From about four months old I have religiously taken Indie first to puppy class then moved on to the ‘Bronze good citizen award’ with the huge hope of finally when she is a year old moving to agility.
Now she looks so cute and as if butter would not melt in her mouth but the Bronze award has been such a challenge to achieve!
Two things, in particular, the ‘sit and wait’ for one minute (whilst the dog sits on a mat and you move away 5 steps) and ‘recall’
Both of which we could do to perfection at home but in class ……………….. absolutely NO WAY. In recall all she had to do was come to me when in teacher let go of her collar, nope she would run around say hello to all her friends, run in circles any which way but to me! She acted like she had never seen me in her life!
The one minute stay well, she would stay for 5 seconds and just wander off, sit on the next dogs bed, bark, and just be so frustrating it was unbelievable.
We persevered and one day it just happened, we booked onto our test night and I’m telling you I have never been so nervous, but as we did each thing (to perfection I have to say) we had only one thing to do STAY STILL FOR ONE MINUTE. You could literally hear my heart beating out of my chest! And sit she did, our teacher and the whole class we absolutely elated for us, I actually nearly cried!
Bronze award certificate and rosette in had and the biggest smile for days, we actually did it!