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Charlie Brown turned five on Saturday and got his OB 3 title

Gorgeous weather…. mmmmmm…. priceless!  Can you tell I love warmer and longer days?

Saturday was Charlie Brown’s birthday (photo from last year)

and Saturday was the Commonwealth trial… Charlie was entered in Obedience for his OB 3 title.  We wanted an opportunity to get on a trial field and we were in no way ready to do tracking or protection, so obedience was a good compromise.  We learned alot!

First it was warm and none of the dogs were in shape or really in top trial form…. the winter, the snow, the rain had taken its toll on training opportunities and Charlie and I were glad to have the opportunity to trial and learn from the experience without any negative repercussions. 

Charlie was good… my handling still needs help and the judge told me Charlie knows where and how to be in correct heeling position… but I dropped my shoulder back and became stiff in my arm motion and that drove Charlie out of position….  I need to work on that. 

As I walked back to Charlie on the moving sit (he was standing), the judge told me as I passed him that dogs being taught the moving stand, often lose the moving sit…  Charlie and I need to work on that.

Charlie’s fronts, finishes and sits were either slow or crooked….  We gotta fix that…

The go out would have been good, but if the judge told me to down Charlie, I missed it and by the time I heard him, Mr. B was almost to the end of the field… close enough to see the cinder block with the toy holder used for practice go outs… so rather than downing, he went to the cinder block and then downed (on my second command)…  Mr. Hartman told me in the future, if the dog has gone at least 35 feet and I don’t hear the judge, to down Charlie… better to get him down than to have him get close to the end of the field (a big no-no… the dog is not to be within 8 feet of the edge of the field)… I didn’t know that…  now I do

So Charlie can add OB3 to his list of titles and we will work towards his VPG3 this summer/fall.

Sign me the proud momma of Charlie, he da man, Brown OB3

Ch. Viking’s Charlie Brown, CD, ROM, VPG 2, ZTP1A, OB3, CGC

Jurgen vs “The Tree” and the winner is….

I’m at work and should be preparing for a meeting, but I wanted to post since it has been a while…  The massive snow storms created a split in my Bradford Pear tree and one limb was going to crash down on my garage.  Try getting a tree company to even come and look—believe me they are booked through next winter.  Enter Jurgen from Stage Left. 

 If you look close, you will see Charlie Brown in the lower right corner, checking out the alley.  The split in the tree is way up near the top of the photo, sorta in the middle… 

Jurgen drove to Baltimore, brought a ladder, a chain saw, gloves, rope and lots of ability and energy… I was the “designated stay outta the way and hold this” helper.  He climbed the tree (so many times I had to stop counting) to tie off the limb and prepare for the tree surgery.  When all was said and done, the tree limb was down, cut up and carted off.  The garage and tree are fine.  Jurgen’s hand will heal—the tree branch decided to take a bite on its way down.  Finally, I am very grateful for wonderful friends!

Charlie helping