Forced Fetch

I started Morgan's forced fetch three days ago and it was going well. Then she lost some of her enthusiasm for grabbing the DB so I upped the ante. I think I slacked off on the EP a little too soon. I want her grabbing for the DB and she won't do that if I just exert small pressure. I'm going to apply full pressure until she is grabbing from the floor. In for a penny, in for a pound.

The Poodle club specialty obedience trial is coming up next week and I am no further along with Morgan than I was last year at this time. She is entered in Pre-Novice and, like last year, she is still not ready for THAT! I feel so awful, awful, awful.I cannot blame the conformation issues any more. I'm a lousy trainer--lazy and inconsistent and it breaks my heart.

But then it seemed as soon as I got serious about training agility, I tore my rotator cuff. As soon as I got serious about obedience training, I sprained my wrist. Is God trying to tell me something? A friend just lost her 10 year old SP to cancer and we're all devastated. He was multititled and such a dear. Morgan just turned 6 and she has white hairs on her face and butt. I've wasted half her life and I am sick, sick, sick about it. It cannot be that we were not meant to play the doggie games.

I'm determined that 2011 is her year. We need to get agility, obedience, and freestyle titles and she needs to learn to swim so we can play at hunting, too. WE will do it. I just pray that we both stay healthy enough to get it done in 2011.

Merlin needs one more leg for his Freestyle Novice title and I will spend minimal time training him from now on. We have our Hello Dolly routine and it can last us through the next titling phase.