I'll have to title this "Just when you think it's safe to go back in the water . . . ."
We got our 3rd UDX leg with style on Thursday. We went to the first kerry blue terrier obedience specialty and got 1st place in both Open and Utility with a score of 195 in both classes as well. We also got Highest Combined Score which won his mom some lovely Waterford Crystal. I thought I was safe. I thought no problem to go to the trial the next day. My dog knows what he's doing. I forgot I own a terrier.

After his success, Jessie realized that he had to top it, so the next day at Hatboro he really distinuished himself. When I sent him to the article pile, saying, "Find IT", he thought I said, "Scent It", so he trotted out there and scented the pile with his own urine. I was mortified, but held my cool and didn't get angry. He's now resting at home. It was a long jog back to Rochester NY from Phili PA tied to the bumper of my car, but somehow he made it, LOL.

Ah well, he is a terrier and sometimes he just needs to remind me. At the time it was humilitating, but in retrospect, it's actually kinda funny. He'll be doing articles in lots of stinky places for the next few weeks!

if you don't succeed at first,try try again -- another UDX attempt
Well, another attempt at a UDX leg that comes up empty handed. It was great weekend, though. I saw many things I really liked in Jessie's attempts. First day, in Utility, we started with the scent articles. We've had that before and he always walks in on the first article retrieve. But he actually trotted in! Both times! I was so pleased by that. All his other exercises were wonderful until the last one -- the "go-out" part of the directed jumping. The point he was supposed to go-out to backed up to the Utility A ring. Right at the go-out point (where he needed to run to) there was a large male german shepherd dog, his owner, and the judge doing scent articles. I've worked so hard on Jessie and teaching him never to even LOOK at another dog at a show, and NEVER run at another dog. Well, here I sent him charging out to another dog. Poor Jessie didn't know what the heck to do. As far as he could see, either way he was in trouble. So he went half way and stopped and looked back at me. I could see he was totally confused. I guess I can't get mad. I'd rather see him stop like that then to think it's ok to charge other dogs at shows. Same exact thing the next day in Utility -- all his exercises went fantastic until the go-out, where once again timing had the same german shepherd was at the go-out point and Jessie just couldn't bring himself to go. I know what I'll be working on next week! LOL!

Open was much more successful. Since Mass we've been doing sit stays every day, a couple times a day and slowly upping the stress level on the stays. It worked. Perfect sit stays both days, and the 2nd day even had the downs first. I think I'll keep doing that with him -- a couple sit stays a day. Obviously I haven't been training that enough.

He got a 195 on Sunday and would have gotten a similar nice score on Saturday, but when he turned to bring me back the dumbell on the ROH, he was not in front of the jump, so he thought he'd take the fastest route back to mom and completely bi-passed it. Oh well, just a little error on his part -- nothing to get worried about. Then I lost us a point on Sunday in Open by holding my hand in the air too long when I gave him the signal to drop on the recall. You have to do it pretty quick and I kinda did a slow motion one -- glad I asked the judge about my score or I wouldn't have known I got hit for that. I'll be working on quicker signals!! Oh well, we still would have been out of the ribbons by half a point, so I don't feel too bad.

My little shih tzu, Bailey, had a great weekend as well. He got a 98 out of 100 in Rally, and first place in Graduate Novice (oh, well, he was the ONLY dog in Graduate Novice -- but his tail was wagging and he did all the exercises nicely and first place is first place in my book).

It was a fun weekend. The fall trial in Hamburg always is very nice and has great tropheys and lots of crating room. I got a crate fan for high scoring terrier, a little vase for high scoring kerry, and a nice beer tumbler for my graduate novice win. Very fun!

AKC National Obedience Invitational
Woo Hoo! My boy, Primrose Jessie James UD is getting an invite to the Obedience Invitational! I'm so excited. That was my number one goal in obedience, to someday get an invitation! I can't wait for January -- I'll be there having fun with my kerry!!! Ya Hoo!!! Congrats to Evelyn and Phoenix for their invite as well. And my instructor, Robin Willey got invited too with her Irish Setter. This is SO COOL!

Sorry, don't mean to brag, but I'm so excited. I wanted to get invited so bad! My little naughty kerry boy is going to Florida to play with the BIG DOGS of obedience, LOL.

another attempt at UDX legs -- progress but no success
Hope you don't mind my reports on my UDX attempts. It's so interesting to me, at least, the process for trying for something like a UDX. I'm really enjoying it and I'm learning so much about myself and my dog. It's so much more challenaging and time consuming and brings out personality traits in my dog I didn't know were even there. Plus I'm learning I'm a dang good loser and a real optimist :-).

Anyway, we went to a big, noisey show this time -- Springfield, MA. Coolest part was my instructor got there on Thursday and set up right near all the kerries so I got to meet everyone that I've talked to on this list and never met. Plus I got to see some really beautiful dogs. So nice to see some real show kerries all groomed to perfection. I was very impressed! Loved the show, actually, but breed wasn't just in the same building,
it was right on top of us. Blow dryers, barking dogs, commotion.
I'd say this was Jessie biggest test since last Syracuse's winter
shows where he completely fell apart.

This time he did ok -- not fantastic, but ok. We qualified in Utility both days with scores in high 180s (I think a 189 and a 186 or something like that). Pretty good, if you ask me, for a setting such as this while we're just a few months past our UD. That's five Qs in Utility in a row -- woo hoo! I'm so proud of that.

First day, Jessie did a repeat of his Erie PA performance -- didn't want to drop on the recall. This time I used a hand signal, though, and just held it up there, determined to get him to drop without a 2nd command. He came in really close -- traveling about 3 feet, but then did drop. Ya hoo! Not good enough to Q, but definately a step forward. But then, like in Erie, he laid down on the sit stay (hmm, I know what we'll be doing every night this week!).

Day 2 in open we started with the DOR as the first exercise! At first I thought this was bad, then used it to my advantage. I did a few drops before going in the ring. We went in and set up. I could tell he was stressing by the way he was holding his ears. I called him and he crawled in at a walk. Then I gave him the drop signal and he went down! Success!!!! I was so excited and let him know he was the most wonderful dog in the world. Of course when I sent him for the broad jump, he also started to WALK towards that. I thought, ugh no way will I let THAT become a problem, and 2nd commanded him with a sharp, happy "Come on! Over!" and clapped my hand in a happy way. He
picked up a trot and did a lovely jump, but of course that was an NQ. Finally, on the sit stay he didn't go down -- he got up! LOL! The little nut stood and walked a few steps. Since another dog had already gotten up there was no one to grab him so the show chairman went and got him. Imagine my horror to come back and find the chairman of the show holding my dog!!! I was sure he'd bothered another dog or done something equally horrible to get this special
treatment and expressed my horror and terror. Thankfully the chairman just laughed and told me that no, he'd just stood and walked a few steps then stood there looking dazed and confused. Sounds like my kerry, alright -- a little baffled by life. Sigh.

Anyway, that's the report from the UDX front lines -- still advancing slowly, but no major battles won this week!

the saga of the UDX continues . . . .
Well me and Jessie made another try at UDX legs, but got none. We went to Admiral Perry Obedience Trial in Erie PA and had lots of fun. It's a great trial and the weather was perfect -- nice and cool.

We NQ'd in Open both days -- Jessie just didn't want to do the drop on recall. Oh well! Everyone has the bad drop days. He made it up to me in Utility, winning forth place on Saturday with a 191.5 and a great score of 192 on Sunday.

Off to Springfield MA next weekend. Maybe we'll do two days of Qs in Open and NQ Utility both days, LOL.

brag -- High In Trial
Hate to brag again, but I'm so proud of my kerry boy, Jessie. We tried again for a UDX leg this weekend, but didn't manage that task. But we did get a fourth in Utility on Saturday, and then first place in Open B on Sunday and High In Trial!!!! I was so excited. He had a wonderful woulda coulda shoulda score in utility (only half a point off), but I double commanded the high jump and NQd him when he hestitated. Just the thought he almost got a 199.5 left me amazed (the next highest score was a 195 so it wasn't an easy judge). The judge told me I had a really nice dog that he was sure would get a 200 some day, LOL. I told him I'd faint if that ever happened. It's so nice to hear, though, that someone likes your dog. He said Jessie hit every front and finish -- must have been something in the water there.

It was a really nice show site -- indoors, air-conditioning. They had signs saying no crating indoors, but then let us do it anyway. The trial was South Hills Kennel Club Trial in Washington, PA. The club was really nice, and the judges were nice. There were tons of different breeds -- bull terriers, a great dane who won Novice B, a bulldog, and such. The judges kept commenting on all the "ususual" breeds that weren't just showing, but also winning. Very cool to see. Put this trial on your "must go to" for next year!

small brag -- first UDX leg and first OTCH point
Have to brag about my kerry boy, Jessie. Our first weekend trying for UDX legs was a great success. We brought home three third place ribbons, one OTCH point, and one UDX leg. Only thing he missed was one little drop signal, or it would have been two UDX legs, but who's worried about that? Not me. I'm on cloud nine.

The trial we went to, in Mt. Nittery PA was lovely. It was on the Penn State Arg. area -- such a beautiful setting. You had plently of space to walk your dog. There were two rings in the building, widely spaced apart, and the hosting club was warm and friendly. Great lunch was sold, along with lots of yummy snacks. They gave lots of good money prizes. We took home about $85 (still waiting to see if we got high scoring terrier on sunday, we got it on Saturday, although we had tough competition from a little adorable wheaton terrier). They even had a "2nd High Scoring Combined Prize" which we got on Saturday, and a "2nd High Scoring in Trial". I really loved that!

I got a peek at the art work for the all-terrier agility trial tee-shirt for Montgomery and it's beautiful. No kerry on it, but lots of other terriers and the art work is absolutely stunning. If anyone is looking for terrier tee-shirts made, ask the wheaton club who did it, because it's really good. Not just art -- but really captured the character of the terrier breeds shown.

Primrose Jessie James UD! New UD
Well we've done it at last! Jessie got his final UD leg with another first place (that's three first places in utility!). We actually tied for the ribbon with his buddy Kurzon and our utility class instructor, Robin Wiley, but beat them in the run-off (she'll be hearing about this one for ages, he he he). Who would have thought! I think Kurzon and Robin were just trying to make us feel good -- lord knows they usually heel better then us.

I'm so proud of him! They had to stop our run TWICE because of loose dogs going bonkers in the ring next to us (two different dogs). Some how we kept our minds on the job, picked up where we'd left off when all dogs were under control and went on to finish. It was our lowest score yet (183.5), but considering the situation, I think it was a great round.

He had a nice walk in the park and a hamburger with french fries for dinner to celebrate. Tomorrow we can just go have fun at the show and not worry about passing or failing. What a journey!

2nd UD leg!
Jessie got his 2nd UD leg this weekend with a score of 191 and a first place (only qualifier). He had a great run! I think I have my dog back. He was acting more like himself then he has in a long time. The trial was absolutely perfect for a green dog -- one ring per building, very quiet, in a fairgrounds with plenty of space to go off and relax in woods. I was smart this time and after a long walk in the morning, left him in the crate until right before his ring
time. Then I just heeled him up to the ring and went in. This seemed to be all the warm up he needed.

The second day he actually got better scores, but he missed the articles. As we set up for them, someone brought a large male rotty right to the opening in the gating. Jessie saw the rotty and was afraid of him. When I asked him to heel to turn and face the articles, he decided that wasn't safe and turned the other way, ending up on my right side, standing. So I just got him back into heel position and sent him out. He brought back the right article but had already failed. Then I realized what I needed to do, and for the 2nd article, I backed him into position so he didn't have to turn and face the rotty. He thought that was a much better idea. He would have had an awesome score -- loosing only a few points on the other exercises for a wide turn and a few sloppy fronts. One of those "if only" runs!

Best thing about the trial was how much I learned. Tom Walsh, the first judge, was fantastic. He gave a running commetary on what you did right and wrong as you did it -- even on the moving stand he let me know my dog has taken some steps BEFORE approaching the dog, which was nice since I didn't have to wait to know this (I suspected it).

On Sunday, Jessie didn't move a muscle because of his help. Ted Walshesky was also a wonderful judge and went over my entire run with me after the class giving me all kinds of ideas to improve my handling, but even better, telling me how much he liked my dog and how much potential he has (something we all need to hear on occassion). Both judges were awesome!!! They made sure to tell me how much they like Jessie and what a great worker they thought he was. Walshesky told me that if I didn't continue past the UD, he'd find out where I lived and come get me and make me. That was so nice to hear, particularly when you own a terrier. He also told me I needed to use different finishes at different times instead of always using the flip finish. He said when Jessie was feeling insecure or down in energy, I needed to let him relax by sending him around behind me or doing a slower finish to the left.

I am looking forward to my next attempt at a leg, no longer dreading it at all.

futility and kerry continues
Poor Jessie had a bad weekend at our local trial. He was nervous the first day but did fine -- just missed the moving stand (walked in towards me more then a dog's length). But then on Sunday, as we walked into the building this huge Dog De Berogu (or however you spell it), attacked him. Then, unfortunately, was in the ring sharing the gating at the same time he was doing utility. Despite this, and his obvious discomfort, he did an ok performance, but obviously not qualifing. I was just pleased he did hop the fence and finish the fight, which I was sure was on his mind. After the round, I got him a massage (they had someone right at the show) which put him in a very happy, relaxed state and he then forgot about the other dog. I guess I should have done that BEFORE I went in the ring, but who would have guessed that dog would be showing at the exact same time as me!!!

It's so hard not to get discourged. He got his CD in three tries, his CDX in four tries. It's hard to imagine how it's taking so long to get the UD. I'm starting to think I put him in the ring too soon -- although he does have the one leg. Sigh.