NATCH 2 Kaiser!

I have to admit, we're having a pretty good weekend here at our NADAC trial. Today Kaiser brought home NATCH #2!  :o)  He needed two Chances Q's coming in to this trial and we had three shots at it, but considering that his Q's at the trial last month were his first (in Chances) since June, I honestly wasn't holding my breath. Plus I always tend to screw things up for a while when there is a big title on the line, so I wasn't really thinking about it too much.

Maybe that's what helped -- or maybe it's just because most of my mental energy is being used up by Kizzy this weekend -- but we pulled it out on the first try! This is the first of any of my NATCH's that have been earned on the first attempt. Usually I draw them out a couple of trials at least... And go figure, this NATCH was also done on a course with a dog walk. Oh how that was the bane of my existence a couple of years ago. Thankfully we seem to have gotten over that little hump now at least!

I'm also very happy that Kaiser was running more confidently today. He was acting a bit hesitant yesterday, perhaps just coming off the bad experience he had at the last facility. Today he started to seem more like his old self. Tomorrow he'll be even better, I'm sure. Amazing what an effect one bad day can have...

Kaiser's other runs didn't make it on video, but he had a lovely run in Jumpers that I managed not to screw up (after messing up both Secret & Luke's runs). In Regular 1 he knocked the bar right before the a-frame and then took the tunnel under the a-frame. In the second round I guess he didn't finish his weave poles? I saw a 20 point fault on what I thought was a clean run and Travis told me it was the weaves and that he'd written it down because he knew I'd ask.  :o)  Hmm. I didn't see it (obviously), but it happens.

Kizzy's great night last night wasn't a fluke! She continued to play and stay with me today, too! The first round of Regular was an NQ. She kind of launched the dog walk and then didn't get the discrimination of "out tunnel." That didn't surprise me in the least. I was actually thrilled that she took the tunnel at all, as usually if there is one next to a contact it just won't get taken. She ended that run great, too, and I was able to scoop her up rather quickly.

I only got half of her second run on video, but she got another Q! In that run she actually even managed to go around the barrel by herself (correctly -- I had to "help" her around the first time). Dumb barrels. We didn't have them in Elite, no idea why they showed up for Open & Novice. AND she did her weaves at the end with the big open gate right in front of her! I was thrilled about that. We did have a little issue when the next dog came into the ring... It was a snorty pug that Kizzy was a little ooged by before we went in for our run. Thankfully the dog's owner and the judge were very cool about everything (we did have a discussion after the class and I said I'd gladly take E's the rest of the weekend as training if I had to, but it didn't seem to be an issue).

Jumpers was last up and Kizzy was a little spacey, but she always came back and finished the run for another Q! She had another good ending. This time we didn't really have to worry about the dog after us because the owner was running three dogs in the small class and was needing time anyhow. Hooray for a happy ending to our day!

Luke was his normal super-awesome self today. He also brought home another Chances Q (we're on a roll, I guess, no explanation for that awful 7-month dry spell!), which means he now just needs two more for NATCH 5! We'll have to see how tomorrow goes. Unfortunately his Jumpers Q count is still at three.... And that one is all on me. I took out a jump. Literally. I was moving through the serpentine and suddenly thought to myself, "gee, I bet there is a jump in here somewhere" and then I felt it. With my leg. Whoops. It's been a while since I've done that, so I guess I was due.

That move worked well for Secret, though, and produced one heck of a nice line through that serpentine. Unfortunately I royally sucked at the blind cross I did shortly after and she took an off course jump. Watching the video I can't blame her because honestly I pretty much cued it. Oh well. She got another Q in Regular this morning. I dropped my shoulder/arm a little early to pull her off the tunnel under the a-frame (many dogs were taking the tunnel, which may have caused my early body language). She pulled in and came past the jump before the a-frame but we were able to fix it. It was a fun, fast course that took a long flowing line around the back a couple of times and Secret had a lot of fun with it. I've lucked out that neither of her courses have had weaves at the start this weekend, too, which always helps with happy weaves.

We are back for one more day of fun tomorrow! The pressure is off Kaiser, which will be nice (although honestly, the pressure was never there today because my brain was in Kizzyland). It will be interesting to see what Kizzy does with her third day in a row... Her brain may just melt out of her ears, we'll see. She'll have Jumpers first thing in the morning and then will get to sit all day until her Regular runs.