Welcome back to the blog!
Since passing our Urban CGC in May, we’ve made some good progress. We have continued going to class, but the drills are the same thing again and again and I think we are both getting bored. Due to a west coast client that insists on late day (my time) calls, I haven’t been able to make every week but I think we need a bit of a break from that. I also started working with a private trainer to see if I could learn some new tactics to help Beau manage his excitement when he sees dogs that can’t greet. It is amazing how quickly he learns. We learned a “double down“ and he picked it up in 45 seconds! I was amazed. I have also learned that despite my already very disciplined structure with him, there was room for more. So, I’ve incorporated some new protocols and they seem to be working.

We have been walking with friends in town and had a few Maryland friends drive into the city to walk with us, so Beau has been having a great time. Since DC is finally getting typical summer weather, we’ve been doing nose work in the storage room in the basement of my building. The building was built in 1938, so this space is dark, weird, and (to me) scary. Each resident has a dedicated storage cage and there are a lot of interesting smells as well as old plumbing and nooks around each turn. It has been a lot of fun for him to run around and find the hides. We’ve lost some skill since we haven’t been at scent class for months, but he is remembering better than I thought he would.

We did have 2 consecutive episodes of over-exuberance that echoed the worst of what we had a year ago. Those put me in a funk of self-doubt but Doberman-owning friend gave me his ‘tough love’ words of wisdom and I’ve been able to gain objectivity and see what I could have done better. Comparatively, they were no big deal but given that we have worked so hard, it felt HUGE to me. The good news is that I’ve been able to employ our new skills since then and avoid any outburst. Yay!

While I was out of town for a few days, Beau got to stay with a gorgeous Samoyed named Georgia. He was in heaven and did not seem enthused to see me when I got back! What was especially nice is that the folks that cared for him are clients of my private trainer so they were able to keep up the new structure.

As I may have written before, I still have hopes of getting Beau’s Novice CD this year. We will try for 2 legs next weekend. Yesterday we went out to that facility for a run-through. That host club structured it just like a regular show so we had all the usual sights, sounds, and set-ups. The only difference is that we were able to correct in the ring and the “judge” gave reminders, pointers, and time for Q&A. I almost didn’t go but SO glad I did.

We got there at 9am and didn’t even get in the ring until 1:30 or so. Heeling was sloppy (he was super distracted) but everything else was good. Best recall front we’ve ever had and a solid stand for exam. He also stayed on place and in a double down for most of the time we had to wait. We had dogs passing within a foot of his nose and he didn’t even try to greet them. He was able to greet a good looking Dobie girl, Raven, owned by Don Levinson. Some of you may know him…he’s been in the breed since 1973 and earned a lifetime achievement from the AKC in 2016. He is a lovely person and has made a point to come say hi to Beau and me since we first started showing. He has given me great tips each time and we got to chat for a long while yesterday. Raven is a pip and it was helpful to see how he handled her, the corrections he gave in the ring, and the fixes he applied. Watching one of the best is a great education.

This seems to be the “Summer of Beau” and I am here for it!

Thanks for stopping by!