Kona Earned her Rally Novice Title :)

[GBK]

We all had a wonderful Easter weekend. Kona and I competed for her first Rally Novice title on Saturday and we earned it :) She got a score of 89 and we placed 4th out of 13 entrants. I moved her up to Advanced on Sunday and we got our first leg there with a 79 score. The judges were tough but fair, and the grass was sooo tempting to ALL the dogs. On her Advanced run, she had her first jump, and it was her first time off leash, what a good girl. There were more Non Qualifying dog runs at this trial than I have ever seen at any I have attended. I am so happy we just made it through :)

Now I am all the more excited about the clicker training after Sunday. I realize how treating and luring is just not going to cut it for this Rally training. Now that we are off leash, I need more attention from them both, and I need good, solid heels! I have a link to a video my friend took of us on Saturday if you are interested in watching :)

watch?v=RHVSruBlOG0

[GBK]

That would be my other dog Buddy! If I can get the video that a friend had taken of us a couple of trials ago, you would just die. He really was a bucking bronco in the rain. I'll see if he still has it and can upload it.

[Linda and Murphy]

Congratulations! Kona did an excellent job of paying attention.
I had visions of Murphy the bucking bronco during part of that video. lol

[GBK]

Juniors compete along side everyone else and earn the same titles :)

[Debbie, Brianna and Duncan]

That was so cool! Congratulations! My oldest daughter watched this with me and now wants to do this with our Brianna. Did they have a jr. rally group?

[GBK]

Thanks Adrianne :)

Glad you liked the video Cathy, it does help to see yourself and what to work on. The Judge in Rally does not tell you anything. Everything you need to do is on the little signs on the course. He/She sets the course and judges you on if you read the signs correctly and get your dog to do as you ask. Below is a PDF file of the signs and descriptions that you follow. There a few ways to go around those cones and the sign tells you where the dog should be and the direction you start from.

++2008 RALLY SIGN DESCRIPTIONS++.pdf

[fergie11]

Very nice. I'm just starting to get into this stuff. I have a question. How did you know where you were going as you walked around the cones. I didn't hear them telling you anything or was i just not hearing. Thanks for you video.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I am so impressed by both of you!! That was wonderful!! She loooked fantastic!! Kudos to Kona!!!!

[GBK]

Thanks everyone, it was a perfect weekend. It actually was a part of a dog park Jane, I think they will keep this section apart from the play area to rent out for different events like this dog show. I heard they might do some obedience classes there and other events.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Great job, Gina and Kona!!!!! How dare the judge block the camera shot in the middle! What was he thinking???

[Adina P]

Congrats to both of you!