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Stories of Spur: Dogging it in competition
Stories of Spur: Dogging it in competition
Spur competes in AKC obedience trials. He is a miniature schnauzer. This will chronicle his life on the "campaign trail" as he and his handler compete against dogs of all breeds for high titles.
Real Name: Michele McCormick Member Since: March 19, 2008 Last Signed In: July 19, 2009 Blog Views: 1553 Send To A Friend Sign Guestbook Add as a Friend
Spur Earns His First UDX Leg
Puppy Tips Trialing Should be Fun Getting Back to Basics Attention is Everything A Lively Campaign Season Launches ClearLake: A Question of Confidence Clearlake Launches Our Campaign Season Let the Campaign Begin . . . . Spur Gets Ready for '09 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 January 09 February 09 March 09 April 09 May 09 June 09 July 09 August 09 September 09 October 09 November 09 December 09 January 10 February 10 March 10 
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April 9 marks a key date for me and Spur - The Northern California Terrier Association obedience trials truly launch the beginning of a busy season. We'll be at CalExpo for four days for the terrier club trials followed by Sacramento Kennel Club shows. Then it's off for a season that will find us spending weekends in Vallejo, Dixon, Reno, Carmel, San Mateo, Placerville and other places that host the trials we love to enter.
I have lots of thoughts for this blog, and less time than I would like. Please check here if you're interested in my ramblings, but you can also find our quick updates on Twitter. Here's hoping we'll have lots of good news to share, along with insights that may prove helpful to you, whether in a campaign effort or to help you nurture and enjoy your own relationship with that one true canine companion who lights your life as Spur, Petra and Axel do mine.
We went to ClearLake and it wasn't pretty. Spur entered the ring for his first competition at the Utility B level and suddenly . . . the dog I know so well was no longer there. Instead, I was paired with an insecure and uncertain creature, intimidated by a new setting and a group of commands which all seemed utterly unfamiliar to him.
Uh oh. Every dog handler has been there, and it is the perennial question we all struggle to address. Why is our performance so terrific in training, so stellar at matches, but so frequently disappointing at a real trial? I couldn't have asked for a better setting than the Lake County Kennel Club offered. It was low-key, just a few dogs entered. A friendly judge, a calm atmosphere, and virtually no distracting sideline activity. Nonetheless, Spur knew that things were different. One of those things must surely be me. At a trial, I am almost certainly at least a bit more nervous than in any other setting. And in the dog world, it's well known that those nerves run down the leash. Trainer Mary Vogler has also urged me to work hard to ensure I stay connected with my dog. "Don't let him feel he's alone in there," she tells me. And now that I'm more attentive to the issue, I can see that even a brief conversation with a judge or steward is enough to make Spur feel that he's been left on his own. I'm also convinced that another issue is one of simple experience. Spur needs to practice, match and show in as many different places as possible, until he realizes that no matter where we are, no matter what the conditions there are always certain consistencies. The order of the exercises may change, but the expectations are the same, and he is solid in each and every one of them. Above all, I must teach him that we are a team, we are in it together, and I will always be there for him. He has such fun when we train. The minute I figure out how to translate that sense of joy from practice in the park to the actual show experience - I absolutely will have a winning dog. |
