Finals, Day Two

So the second day of Finals is here. We arrived at the trial site in time for the handler's meeting. ThenI walked Rave and settled in to watch the cattle runs. Some good work there and some tough cattle. Next up was my sheep run. Rave was a bit ramped, not takining my commands to slow down or stop but we managed to do the course and our average broke a hundred so I wasn't to displeased. Out of ten dogs it put us at ninth or tenth.

Nexted up, C Course. Here I knew we where in over our heads. Not so much the off the fence panels. That we can do, but the distance. I haven't ever worked Rave that far. We had ten sheep. It started out bad right at the first. For some reason coming out of the take pen one sheep cut back and we where left with one in the pen. I though Rave went in nice. Not putting on to much pressure or going to fast and she hugged the fenceline. I wonder if she pulled off the pen fence a little as the 9 where leaving to get out to cover causing the last sheep to cut back? Maybe. So we had to put them in the pen and take them out again. Rave was ramped giving little high pitched yelps. Had a bit of trouble getting the sheep going staight up the middle, we where off to the side a good bit but not on the fence. Then she got to the far end of the arena. I am not sure how far away this was but I know with the way my voice carries it was way far. I am pretty sure she could hear me but to project my voice that far it lost most of its 'command tone' I was shouting as loud as I could. Now on my previous run I had people telling me how quiet I was. And I wasn't being quiet at all, so I know my voice didn't carry at all well. So there is Rave at the end of the arena, me at the other end. And shouting for all I am worth AWAY. And she won't take it. I am thinking that I mostly took her on the come bye side when I did loups at home. She seemed convinced and determined that we where heading for panel number two. We got one watch it when. I finally broke the handler's line and went to help her. She looked so relieved to see me. I set her up to do the loup through panel two. I guess the judge told me to move on and I didn't hear that so we proceeded to do panel two. Which with me there she did very nicely. I was going to do the chute but I heard a judge shout out for me to repen. I don't know if that is because I didn't move on when they told me since I didn't hear, of if they figured I broke the handler's line and it was getting late so call the run.

I wasn't displeased with Rave. She was being very pushy. She didn't take her slow downs or stops. But she tried and we where in over our heads. I really never expected to make the cut. We had a respectable score in the elimination round but it certainly wasn't stellar. I would not of expected a 107 to be one of the ten best scores with all of the great dogs out there. Go figure.

Accomplishments, goals and plans

• Competed in our first Finals and Survived
• Actually made the cut in sheep in our first Finals
• Continue work on slow, down and taking commands from a distance
• Try to learn to whistle so I can do distance commands
• Today be prepared to break the handlers line early to help her. I want to make sure she calms down, and slows down
• Have fun with my dog, it is a hobby