College Station AKC Agility

I’m SO THRILLED with how Ticket is running right now.  She is jumping better, paying attention, and trying her hardest.  She really is growing up, sniff. 🙂

This past weekend at an AKC trial in College Station, TX, Ticket earned her 3rd Double Q towards qualifying for Tulsa Nationals.  While my goal has been one double Q each trial this month, I can’t believe she actually did it.  We are now halfway there!  Frankly, I would have thought it would be years before Ticket earned a QQ at a trial, and Trip didn’t.  Trip ran fantastic, and qualified in standard both days, and Time to Beat, but had tiny things happen in JWW.  She dropped a bar Saturday, and popped the last weave pole (??? yes, really), on Sunday.  Oh well, she’s running GREAT, and makes me think she has another go at World Team Tryouts in her.  She seems as fast as she’s ever been.

I can’t WAIT for our next trial, 3 days on soccer turf Labor Day weekend.  The girls LOVE the turf, as do I, and last time we showed there they were awesome.  The goal is one QQ for Ticket, but I’m REALLY hoping she manages to earn two!  It will be the most pressure and expectations I’ve placed on her to date, but she’s a tough girl who does everything I ask of her and then wants to know what’s next?  She’s a force of nature.  I love taking a baby dog to this stage in their career, where all the pieces start to come together, and you start to click as a team.  There is no better feeling then that thrill of stepping to the line and knowing you can do it.  For the first time, I’m in that place with Ticket, and I have that confidence.  Before her JWW run on Sunday, trying to earn that Double Q, I walked the course saying she had it.  I told HER she had it.  I told my friend’s she had it.  And she did have it–it was a great, fun course, that inspired confidence, and we went out there and nailed it.  I am so proud of her.

So give your baby dog a kiss, and enjoy every moment of the ride.  One day, they will grow up, and then the real fun starts 🙂

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