Kip and I went to run-throughs at the Club tonight. Our last advanced class ended in October. At that time Kip just needed brushing up to be ready for Open competition. He also has two Rally Advanced legs, and we could have just entered a show and earned that last leg. Somehow, with the holidays and the tracking tests, and all the time I spent training Chase and Inca, brushing up Kip didn’t happen. It’s time.
After all that time with no work, I was dreading tonight’s performance. I sold our Kip short. He didn’t drop the second I said drop, he pranced and danced when heeling and his sits were out while he looked up at me, BUT he did it all — he retrieved on the flat and over the jump, did a great broad jump (automatic finish — sigh), never moved on the out of sight sit and down, his figure 8 was perfect. I’m going to go for it. Practice a couple times a day (losing a week while in Topeka), go to drill and run-throughs, hit a match April 26th — and we’re going to enter the Mothers Day trials. If Kip’s mom gets her act together, he can do it!
What a great little working dog.