[Lexus]

Wow! Very cool and informative! There were about 15-20 dogs there, and we had to sit down and listen for about 30 minutes before getting to move around. Lexus was BAD!! LOL, okay not THAT bad, but we haven't had a class since last fall, and more so then the training (which I admit I have slacked considerably on), she was SO interested in the other dogs and what was going on. Like rolling on her back and grabbing the leash with her front paws and biting at it..... Poking me to get a reaction:smileysto !

But seriously once we were able to practice a bit, he set up a novice course for us. We were out there one at a time, so I had a chance to turn the "happy voice" on and get her attention, she was GREAT!! I was very proud. I finally had her attention. The person giving the seminar was a judge, so he cited EVERY mistake and how many points it cost. Most of my mistakes were tight leash & hander errors. Now by tight leash let me explain, I didn't have a tight leash per say as most of us know it, but you can't make contact with the leash at all, or it is a tight leash penalty. When Lex got a little infront of me, I would give a tap on the leash and get a penalty. Then in another exercise, I had planted my feet as I was supposed to, but then took a half step that I didn't even realize. Another mistake I made in another exercise, we were heeling and I was supposed to stop and send Lex out infront of me to sit facing me. I had let her automatically sit beside me when I stopped before I sent her out. So penalty there.

So after all this, and hearing my mistakes as we went, not to mention being the 3rd to go, I figured, Oh man, I SUCKED! But no after all that he scored me in the low 90's!!! The scoring works (for those that don't know), you start at 100, and lose points for penalties. I was so excited! If that had been a real rally course we would have earned a leg For a dog that hasn't been in a group of dogs in 6 months, and a handler that has slacked quite a bit on her workouts, I was very happy.

I'm really excited now, and have a lot to work on. Mostly me! Watching my movements and feet. And attention with Lexus, she is actually pretty good at that usually, but we were pretty rusty tonight.

We did an awesome moving down in the seminar, and from a person that didn't compliment all that much during the seminar, to get a compliment at the end made me happy.

 

[LapDog]

Sounds like it was fun though! The 90's still sound good to me I don't really understand rally...wow those mistakes you got marked down for are really tough to catch yourself doing it...alot of it is probably out of habit. You still did great it sounds like!
Great Job!!!!

 

[TracyJo]

WooHoo for Jess and Lexus! I'm so glad you and your girl had a great time. I bet you are excited, I would be to!
I think we're going to have to change our camera strategies though - this post, like many, would be so much better with pics. How on earth though can you take pics and navigate a rally course? That's much more difficult than taking pictures and throwing the frisbee at the same time and that's not easy by a long shot!
I propose that we contact the good people at The Amazing Race to see if they would be willing to donate one of those handly little helmet type cameras that the racers wear. Hands free, baby, they would work well and we would have so much fun with them

 

[Lexus]

I propose that we contact the good people at The Amazing Race to see if they would be willing to donate one of those handly little helmet type cameras that the racers wear. Hands free, baby, they would work well and we would have so much fun with them

:anicam: Ha! Good idea!! We will just have to send it around to share it as needed!!!!

 

[Gracie's_Mom]

OMG Tracy only you would think of that. Lol. It is a good idea though.

Good job Jess and Lexus. You can tell how proud you are of Lexus. She is such a great doberman. She the perfect breed of a doberman right there. Atleast that's what I think. You did really good too. So the two of you are a little rusty but hey still better than Gracie and I could have done. Do they take points off if you fall? I would have fallen a few times I bet. Gracie would have left without me. She would run around the course greeting everyone and everydog.

 

[BackInBlack]

Wow, congrats Lexus thats awesome! Sounds like she did a great job! (and dont be so hard on yourself, sounds like you did a great job too!) 90's is fantastic!

 

[DaKari]

Way to go Jess and Lexus!! Sounds like fun. If she did that good in the first one think what she is gonna do, wow! You might feel rusty but sounds like you aren't giving yourself enough credit.

It will be fun to hear how she does as it goes along. Sounds like good things to come.

 

[Okie-dobie]

Good for you two!!