My 3rd Agility Entry at Mensch und Hund im Muensterland, June 2003
Man and dog in the Muensterland (comment of the translator)
If Mistress thought she had conquered her being nervous before trials, she learned differently that weekend. Our entry at Mensch und Hund im Muensterland was at a Saturday and Master could not come along. She spent all Friday in the bathroom with stomachache and diarrhea ...
Saturday morning Mistress packed the basket again with coffee and treats. To be safe she also added something for her stomach. After stowing the chair, the basket and my new collapsible box in the car, we took of. Since Mistress was without her external navigation system (meaning Master), we drove to my secret love Curly and his pack. His Mistress is our trainer. After her husband taking us for an unwanted city tour we arrived at the green where Metty, Smokey and their humans were waiting for us. Everybody from our club erected their tents and we had to wait.
When the course was build Mistress took her medicine and felt "safe". She really did not look well that morning. While she had a look how thinks were at the course I waited in my formidable new box. She returned, changed shoes and we trotted towards the course. It took less time than I thought.
We exercised "heel" and "hand" again followed by a "tack" every few yards. I did not loose my calmness, I don´t care if it is loud and if people fuss around. I am only interested in going in the course and working for Mistress and me.
Mistress put me in front of the first hurdle and waited for the judge to clear the course. I took the head out of my collar, Mistress disposed of the leash and positioned herself between the first two hurdles. I had to pull myself together to not start early. I did get up. But Mistress saw me and made it transparently clear that I had to wait right there. Since she did not want to test my inner strength to much after I had controlled myself, she signaled me to start.
I flew over jumps one and two a sharp "Niiiikita" made me take a sharp right, though I would have wanted to go straight. I took the 3rd hurdle and vanished into the soft tunnel. Mistress ran diagonally to the 5th hurdle where I saw her and took that one too. She waited for my landing and then I had to cross the 3rd hurdle again seeing the dog walk. We had made the first bit. I had to return to Mistress to get onto the dog walk and did that grudgingly. I expressed my feelings by barking loudly.
I was just on the dog walk when I heard the "eeeehhhhhyyyy ... tack" and I laid on the contact zone. Mistress took a deep breath, made a quick 90-degree turn and with the same breath told me "up". I scaled the a-frame and heard the "eeeehhhhhyyyy ... tack". Again I laid down on the contact zone, waiting for her "go on" to vanish into the tunnel at my left. Mistress praised me with "fine" and I forged on. Leaving the tunnel I did hear no command and did not see Mistress. She is sometimes really slow reacting. So I thought I could take the 3rd hurdle again and zoomed towards it madly.
Mistress´s desperate "Niiiikita" made me turn and now I saw where I was supposed to be. Since I had run this wide circle and Mistress had stood waiting I had and enorm speed heading towards hurdle 11. But the pole stayed on . Mistress took her legs under her arms following me. I did not need a command for the broad jump standing directly in my path. That gave Mistress time to take a turn left towards the a-frame, directing me over the next jump with her hand. I managed the turn well and the pole stayed on too. I heard a low "Yes" from Mistress. I had the wall to go and heard a louder "Yeees!".
I did need no command for the last hurdle and had so much speed that I vanished into the tunnel again. I heard a loud "Yeeesss!!" from Mistress and the applause crashed over us ... I stood confused behind the tunnel and could not believe that this was the end. After several reassurances from Mistress that this was the end and I had done a super job, I played with my leash.
I don´t want to brag but the judge said at the awarding of the winners trophies: "We have seen splendid A0 runs today and I can imagine that these teams could start in the A1. You don´t often see a time of 4,53 yd/sec in the A0." Mistress turned bright red and went to the judge to collect our prizes (a feeding bowl with food and a trophy).
Happy ending for the A0 I might say! A1 here we come ...
