Finally, Travis has earned the elusive Companion Dog Excellent obedience title. I thought the day would never come. The last leg took forever it seems. It was always something new and creative. Once I threw the dumbbell over the high jump and it went part of the way under the gating. Normally, judges will give you a rethrow. Mine said "Send your dog". So I did. He flew over the jump... couldn't find the dumbbell and flew back to me. He realized he didn't have it, so he flew back over the jump, found it this time, and flew back over to me. The judge apologized and said that she'll give us another chance since it was a bad toss. This time the throw was good, he picked it up and promptly trotted "around" the jump instead of over it. The drop on recall NQed us a few times. He always flew in so fast. I finally learned to just drop him in the middle and not worry about watching the judge. Once he did a 5 minute stand stay instead of a down stay. For our sit stay practice, I have people tell him to lie down and I praise him for ignoring it. I want him to know that he has to maintain the sitting position that down is not an option. Well, he stood up and the judge walked over to him and asked him to lie down... which he refused. He was not going to let that judge trick him..... smart boy. In the end, he finished up at a show in Newnan, GA with first place and a 188 (190 and 188 were his other scores).02/17/2007 Footnote - I had told Travis that if he'd just finish his CDX, that he'd not have to practice obedience anymore..... unless we planned on going to a greyhound specialty... well, I think we are going to do that. In Sept. the GH Nationals are in NY and I think I'm going to take my 2 fantastic greyhounds. So its back to some obedience training for Travis.
