# We've seen better days



## MaddieMagoo (Aug 14, 2007)

Today was Maddie's first trial for the summer...it went okay.  Our heeling is what cost us the most points and her recall was a bit slow, which NEVER happens. 

My friend who was there showing her dog as well, said that I need to work on my posture and not look like I have osteoporosis. :doh::doh: Tomorrow I'm praying for a straight back, and a much more animated dog. 

We've worked so hard to come this far and only get a 186. She is capable of much more than that. Is it okay to take time in the ring and praise your dog with some hand touches and stuff? I feel like the judge would feel that we were holding the show up. I also think that since she isn't a flashy Tanbark dog or a dog with lots of natural drive, I'll have to settle for what we get tomorrow, hopefully something better as we show early in the morning. :crossfing


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

In our area plenty of people praise and motivate their dogs with touches and circles and it is not frowned upon. Congratulations! A 186 may not have been what you were looking for but it certainly is nothing to frown upon. I hope your next trial feels like a better performance for you.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

A 186 is not something to be ashamed of. And please remember you are a team - She is not capable of more than a 186 unless you both, as a team, are.


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

As Sunrise said a 186 isn't anything to be ashamed of. Congratulations on a good qualifying score.

Were you working outside in the heat? If so maybe that affected both of you. I've found that the tone and level of excitement of my voice seems to make a big difference on the recall. Do you ever have an opportunity to make a video of your performance? Unfortunately I haven't, but I'm sure it's a great tool for improving your performance.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

You know... I would TOTALLY love having a 186 score or three if it means getting our CD under our belt. And talking with a friend who has a different breed (mastiff) she has said that if she gets a three 170's with her girlie, then she's partying like it's the lotto. Another friend has a golden who got three very ugly qualifying runs in novice - and she celebrated because of her dog's age (9) and because this dog is not an obedience dog. 

You may have higher expectations than your dog can provide at this time - especially since she's getting up in age. 

The other thing I wanted to throw out there, because it is something I have to constantly keep in mind with my own boy and I have seen it with other dogs. When you push a dog too hard and really constantly train and constantly correct and constantly work with that dog and put too much pressure on it, it takes the game out of training for them. 

With that golden person with the 9 year old golden I mentioned above... I think she's sometimes guilty of doing the same thing in obedience. She has seen flashes of a LOT better with her golden, so I think sometimes she's tries a little too hard to get more of a consistant effort from her golden. I think sometimes it gets too late for that though. You have dogs who have been drilled too much and they just slip into automatic instead of actually enjoying the "game". 

I'm not saying you should retire her... but I'm just throwing it out there because I've read a couple threads here with your concerns about her. 

If your golden is qualifying - celebrate that! IF you and she are ready for open, she can do those out of sight stays and jumps and qualify - celebrate that!

Don't be so critical of your golden's performance and compare her to other dogs who may just have a different internal wiring than your golden, or different type of foundation in training, different style of training, etc....


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

ok, you've seen better days, but believe me, there are a lot worse ones, too!! That score is nothing to be ashamed of. Congrats on the qualification, too!


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## MaddieMagoo (Aug 14, 2007)

Hi all! Thanks for your comments on our ring time yesterday. I have officially just decided to not enter Novice B anymore. I realized what a mistake that was. Although we already have our title (got it last summer) I think it's better to just move on to Open and have more fun with the jumps and DB. 

Todays performance was probably because of me. My friend who I had watch us had said that she started to get a little laggy due to my footwork on the about turns. Looks like I will be practicing them everywhere I go! In the store, around the house...etc.  

A friend of mine who showed just today in Utility A with her 9.5 year old girl had decided that two months ago she was going to make her work for her food, because all of her Goldens are chow hounds (what Golden isn't!?) I went up and talked to her after her awesome run and congratulated her. She was thrilled with her dog and so was I! She told me that with her dogs age she needed to find something that really motivated her to want to work. What she decided to do was make her breakfast/dinner her 'jackpot'. I'm not a fan of the jackpot method but there are so many spins on it, and each person can do it one way or the other. 

Anyways, she'd take her out in the morning before work, and do a 2-3 minute session...then feed her after it immediately. Same thing goes for her dinner. She said she has seen a total attitude adjustment in her dog and her dog is sounding EXACTLY like the kind of slump Miss Maddie is in. I think less is more is what our motto will be. I didn't get a chance to go and talk to her again, but I will email or call her and talk to her more about it...I think we may have hit a paw-volution! hehe


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