Tales from AKC Novice --

Ok, another trial this weekend and CONSIDERING we have never got to take a class, and I consider myself a decent trainer but still learning and I am really rusty and do not have a lot of actual trial experience..I feel like we are coming along.

The first run I posted was at Contact Point, the only run I could get videos from because it was pretty deserted by the time Novice ran. Cricket dropped the bar on the panel that is before the aframe, and went over the contact on the aframe, and around a jump before the weaves after the chute, it is hard to see.

Second two videos are Saturday March 10, 2012 and are NQs-boy I do not know where my head was. I totally missed the start of JWW and was across the park, so the whole ring was stopped screaming for me-I was running and everyone was so nice telling me to slow down and just take a breath. Well, I went to my lead out position and was really in a poor position and almost killed Cricket and myself-our near death portion of the video, LOL. Then in standard I just spaced and couldnt figure out what to do because I had accidentally rear crossed the teeter and pulled her off-she jumped back on and all I could think is that she broke the four paw rule but I could not figure out what to do. I just broke out laughing and the judge was laughing, what a nut.

Third day was a hard day to go back too. I felt like I let Cricket down the day before, no one I knew was going to be there, and I just felt like I could train Cricket but what was I going to do about me. My hubby was being a boob and by the time it was time to leave I just sat in the car and started to cry. My daughter Emma came running out and said she would go with me-giving up an outting with her sister and dad. I got to the trial and as I was getting ready to run Marla Cooper saw us as she was walking to her car but said she was in a hurry but would watch. What a sweetie as we finished our second run there was Marla shouting across the ring that it was a great run and we looked marvelous. She stayed all that time and just gave me some great feedback. The judge said it really was a great run and I had a really nice dog.

My friend Denise had stayed all day on Saturday to video and offer support and when I had my very sad runs, she was fantastic helping me keep perspective. The last day we had a lot of fun stuff, some baby dog mistakes and no Q but I left feeling like who cares? No one besides me would have cared and more important then a ribbon I knew we have made steady progress, we dont have as much spinning, and things are looking good, Cricket was able to take food on the way to the start and she was able to tug for a second as we finished. More important then a ribbon or a Q I know that I am really lucky to have some of the awesome people that have gone so out of the way to help me on my little journey. I do not know why some of the people who have gone so far out of the way have done so but I am truly blessed with the most awesome people in the world being right where I needed them at the perfect time. My whole agility journey has been blessed by some special angels at every turn I really needed them-how much better is that then just a silly ribbon? Those ribbons will come but I left the trial Sunday loving agility.