[hotel4dogs]

$3.50, exact change only.
Nah, just kidding. Team Tito has suffered a temporary set back, but will come out fighting! This weekend's results...
Ok, obedience first.
Still showing in Utility A, even though he has the title, because we had already entered this set of shows.
On Saturday, he NQ'd the first article. MY FAULT totally! I ALWAYS ALWAYS do the leather article first. ALWAYS. Get the point? ALWAYS do the leather first! So he knows that the first article will always be a leather one.
So I'm chatting with the judge, and absentmindedly pick up the METAL article and start handling it. Suddenly I realize OH SH*T, I've got the wrong article in my hand :doh:. So I ask the judge (now at this point she hasn't asked which method we use, hasn't asked if we're ready, we're just chatting and the steward is laying out the articles) if I can pick up the other one and she tells me NO. :no::no::no: ARGH! . So I scent the metal one, and send him out for it.
Of course, he knows the correct answer is ALWAYS leather on the first article, so he merrily goes out and checks all the leather articles. Then he stands there and looks at me with a "HUH??" look on his face. :uhoh::uhoh: He's not sure what to do. So he picks up the leather one next to the correct metal one, probably had *some* scent overflowed onto it. Oh well, what could I do??? (footnote...the other judge came over to where we were sitting to see Tito later, said she had seen him in the ring and wanted to check him out...she has goldens and loves the "double ring dogs", and told me the judge I showed under was WRONG, I could have picked up the other article at that point in the exercise. Ah well...)
He got everything else perfect, so overall I was quite pleased with him. In fact, it was the best he's ever done in utility, other than the article.
In breed, well, I'm not sure the judge was all there. It was downright bizarre. I mean really. We won't even go there...
Then on Sunday, he got both articles right (yeah, helps when his partner has her head screwed on straight) and then had an A.D.D. moment on the glove. Not really sure what happened, but he just sat there and since it wasn't for a leg or anything I just went ahead and gave him the double command rather than waiting to see if he'd figure it out. I decided the score for the weekend was Barb, 1, Tito, 1, so we were even. But again, he did an AWESOME job, even better than Saturday, so I was again pleased with him.
In breed, he didn't place in a class of 8 dogs. I was disappointed. Someone that I know that also shows goldens in both breed and obed. was watching ringside and came up afterwards and told me that he was every bit as good as any other dog in there, moved great, did everything I asked of him, but doesn't have the flash and attitude that a lot of judges are looking for. This I already know. It's one of the main reasons for asking Kate to join Team Tito, he needs to be animated in the ring and when I'm in with him he's just, well, bored. Sigh. I'm a boring person. .
So that was our weekend.
I really did have a great time, and it was good to get away. Back to work this afternoon!

 

[Ljilly28]

I will take advantage of this isolated moment and BUY the golden for sale, cheap! Sold to Ljilly! (And then I will have to smuggle him out of the country bc you'll realize a dog this young tearing it up in Utility is AMAZING and make me hand him back over.

 

[hotel4dogs]

yeah, even though I'm whining I really am proud of him. I'd thought I'd wait for the UDX legs, but he did such a good job this weekend (yes yes, even with 2 NQ's, LOL) that I might re-think it....sitting here looking for upcoming shows....

 

[Ljilly28]

That's what happens- this weekend was so fun that I signed up on info dog for an out of state show. It's addictive. Plus, I have fun keeping track of Tally's siblings. His sis was WB/BOW/BOS in Canada this weekend. . .It's just hard to stop once you get started.

 

[hotel4dogs]

Now if I could just win the lottery AND find someone to work for me on weekends, I'd be all set!!!

That's what happens- this weekend was so fun that I signed up on info dog for an out of state show. It's addictive. Plus, I have fun keeping track of Tally's siblings. His sis was WB/BOW/BOS in Canada this weekend. . .It's just hard to stop once you get started.

 

[mylissyk]

LOL, nice job both of you! Maybe you should mix it up on which article you set out first?

 

[hotel4dogs]

either that or get my head out of my butt????? :doh:

LOL, nice job both of you! Maybe you should mix it up on which article you set out first?

 

[mylissyk]

Serious question though, shouldn't you mix up which order you use the articles so he doesn't anticipate which one to pick up, instead of finding the one you handled?

 

[hotel4dogs]

My trainers tell me to always use the same one first, and to be sure it's the easier one because that gives the dog confidence for the second one. They say articles are a hard exercise and require a lot of confidence from the dog, and there's no way we can help him in training other than to be patient with him. So if we are consistent in which comes first, he can eliminate half the pile right away and just concentrate on the other 4 that are out.
But I do see the point in him not knowing which comes first.

Serious question though, shouldn't you mix up which order you use the articles so he doesn't anticipate which one to pick up, instead of finding the one you handled?

 

[coppers-mom]

It sounds amazing to me! I will have to read up on this activity even though I won't be competing. It sounds like it requires genius dogs.

I think Tito is gorgeous and should score high every time he is in the breed ring, but I might be a teensy bit biased and I admit - I know nothing about breed standards.

I do/have shown some with my horse so I have a little bit of understanding. You and Tito must spend some serious time training.

Give him a high five and hug for me. I could up the price and beat out ljilly. I would even give exact change since that is all I have left after Copper's recent vet expenses.
Once he got way out in these woods you'd never find him.

 

[hotel4dogs]

tito would probably love to live with copper, he sounds so much like my Toby Dog!

It sounds amazing to me! I will have to read up on this activity even though I won't be competing. It sounds like it requires genius dogs.

I think Tito is gorgeous and should score high every time he is in the breed ring, but I might be a teensy bit biased and I admit - I know nothing about breed standards.

I do/have shown some with my horse so I have a little bit of understanding. You and Tito must spend some serious time training.

Give him a high five and hug for me. I could up the price and beat out ljilly. I would even give exact change since that is all I have left after Copper's recent vet expenses.
Once he got way out in these woods you'd never find him.

 

[coppers-mom]

Not to mention Tito could go trail riding with me and find really cool things to pick up.

Let's see, Copper has brought me:
1. a live, very pi$$ed off possum. He really wanted to bring it home, but I told him he could not have a pet of his own.
2. A dead very smelly possum, I think. He and his big brother Chance scarfed it down before I could be quite sure of what it was..... Luckily it was mostly mummified.
3. A live very fast deer. He turned it and brought it back twice before Copper got sick and tired of me not catching it for him. What a grumpy look I got!
4. Numerous box turtles.
5. A shed deer antler which still decorates my end table. Perfect decorative item for a log cabin!

He would have no idea what to do in a ring, obedience trial or dock diving. I would get a completely puzzled look of bafflement. Of course, I would be the same way!

Congrats to you and Tito for an amazing accomplishment! Give him a smooch for me. (I still have correct change and could add in some lunch money........)

 

[hotel4dogs]

Tito is going crazy wanting to go play with Copper! He thinks Copper's life is SOOO much more exciting than his!!!!