Talking about obedience trials the other day.

Roscoe's last leg on his CD was at American K9 Country. We were chatting about whether or not they put down obedience mats or just did the trial on the rubber mats. I had to go back and find the photo of him doing his stays next to the Irish Wolfhound. Poor tiny boy, looks SO weeny next to that dog. Notice his "Flying Nun" ears.........a little stressed?........ya think??? So, they apparently do obedience trials right on the rubber. I simply couldn't remember.

Our next trial is coming up. Rally-O at the Wyndham in South Portland for the Collie Club trial. I am a little nervous about his performance on carpeting. The last trial we did on carpet he sniffed a LOT, but it was the day after the MinPin Specialty banquet and breed dogs had been on that carpet, also. It SMELLED! We need to practice a few things, since he is now a member of the 100 club, we are expected to get a 100! I would be fine with a 99....maybe. He has been SO high at Rally class lately. Like high to the point of heeling on his back feet, which we looked up and there is no rule against it. So long as he is in heel position. But, it looks sloppy and crazy and frantic. However, our experience is he settles and gets serious at trials. Never forging like he does at class. It's the same way in agility. In agility he is NUTS in practice. Absolutely NUTS, taking obstacles here and there, zooming off to take things WAY away from me. At trials, not so much. The stress? The environment, me? Who knows, but trials are always a little less exciting. In obedience we are both more reserved and careful and precise. Hopefully.

Funny, with Spur trials seem to be pretty exciting, which is nice. I think eventually Spur will starting finding trials WAY more fun than practice, but time will tell. He is still way too young and early in his "career" to know how it is going to go. He is SO different from Roscoe.