A Really Fun Saturday

I had a Really Fun Day yesterday at the Progressive obedience trial in Birch Run, MI. Ty & Joker were both entered just in Utility, since the trial closed before my 2-week-ago success in Open B. I showed Joker 1st. He has been in the ring just twice this year, and both times passed everything but articles. I trained them more diligently in the past 2 weeks. His gloves are also weak, but have been improving. Isabella Hutton was a fill-in for Robin Shea, who had to cancel. We had order 3. Joker did very confident articles YEAH, though I got some teasing at his really dreadful set-up for the 2nd one. I gave up and let him sit there crooked! His glove was fine, his heeling was quite good for him. His signal down was slightly delayed, then he collapsed into it, which isn't quite his normal style. The rest of his signals were fine. Moving stand? Zero off. And lovely Directed Jumping with spot-on fabulous go-outs. Leg #2!!! I was just SO happy with the boy. He turns 10 on May 5, though he in no way acts that age.

Ty's sit signal has continued to frequently elude her in training, so I vowed to take my time giving it and to try to be clear with it. 

She did both articles, tho the metal one flew out of her mouth as she left the pile (which cost us 2 points, and makes me continue to wonder if there is some tooth issue going on with her - but that's another post!), Glove was fine, Heeling was fine, though loose by my standards. Good drop, and SHE DID HER SIT SIGNAL! We had a major party after her finish and before setting up for the MS. She seemed quite thrilled by all the hugs, petting, praise, and leaping around. Her MS was fine. On her go-outs, she once again stopped before I said to, both times. I think she's stopping about 7-8 feet short of the end, so nowhere near NQably short, but she is clearly picking. But they were both very straight, and she did her sits and jumps great, so she also Q'ed. What a fine day.

But it doesn't stop there.

First and second place were a 198 (1st leg, too!) and an I-don't-remember score between 198 and 195.5. And little Mr. Joker was 3rd with a 195!!!! And Joker earned a phantom OTCh point! (phantom because he doesn't have his UD). Whoda thunk it?  Ty was 4th with a 194. She is already 10% along the way to her OM1.

Given that Joker's first Utility leg was a 178 and I was thrilled with that, you can imagine how up on Cloud 9 I still am with a 195. He really is getting this Utility stuff figured out. And gee whiz, he's cute :-).

Raissa Hinman finished her 3rd generation UDX on her wonderful Aura, who also became the first Malamute OM1 yesterday. This just 8 days after finishing her MACh2. And less than a month after her 17 year old son finished the MACh2 on one of Aura's aunts.

This was the first time I'd shown north of Ann Arbor in quite a long time, so I got to see some different people than when I head south, which was fun.

Our next trials will be Memorial Day in Kalamazoo. Time to go fill out entries!