Chalk One Up to the Underdogs

Okay, let's be honest, when it comes to competition obedience, how much of an underdog could a Border Collie and Aussie really be, but believe it or not, in my neck of the woods, the two dogs pictured, Logan and Phoenix, kind of are. Dog sports within the mid-Atlantic area (PA, NJ, VA, MD) is highly competitive. Earning an OTCH (Obedience Trial Championship) has become more and more elusive through the years, and has become limited to trainers who view competition almost as seriously as a job, rather than a part-time hobby. For us part-timers, particularly those of us who use only positive methods and have more of a pet person mentality (those of you involved in dog sports will know exactly what that means), no matter what breed we have, we're definitely considered underdogs. No matter how you train or what methods you use, you never really know what a dog is going to do in the ring. But when you train using methods that always allow your dog the freedom to make choices and offer behaviors without fear of punishment, not only do you not know what might take place in the ring, but your dog could very well have lots of fun creating a brand new way to do a retrieve! We tend to view competition as just an opportunity to play with our dogs, have fun, and if it's in the cards, we'll have a respectable performance and will walk away not only with a Q, but with the relationship with our dog intact.

Last weekend at a very popular obedience trial in our area, complete with all the heavyweights vying for OTCH points and class placements, something very special happened. Not only did some of our dogs perform well and qualify, but several won their classes! In fact Logan and Phoenix went 1st and 2nd in Open A the first day, and Phoenix took 1st place the second day. We also garnered some 1st and 2nd places in Rally as well. And people took notice. The teams received lots of compliments on their beautiful performances. But most importantly, the dogs and their handlers had fun, and that's what it's all about. Congrats to not only these teams, but to teams everywhere who continue to have fun and play with their dogs. Even if it's not always reflected in the score you receive on any given day, sometimes it all comes together, and when it does, boy is it beautiful!