Saturday, Copper earned his first two legs of his Rally Excellent title at Murfreesboro Obedience Training Club. I couldn’t be prouder of him! He had great runs earning a 98 and a 97 for a first place and a second place.
He now not only has two legs of his title, but he also has two qualifying scores for Rally Nationals! One more score over 93 will qualify him for Nationals!
Right around the time I would typically start a dog in classes, Copper started showing some signs of serious anxiety. We started having issues with him urinating on himself or his anal glands expressing when we would take him in public.
After several months of working with him, I was finally able to enroll him in a Basic Obedience class with ThunderHawk Canine. There were 5 other dogs in a large room at Tractor Supply. He was still sweating through his paws and showing signs of anxiety. But he was improving.
Fast forward two years. Hundreds of hours of training at home, in classes, in private sessions, at pet-friendly stores and parks.
At our trial in January, he took a jump and ran straight out of the ring. NQ. At a trial in April, he finished his Rally Advanced title with scores in the mid-80s.
Friday all our hard work paid off. He went in the ring and showed the judge the wonderful dog I get to work with every day.
Never give up on your dog. With time, training, and love, they will come through for you. Persistence and consistency pays off!
[…] Our next trials were in a quieter environment, and Copper earned a 97 and a 98. Our return to Nashville was not as great as I would have liked (two NQs), but his performance was a definite improvement. He finished both courses. […]