Last Rally-O trial of the year, at our own training center, and we accomplished all that we set out to accomplish! (Or, Ein just wanted some cheese and we accomplished what I wanted to accomplish.)
I entered Ein in Levels 1-3 and Veterans. We needed one more Double Q in Levels 1 and 2 for his Rally Champion Excellent (ARCHX) and we needed one more Q in Level 3 for his RL3. And the Veterans? My only remaining Rally-O goal for Ein is his RLVX, but I am in no hurry for that. Not sure why I put him in a Vets run today other than I Wanted To.
First was Level 1 and Einey was rocking! He got his second ever perfect score, a 210/210! That score put him in the ribbons, Second Place, there were a lot of good teams entered today! There was music playing during the trial and Say Hey (I Love You) by Michael Franti & Spearhead was playing during our run. It was kind of perfect and cute and it made walking the course even more fun. I love you, I love you, I love you!
Next was Level 2. This was it, if we got this we got our ARCHX!! Ein was a little more stressy this time around but he still turned out a fine score of 207/210 and earned his ARCHX! When they pinned the class I said it was our ARCHX and everyone clapped. Ein corgi-grinned up at everyone like, "What? Can I have more cheese?" He got a big old ribbon and I am so stinking proud of him! We have really brought our Level 2 scores up since the summer, he is a good boy. Behold, video!
But that's not all! Molly was entered in her very first Level 2 run as well! Off leash, gulp! She really rocked it with a 205 and first place in the 2A class. There was some part of me that was worried that she would judge visit, or take off on a mad zoomie run after the jump but she held it together and worked hard. I won't lie, I was very glad that the "Figure 8 with distractions" food bowl exercises was not in the course for both dogs' sake and I was very glad that the Halt-Call Front While Running sign was not there. That would have been a very hard one for Molly!
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| Is this edible? No? Not interested. |
Next was filthy Level 3! Ein was stressy stressy and hard to work with on this course, not the dance and connection that I enjoyed on Level 1. He completely blew me off on the first sign, the pivot that we had been doing the entire day so I redid it. For some reason I thought that if he did not pivot with me I would lose ten points so I redid it. I think that is an AKC rule. I get confused.
When I called him for the drop on recall he stared at me but I waited him out instead of re-cueing and he came and did do a nice drop. And he also managed to be (almost) straight on the bonus exercise.
I thank the "rally gods" over and over and over that the directed jump was not in today's course.
So, he made me work hard but we got a 204/210 and his RL3 title at LAST!
By then the dusting of forecasted snow had started hours ahead of schedule and was laying heavy on the roads. Most everyone had vacated the training building but we still had our Veterans run to go (with the snow and Ein's burn out, I wished that I had not entered it. But not enough to scratch!)
Every single one of the five veteran dogs got 210's! There were many great teams and sweet white faces working. Ein placed 4th in the B class as the slowest perfect score vet but hey, I'll take it! I had to re-cue him on the Sit-Stand but you are allowed one "free" re-cue per exercise in Vets. Another reason to love it! Guess why else I love vets? NO DIRECTED JUMP ALLOWED!
We also got two huge plush squeakie bones for the two first place placements, and two huge cookies for the 2nd and 4th places. I stayed afterwards to help clean up the training center and put away all of our rally toys.
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| Ein's special treat for earning his ARCHX is one of his favorite Red Barn filled bones. YUM! |
So. That's the end of the road for Rally-O title goals for Ein - aside from continuing in Veterans at close and convenient trials. We could go on. There is the Rally Champion Extraordinaire title. To earn that Ein would need 10 QQ's in Levels 2 and 3. And beyond that is the Rally Master Champion - 10 QQQ's in Levels 1-3. There is even the RAE title in AKC, 10 QQ's in Advanced and Excellent classes. But, I think this will be good enough for Ein and I. We have been working for the better part of half a year to get a good Directed Jump and it is still a shaky exercise at best. Only one of his actual Q's in Level 3 contained that exercise, and other times that we saw it - we NQ'd on it. I do have to wonder how Ein might do if I took him to a trial and only did Level 3. If he wasn't burned out by the other courses, would he be less stressy for the more difficult exercises? That is something that I would not mind trying.
But a quest for ten QQ's and beyond? Nah. With Ein, it just seems exhausting and expensive to me.
I would rather have fun in Vets, have fun in the odd CPE agility entry, finish his CD-C...and let the more intense goals to my younger dogs. Rally has made my boy so much more social than I could have ever imagined and I am so grateful for that. What a fun year we have had!
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