# #9....



## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I showed Conner today and we picked up UDX leg #9. It was a small victory on our part because it was at this trial one year ago that our major stay problem first started. At that time last year we only had one UDX leg, so it's been a battle for us this past year to get the additional 8 legs we now have while fighting an ongoing stay problem.

1 more leg to go. I hope we don't start playing "how many ways can you fail utility" now. :no: Our next trial is in three weeks, so keep your fingers crossed!


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

Wow, I looked up what it was, UDX, but what you and Conner have to be able to do is pretty impressive, congratulations!


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## fuzzbuzz (Aug 3, 2008)

Way to go Conner and Jodie!!!! Congrad's on another leg!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

oh wow, that's sooo awesome! Just ONE more to go! Will he be your first UDX dog? Be sure to let us know when that #10 celebration is happening!


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> Will he be your first UDX dog?


He's my first UD dog. I was just thinking the other day that 2 1/2 years ago I had never set foot in an open ring, and now I have three dogs with CDX's and one with a UD closing in on his UDX. Seems like I've been competing in open forever but not really when I think about it.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

That's so exciting! Tito is my first dog I've trained past a CD, and my previous 2 CD dogs were 10 years ago so I know just how you feel. We only have ONE UDX leg and I'm so thrilled with it, I can only imagine how I'll feel when we get to #9 ! ! !


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

are you inclined toward an OTCH? 
(I'm not....)


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> That's so exciting! Tito is my first dog I've trained past a CD, and my previous 2 CD dogs were 10 years ago so I know just how you feel. We only have ONE UDX leg and I'm so thrilled with it, I can only imagine how I'll feel when we get to #9 ! ! !


Aren't we blessed to have dogs that can still do well with inexperienced handlers? I always read about your adventures with Tito and he sounds like a special guy (congrats on your success this weekend too!) Poor Conner certainly wasn't bred or purchased with plans for this in mind. He's the only dog in his 4 generation pedigree to have a single title!


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> are you inclined toward an OTCH?
> (I'm not....)


Right now all we have is 13 OTCH points. But we do have our Open 1st, which is supposed to be the tough one to get. So I don't know if an OTCH is in our future, but we're going to play around for the next couple years until Flip is ready to start and see what happens. As long as he's enjoying it I will keep showing him, but if it becomes a chore to him then we will stop.

It's been two and a half weeks since Conner started thyroid meds and I did see a difference in his energy level today in the ring, so I am interested to see how he progresses in the next few months.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

They sound so alike....Tito wasn't bred to be a performance (or conformation) dog, just a pet. I had no plans at all to do ANY of this with him, in fact, he's *technically* my daughter's dog. I bought him for her for a college graduation present! 
The competition in this area is MUCH too tough for me to even consider an OTCH. I suspect you know who shows in this area....




Loisiana said:


> Aren't we blessed to have dogs that can still do well with inexperienced handlers? I always read about your adventures with Tito and he sounds like a special guy (congrats on your success this weekend too!) Poor Conner certainly wasn't bred or purchased with plans for this in mind. He's the only dog in his 4 generation pedigree to have a single title!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Hey, that Open 1st is fantastic! You've got the worst part out of the way already!!!
I'm not real inclined, but then you never know. He's so very young (just turned 2-1/2) that maybe I'll change my mind as time goes on. Kinda doubt it, though.




Loisiana said:


> Right now all we have is 13 OTCH points. But we do have our Open 1st, which is supposed to be the tough one to get. So I don't know if an OTCH is in our future, but we're going to play around for the next couple years until Flip is ready to start and see what happens. As long as he's enjoying it I will keep showing him, but if it becomes a chore to him then we will stop.
> 
> It's been two and a half weeks since Conner started thyroid meds and I did see a difference in his energy level today in the ring, so I am interested to see how he progresses in the next few months.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> The competition in this area is MUCH too tough for me to even consider an OTCH. I suspect you know who shows in this area....


I know one couple in particular! All their dogs are Flip's great uncles! Not sure what they're going to do for a new dog once there is no more Rocky sperm left.

I know the feeling about competition. A normal open score for Conner is somewhere between 197-198 1/2, but with classes getting smaller and competition getting tougher that's rarely good enough for points anymore. I've been out of the ribbons completely with 198 several times this year.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I think a 197 to 198-1/2 is a TERRIFIC score....and in the shows I've been to, it wouldn't place for points. Ever. Our HIT's are normally either 199-1/2 or 199-1/2+. Seen some 200's recently too.
Yes, you know the couple. And they lose to some of the other big names around here pretty regularly. 
Kinda tough for us mere mortals!




Loisiana said:


> I know one couple in particular! All their dogs are Flip's great uncles! Not sure what they're going to do for a new dog once there is no more Rocky sperm left.
> 
> I know the feeling about competition. A normal open score for Conner is somewhere between 197-198 1/2, but with classes getting smaller and competition getting tougher that's rarely good enough for points anymore. I've been out of the ribbons completely with 198 several times this year.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

Well, I am proud of both Tito and Connor this weekend!



I'll be jumping in the obedience ring with you all next year!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

well here's the funny thing....after the show today, I felt very very proud. But I didn't feel he had "been a good boy" or "done a good job". In obedience, I feel that way. Today I was just thrilled that the judge recognized what a fantastic (IMHO, LOL) specimen of the breed he is.
But Connor...now THAT's an achievement!!!


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Congrats on that leg!


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

Big congratulations to Jodie and Conner! Looking forward to celebrating the big #10!!! 

Now need to look and see what Tito did!


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

hotel4dogs said:


> I think a 197 to 198-1/2 is a TERRIFIC score....and in the shows I've been to, it wouldn't place for points. Ever. Our HIT's are normally either 199-1/2 or 199-1/2+. Seen some 200's recently too.
> Yes, you know the couple. And they lose to some of the other big names around here pretty regularly.
> Kinda tough for us mere mortals!


That just bugs me to no end. It's like that out here, too. Quiz and I had a freakin' 199 in Novice B and couldn't make HIT.... or a 198.5 in Open A... same thing. Then in other parts of the country, a 194 goes HIT.

Personally, I think OTCH dogs should compete in a different class than non-OTCH dogs. I have friends who have chosen to travel way out of state just to try and get away from the "locals" who eat up all the OTCH points around here. In coursing, once your dog is a Field Champion, he runs against other Field Champions. That's seems so much more fair to me. 'Specially when - at least around here -- the people who consistently go HIT are retired and train pretty much all day, every day. JMO.

Congrats on the UDX leg! That's fantastic! That's my goal with Quiz!


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Come to Maine guys for the HIT ribbons! 
Have some lobster while youre here and enjoy your stay!


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I actually don't want things to change for an OTCH. If I ever get an OTCH, I want it to be because I truly earned it. I don't want to earn the "watered down" OTCH. I think the OM titles are a good in between for UDX and OTCH.

I think what's making getting an OTCH so difficult right now, at least in my area, is that entries are getting smaller and smaller. Sunday Open B 1st was a 199.5. With only 8 or 9 entries, that was the only person who got any points. When you have bigger entries, more placements get points. So even if my guy had placed 2nd with a 199 (which he didn't get, but he has before), it wouldn't have been worth anything point-wise.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Geez, talking about stiff competition....

I always check out the results on Onofrio's site for trials in my area that I didn't make. So I just looked up the results for a trial in Texas Sunday, and I saw that 4th place in Open was a 199.5. There were 10 people in the class that scored 198 or above. Of course, a lot of that had to do with the judge, but still...

Dang, I need to get to training!


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Loisiana said:


> I actually don't want things to change for an OTCH. If I ever get an OTCH, I want it to be because I truly earned it. I don't want to earn the "watered down" OTCH. I think the OM titles are a good in between for UDX and OTCH.
> 
> I think what's making getting an OTCH so difficult right now, at least in my area, is that entries are getting smaller and smaller. Sunday Open B 1st was a 199.5. With only 8 or 9 entries, that was the only person who got any points. When you have bigger entries, more placements get points. So even if my guy had placed 2nd with a 199 (which he didn't get, but he has before), it wouldn't have been worth anything point-wise.


I guess I just don't see it as being watered down. If I don't have an OTCH dog, why should I have to BEAT OTCH dogs to get there? Once we're all OTCH dogs, then earning subsequent titles are much more of an even playing field. JMO. And maybe I feel the way I do b/c of the fact that the people around here who dominate trials - like I said - are retired, train most of the day everyday (I'm NOT kidding!) and are out there every weekend. It really makes it almost impossible for the "hobby trainer" (who has a day job, and other obligations) to stand a chance. And this isn't me complaining about not wanting to put in the time to train my dog to a high standard -- our scores consistently reflect the fact that I *do* train to a high standard... 

And maybe they need to re-do the point schedule. Honestly - to come in second with 199.5 and not get any points -- that's just not right.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

We have the same thing here, except they're not retired, they're professional trainers. 
The OTCH people don't want to be in a different class, because a lot of them are looking for NOC points. How would you figure out the NOC points if the classes were split? 
In conformation, they do realign the points every year based on attendance. I think doing it in obedience would be a great idea, too.




FlyingQuizini said:


> I guess I just don't see it as being watered down. If I don't have an OTCH dog, why should I have to BEAT OTCH dogs to get there? Once we're all OTCH dogs, then earning subsequent titles are much more of an even playing field. JMO. And maybe I feel the way I do b/c of the fact that the people around here who dominate trials - like I said - are retired, train most of the day everyday (I'm NOT kidding!) and are out there every weekend. It really makes it almost impossible for the "hobby trainer" (who has a day job, and other obligations) to stand a chance. And this isn't me complaining about not wanting to put in the time to train my dog to a high standard -- our scores consistently reflect the fact that I *do* train to a high standard...
> 
> And maybe they need to re-do the point schedule. Honestly - to come in second with 199.5 and not get any points -- that's just not right.


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