This calendar is generated from my two personal Google trial calendars. One lists all the Chicago-area APDT, UKC, and AKC Rally Obedience trials that I have information on. I don’t usually travel for trials, so this basically means the Chicago metro area, and maybe southern Wisconsin and northwest Indiana. These are listed in blue on the page. When I actually make plans to enter a trial, I move it to the second calendar, and these trials will be listed in red on the page.
I started these calendars to help me keep track of our trials, but I hope the calendar page is also useful to others in this sector who are looking for a nearby rally trial, whether to compete or just to observe.
Speaking of rally, it’s that time again for Freya’s one month of “fame” on the UKC New Title Holders page, with her URO2! And yes, of course there is a screenshot, what did you think?
Even considering my usual obsession with getting the online and physical proof of our accomplishments in hand, this one is a slightly bigger relief to actually have in my hands!
First one is dog-related, of course. As you read last week, one of Freya’s scores for her UKC URO2 title was recorded incorrectly as a non-qualifying score. I heard from Beth at UKC this morning, and everything has been straightened out! She heard back from the judge, whose records agreed with mine and showed a qualifying score for Freya, and corrected the official results. Freya’s URO2 title is now official and the paper certificate will be sent out tomorrow.
Second one is that my pretty red laptop is ready for pickup a few days sooner than I expected. I was told it would take about a week, but I got the call that it was ready just a little while ago. So I will have it back at home tomorrow evening, minus the irritating noise from the defective cooling fan.
Production for Issue 1 2010 of The Total Rottweiler Magazine wrapped up earlier this week, but this was still not a good dog training week for me with missed classes and limited practice time.
So it’s zero hour and I’m still trying to decide whether it makes more sense to skip this weekend’s UKC rally obedience trials, or give it our best shot, knowing we are probably not going to qualify. I know, I know. There have been other times when I thought our chances for qualifying were poor, and we got through it anyway. This time, however, there are two exercises that we truly have not yet mastered, and that are very likely to be included.
One is Halt – Stand – Heel Backwards 3 Steps – Halt. This was easier to teach than I expected, but results are still not totally reliable unless we’re up against a wall or fence.
This is also the first time for us to trial in a level (UKC Level 3) that has a jump. Dan built us a practice jump, so at least we were still able to work at home. Freya still wants to go around the jump as often as she chooses to go over it. We’re working on it with the usual strategies of repositioning the jump against a wall or in a doorway. Check out our very portable jump, by the way:
Dan built it using instructions found at http://sotcdogtraining.com/pdf/Jumps_Targetwork.pdf. This is actually an agility jump (there is a second crossbar which I am not using), but works fine as a practice bar jump for us. Not sure how old these instructions are, but the cost has gone up from their estimated $15. Our total was around $25 so it still isn’t even close to being a hardship.
Right now, I’m leaning towards giving it our best shot tomorrow. I am trying to think positive, and really, I should be. Although it feels like we are behind on training, and in some ways we are since we’ve missed more than a few classes and practice sessions, we are actually slightly ahead of the game. The original plan for this weekend was to get at least one leg towards our Level 2 title. I did not think there was any way we’d be done with Level 2 by now. And here we are, done with Level 2 two weeks ago, and not quite ready for Level 3. We’re actually two weeks ahead of schedule, not two exercises behind schedule.
Hopefully that thought will help me relax! Freya is already snoring on “her” couch. Maybe I should take some relaxation lessons from her.
We got it done. It was not pretty at all, but the lovely Freya is now…
URO2 Sciroco’s Freya vom Viersen, RL1 (AOE), CGC, TT!
She was a totally different dog today than she was yesterday. I sincerely hope that this version of Freya does not show up at too many future trials, as she was distracted and unfocused, and it took a good deal of effort (and silent prayer) to get her back at my side to focus on the task at hand.
But the main thing is that she did come back and our team did get through it. The main thing today was to qualify and earn that last leg, and that we did, though with a low score.
I hope that all Freya sees is my very real delight at accomplishing this with her. Working off-leash felt like a big leap of faith to me, and maybe I made it a bigger obstacle in my mind than it needs to be. We still have a lot of things to work on improving, and some new things to learn before we can advance to the next level. But now I definitely feel that we will get through that next level, too!
Even though we went into it with some doubts, or at least the human half of the team did, our first attempts at UKC Rally Obedience Level 2 went quite well today. Freya qualified and placed in both trials, earning two of the three legs needed for the URO2 title.
The original plan was to complete Novice/Level 1 titles in AKC, UKC, and APDT before attempting any Advanced/Level 2 titles. But due to the number and proximity of UKC trials during March, April, and May, we altered our game plan not too long ago and started practicing off-leash.
Off-leash? Why, yes. I am very proud of Freya for being A Very Good Dog today. Not perfect: she did veer off to sniff one of the food bowls on the Offset Figure 8 in Trial 1, and some unknown but very enticing thing/spot/whatever in Trial 2, but she came back to me and got back on track without too many commands. She did not try to escape the ring, nor create her own path around it, and for that I am very grateful!
Our scores were not particularly high, but on this day were good enough to place in RO2A: Trial 1 88 points and 2nd place, Trial 2 95 points and 2nd place.
I was not planning to trial tomorrow, especially since Daylight Savings Time is depriving me of an hour of sleep, but I’m now considering doing a day-of-show entry and hope we can keep it together for one more trial to finish the title. So I’m off to get at least some sleep. Check back to see what we actually end up doing!
You may recall that my original plan for Freya’s Rally Obedience career was to earn the on-leash novice level titles in all three of the venues we are competing in before moving on to the next level in any of the venues. That plan has changed slightly, since there are a number of UKC trials nearby during March, April and May.
UKC’s Level 2 is done off-leash, but unlike APDT’s Level 2 and AKC’s RA, it does not include the jump that we’ve only just begun to train. The two trial weekends in March are both at clubs where we have trialed before. Next weekend’s trial location has two rings going simultaneously, but they are set up with a barrier in between so the working dogs aren’t distracted by the activity in the other ring. The rings are also set up so there are very limited escape opportunities. So even though I’m still not 100% sure of how we will do with the Freya half of the team off-leash, it’s worth a try.
One good thing about training for all versions of Rally Obedience is that even with the last minute change in plan, I had only two new exercises to train at the last minute. One, the Offset Figure 8, is a Figure 8 around food bowls which contain treats but are also covered with a screen so the food can be smelled but not accessed. The Figure 8 itself is easy, but ignoring food does not come easy for a Rottweiler. Or at least, not for any Rottweiler I’ve ever owned. Training the other exercise, Halt – Leave – Call Dog Front While Running – Finish, went very well, though, especially considering it was completely new to us.
I was a little surprised, but maybe I shouldn’t be. Freya is a good working dog. She is not consistently good because I’m not. In the hands of a more skilled trainer, she would reach her full potential. In my hands… well… I’m happy that we’ve done as well as we have so far.
Since I did have the new exercises to train, I opted to miss a fun match that I probably should have gone to today. After weighing the pros and cons, I decided that training the new exercises in class, where I could get help if needed, made the most sense. Now I just have to try and relax, and keep our training and practice this week very positive.
