Shout out to Lisa and Dretti

These pictures of Lisa and Dretti were taken last fall. They just earned their first leg in Novice A at the GCNC spring specialty last weekend. Everyone here at Aragon Greyhounds is just thrilled for Lisa and Dretti! Congrats!

What I really like about these pictures is that Lisa is smiling. She doesn't look nervous. She is looking down where she is going and where she can keep some eye contact with her dog. Dretti, is looking up at her face. He is in tune with the exercise they are doing.

This is the picture that we all hope we are giving off in the ring: a smiling, relaxed handler and an attentive happy dog.

Stepping into the obedience ring with any dog takes a fair bit of courage. Stepping into the Novice A ring, though, is a special thing. Everyone in Novice A is a true novice (except for the judge). The dogs have not been trained by someone who has earned an obedience title before nor has the handler earned an obedience title on any other dog. Walking into that ring is stepping into the unkown. It is relying upon the bond that you and your dog have forged through countless hours of training. The ringtime is the test of all you have worked on and all you have accomplished.

Every time we step into the ring, we are not going to que. However, every time we step in the ring, we are going to learn something. We are going to learn where the holes are in our trainig. We are going to learn to trust our partner (or not). We are going to learn that despite how nervous we might be, we can get through it. We can conquer the nerves. The time and the training pays off. The test can be passed.

Congrats again to our friends Lisa and Dretti. May your time in Novice A be short yet relaxed and happy!