We go from top dog to major melt down.

It happens so fast. I make some majorly stupid mistakes and, BAM, we suck........again. He's such a happy little guy it makes me sad when we suck. I was handed his first place ribbon with 25 speed points Saturday morning that my friend picked up from the trial two weeks ago. Damn, was I proud! I am feeling really good. First class, FAST, we need practice, I can do it and I need this.
I make the STOOOOOOOOOOOOpidest choices. What is his worst obstacle? Yeah, right. FUCKING TEETER. What do I do, ask him to do it TWICE!!!! He starts to worry and wring his tiny little papillon paws. Yeah, they are pap paws, not aussie paws, that is for sure. He worries, I suck, he worries, I suck, we are in a major toilet bowl flush spinning down, down, down.

OK, no worries, he has forgiven me stupid decisions before. Um, not this weekend he didn't. His standard and jumpers were pretty much a mess. Moments, yes, he did his "flat" on his table in standard in only about 1.5 seconds and that's something to celebrate, but he wasn't all that happen and we NQ'd somewhere. I don't even remember, I just know that all the precious blind crosses I did sucked and were late and he was confused and we looked really disconnected. :(

Jumpers was the same way........disconnected, poorly executed blind crosses.

So, Sunday I determine to be a better handler. Work every obstacle, talk to him constantly. We q'd in standard. Yay, but it wasn't fast. 46 seconds. My goal after last trial was sub-40. Hardly near that, but at least he held it together and we did it. Jumpers course sucked, I knew it and I sucked at it, so because I am a STOOOOOOOOOOOOpid handler he gets down to a trot after jump three and I finished out with a big out run, speed circle and left happy.

I am wondering if I should be doing Daisy Peel's Mental Management class. Probably!! I sure have Mental Management issues. Poor little Spur. But, if I can get a running dog walk on him and work for two years to do that I can sure fix this issue. It all begins at the start line, I am convinced. I lose him, I know it, I see it on video. Our start lines suck. Yeah, sometimes he charges off. I don't know what I do differently. I know I worry our starts and that doesn't help him. Catch 22. How can I not worry, our starts suck. We are in a pattern of sucky starts and it's SO hard to break that.

Must fix our starts. I am determined. I am tenacious. I WILL get this. He deserves it. He deserves to head to the line feeling GOOD and HAPPY, not stressing and avoiding me.

And since this blog is really supposed to be about Roscoe, here is HIS weekend story.........he is more sore than ever. His neck has been sore for a while, but this morning it's really bad. A call to the vet is in order. Damn IT. Poking and prodding Roscoe to find where it hurts is not easy. He is grumpy no matter if he hurts or not when you poke and prod him. Oi. Wish me luck on that one. And how the heck does one keep Roscoe from boinging??? ACK!!