3 or 4 days?

[Beanie]

The Louisville trial opens tomorrow so I need to get my entry figured out and mailed off tomorrow. It's a four day trial. Last year I did three days instead of four. The third day was a bit hard for Auggie, but it was the first time he'd ever done three days. We've since done a few more three day trials and he does great all three days. However, we haven't trialed since... I think it was the first weekend in October? We should be able to get some practice in before the trial, but maybe not a lot depending on what the weather does...

I didn't mind being there four days last year and only trialing three of them last year, but this time I kind of think I'd like to trial all four days instead of wasting a day where we might be able to pick up at least one leg towards something - but at the same time, I also don't want to waste a day (or more) because it's too much for Auggie... thoughts? Louisville is a bit more expensive than most trials or I wouldn't worry about it, but the slightly steeper entry fees have me hesitating.

 

[MandyPug]

If he's having issues with 3 days sometimes i'd not chance 4 days. Could you do 2 days, 3rd day off, then the 4th day?

Then again, you'll never know how he'll do with 4 days if you don't try.

Tough call.

 

[BostonBanker]

I've always said I'd never do more than a three day trial. Then we went to Kentucky for CynoSport, and did five days . Meg help up astonishingly well; about 100x better than I did in fact. The fact that it was not a typical USDAA schedule of 4 or so runs a day played into that for both of us I think; her energy and focus stayed decent with a max of 2 runs a day, and I wanted to jump off a tall building spending so much of the day just sitting around!

Having said that - I'd never do it again. I'd rather do two weekends then one long one. Just because Meg handled it well doesn't mean she particularly liked it, and I don't think I'd ask it of her again.

You do AKC, correct? So you are looking at 2-3 runs a day? I'm sort of guessing, as I haven't done that venue at all. If you really want to stay for 4 days, I'd maybe do a bit less. Drop a run one or two days if you aren't at the point where QQs count. And be sure to get him off the grounds for a while each day for a mental break.

 

[Beanie]

Yup, AKC, and we don't play games so just 2 runs a day. I'll be there all four days anyway, I'm taking the time off work anyway, so I kind of feel like... well, if I'm there, I might as well play?

The last three day trial we did he actually snagged me a Q all three days, and two of those were our first ever runs in excellent jumpers. I'm fairly confident he'll be a-okay with the three, just not sure about the four. I guess I could just enter and if he's struggling the last day, pull.

 

[MafiaPrincess]

Since it's only 2 a day, I don't see an issue with 4 days. I see people running 5 or so a day, 3 in a row in the AAC. Forget my kids I can't handle that.

 

[Dekka]

Ya only two runs a day? 4 days should be a breeze lol. Dekka gets better the more days we go. I normally do 4 runs a day when I can with her. Remember a run is only about 30 seconds.

Its more the trial atmosphere that gets to dogs. Will this trial be low stress for Auggie? Dekka does better at outdoor trials where she isn't in close contact with other dogs in her down time. Kaiden does better when he spends most of the day in his crate. If he is out too much he is so happy and excited he wears himself out just being happy lol.

 

[Beanie]

Usually about 30 seconds for JWW, 60 for standard. There is a lot of downtime (LOTS of dogs at this show) and we go out for long walks around the fairgrounds several times. He gets to walk with papa and grandma and bro, too, and he likes that.

I think he was a little stressed last year, especially at that third day, because we'd NEVER done three days and he had never been anywhere running on packed dirt, three rings... it was very new and a lot going on. We didn't enter the first day because I wanted him to have time to kind of acclimate to the location and the noise and stuff and let him chill in his crate for a good while, and to let ME acclimate too, so we did the last three days. But he has been there before now, and we have also been more places throughout last year, so I think he is getting more seasoned and should be pretty good.
Also, he was REALLY fired up last year because we hadn't played for a while. I think if I just let him rip and have fun it should be good. We understand each other a lot better than we did last year and I handle him differently as a result so I think it's going to be a good trial. If I'm nervous I have a tendency to, I don't know if this is the right word, but over-handle. Like if I see him look at the dog walk I FREAK that he's going to off course to the dog walk so I started getting in his face and he's like "WTF Mom, back off!" and then he starts getting tense and it just snowballs. That is my problem though, not his. If I just back off and let him go, he does so much better than when I'm over-analyzing everything and freaking out and everything is so OMG OMG OMG!!

My poor first agility dog, LOL.

I'll do the four and we'll just see what happens! We aren't at the point of needing QQ's yet, I need to rack up three Q's in Excellent A first and then the QQs will start counting towards something. But I'm cool with snagging some singles in jumpers in the meantime and chipping away at the 9 more I need for his master's title, LOL.

 

[BostonBanker]

Is this at the Expo Center where Cynosport was? Just being nosy now.

 

[Beanie]

Yup! Not positive if it's the same building but I bet it is. They hold it there every year in conjunction with the conformation show.

 

[BostonBanker]

I thought I'd heard them say there was a big AKC show there every year. We were in the Broadbent arena and... West Hall, I think?