Day two of Obedience Trials in Greeley at Evergreen Colorado Kennel Club dog show.  Ronin had it together! He took Third Place in Utility B. The practice sessions at the park yesterday helped. He remembered to do everything. Still no sit on the Directed Jumping, but he went out far enough (not great) and took the proper jumps. No problems on finding and bringing articles in Scent Discrimination. Signal Exercise was fine (not great). Still problems with fronts and finishes on nearly everything, but only points off.

Ronin then did really good in Open B ... Until the *last* exercise which was the Out-Of-Sight-Sit-Stay-For-Three-Minutes.  ARGH!  Ronin broke my heart when he went down after only 1 minute.  Again he had sloppy fronts and finishes.  But then again his heeling patterns were good enough to evoke positive comments from the Judge.

The problem with fronts and finishes is that I got in the habit of cluing him during practice. When I don't (can't) give him a clue during the trial, he waits for help that never comes.  I need to train him all over to do fronts and finishes and keep at it until he does it all the time as a matter of course.  My fault.

We have a couple weeks to practice fronts, finishes, and Sit Stays. And, of course, everything else. 

I need to go buy both Ronin and Beanie some ox-tails. They love these bones that are large, meaty, lean, fully edible, high in calcium, a great gnaw, and overall fun time.