Hard to believe that today was the last class. We just did some heeling to warm up and then the teachers set up a rally course. (1) 360 to the left, (2) 270 to the right, (3) Halt -- one step, two steps, three steps (with sits after each), (4) 270 to the right, (5) sit then down) (6) stop, lace dog in front, finish to the left, (7) 180 to the left, (8) weave around four pylons twice, and (9) finish.
Parker and I got called second, “Because this will be a breeze for you,” although the “judge/teacher” said she would stay far away from us so as not to scare Parker. Then she proceeded to stay just a few feet away, so Parker was less than perfect. And the down was a complete loss.
Then, while we waited for the rest of the class to go through the course, I got into it with one of the teachers. She said she didn’t like rally and preferred obedience. I said I found obedience to be somewhat artificial. Not exactly politically correct, and she didn’t like that much.
Then, with little time left, we did a heel-off. We started out heeling, with some about turns thrown in and then, when the teacher said, “Halt,” the dog which sat last was out. Now, in Parker’s defense, he was the only dog heeling with a loose leash (I had it thrown over my shoulder to free both hands) and the only dog who sat without getting hauled up on a choke chain with one hand and who didn’t get his butt pushed down with the other.
He was great. Okay, his sits were crooked, but he was very responsive. However, when the person in position nine was called out, instead of doing what I’ve done in all the class sessions -- cutting across the ring when the folks in front of us started to bunch up -- I started out at their snail’s pace. Wo when the person just called out came right up behind us, and the teacher called, “Halt,” as Parker started his immediate sit, he got a nose in his butt, which made him pop back up and knocked us out of the running. My competitive juices were pissed.
And now it’s four weeks before we go back for Basic 2.
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