Another Title!!! Boca II CD RN RA

I did it! I earned my 3rd qualifying score in Advanced Rally at the Mid-Continent Kennel Club Round Up dog show.  I am going to have my mom combine some pictures from Friday's not so great performance and yesterdays success, just so you can get an idea of what I had to do and how it all went down.

First things first, mom takes me to the trial. As you can see there are dogs, and crates, and chairs, and people everywhere! It can be quite overwhelming for everyone who enters.













Then mom goes over to the ring that I have to do my thing in and signs me in (since obviously I can't write with paws) and gets a copy of the course I will have to do on that day.  The picture here is the course I did on Saturday to get my 3rd qualifying score.  You can see it's quite complicated and challenging.








This is what it looks like while mom and I are on the course.  I am supposed to be hanging out right beside her.  These pictures are from Friday's attempt. 
















I was right where I was supposed to be in this picture.  Right next to mom and trying to pay attention to where her legs move.













This is a picture that shows what it looks like when I get distracted.  I got a little bit ahead of mom, and then as you can see the orange sticking up behind me, I missed one of the signs.  I did a good job of paying attention to mom on Saturday.  I got a little ahead once but when she called my name I went right back and got in line.  You can see from the pictures there are 3 rings all connected so there are other dogs walking around and people moving and it's a lot to take in.  The other big thing are these gray mats! All of the 2-leggeds have commented on how gross they are...us dogs agree, but we can't help but sniff them.








 This was my judge on Saturday.  He was a nice man and smiley.  He didn't make nervous at all when I was in the ring with him.












He gave me my green ribbon, which indicates it was indeed a qualifying score!  Since I got my title, I won a travel mug too.  I'm not too sure how I am supposed to carry that around or even get my nose in it to try to drink out of it.  I guess I will give it to my mom.  She said she would buy me a new toy if I gave it to her.  I was pretty excited, as were many of my dog friends and 2-legged friends from school.  It was so nice to do well at the trial and get all of the pawsitive feedback!









One special thing about Saturday is that I got to see my friend Thor!!  I think he grew another foot or 2.  Mom took a picture of me and Thor and Thor's dad.  Thor was competing in Rally Novice.  For a first timer I thought he did pretty well!
















 I wanted to give mom one of my serious looks to show how studious I can be.  This is my look of knowing I earned my title, rather than my previous look of shock and enthusiasm.  I thought this was going to wrap up our day at the dog trial, but mom had another plan for me...













 I had to get my 2nd measurement for agility.  This is a scary contraptions.  I really liked getting measured on the table at Bridle creek better than everyone hunched over me with that silver stick thing on my back.  Obviously this picture isn't of me, this is the Corgi that was in front of me in line. You can see his mom is having to help him out too, just like I needed my mom to help me.  I was measured at 12".  My first measurement was 11 3/4".  All that means is that I now will always officially jump 12" high bars in agility.  My mom knew that already, phew.

I took the rest of Saturday off and celebrated my new title with a nice nap and a car ride with mom.  On Sunday and Monday I will give it a go in agility.  Mom says it's all pressure free.  That I just need to try it out with a big audience and people walking around and clapping and stuff.  We are just gonna go out there and have fun and entertain!

Keep your tails waggin'!

Not my best

Hi all,
Well I have to admit that I forgot how hard it is to be in competition at the QuikTrip Center.  Mom had uncle Pat video record my performance.  The first 3 signs went great, and then after that well I just got caught up in the environment.  You can take a look for yourselves:

Thee good part of the course CLICK ON ME

The not so good part...click here

Needless to say it wasn't my greatest performance.  Watching it back mom says that we probably should not have been excused from the ring, but I guess when I went too close to the exit gate that was it. 

I have another "test" tomorrow.  I'll let you know how that goes...

Til then, keep your tails waggin'

Odds and Ends

Well hello everybody!
My mom has been really busy wrapping up the school year.  It's not that I haven't been doing anything lately, despite how the picture may look, but finding time where I was awake and alert and my mom was awake and alert and not busy has been challenging.  My mom is officially on her "summer break".  I, however, am not.  I am actually getting ready to have a very busy school weekend, but I'll talk about that more in a few. 

I have been working hard at school in both my Advanced Rally and Novice Agility classes.  Mom and I have been working so hard at school, that there aren't any recent pictures of my skills in action.  Perhaps after next weekend that will change.  Outside of school, I have been helping out mom lots.

On the weekends in April and May, I went to mom's work with her and helped guard the door so no one would be able to sneak up on here while she got her work done.  She had to write tests and grade papers.  Mom shared with me that she is going to try to write a children's book with me as the STAR, oh I mean main character.  That will be exciting and I am going to make sure to keep my paws in the mix.  I don't want to be misrepresented.

Mom has been really watching what she eats and trying to be healthy.  She has stated that I am on a doggie diet too, really?  So when it was a little cooler outside without so much sun, I took mom down to Riverparks for a walk.  I was such a good pacer!  There were times that I felt mom was starting to slack off a little, so I would move a little quicker and pull her along with the leash that connected us.  I didn't bark and any bikes, people, or other dogs while out on the walk.  I knew that I had a job to do...get mom exercising.  As you can see from the photo my mom took, I was working hard and my tongue was really hanging out.  The awesome part of this job was that when we got home, mom had made me some special doggie frozen treats that tasted like cheese!!  It was cold and one of my favorite flavors.  I hope the weather stays cooler in the morning or evening so I can continue to take my mom on walks.

Mom has also been working to get our house cleaned up.  It got pretty messy there as school was winding down for mom.  So while mom worked inside I, of course, guarded the outside of the house.  Now don't get me wrong, mom let's me have play time and does take breaks to play with me.  When I'm guarding the back yard, sometimes my friends come over to say hi.  My backyard friend by the shed is known as "Big Dog Friend" to my mom.  I don't really want to disclose his true name because he may not want anyone to know.  Next door in the back yard, there are 2 boston terriers that love to play "run the fence" with me.  I have actually got to play with them in the front yard a little bit too.  I think I prefer when there is a fence to run.

For now, I am trying to rest up, and thankfully mom is letting me, for my next dog trials!!  Coming up this weekend (Memorial day weekend), I will be competing in 2 different types of shows, 4 days in a row!  I am going to be competing in Advanced Rally on Friday and Saturday, and then my first Agility trial on Sunday and Monday.  This dog show is down the street from my house, so I won't have to go for a long car ride to get there.  If I can get 1 qualifying score out of the 2 days in Advanced Rally then I will have another AKC title.  My official name would then become:  Boca II CD RN RA.  I am only competing 2 days in Agility, so no chance of getting a title in that this weekend, but I could get a qualifying score, or two.  However, mom says we are doing the agility stuff this weekend just to get a feel of what it is like to hop in the ring for the first time for a score, with no warming or sniffing around or anything before hand.  I am a little nervous, and so is my mom, but we'll go and have a GREAT time! You are welcome to come watch.  There will be tons and tons of dogs around.  I compete early in the morning on Friday and Saturday and around 1-2 o'clock on Sunday and Monday in the agility ring. 

I am hoping that mom and I will find time to update you on my performances immediately following the trial.  Until then, keep those tails waggin'!!