The Plot Thickens
First, I want to thank the Orange County Schutzhund Club for hosting the trial and giving us the opportunity to train at their facility - twice a week - for two weeks prior to the test. What a wonderful experience! We got to train during daylight on Saturdays, under lights at night on Tuesdays and in weather ranging from cool evenings to heat-wave days -- with the famous Santa Ana winds thrown in for their scent-, sight-, and sound-distraction value. Whew, what fun! By the time the trial date was upon us, I felt like we were proofed for everything except snow.
Before the actual trial started, those of us who were newbies had to take the written Knowledge Examination while the Judge and Training Director made a list, pairing teams and determining the order of the Part A tests.
As luck would have it, Beasil and I were in the first pair.
Walking to our vehicles to get our dogs, I asked my fellow handler which she preferred to do first: the Obedience routine or the Honor Down. When she replied that she just had to do the Down first (she was very nervous!), I was relieved. Little Miss Busy-Beasil is always best when she can be active first, and then settle in to the down. As we walked back to the field, pottying our dogs on the way, I was wondering how to let the judge know about our preference of working order? I got to the field about a minute ahead of the other team and the judge had Beasil and I do some informal temperament testing and then instructed us to proceed to the Honor down area. Okay, so much for “the best laid plans ‘o mice and men”.
I platzed Beasil on the ‘bitch’ spot*, walked forward to the ‘handler’ spot, stood with my back to Beasil and tried not to think about what sort or creative things that Beasil might think up -- and tried not to hold my breath! We all know how our dogs read our stress.
Two things helped me get through the wait.
The first was noticing how nervous the other handler was. Seeing someone else nearly pass out on their feet is a great distraction! But I couldn’t watch her entire routine because I wasn’t allowed to turn around, so when she was behind me, I had to think of something else to focus my mind on.
It came to me quickly, something that our herding instructor and I had discussed: our dogs know what we’re thinking and respond to it. So I closed my eyes and pictured Beasil in a perfect platz, attentively looking at the back of my head and patiently waiting for me to return to her.
I guess it worked, because when the other handler finished her recall and the judge indicated that I should return to my dog, I turned around and there was Beasil -- just as I’d imagined her. (She was about a foot away from where I’d left her, but they are allowed one body-length of wiggle-room in the BH.)
*In the Schutzhund world, dogs and bitches do their Long Down on different spots. It’s a scent thing! More on that later.
NEXT: The rest of Beasil’s BH
Beasil’s BH, Part 2
Saturday, November 15, 2008
