DAY 2
Agh. Stick me in the eye with a fork, it would be less painful!
Is that MY dog out there? Must be, because I see Pearce there too. Well, I guess that's what we get for volunteering to steward for a club that we don't even know. By arriving early to help out, Zio winds up being kenneled for most of the day. Can't do that to a high-energy hunting dog; they shut down. And that's exactly what Zio does.
Time for more practice when we get home…
DAY 3
What a difference a day (and no stewarding) makes! Zio & Pearce are performing quite well. Lots of good energy. :smile: At the conclusion of the individual exercises they qualify for Sits & Downs. The light is visible at the end of the tunnel!
Alas, the light at the end of the tunnel is a train speeding our way. During the Sits Zio obeys while Pearce is out of sight. After 3 minutes the handlers are brought back in. Before Pearce can get to him, Zio decides to go down on his belly to crawl over & visit with the GSP next to him. ("Hey, I just noticed you're a GSP too. Howareya?!")
The Judge seems genuinely apologetic as she excuses Zio from the Downs. I can hear Pearce admonishing Zio with a "for shame" as they leave the ring. <sigh>
OKAY CLASS... WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM ALL THIS?
1) Never crate a GSP longer than absolutely necessary, otherwise their brains will turn off & they will NOT listen or perform.
2) Work more with Zio @ home. Pearce was away for 2 weeks, during which time there was no practice. Despite ongoing CDX training at the Club for the last few months, I think we were being VERY optimistic thinking that would be enough of foundation to get a qualifying leg with only 4 days of actual work prior to the event (including one Dog Club session).
3) CDX is HARD. There were possibly only 4 qualifiers the whole three days. It's a big step, like Zio going into Amateur Gun Dog. And for him to get where he is in that he was sent to a Trainer for almost 8 weeks.
What a weekend...