Obedience Today

Made the long drive down to San Diego (Chula Vista actually.) It shouldn't have been that long of a drive, but there were some problems.  I'll get to that in a minute.

Pie got 1st place Utility B, 1 OTCH point. (Hint, she was the only qualifyer- a TINY trial.)  Her score was 177.5 and I had to work really hard to keep her happy enough to be confident to do the signals.  It was a struggle and she wasn't truly happy.  Her heeling was not attentive, but she was not lagging, which is a good thing.  The "funny" part is when I get comments, as I did today, about how happy and animated Pie is in the ring.  Of course I agree and say thank you, but I am squeezing water out of a stone to get the animation I have, and that isn't happy tail wagging you are seeing, but a submissive stress way.  But I suppose it is better than a tail clamped between the legs.

 NQ in Open B on the sit, so no UDX leg. They did the down first, and we got some no sits in heeling so I knew there was no hope.  The groups are hard enough as it is.  If I was a judge, I'd NEVER do the down first.  I've lost so many UDX legs on the sit, and this is the second one I've lost doing the down first.  She lay down before I was even out of sight.  On Thursday I posted a picture on FB of my dogs doing a 4 and a half minute practice sit and she sat there the entire time AND looked happy.  ???  The old, "I'm in a happy place because I get to play with my ball in this park" and she is stressed at a show?

Dottie got 2nd place Open A, 191.5, could have been happier and more attentive in the heeling. That was her second leg.

 

We got done so, so early, I didn't know what to do with myself.  First I had a hot dog- a really good one, not a typical dog show hot dog.  I watched some breed judging, then I decided to try out the San Diego Dog Beach, which I've heard of but don't know anything about.  Luckily it was in my GPS so off we went.  That will be a post for itself, but here is a picture preview.

 (Btw, Pie now has 2 out of 200 OTCH points, so that is not a goal of ours.)

 Also the topic for a future post is whether or not I will be continuing with Pie in obedience.  Stay tuned.  

Here is the story about our trip down here:

I left my parent's hosue about 7:30 pm (after having an early Father's Day dinner with my dear Dad), trying to wait to avoid traffic. Yet I was still stuck in traffic, even at 9 o'clock at night. Then Pie indicated she had to use the restroom, so I pulled off the freeway. The neighborhood I ended up in was so crowded, there was no open street parking! Eventually I drove far enough in that I had room to park and she had relief. I saw a McDonald's and decided to get a drink. I waited in line for a soda for at least 15 minutes. With the person behind me being very annoying the entire time. Finally I got my soda and got back in the car and it was 9:30 and I was only in Anaheim. Drove more, more traffic. Now I was sleepy and had to pull over. I ended up sleeping for about an hour. Walked around to wake up more and got back on the freeway, only to have the freeway come to a dead stop. I listed to KNX 1070 through 3 cycles of "Traffic on the 5s" hoping to find out what was going on. If I know what happened and how long I'll be there, it is so much easier to deal with. They never said anything. Eventually we inched along and it was an accident, a motorcycle involved and I'm pretty sure when I passed, the deceased was still there on the freeway under a sheet/tarp. I looked up the news story and the motorcycle was being unsafe- 

Click here for the story.. How sad for him and his family.  Finally at 1:30 I made it to Motel 6, only to find a line at check in!!! I spent another 20 minutes in line, listening to a distraught/ drunk and/ or high lady interact with some cops across the parking lot. Turns out she was probably a victim of violence, but she was telling them she fell down. Got my room, only to find out it is on the 3rd floor. Ugh. 5 hrs of driving, one of sleeping- and it should have only taken me 2.5 hrs. Still, I arrived alive and with all my dogs. I'm sad for the motorcyclist's family.

Tomorrow is another day of showing obedience, and then the drive back to Ventura County.  I hope it goes smoother on the way home!