State Fair Dog Show
Aug. 18th, 2012 10:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blairmacgThe first day of the State Fair Dog Show is completed. Dev and his dog, Ty Handsome, placed third in obedience!
This year, because Ty is 11 years old, Dev entered him in the Veterans Division. The dog is eligible for Veterans at age seven, but since Ty was doing so well in the "mainstream" divisions, we didn't worry about it. This year, Ty began slowing down, so we figured it was best he move on over.
This is much better for the older dog because the demands of competition are less intense than the other divisions. However, the division is filled with skilled handlers and practiced dogs who have spent years in those other divisions. So the demands are lower, but the expectations are higher.
Ty managed to sit crookedly nearly every time. (sigh) That's where he lost the majority of his points. But his off-lead recall was nigh perfect. To do recall, the handler must leave the dog, walk about 30 feet away, then call the dog; the dog must come on command and sit directly in front of the handler. Then, on the command of "Finish," the dog must circle behind the handler and end up sitting on the handler's left. Ty has a bad habit of anticipating the finish, circling behind Dev before the command is given. Today, however, he waited for the command!
Tomorrow is Ty's agility run, and we're really not expecting much. As a veteran, Ty can jump at 14" instead of 20", but he still isn't much interested in those jumps anymore. He usually does two, maybe three, before deciding to chest-bump the rest. Dev has decided this time is just for fun, not for competition. A good thing, since Ty has never placed in agility at State!
This year, because Ty is 11 years old, Dev entered him in the Veterans Division. The dog is eligible for Veterans at age seven, but since Ty was doing so well in the "mainstream" divisions, we didn't worry about it. This year, Ty began slowing down, so we figured it was best he move on over.
This is much better for the older dog because the demands of competition are less intense than the other divisions. However, the division is filled with skilled handlers and practiced dogs who have spent years in those other divisions. So the demands are lower, but the expectations are higher.
Ty managed to sit crookedly nearly every time. (sigh) That's where he lost the majority of his points. But his off-lead recall was nigh perfect. To do recall, the handler must leave the dog, walk about 30 feet away, then call the dog; the dog must come on command and sit directly in front of the handler. Then, on the command of "Finish," the dog must circle behind the handler and end up sitting on the handler's left. Ty has a bad habit of anticipating the finish, circling behind Dev before the command is given. Today, however, he waited for the command!
Tomorrow is Ty's agility run, and we're really not expecting much. As a veteran, Ty can jump at 14" instead of 20", but he still isn't much interested in those jumps anymore. He usually does two, maybe three, before deciding to chest-bump the rest. Dev has decided this time is just for fun, not for competition. A good thing, since Ty has never placed in agility at State!
