This may be sour grapes, but IMO the AKC is not fun.
My sample of events is limited, so I'll hold out on solidifying this judgement. But I heard at the herding trial for AHBA that if you try to herd under AKC rules, they'll dock you points for having sheep on the field. The obedience rules make it pretty cool to see dogs that follow them in action, but I think that they really need levels going up to that expectation, just to be more welcoming to people (like me) that are trying to get their feet wet in the show world. Jory was pretty on point a year ago, but life happened, and then it happened some more when I thought we had some pre-trial guidance set up. So we just sort of went in to get a lay of the land. Found a stuck up judge at the end of the trail.
VENTING ABOUT A JUDGE THAT HURT MY FEELINGS
I'm trying to be understanding. She's been doing it all day. Might just want to go home.
That's not my fault. I didn't put a gun to her head when she took the paying job.
She was quickly acting more impatient and disgusted with every move me made, and there weren't many of them. This was
maybe a 5 minute sequence. I'd be chill and just draw big goose eggs next to their scores. Not hard.
I paid 35 dollars for the day (make that 2 days and include gas, that's a small fortune to college student for a recreational activity!) it's not like I didn't
want to do well. Not like I just figured I'd pluck a dog off of my couch and go waltz around with him on some dirt for that much money. Yet she had the audacity to ask "have you even
trained with anyone?" Bitch. Just because his heeling is... shall we say... loose-eyed and sloppy. Okay, his "sit" ears turned off for 2/3 of that, too. Still, it's socializing in a weird environment. Value! Patience! Where is the camaraderie?
Jory learned to heel with noms and a constant stream of praise. (because life/$) I haven't figured out how to successfully wean him off of BOTH of those, only go either-or, but hoped maybe he'd buck up to my nervous body language and do me a favor. (Noooooooooo.)
+ I let him sniff a dog outside of the ring as well. Kiss of death to any of those feeble hopes.
Still, she was *too* professional, as far as when I didn't fit the mold of all the other contenders she just fell apart and became a brat.
SILVER LINING
The GOOD news is that I have solid data, and the near future will see us with some pro trainers that can guide as with this very specific "this is the problem we have."
The drive down was also fun.
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Jory behaved very solidly and good at the arena until after our turn. "leave it" = things were left, usually walking loosely, not starting or being afraid. Either he was DONE with the stimulus of the big show (we'd waited 4+ hours. Crate be damned, that's a lot of weird smells and noise.) or the fact that my feels were hurt by the judge antsed him up (likely), or the fact that we immediately went and got his pupils dilated really bothered him. It was rainy but still pretty bright everywhere. A perfect storm for an obnoxious puppy. He started pulling really hard towards what he wanted and occasionally gripe-whining from then on, and it was not improving
my mood.
But the news from the doctor sure did!!!
EYE EXAM
History: Last eye doc I went to royally pissed me off. Worse than this judge: the office had poor communication so I drove 50 minutes for nothing, she treated us like an inconvenience, Jorah like a number, and didn't address any of the concerns that she planted in my head. "I don't know what the OFA will say." Will my dog go blind, you jerk-hole?! "OFA" "OFA" He's my beloved pet, not just a stud dog. grrrrrr.
This guy was great! He took a fraction as long with the light in Jory's eyes, knew exactly what was up, and explained it to me in several very informative sentences. Something about cells aligned in a Y meeting along a seam, sometimes in a fast growing dog they over-lap and you can see it. Totally normal, common, nbd.
So my dog has good hips,
and good eyes, and he totally stays by me on hikes and listens in the house/90% in the neighborhood and canyons. Also his herding drives are on POINT. We can work with this.
FAMILIAR FACE
I saw a guy from my 2014 internship again, he was at the "for fun" local club conformation show we went to in... 2015? I guess they are pretty consistent! It was nice to see a familiar face. Pretty funny to see someone that had a reputation as being the grumpy inventory king dog-talking with his wife. ^^
But seriously, why do people with small barky dogs volunteer mine to eat theirs? Not cool, man, not cool. My dog is an ANGEL. Unless provoked, but noise ain't gonna do that! I think it perpetuates negative stereotypes against larger dogs to "joke" like that. (I don't think it's funny. But Jory has improved from straining towards these annoying sounding dogs to just being concerned. So most of my annoyance is a learned response.)
VENDORS
Oh! There was a Red Barn vendor, and we got some training treats "dog food" at 2/$5. The nice girl at the concession stand who helped me to open a package was all "whaaaa?! Those are like $10 a pop at the store!" Winning. I wanted to get the tendons, but they were 5/$20. Jory would ADORE them! For 30 seconds. Gulp. Also, the lady in the booth just handed me a slice of the food. "Try this. [blah blah blah] beef flavored." That was some smooth marketing, haha. No small talk, just let the dog's enthusiasm sell her product.
Pro tip: even if you aren't competing, check out the show vendors for outlet pricing!
They had weird vendors, too. Like the type you'd find at a scottish festival, only pet related. Usually.
DRIVING HOME
Jory sulked in the car while I fumed at how an entire state can fail so utterly at driving in the rain. [The rest of this section has nothing to do with the dog.] Our 1.5 hour drive was more like 3.25 because of lame-brain drivers' spook level. Yuck.
Some punk pushed their way into my not-tailgating-space and slammed on their breaks, making me slam on mine. Also taxi behind me. 'Mazda 3-!!!' Taxi pulled into next lane and honked at me as he passed, and, I am proud to say, the bird flew immediately and righteously. If he could read lips all the better. (I usually have a tragic delay.) Another rude merger almost got me to rear-end them a second time, so I let a semi truck into my lane and no one bothered to steal my reaction space after that. Who wants to tailgate a semi? Also, it sort of felt like releasing a dinosaur. "Come on over, buddy. I gotchyu."
PLAY DATE
THEN we got home. His buddy was playing with a sort of friend (both dogs) but my kidneys were in pain. "
leave it." He left it, and came inside. good. good. Laid down in a defeated way, but once I was ready I just happy-talked him up, opened the door and BAM! He was off like a VERY happy rocket. They were about a block down the grass-strip, so yeah. Lure coursing for corgis, haha.
Jory's wiggles were exorcised, I got to talk to a friend about the disappointment and mean-ness and happiness to get some of MY nerves out; Jory took a few breaks from playing to toilet the lawn, and now we are relaxing at home!
Phew. He is a VERY sleepy guy. Using a flat box as a pillow. haha.
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MORE INFORMATION
Here is a lightly edited version of the email I sent his breeder after having a night to sleep on it and get my focus back.
I
was in a bit of a tizzy when I wrote the blog. The brutal truth is,
judge attitude aside, I did not set Jory up to succeed like I should
have.
MY ANXIETY DEBILITATING HIS TRAINING
As the trial got closer I got more and more nervous, and started
to lock up while training him. Like "do I ask him to do this? If he
can't do it by now I'm going to melt down emotionally and that
will just sour the command for him. He's got to be smelling heat pee
today, he's not even close to listening. I'll back off. Just get him
to watch for a second. Yeah."
I realized what I was doing, and tried
the mantra "this is about the dog. Not you. Just set him up to
succeed, don't make it personal." That worked to jar me a little out of
the rut pre-trial... "But what do I DO? I don't have a regimen or plan
and I'm supposed to mix it up so maybe I shouldn't make one at all... oh
GAWD!" The mantra also helped me to be optimistic and lower my
expectations for the day "just get some sweet sweet socializing"...
right up until things with the judge went sour. Then my ego kicked in.
Darn it.
It will be pretty ironic if I have to take anxiety
medication to consistently train my companion animal, but I'd rather try
that first than hand the reigns over to someone else. (First thoughts
are a 4H sort of kid or a friend from our first trainer.) It is totes
bonding.
I WAS OPTIMISTIC WHEN I SIGNED US UP
When there is no pressure, it's fun, I'm having fun; Jory
picks up on it, has a little bounce and grin, and we do well. Why not
show this fine fellow off? So I'd definitely say the big problem is
me, but I think my blog could have focused on what was going on with
Jory a lot better. I might edit it. [Done.]
MORE ABOUT JORY'S TRIAL EXPERIENCE
I'd say, for not knowing
exactly what I wanted him to do, he was stellar. Checking out this
weird place, staying by me. He was definitely a bit confused when he
looked at me "why is she dead? Is she mad at me? What's going on?", so
then I couldn't quite keep my mouth shut. We'd already failed the leg
anyway. Also I chatter when I'm nervous. Death blow. He had a lot
going on to not sit after a finish command. Or when I told him to
before an exercise. "Sit" is his bread and butter, so I conclude he was
over-aroused. Poor guy. But he was VERY happy to do the recall. "I
know this! I've got this!" The smiles were back on both of us.
Because I thought you could call and use a hand, but in the walk-through found out it was one or the
other, which he had not done before. We went with "here!" vs a lonely
hand signal. He nailed it. Awesome.
The judge oddly upped her
expectations on the stand-for-inspection, she just lightly brushed her
hand down everyone else's back, but did three distinct pats on Jory. He
was still for the first two but a butt touch from a crabby stranger was
too much, and he scrunched up a little and turned to face her head
on--while still standing in the same place! Small victories.*
MORE ABOUT MEAN JUDGE
She had
a blind eye for a dog that didn't stop barking on the side lines. It
was during the long stays, no less. She also let this other guy yell
commands at his dog without saying anything, so the inconsistencies
makes her attitude with us all the more annoying. "Did you even read
the manual?" Yes. Did you? Maybe it is that preference for
regulars that I've read about on other blogs? Maybe they were heavily
docked, I can't just assume, but I know the manual said distracting dogs
were to be DQ'd, and it performed after. Her ruffled feathers extended
to being crabby with the other Novices that did the long stay (we were
excluded, fair enough since we were already DQ'd.) I'm not sure what
her problem was. I suppose someone that anal generally makes a good
obedience judge.
JORY AFTER THE TRIAL
After writing my blog, significant other came home
from work, and he had keys to the condo that he closed on while we were
at the show. So Jory got one more new experience squeezed into the day:
we picked up some take out dinner and ate it in the empty place that
will be our new home. He was
quite pleased to explore it! I have
walked him in the neighborhood a couple times this month, so he was a
little used to the outside already. The lay-out is basically the same
as where we are now, so that probably helped it to feel a little more
normal. And I just so happened to have been swaddled in his puppy
blanket, so that was there too, haha.
This morning his behavior
had a little extra sparkle to it, he wandered up into a heel position
without me even asking. For only a second, yes, but he was
watching
me, in heel, all on his own. He got a "good dog!" and was satisfied,
so trotted away to inspect and pee on the things. Really must work on
that persistence. And he responded quicker than usual to "leave it"s
and "this way"s when I wanted to keep moving. It's pretty rainy up
here, but I'm thinking I'll take him on a hike today to wash the last of
the bad memories away. I'm sure at this point that I'm more affected
than he is.
THE NEAR FUTURE
So next week we will be moving, but I will be
able to get in contact with the new trainers (our initial scheduled
meeting had been rained out), and while the consistency of a weekly
lesson will help, I may as well hit the physician up for some chemical
aid to my freeze-up feels. Two pronged attack! It will take a
lifestyle tweak to have obedience performance that can brave a
stranger's scorn, but I think a heel without constant encouragement and
solid retrieve (he's not quite there with the "bring") will be worth the
investment. It will keep him safer. As long as these positive-only
types can teach us how to do it without smothering his personality.
On
another hand, I'm really antsy to get him properly started in herding!
Part of me just wants to pay to leave him on a farm for a hard core
week instead of the obedience class. But I think that's impatience and
throwing a baby out with the bath water. I know that if he gets the
right training he can
do this obedience thing. And the herding
trainer will come back from her competitions, her knee will hopefully be
heeled, and we can get on with it.
Sorry I'm not succinct.
*Honestly I'm a little proud he had the sense to pick up on her
negative energy and watch out for himself, instead of being a doormat.
It feels weird to expect him to give consent an just anybody to touch
him if I tell him to. I supposed that's a trust-in-the-leader thing,
the onus being on me.
