Rally Advanced Ripley

Rits

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This day has been a long time coming! My social anxiety has kept me out of the ring for over 15 years. The last time I was in a ring was for 4H with my Golden retriever, Jesse. Yesterday, Ripley and I stepped foot into our very first trial. I knew I wanted to title in person so we did a one take (like always!) virtual run, it felt like our best yet. We earned a 95 and that was our best score so far. I brain farted and did the wrong performance for a sign (instead of me doing a 360, I sent my dog for a 360 😆) so I opted to re-do that sign and take the hit in points. Then yesterday at our trial, we earned two Qs. 95 and 97, both first places under Suzanne M Mayborne. This earned us Ripley's Rally Advanced title!

During the run, I was being overly hard on myself, aren't we always? Knowing how hard we have worked at home, in public places, with varying distractions. All trying to proof the best we could without actually having access to a ring. Watching it back, Ripley actually did really, really well for her first trial and off leash. There were the dreaded distractions in the figure 8 for our first run, of course! Brand new stuffy toys AND they were nestled right in the middle of a small ring. When taking the mandatory jump, one toy was almost right in line of where a big jumper like Ripley would land. Ripley did so well and tried so hard for me despite all that. You bet she was eyeballing them a little 😂. So glad I practiced at home with novel toys and her highest valued toys that only come out for dock diving, but you know she knows these are really not hers so they are much more tempting. I could tell there was some trial stress/distracted-ness from her; slow sits and not anywhere near the attentive heeling like in practice. But she always came back to me and when she did something perfect, she got huge praise in the ring and then we made sure to jackpot right outside the exit. The second run before going in she did awesome with super focus while waiting ringside, staying engaged with me. I'm hoping the more exposure, and her learning she'll get lots of good stuff, that she will start coming around with that great precision and focus like she has in practice. I could see little pieces of progress already just between the two runs! We will continue to push our training to help bridge that gap between practice and trial.

Many thanks goes to everyone that has touched our lives, whether an instructor or our cheering squad like DCF! People like you make a difference in this world, especially to those trying something new as a green handler with a green dog. We won't look perfect but the enouragement keeps us going. Thank you ❤️❤️

Pending AKC... Ripley is BIS U-GCH Melrae's Houston We Have A Problem RI RA BCAT DJ CGCA TKA SPOT-ON RACEN RATI

After our first run... "whew, Mom that was hard but we did it."
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Second run and new title picture 😊
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and for fun, I ran into these cleaning out a closet last night. 😊 I didn't even realize I was in the paper. Now me would have been mortified lol.
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for fun, I ran into these cleaning out a closet last night. 😊 I didn't even realize I was in the paper. Now me would have been mortified lol.
How cool is that??? I didn't know you had been into it for that long but you must be a natural.
 
How cool is that??? I didn't know you had been into it for that long but you must be a natural.
I really think that's what got me hooked. Wish I knew about AKC juniors back then! But I think the part about owning a purebred probably would have limited me. So glad they allow juniors to use anyone's dogs now to try and get more juniors into the sport. 4H is a great way to get into dog showing and competing though 😊
 
For comparison, here is our virtual one take run in July. Over a month of more training happened between that video and the trial video. But this is close to what I was hoping for at trial and then some. Over the next 30 days we put in lots of proofing work by going to various active parks and stores to work on heeling skills and rally moves and she felt great. We felt trial ready based on her nailing her performance with distractions all around. We apparently stiiilllll have a bit to go to get her there to my liking! It's why actively during my run I was thinking "oh no" as soon as she semi-disconnected from me. It felt worse than it was since I knew she could do better and we will do better one day I hope. One step at a time 😁 Just wanted to share in case it may ease anyone else's nerves! There's always improvement to be done 😮‍💨

 
10 points to you for being out there! Ripley is amazing too. Trying to have an intense girl totally focussed on you when there are TOYS there is a huge task. Had to laugh at the longing looks. :love:
 
So terrific!!! Loved the eyeballing of the toys and then passing them by like a good girl. :rofl: :thumbsup: Your virtual run was really nice - they are soooo much better at home. Team Ripley is doing awesome. That includes all three of you in all the venues!
 
they are soooo much better at home
Even away from home! We'd been going to the park and stores during busy hours and she was feeling wonderful. Still a big gap from trial. There sadly aren't many opportunities to work in a setting with other dogs around and people in the ring with her. I guess I'll be trying to work her at the next show we're at but I have a feeling she'll be good there too... so hard to replicate that trial feeling! Only other option is to actually trial but can't correct her any.

Loved the eyeballing of the toys and then passing them by like a good girl. :rofl: :thumbsup:
Me too :rofl::rofl:Thank you so much! She's a good one. She was like "I want to so bad but I'm a good girl!" :rofl:
 
Trying to have an intense girl totally focussed on you when there are TOYS there is a huge task. Had to laugh at the longing looks. :love:
Yay!!! You are a fantastic team and you look happy together!❤️ Congrats!
Thank you guys! Its hard to share and be vulnerable like that. I know though that it might encourage others to watch us struggle and improve! No dog trainer starts out perfect. Sure seeing the end product is fancy and nice but theres a lot of progress thats all a part of the process to get there. :thumbsup:
 
Even away from home! We'd been going to the park and stores during busy hours and she was feeling wonderful. Still a big gap from trial. There sadly aren't many opportunities to work in a setting with other dogs around and people in the ring with her. I guess I'll be trying to work her at the next show we're at but I have a feeling she'll be good there too... so hard to replicate that trial feeling! Only other option is to actually trial but can't correct her any.
Right? There were some people in the crating area at that last NW practicing heeling/ob and I wanted to so bad because the atmosphere was nuts and it would have been great to expose her to heeling in that atmosphere. But she was pretty overwhelmed by it all as it was, not a good idea.

Re: the toy distraction - in NW they put out distractions and one of the runs that Reckless did there was a big ol' toy like that and she went by it, grabbed it, gave it a death shake, then dropped it and kept on hunting odor. It was hysterical. No points off, judges were laughing.
 
If y'all want a really good laugh, here's Ripley in April at her last day of rally practice. I was sick so Derek took her because we knew she needed as much "ring" exposure as possible and we already missed 1/6 days...This is his first time off leash with her, and go easy on him with her crabbing... he doesn't do the obedience stuff as much. Let's say though that she's taking advantage that Dad is in "control" 🤣🤣🤣 My dear friend recorded for me, she loves Ripley and us so! Her commentary just adds to it 😂



The video above was stopped too soon. This is what she did after everyone clapped at the end 😆
 

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