First attempt at Apprentice Water Dog

After Dessie got Junior Water Dog on her first try at her first trial EVER - we decided to go for Apprentice the next day. No luck, but we learned a ton! Here are videos of the first two exercises. After the PAINFUL TO WATCH (for me) delivery to hand I stopped taking videos because I was too nervous! Mark stayed cool as a cucumber and did an amazing job handling through the rest of the exercises.

Things we learned

#1 - day two of a water trial is more stressful than day one. Dogs are tired, people are tired. People who didn't pass the first day want to pass the second. People who are moving up to a new level are nervous. Dessie was barking at the air (Dessie the non-barking dog...) I was cranky and had a headache and was concerned about getting to rehearsal on time that evening. All this leads to some unpredictable behavior.

#2 - it probably isn't good to be helpful and steward for dogs in your same group before your dog's turn is up - even if you have plenty of time between stewarding duties and your time slot. Mark was an amazing land steward for the first 8 dogs in the Apprentice Group, but Dessie was really concerned that he was in the ring without her. She settled down eventually but I think the stress of that added to the - uhoh what is happening today mood.

#3 - It's fun even if you don't pass!

#4 - advice from the judge, Mark doesn't need to talk so much to Dessie while she's working. She knows her job, and she probably is just tuning him out. Use talking more to redirect if necessary rather than to engage her interest.

#5 - PWDS are even goofier than we already knew.

Here are the videos


Exercise #1 - underwater retrieve. This was over before you could blink.




Here is her dummy retrieve. One funny thing, after Mark had done many PERFECT 60' throws as a steward, the one he did for Dessie was more like 75'. HAHAHAHA - good thing Dessie just loves to swim.




And a description of the 3rd exercise:

Mark: OK Dess, take the dummy

Dessie: got it, now what

Mark: lets go!

Dessie (takes two steps carrying dummy, drops it, looks around): hmmmm, something smells funny, what's that over there? is there a little dog? oooh, goose poop, hmmm, now what????

Mark: Dessie! take it! take the dummy! lets go!!!

Dessie (picks up the dummy, takes two steps carrying the dummy, drops it, goes over to fence sniffing): I know there's something interesting over here, why is that dog barking? where is Cecily? oooooh, there is Cecily - should I go get here, oh, she disappeared, is she hiding, should I find her???? oooooh, there's my dummy, GOOSE POOP

Mark: DESSIE! take it! LETS GO!!!

Dessie: BOAT BOAT BOAT - I see a BOAT!!! Mark LIKES IT when I get on the BOAT!!! (runs to boat, leaps up) LOOK AT ME I'M ON THE BOAT!!!!!! Come on Mark get on the Boat WITH ME!

Mark (picks up dummy, shakes his head, gets on boat): OK Dess, lets ride the boat...

So, that was it, but she did finish the boat ride perfectly and the recall to shore. She had to be encouraged a little to go get her line for exercise #4, and she did a rock solid wait on the shore for the swim, but only swam for about a minute before she headed in to land.

All the parts are there, just need to get a better command of the ring and the handling. Next summer - Apprentice Water Dog & Working Water Dog??? o.o

Junior Water Dog videos

Exercise #1 - get the dummy!


Exercise #2 - lets ride a boat!



Exercise #3 - swim to me!



Exercise #4 - lets swim together!




she did it!!!

Water Trials!!!

I can't believe it has been over a year since I posted anything! Not to worry, we have had many adventures with Dessie. And they all led up to our participation in the Portuguese Water Dog Club of Northern California's Water Trials - held at Shadow Cliffs Regional Park in Pleasanton CA on August 22-23, 2009.

We had a great weekend watching amazing dogs do amazing things - including Dessie, who is now a Junior Water Dog!

I'll post the videos I took, as well as a link to photos from the trial. I am already looking forward to doing it again next summer.