Even with ring conflicts, today was the smoothest, bestest day of the weekend! Chihuahuas and Juniors both had an 8:00 am ring time and they were very close so we could watch for when the class was being called. It was too close for comfort in the time department, so Jen offered to handle Beamer, as long as I stayed clear and out of his vision. After the incident yesterday, he seems to seek me out. He got 2nd place with only a couple of rear checks. Poor little dude!
Now Tipsy was guaranteed a placement with only four entries today but that didn’t mean we weren’t going to work for it! We entered the ring as we always do – tail down and looking like a woos. That was until I decided to do something different!
You see, I have never gotten down onto the ground and hand-stacked my dogs. During our training, I learned some fabulous techniques and since I was second in the ring, and of course, it was the last day of the cluster, I decided I had nothing to loose and would get down not my knees and stack her.
Instead of standing over her, keeping her attention with the bait, I got down to her level and we played a little while I held her tail in place, up onto her back. Wouldn’t you know it, she seemed to relax right then and there and our last jaunt around the ring was with a tail and over! WE GOT TAIL!! What a great way to end the weekend!