Three dogs, three legs, fifteen minutes
A few weeks ago I entered Diva for Novice Rally at the Mid Coast Kennel Club of Maine in Cumberland. Nice and close for a change. Also entered were Pattie and her two young Cocker Spaniels, J-Lo and Norma Jean. Well, early last week Pattie injured herself and pinched a nerve in her back. Despite pharmaceutical help and some body work, she could still hardly move by mid-week. With no refunds for scratched entries, we discussed things and decided that if Pattie wasn't better by Friday I would handle her two. After all, nothing really to lose at that point.
So, we set off Friday at noon. Our show program didn't give us a proper ring time so we winged it. We were settled in ringside by a little past one. Rally didn't start until three. Kudos to the judge who really moved things along once there were stewards available. Also a round of applause is due for the stewards and other very tired volunteers who made the show possible.
With the time available, I worked with Pattie's two girls. Diva happily slept in her crate. Norma Jean became a new girl once we used a choke collar for her. We also developed a strategy for prepping the girls to go into the ring and received an order of go. J-Lo went first, she's a sweet bitch, but very soft. She was a little apprehensive, but was gracious about working with a strange handler. I whispered to her in the ring. She finished her Rally Novice title with a 71. While I had J-Lo, Todd was warming up Diva for me. I came out of the ring with J-Lo and handed her over the fence to Pattie's mom. I had time for a swallow of water and a few minutes with Diva before it was back in the ring. Diva was a very good GSP (the only on in the Rally Trial that day) and didn't leap above my head at all. She improved on her first score and earned a 76. While low for a Rally score, Todd and I are happy with that for her. Once again, Todd had started warming up the next and final dog once he had handed Diva to me. Norma Jean was the final entry. There were supposed to be a few entries between her and Diva, but by the time I got back ringside with her the steward was looking for someone to enter the ring. We had a couple of minutes to warm up. I told the steward that I had entry 215 and if she wished we would head into the ring. Norma Jean has had a rough couple of outings. On Friday she earned a 78 for her second Rally Novice leg. Diva and Norma Jean each need one more leg for their titles. When I was done, I realized that I'd handled three different dogs, two of whom I'd never worked with before that day for three qualifying legs in under fifteen minutes. When it came time to collect the qualifying ribbons, Todd entered the AKC ring for the first time to collect Diva's ribbon. The judge looked at me and said Cocker Spaniels can be difficult, I replied that I was the pinch hitter handler for the girls.
Congratulations are also due to Diane and Stormy who earned Stormy's second Rally Novice Leg and to Linda and Phoenix who won the class with a 99.
So, we set off Friday at noon. Our show program didn't give us a proper ring time so we winged it. We were settled in ringside by a little past one. Rally didn't start until three. Kudos to the judge who really moved things along once there were stewards available. Also a round of applause is due for the stewards and other very tired volunteers who made the show possible.
With the time available, I worked with Pattie's two girls. Diva happily slept in her crate. Norma Jean became a new girl once we used a choke collar for her. We also developed a strategy for prepping the girls to go into the ring and received an order of go. J-Lo went first, she's a sweet bitch, but very soft. She was a little apprehensive, but was gracious about working with a strange handler. I whispered to her in the ring. She finished her Rally Novice title with a 71. While I had J-Lo, Todd was warming up Diva for me. I came out of the ring with J-Lo and handed her over the fence to Pattie's mom. I had time for a swallow of water and a few minutes with Diva before it was back in the ring. Diva was a very good GSP (the only on in the Rally Trial that day) and didn't leap above my head at all. She improved on her first score and earned a 76. While low for a Rally score, Todd and I are happy with that for her. Once again, Todd had started warming up the next and final dog once he had handed Diva to me. Norma Jean was the final entry. There were supposed to be a few entries between her and Diva, but by the time I got back ringside with her the steward was looking for someone to enter the ring. We had a couple of minutes to warm up. I told the steward that I had entry 215 and if she wished we would head into the ring. Norma Jean has had a rough couple of outings. On Friday she earned a 78 for her second Rally Novice leg. Diva and Norma Jean each need one more leg for their titles. When I was done, I realized that I'd handled three different dogs, two of whom I'd never worked with before that day for three qualifying legs in under fifteen minutes. When it came time to collect the qualifying ribbons, Todd entered the AKC ring for the first time to collect Diva's ribbon. The judge looked at me and said Cocker Spaniels can be difficult, I replied that I was the pinch hitter handler for the girls.
Congratulations are also due to Diane and Stormy who earned Stormy's second Rally Novice Leg and to Linda and Phoenix who won the class with a 99.
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