Trooper's Sleepover

Trooper and I cutting the corner in Savannah

Part of the Futurity/Maturity shows discussion with Trooper's breeder included me telling her of all the problems/shortcomings I saw:

• Trooper is very sensitive and stresses easily.
• Trooper doesn't like to be touched by strangers, especially men.
• I cannot get Trooper to hold his stack.
• I have not attended handling classes as regularly as I wanted.
• I cannot run fast enough to keep up with him.
• My work schedule won't allow me to go to North Carolina for the shows.

I told J-Lyn that before we made any decisions I wanted her to spend some time with Trooper and make an honest assessment. I took him to her kennels to spend four days with her. He was happy to be back to his birth home, playing with his sister and cousins. He genuinely loves J-Lyn and her family. The jerk barely even noticed I was gone. (Good for him, but it hurt my feelings.) I missed him so much. It reminded me of when my boys went to summer camp.

I got daily updates:

• Enjoyed playing in the yard with all the other dogs. No problem with other dogs.
• Ate his meals enthusiastically. No signs of stress being away from home.
• Did well meeting strangers. He was intentionally introduced to men, children and people of various ethnicities.
• He's not fond of pushy women or smokers. (LOL, neither am I.)
• Walked nicely through Home Depot. His threshold seems to be about 20 minutes.
• Doesn't appear to be overly sensitive to sound.
• Seems to prefer free stacking (self-stacking) versus hand stacking.
• Beautiful movement, needs room to open up. Would probably do better at larger, outdoor shows.

I also got homework:

• Practice free stacking.
• Get him out and around people as often as possible.
• Hand him off to trusted strangers.
• He'll be a year old next month. Should start road work (running alongside a bicycle) soon.

So what's next? I filled out the entry form for the Futurity/Maturity shows. Breeder and I are planning several more sleepovers so she can get Trooper ready for the show. Her granddaughter will be working with him as well. She's young, tall, confident -- and a much better handler than I am! She will be taking Trooper in the ring in North Carolina.

OMG, we're doing this!! I excited. And nervous. I'm also looking for a used Kelley-sized tricycle for road work. I'm not the most coordinated person. And I don't trust Trooper not to pull me. I think three wheels may be a safer option. Anyway, I'll let you know. -- K