2012 Reveiw and 2013 plans

2012 was a little slow for me and Joey's title progress. I did not make as much progress as I would have liked to with Joey, yet we almost completed all the goals I set at the beginning of the year. We earned our Rally Advanced title and our Beginner Novice title, started competing in obedience and earned two CD legs, and were able to compete in the NJOC. So I guess it is not that bad. However, I want to be more diligent training with Joey and start earning more titles with Joey next year. Our goals for next year include earning our:

1. CD
2. CDX
3. RE
4. TR1 (maybe in the spring if Joey gets better at tracking throughout the winter.)
5.  NA (Novice agility)
6. and maybe, just maybe out UD. If we can get all the utility exercises down

It seems like a rather long list but I guess it doesn't hurt to dream. 

Merry Christmas to All From the Maltese Gang

 Patiently watching me open my presents

Joey the Reindeer

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Eve

 Today's countdown inspiration was Joey holding my stocking.

For some reason Joey didn't want to hang on to the stocking and it lead to pictures...

 ..like this.

Finally, I did get a picture, but Joey looks rather cross.

So much for Christmas cheer.

Tracking

Today I went tracking with Joey. I was curious to see how Joey would do since we haven't touched tracking for a few months. Joey actually did very well. He has forgotten about articles and was a little messy around the corners, but other than that I was pretty happy. He didn't give up when he got lost and he kept using his nose until he found the track again. I hope to start tracking more and try for that TR1 in the spring. Maybe it will elude us again, but it cannot hurt to practice tracking a little more.

I did take some pictures and between them all, I think I got a countdown picture.

 Tracking

Waiting for my Mom to finish tracking her GSD.

Playing with Reflections

Presenting Joey

Presenting Joey in our countdown picture of the day. 
The ribbon on Joey is pink for a number of reasons, the biggest reason being that my little brother gave me a pink one and I was too lazy to find a more boyish colored ribbon.

Sugar and Spice

Today's countdown picture was taken in "Gingerbread village". 

Joey was very good about not trying to taste anything, except for the one time he checked the candy tree out. 

Future pictures

Today's countdown picture is a picture of Joey in his green and red sweater retrieving a glove.

Our training is going well. Today we worked on the directed retrieve. Hence the retrieving glove picture. Right now I haven't bought the set of three white gloves. WE are just practicing with my black gloves and there is only two gloves. But I figure it's best to start small and once Joey gets the idea the color of the gloves will not matter much.

Twirly ribbons

I haven't been good about posting a picture everyday, but even some pictures are better than none at all. So here is our countdown picture and the story behind it. I was cleaning out my closet and found my old twirly ribbon, the kind people use in Rhythmic gymnastics. I was twirling it for fun when Joey went crazy trying to get it. Since I been trying to get Joey to be more toy motivated, I let him play with the ribbon. I tried to take it outside and let him play with it where the green grass and red ribbon would make a perfect countdown picture, but of course Joey didn't care as much when there was a camera. Oh well, we still got a few pictures.

Effectively ignoring the ribbon

Finally, an action photo

Finally home

Whew, we are finally home. I'm going to post all his photos and videos. And now that I'm home I'm going to write down a training schedule for teaching Joey his Open and Utility exercises, that way it will be harder for me to be lazy and skip his training. I'm also going to look at all the nearby show and try to plan next year's showing schedule. Now that I'm motivated, I hope to get a UD on Joey by this time next year. I think it is possible if I practice twenty minuets every day.

Here are the rest of the pictures from our trip.

Our countdown picture for the 16th. Joey holding his participation ribbon with the score book.

 Watching the National Obedience Invitationals

Joey on the pink Eukanuba picture rug

My lunch and Joey wanting it.

 Me and Joey at the Maltese "Meet the Breeds" Booth

 Me, Joey, and the Lady form the Maltese booth.

 

Fun with yogurt cups

 Driving Home
(Our countdown picture for the 17th)

Dissapointments and discoveries

Today was a little disappointing, Joey ruined an exercise and cost us a placement, but I made some discoveries and was so happy with the rest of his performance, that I'm not too disappointed. To start with we found out we were not in the BN intermediate group like we thought. They moved the age requirements meaning that the 15 year olds were now the youngest of the senior age group which goes up to 18 year olds. And instead of 4 other competitors there were 18 other competitors. 

We had to preform two BN runs. Our first run was under Judge Bobby Self. It was pretty early and I was combating National's nervousness so it was a little messy. We lost three points on the heeling because I forgot to wait to use my one praise at the about turn so Joey wouldn't lag, and because I took steps that were too long on the fast. We lost another point on the figure eight because somebody outside the ring dropped something and made Joey jump; I was happy with Joey though, even though he jumped at the bang, he came right back to heel with me and acted like nothinghad happened. Everything else went pretty good, I was especially proud of his recall. Total I lost 4.5 points. 

My next run was under Judge Loise Botko. I was a little worried about doing two run in one day; the last time I tried that with Joey his second run was extremely bad and laggy. Today however, Joey heeling was excellent. We went in a Joey did the best heeling I have ever seen him do on not just the heeling pattern, but the figure eight too. I was so excited I thought "I've got this made". I might have a chance to place after all. Then on the figure eight Joey did something I've never seen him do, he shook on the sit walk around and just stood there as I finished walking in horror around him. Darn, there went our perfect run. Then we finish with another perfect recall. Our total score was 41.5. Forty for the walk around and 1.5 for the figure eight. Except for the forty, I thought that was an extremely good score; Louise Botko is a really strict scoring judge and this is the first time we've gotten a perfect heeling score. 

Overall, I've discovered many things from the NJOC. 

 #1. Joey can do perfect heeling

 #2. Always make Joey do a little trick between exercises to keep him form getting nervous.

#3. When doing fast run with shorter strides.

#4. If doing more than one run in the  day feed Joey molasses, it seems to rev him up.

#5. Never, never think you have it made. Joey is extremly good at inventing new problems. And if he doesn't do something you will.

I'm happy I entered the NJOC even though I didn't place I've discovered somethings about me and Joey. I've met lots of new people and many of the obedience juniors. I feel like Joey's got the hang of competing, he no longer expects treats in the ring he just does it for me and the fun of it.  Plus, I'm motivated to train again. I'll try and get videos up as soon as I get a computer that functions.

Pictures

Here are all my pictures so far.

 Playing with mirrors in the car. 

(Also our countdown picture. There is a tiny bit of red)

 

We set up the crates today. The obedience area is so quiet compared to the agility area. Joey's theme color is light blue so I get everything light blue if I can. The crate is an ugly exception to our theme color but then I didn't pick it. I hate that crate it is so ugly. But at least I have a pretty crate cover for it.

 

 

 

 

 

Our hotel card was Eukanuba themed.

Ready to go

We leave for Florida in a few hours. Technically this post and picture was supposed to be for yesterday. But I wasn't able to post it until now (12:40) because I had to catch up with my school before I left. So this picture is for yesterday and today.

Packing.. No trouble at all when you have a helpful Maltese

Practice, Practice, Practice

 We are practicing hard for the NJOC or National Junior Obedience Competition. Joey is doing well but practice won't hurt. There is always something to work on, such as crooked sits and lagging. Today I thought we'd use our training as a countdown photo opportunity. 

Figure eight

In Sync

Orlando, here we come!

Better late than never

We going to start the Christmas countdown. We are nine days late but it is better late than never. We are following Rugby's tradition and will attempt to put up one picture that has something red and green in it, every day.

We are getting ready to go to Eukanuba. So today Joey had his bath.
Leading to the first picture of the countdown