Exciting!

Names were removed to protect the innocent

Well, its official. I have entered Gaius in his first agility trial in Maryland for July the 24 and 25. On the up side its an indoor air conditioned trial so I should get more spunk out of my little indoor pup. On the downside, male judges, so getting measured should be interesting.

Shesh, I hate filling out forms. I think that's my least favorite part of agility so far. And these trials sure are expensive!

The envelope is as big as I am...

Now I don't want to get my hopes up, because I'm entering the trial very late and there is a huge chance that there won't be a space left for my little man. In fact I heard two folks in obedience talking about how hard it is to get into trials in the summer time if you don't enter early. And this entry is FAR from early. But I feel that its a step in the right direction. I actually had the courage to fill out the form and write the check. :)

Now Susan Garrett says its important to define personal success. Now I don't expect to be getting any Q's in my first trial but I do hope to accomplish a few goals:

Goal 1: I do not want Gaius to bark at the judges when we are running. (He can bark at them when they measure him, that's understandable)

Goal 2: I want Gaius to stay with me the whole time (No darting off to bark at judges or sniff, or do whatever else comes into his little dachshund brain)

Goal 3: I want him to move at faster than a walking pace for the majority of his time on the feild. None of this slow poke bull he does outside.

If he does those three things I will consider the trial a success. (Well I'd be extra happy is he managed to hit his contacts and made his weave pole entry but one thing at a time right?).

I should look at this like the first time I took him to an Earth dog trial. My goal was: Show interest in the rat. And he did, by sniffing at the hole but not going in. On the second day of the trial my goal was: Go in the hole. And he did! If only for a few seconds before coming out. On his second trial my goal was: Go into the hole and reach the rat. And he did that too! Just not in the time frame needed for a Junior earth dog leg. Maybe next Earth dog trial he'll actually Q.

My point is that these things are gradual and they take time. He doesn't need to be perfect his first time out, and this will allow me to see what I need to work on (At the moment contacts. It's as though giving him a running A-frame has made him forget all about them). Cross your fingers that we get a slot!

Off it goes, no turning back now.