Happy Labor Day! INstead of laboring, my friend and I rented the training building to work our puppies. Can I still call Pizza a puppy? Yes, I think so, she is still so puppy-like.

I have trouble with a few elements like rear crosses, and I also have some trouble with her reading my motion (i.e. deceleration) and instead just blasting ahead to take whatever looks enticing in front of her...but I can't fault her enthusiasm! We managed to get 12 weaves a few times, which is awesome (since we just started those last week). Dare I get excited? YES!

Pizza got to participate in her first "real" agility seminar tonight. It was a 3 hour seminar all with dogs that are currently competing. Pizza actually held her own with all those more experienced dogs! She did a lot better in reading my motion tonight. I have to work on odd wevae pole entries, because that seemed to really confuse her. But other than that, she was nailing everything I asked of her. The best part is I ended the 3 hour session with the same happy, energetic, drive-y dog that I started with! I am so excited about her future...

It was nice for a change to be able to sleep in my own bed and head to a conformation show in the morning. The show was close enough that I was able to go and show Pizza in breed in the morning, head home and relax, and then bring Dolphin back later for the 4-6 month puppy show.

Pizza did NOT show great - would not stand still, kept moving her feet during her stack...very frustrating. However, she looked wonderful, and we picked up a Best of Opposite over 4 other bitch specials (and a 3 point major in class bitches) to earn her third grand champion major! Now we just need to gather single points to finish off that title. She also won Owner-Handled Best of Breed and won a really cool sparkly cup!

I brought both dogs back to the show later in the afternoon, but I knew it was going to be a tight schedule between the puppy show and Pizza's owner-handled group. Dolphin went in and showed wonderfully, won the sporting group, but unfortunately while I was in puppy best in show, the owner-handled group was finishing up. Dolphin got no love in best in show, and Pizza missed her group. Kind of a bummer ending on what looked to be a very promising day.

Today's schedule was similar to yesterday's, other than there wouldn't be a conflict later in the day. Pizza was all over the place, but we ended up Select Bitch (for another GC major), and won owner-handled best of breed again! This time we won a really cool sparkly bucket. Kind of exciting to me, because usually when a cool prize is being given, my loss is a sure bet! Pizza broke the curse for me...yay!

I watched my videos, analyzed everything I was doing and what Pizza was doing in response to what I was doing, and figured out that part of her problems are being caused by me...I inadvertently trained her to move her feet around by rewarding her with the bait at the wrong time. A pretty elementary move, duh me! When she was a baby puppy, I let her nibble on the bait while I moved her legs into position, mainly so that she would hold still. Now, when she would move a foot, I brought the bait back to her so I could move her foot back...thus rewarding her for moving. Stupid, stupid me. So I have some serious re-training to do before our next show (which is a HUGE one!). To say I am a bit frustrated with myself is an understatement. I know better. I should know better. DUH.

We headed home to relax, then came back for the afternoon. Dolphin was first on the agenda. He showed wonderfully, but got beat in the puppy sporting group. His first loss! I was thrilled with how he showed, so it still was a win for me. I wasn't very happy with how the judge ripped his mouth open to look at his bite. Sorry, but judges should always let the handler show the bite on a beginner puppy! Dolphin, who is usually rock solid, did back away from her rough handling. Hopefully this will not become an issue for him. He continued to show great after that. Kind of funny that for some reason I have not trained the bad habits into him that I did with Pizza. I guess it is because he took to the whole stacking and standing still idea so quickly, that it took very little training to continue that habit. He and Pizza train very differently, and it is up to me to remember that and adjust my training style appropriately. Ugh. So much to learn and remember! I need a second brain.

Pizza went into the owner-handled sporting group and while she wasn't perfect, she was greatly improved over this morning, and ended up coming out with a sporting group 4! I am very very happy with that...always happy with improvement, and especially happy when the improvement yields results! It ended up being a very good, educational weekend for me!

Today was one of those days. I went to bed last night feeling pretty good about myself. Then Monday hit...with a vengeance.

First on the slap-down agenda was Dolphin. I had my first private agility foundations lesson with him. Now granted, it was only his second time in the training building. But I swear he completely lost his brain. "Sit? What's that?" He forgot the most basic commands, he was distracted and all over the place.

It was a little embarrassing. I KNOW I have worked hard on his training, and I KNOW he can do most of what I was asking. I have to take into account the situation, his age, and just be patient. But geeze...talk about making me look foolish!

Then it was Pizza's turn, for her very first "big girl" agility class. On the plus side, I would say she held her own with the other dogs who have already been competing. But she lost her brain for most of the class...constantly barking at the other dogs. She was a little freaked out by all of the hair on the sheepdog, and another dog kept eyeing her, making her bark at him. It was frustrating to me because I had a very hard time keeping her focus, mainly when we were standing around or trying to walk a course. When it was her turn to work, she actually did pretty good. But the down times were a struggle. I suppose that will come with time, but it was surprising to me because she was doing so well in her other class, paid very little attention to the other dogs for the most part (other than a few drive-by visits).

I have to remember, she is just over a year old...still very much a puppy. I also have to remember that training isn't a slow climb up a mountain, it is more hills and valleys with obstacles and rivers to cross. At the other side of a valley is usually the top of a hill, so just get to it and keep plugging ahead.

I did some field training today, and I got to handle Pizza on horseback! We are preparing for her (hopefully!) field futurity next year where I will have to do it from horseback. We didn't plant any birds, we just set her loose with another dog who has field trial experience, and got her used to running and listening to me while I was in the saddle. It was a total blast, though any moment in the saddle is FUN for me.

I handled Noodle on foot, and she did really well. We are aiming for her first senior hunter test at the beginning of November...and I am scared but I think it might be doable!

Dolphin was a lot of fun today. He held his first point beautifully, but after that he got excited and wanted to jump on the birds, so back to the check cord we went. I love his enthusiasm, and now we have to work a bit on his obedience. All in all a super fun day!

Dolphin had his second puppy agility foundations seminar today. Once again the little man did me proud. I was surprised that his focus was a lot better than it was in my lesson earlier this week. Gotta keep reminding myself that puppy training ebbs and flows...you have to ride with it and stick it out. Here are some highlights that we did in our seminar:

We hit the road on Monday and headed south to Tampa for a 5 day dog show. Crazy? Yup! But it gives me more time to train and work with Pizza in the ring (and hopefully gain some NOHS points) and also it is Dolphin's last chance to show in the 4-6 month puppy stuff.

Pizza showed decent, better than she did a few weeks ago but still a work in progress. She didn't get placed other than owner-handled best of breed, and ended up with nothing in the OH group (but I had a lot of trouble with her feet sliding on the slippery mats).

Dolphin was a rock star, which seems to becoming the norm for him (what a nice surprise!). He stacked beautifully, gaited nicely, and just had a a plain old good time in the ring showing off.

He went in to the puppy sporting group and took a very nice sporting group 3 out of a large class. I am loving how he is showing - he goes in the ring so confident, and when I stack him he is all about business. So very similar to Pretzel, but more like when Pretzel was trained and an adult...Dolphin seems to be a bit of an old soul when it comes to work.

Thursday was another good day - Pizza continued to make progress, won another owner-handled best of breed (nothing in group), and Dolphin increased his rockstar status by moving up a placement with a puppy sporting group two.

Friday was another day of progress with Pizza. She is starting to show REALLY well, but just can't seem to get a nod from the judge. She did win owner-handled best of breed again, but I ended up having to miss her sporting group because of a conflict with Dolphin's class. I kept telling myself that Pizza has her entire career ahead of her, and Dolphin's puppy career ends after this week, so he needs priority right now. Good thing I did, because Dolphin moved up another notch and took a tough puppy sporting group ONE! I was so very proud. I know it's just beginner puppy, but this was a tough class and he shone like a star.

What better way to spend my birthday than at a dog show in Florida! Pizza started off the morning showing extra good...of course got ignored, but did pick up her 4th owner-handled best of breed this week. Unfortunately yet again there was a conflict with her owner-handled group and Dolphin's puppy class...breaks my heart! I stayed on Dolphin, as we had already decided to leave early tomorrow, thus making this Dolphin's very last 4-6 month puppy class of his lifetime.

It was the right choice to make, as my little rock star took another puppy sporting group ONE!!! He is so much fun to show. I have to watch myself now...I found that I am in the beginning stages of training the same bad habits to him as I accidentally did with Pizza. Time to work on myself and my handling again. But happy birthday to me, what a great day!

I got up, showed Pizza, she showed great, and we got nothing. That should be the end of the story for today. Oh, and we loaded up and headed north back to Ohio. BUT something BIG was happening in Pennsylvania while we were driving! Darla (Cadence's trainer) was piloting Cadence in her very first show under saddle. When I got the news that she WON the 2yo hunter under saddle class under ALL FOUR JUDGES I could have fainted. Granted, there were only three in the class, but they were three well-broke, well-trained 2 year olds. My filly, my second generation breeding, WON her very first time out, and won BIG under all of the judges. Yes, I cried. Of course I cried...sat there in the motor home while Mark was driving up I-75 in the middle of Georgia and I cried...mainly thinking of the foals I lost, the mares I lost, all of the tragedies and heartaches leading up to this. My tears were good tears, because I am SO happy that I didn't give in and give up like I was tempted to. I stuck with it and kept trying. For the past year or two I have been actually too afraid to get excited about Cadence. I have been waiting for the disaster to hit, because surely there is one coming, right? Maybe not. Maybe this time, just this time, FINALLY this time it will all come together for me and my dreams that I have been afraid to even think about let alone give voice to will come to life. I am still being cautious with my dreams, but right now I am just enjoying the pure joy. Wish I could have been there to see it in person.

I left Florida's sunny, 95 degree weather to come home to Ohio's 55 degree rainstorm. Yay. Feel my excitement. Today would have been a total wash, but I got home in just enough time to take Pizza to her agility class. I wasn't expecting much - she was pretty bad 2 weeks ago for her first class, and we missed last week. WRONG! She was awesome!!!! She is fast, like a rocket ship off the start line, and I worked a bit on her focus and it improved by leaps and bounds within the first 15 minutes of class. Her enthusiasm was HIGH, but her control was also, and that made it so much fun! I am frightened to even bring this up, but we are going to attempt our first agility trial on her birthday when she turns 15 months old (AKC's "legal" age for agility trials). It may be nothing more than a training exercise, but it needs to happen so i know what to work on. I am excited! I swear, between her, Cadence, and Dolphin, I spent this evening in a bit of a euphoria. Plus I got to come home and see my Noodle that I have missed terrible all week. I love Florida, but it is good to be home.