Two Weeks to the Seattle Kennel Club Trial

Two weeks before the Seattle Kennel Club trial, I had entered Al in an event a couple of hours away for just one day of trialing. I wanted to go to the SKC trial in 2 weeks with 19 Double Q's so we would have a chance at finishing the MACH at the SKC.   In our morning run, Al had a beautiful  Standard run, and the afternoon's JWW course was perfect for Al to do really well on. It was pretty exciting to think that we could get the the SKC Trial needing only one more Double Q!!

Before we ran JWW I was visiting with another competitor Bob Kirkbride at the start line just before Al and I went into the ring.  I always hold Al in my arms before we go in the ring, but this day as we talked I thought, ...."hmmm, it's time I let Al have a little independence on the way into the ring.  All that heeling practice works well getting him focused outside the ring, we'll just do that on the way in to the start line, and he'll be really focused and ready to tear up the course!!".   It was a great idea!! So just before we went into the ring; still in conversation with Bob, I plunked Al onto the ground.  Right where we were standing there was a popcorn sized treat of some delicious bait that someone had carelessly dropped.  Al hit the ground, took a couple of steps, and "Hoommph!!" .  The morsel of his dreams was in his mouth and he was on a hunt for more of it.   

At this point, the failure of my great idea/experiment brought to mind the reason why I always had held Al in my arms prior to going into the ring.  If there was food on the ground and Al had a chance to go hunting for it, he was going to do that regardless of what I had to say about it.    I led Al into the ring, but his heart was where he found that morsel.  He was totally amped when I took off his leash in his no-sit/no-stay.  A nanosecond after the leash came off, Al broke, crossed the start line, and went out 5  feet into the course looking for something to eat just like what he had finished.  When he realized that there wasn't anything, and heard my call, he came back to me having earned an NQ before the clock had even started.  We started again and went on to have a great run that was clean, under 30 seconds, and kept us 2 Double Qs away from getting the MACH at the Seattle Kennel Club trial, which in two weeks would be our next trial.  It was going to be an impossible task to get 2 Double Q's at the SKC trial!! 

Follow this link to the Seattle Kennel Club Trial.