Recovering from Springfield

I was so depressed when I got home from the Springfield show last night.  I just wanted to cry.  But we just have to practice more.  We just are not ready yet for such a big event.

Today I took both dogs to daycare.  Well Quinn went into daycare and Oliver went into day boarding. After work Quinn and I went to our healing class.  Ann told us Celeste came home sputtering how horrible many of the dogs and more the handlers were. I knew she meant me amongst them.  

Our healing class started with just getting their attention.  The name game and up here. 

Healing I was to pop him every time he looked away and praise/treat when he looked at me.  My boobs and fat belly make it difficult to see him.  I need to loose weight so bad, you would think this would be motivation!!!

We practiced step-to-the-right-pop, which was new to me.  

Ann showed me the beginnings of the Nose Bridge, another thing we did not know. Also "get-ins from "brick work".  Another thing we have never trained.  

My home work is to work on the nose bridge, get a brick and start the brick work.

Also practiced figure 8 and getting him to set up straight and pay attention.  I did the heel-boot-his-butt, but he quickly figures that out and would hop to the left every time I even moved my foot.  

Finally we worked on stays.  I learned that I should not bend over and tell him to stay.  I should give the command, "sit" and then wave my hand in front of his face and say, "stay" and walk away without bending over.  Same with the down.

After our lesson I put Quinn in a crate and brought Ollie in.  Then Sharon asked me to help her with her dumb bell work with Joey.  I was surprised to see her working the dumb bell when she hasn't done her CD.  But maybe that is where I am wrong.  Maybe you are not supposed to do your CD until you are really ready to start Open.  I just don't know.  I have never had anyone explain the whole deal to me.  I thought you just moved from one thing to the next.  I feel like an idiot.

I worked with Ollie for a while, he did really good compared to last time.  All we did was walk back in forth in front of the crates practicing "with me" and "attention".  I would pop and turn around every time I caught him not looking at me.  He did pretty good.  He had a couple out burst with other dogs, but not to bad.

Finally, Celeste spoke to me and told me, "Girl you need work, you were so lost out there!"  I was humiliated but knew she was right, I did need work.  I do not if I was so much lost, but maybe I was because I was lost on how to get my dog to pay attention to me.  He was, as they said, "not committed."

Well, I have so much more work to do and do not have the time or money that these women are so lucky to be able to do.  I will do what I can.  I wish they had a book.