The deed is done; the results are in. I must say I was surprised about the whole event.
I found myself sort of liking it. Don't get me wrong, field work is still way more fun and will remain the focus of our training, but obedience has it's charm. Comparing obedience to to field trials is like comparing soccer to football (rugby, if you will) Most red blooded Americans think soccer is boring, including yours trully. In soccer you don't have that many goals scored, so the exitment lies in the anticpation of waiting for a score. In rugby the gratification is more constant in that there are many scores throughtout the game. (Not to mention more violence). I once asked a German friend what it is about soccer that people like. She simply replied it's the "spannung". (tension) This is what I experineced at the obedience trial during the sits and downs. Bosco was in his down with the other dogs, time is running out, dogs are popping up all over the place;the tension builds. three minutes seems like a lifetime. Please Bosco, just a little longer; Lord, help him stay down. The time runs out, Bosco is still down. He not only qualifies, but takes second place in overall points to boot.
Was this as exiting as a triple with a diversion? No, but it wasn't bad, either.
Brian