Water Trial Weekend!!!

WOW!!! First let me say...."dear blog" it's been WAY TOO LONG since my last post!!! I have NO excuse! Okay, I'm busy, but honestly!! Get a grip!! SORRY!!

We went to a Portuguese Water Dog Water Trial Sunday/Monday (we just got home) in Coon Rapids, MN. We had a great time and the weather was PERFECT!!!

On Sunday I took my first step toward becoming an official "Water Trial Judge" OH THE GLAMOR!! I completed my "observe judging assignment". That is exactly what it implies, I had score sheets, I judged the participants independently of the "real" judge and we would discuss some things as needed. It was quite ENLIGHTENING!! It's HARD!! G

Overall it was a fun day and the dogs did GREAT!!! The only down side of the day was that I couldn't enter Mad on the day I'm doing my Observing. RATS!!!

Mad got her chance as Versatility today. Her turn was first thing this morning and she did SMASHINGLY.

Mad passed and earned herself a NEW REWARD CHAIR!! Complete with a complimentary blue sheep. Shown to the right. (':

We were pretty happy too. We didn't practice a whole lot, with this summer's weird weather, and we'd just taken the boat down to the pond last Saturday.

In Versatility you have to complete one exercise from the "Apprentice" level, and two from the "Working" and "Courier" levels. The Buoy Ball drop or the "reverse retrieve" is always included in the class.

The judge drew the "D" package, so we did the Working Gear Bag Retrieve (land), the Apprentice Float Line retrieve, the Courier Double Directed Retrieve, the Working Blind Float Line Retrieve and the Courier Ball Drop. YIPPEE!!!

On the way home we of course HAD to stop for a DQ Treat!! Of course everyone gets to share in the celebration!! Seeker is a gulper and can literally put away a baby cone in 3 quick bits! Talk about your BRAIN FREEZE!! So, Barb showed us a trick that we now use with him, you simply empty the water out of his water pail and then turn the cone upside down and smash it up inside. It WORKS!!! It now takes him a little longer to eat it!!

Kruz and Mad seem to enjoy their cones a bit longer. Although, Mad tends to get ice cream on her nose a lot! (': Below - Kruz and Mad enjoy their cones outside in the DQ parking lot.

Mad could have used a couple napkins!!