# Rally-OH NO!



## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

So we had a WCRL trial today. For the first time, we did an all-day trial - so far regardless of the venue, we've been a "one and done" kinda team, one course a day (sometimes just one a weekend). Which in AKC is really all we could do at our level, anyway, but the WCRL trials have up to three trials in one day and last time we still only did one. 

I didn't feel super ready. Distraction with novel environments is our huge, huge downfall and I definitely hadn't prepared enough. Before our WCRL trial in the spring, I had gone out and about to various dog-friendly businesses to practice attention and heeling and it had a HUGE positive effect, he had the most focused, "on" performance he'd probably ever had... and I walked through a sign, NQing us. :doh:

First run: I absent-mindedly touched him to get his attention, NQing us pretty much on the first sign, but decided to do the course anyway. It was kind of a disaster, he was distracted by all the shiny things and I was disappointed in myself and I didn't handle those things well and kind of fell apart mentally. 

Second run: We gathered our respective selves and did better. A repeated cue here, a tight leash there, a re-try here... but we still squeaked by (literally by one point) with a Q. I was mostly just proud of us for recovering and getting our shiz together instead of downward spiraling. 

Third run: A different ring, new shiny things. This was in the afternoon and my poor Squashies has never spent all day at a trial before so his brain was pretty crispy by that time. He had a few moments of just wandering to the end of his leash and standing there staring blankly off into space. But I was better prepared mentally for it and although the run felt worse than the second, we actually scored higher (still last in our class, though, aheheh).

His face in these pictures both cracks me up and makes me want to hold him to my bosom. He's so dang tired and checked out, but I'm so, so proud of how he really managed to hold it together on a very tiring day. No matter what the numbers say or how many times (as I watched perfect-scoring dogs be perfect) I idly pondered whether trialing in rally with this big white doofy sled dog is really the soundest plan I've ever come up with. Best boy. I lub him.


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## packetsmom (Mar 21, 2013)

Awww...way to go to you and Squash for sticking to it! It's not easy yo come back from a rough start!


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Thanks.  If he had a better trainer/handler, he'd be Emperor of the World by now. But oh well, we'll just keep working through stuff.


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## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

Sounds like a fairly successful day overall. You both pulled it together and you know what to expect for next time.


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## packetsmom (Mar 21, 2013)

sassafras said:


> Thanks.  If he had a better trainer/handler, he'd be Emperor of the World by now. But oh well, we'll just keep working through stuff.


I'm certain he prefers the handler he has, even if it means fewer ribbons. . To him, he's probably just happy to be with you and working with you. To the dogs, it's that relationship that's important, not so much the results.

But yeah, I get how it feels when you feel like it's your skill level that's holding your dog back. I very often feel that way myself and wonder what my dog would be capable of in someone else's hands. Hugs!!!


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Thank you.  I am not a very competitive person and I'm not a "perfectly straight fronts" kind of trainer. The perfect scores aren't my goal, I am just enjoying getting out there and doing stuff together and working that connection/bond through my trainer weaknesses and his personality traits that challenge us. 

I obviously have something I give off to him in the ring, though. We can be warming up and he's absolutely spot-on perfect, then we step in the ring and we lose that. So I think a significant part of our problem is me, even if I'm not consciously feeling nervous I must be giving off nervous body language. But live and learn. He is only 2 1/2 and he's the first dog I've ever done any kind of trial with, so we both have plenty of time to keep maturing and getting better.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

Congratulations! It sounds like you had fun and Squash gave his best even though he was about spent. It sure will give you some fond memories and everything in between while getting to the top is just half the fun!


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## MyCharlie (Nov 4, 2007)

sassafras said:


> This was in the afternoon and my poor Squashies has never spent all day at a trial before so his brain was pretty crispy by that time. He had a few moments of just wandering to the end of his leash and standing there staring blankly off into space.


hahahhaa! Oh, I shouldn't laugh but I have soooo been there! And his pictures are awesome ("What the heck are these ribbons, mom? Can I just go to bed now??")!! Goooo Squash!



sassafras said:


> So I think a significant part of our problem is me, even if I'm not consciously feeling nervous I must be giving off nervous body language.


Yep, me too. Same with agility. Although we've only done probably less than 10 trials (rally, obed, agility combined), so maybe the calmness will come with more experience, who knows. 

And I'm with you on the not being strict, either (about straight sits/fronts). Obviously I train for it to be "right" but as long as he is enjoying himself out there, I could care less. If we don't Q, I'm disappointed, but he has no idea what the heck a Q vs. an NQ is, so it doesn't bother me that much. 

Again, great job! It's hard being at an all day trial - Charlie checks out and I usually end up bowing out of a class or two depending on how he appears to be handling things.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

MyCharlie said:


> hahahhaa! Oh, I shouldn't laugh but I have soooo been there! And his pictures are awesome ("What the heck are these ribbons, mom? Can I just go to bed now??")!! Goooo Squash!


Aheheh, this is him about ten minutes after the picture on the futon was taken:





> Again, great job! It's hard being at an all day trial - Charlie checks out and I usually end up bowing out of a class or two depending on how he appears to be handling things.


Thanks! The second trial was immediately after the first, and after my bonehead mistake in the first one I wanted to give us a chance to recover. I almost scratched the third, but he was chilling really well in his crate so I decided to go for it just for the experience of having the full day. 


Today is all mad yard zoomies and we'll take a nice leisurely sniff walk.


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## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

Good Boy Squash!!!!


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Great job! Sounds like such a long day and it's great that you guys were able to pull it together after a shaky start. Congrats!

I think it's nearly impossible to not have something different going on in a trial environment vs practice, even for very experienced handlers. Just the whole environment is pretty different from every day life, even for a dog who gets out a lot, so they already know something different is happening. You guys are doing a great job.

Last night when arriving to our obedience class, the previous class was just heading out. As a car passed me, I saw a dog who was a dead ringer for Squash in the back seat. I'm going to show up a little earlier next week and see if I can get a good look at him.

ETA: Watson barely held his brain together for a conformation show over a couple hour period (he only went in the ring twice). An all day trial is really tough! You guys should be proud.


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