My Little Champion

Ok, so she's technically not a champion. She really didn't win anything. And in all actuality, her obedience test went worse than I could have ever imagined! Yes, I'm referring to our dog Abbey, not our child, Addie! :) In case you haven't met her, meet our 7 year old Golden Retriever. Spoiled. Rotten. Golden Retriever.

The evaluation requirements:
Heel (walking on a loose leash, fast, slow, right turn, left turn, about turn, halt and sit)
Stand for exam (without moving feet)
Recall (dog comes from across room off leash to a sit position right in front of you)
Finish (dog returns to "place" or "heel" position)
Sit/Stay (for 1 minute)
Down/Stay (for 3 minutes)

You have to understand, our dog is a runner. If she gets loose, she's gone. And boy can she run! She also has this thing with her tail. Apparently it's been accidentally stepped on a few too many times (or pulled on by a loving one year old). So, she sits crooked in hopes it won't get stepped on and pops up to make sure you don't step on it if you try to walk around her! All of these present significant challenges when you're trying to meet all of the above requirements.

But...she met all the requirements and passed Novice I. Whoohoo! So, therefore, she is my little champion! Oh, and a pretty well behaved dog too thank.you.very.much! We're going to try to get her Canine Good Citizenship Certification next Thursday.