 2011-03-31 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
That doesn't just sound like missing the point to dog training, but missing the point to cooperative civil interaction with other sapient beings. :/

I really hope he never has kids. It's bad enough he has dogs, a wife, and interactions with other beings.

Maybe, if we're lucky, he was just having an extremely bad day.

Anyhow, congrats to Coba.

[identity profile] summer-jackel.livejournal.com 2011-03-31 10:25 pm (UTC)(link)
You have a point there. I'll reserve my opinion as to whether his dogs were worthy breeding stock, but their owner certainly isn't.

[identity profile] zrath.livejournal.com 2011-03-31 07:11 pm (UTC)(link)


Bienvenue aux deux dorques! :D
Congrats to you and Coba Libre, who is smaller than I thought he was.


[identity profile] summer-jackel.livejournal.com 2011-03-31 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
He's a little thing! 25 lbs. and 15 inches at the shoulder, a moderate sized sheltie. He has tremendous presence, though.

[identity profile] fuzzytoedcollie.livejournal.com 2011-04-01 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not sure which one of you has the bigger smile!!!

*grin*