First off, I want to thank Wachusett Kennel Club for putting on yet another excellent Rally Trial.  I would like to congratulate them on having an amazing number of entries.  Poppy was one of roughly 35 Advanced B dogs and Diva was one of roughly 33 Novice B dogs.  It was great to see such turnout.  I also wish to thank the stewards who were so gracious in accomadating my request for help in scheduling the two girls who were in two different rings.

So, entries were due for Wachusett Kennel Club a few days before the show in Keene.  I had Poppy entered at Novice, but with the completion of the requirements for her Rally Novice title, I was able to arrange to move Poppy up to Advanced.  With Advanced you make the jump to off-lead.  We squeezed in a private lesson last week with Diane, but Poppy has had minimal off-lead Rally training.  With nothing to lose, I entered the Advanced ring with Poppy, the first dog to go in the class.  Poppy was incredible.  She stayed right with me, focusing the whole time despite the chaos of an indoor show.  Minor bobble with the stand stay, but I had forgotten to teach her that exercise.  A few points off for crooked sits, but Poppy was a trooper and earned an 84 for her first qualifying leg towards her Rally Advanced title.

Iris is of course on maternity leave.  It seemed silly to make the trip to Fitchburg with just one dog, so I entered Diva in Rally Novice.  Diva was the only GSP entered in Rally that evening.  This was her first ever AKC Dog Show.  She has of course been tested in NAVHDA.  An indoor AKC show is a pretty chaotic place.  As, I mentioned, huge classes.  Diva didn't get to go into the ring until 8:30 pm, we had left home at 1:30 and gotten to the show at 4:30.  So, her focus wasn't so hot.  I couldn't get her to sit to start the course (optional but traditional).  When she was good, Diva was very, very good; in between she was a leapin' lizard.  Despite an inconsitent performance, Diva also did Marshfield Kennel proud earning her first Rally Novice leg.