Like C.C., Wally turned 2 this summer, but his “career path” will be a bit different than hers. This year I have been showing him a little, mostly going to the shows that didn’t conflict with agility and work rather than selecting the best places to go based on judges. Because there is a Top 20 at next year’s national, there have consistently been a lot of specials at every show, but we have picked up some Grand Champion points. Next year I will try to show Wally a bit more seriously with the goal of finishing this title. As an owner handler who doesn’t show all the time and can’t afford advertising, there will be limits to how far we go in the specials ring, but I think the GCh is something we can reasonably try for.
Of the 3 young dogs, Wally is the most natural at tracking. Even before I was able to build enough food drive to get him to eat in public, he has tracked reliably and fast- pretty much I just have to hold the line and try not to fall. We could probably certify now, but I’ll wait until I have a test in mind to enter.
Wally got his Rally novice title this summer, but needs a lot of work before going off leash in the ring. His stationary exercises in obedience are getting better, but his heeling isn’t there yet. He does eat treats at class now if I have the good stuff, so things are progressing more quickly. I plan to take CGC class with him later this fall and maybe agility foundation class in January. I need to get an official measurement to see which height class he falls into for agility. I know he’s close to the 14″ cutoff and if he measures over I may do foundation class with Muse instead since it’s only offered once a year. Eventually Wally will do agility, but if he has to go in preferred I may prioritize getting the girls ready to trial first.
Hunting is Wally’s favorite activity. He is getting more confident on the hunt field and his accurate nose is a big help there. This fall he’ll need to do some brace and solo runs, so it will be interesting to see how he handles that.
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