November 2, 2012 @ 8:37 PM
Last year, "Lewis" - Ch. Tyee's Goldeneye - and I started working on obedience. Lewis was 9 years old and neither of us had any experience in the obedience ring. We entered the pre-novice competition at the Burns Lake dog show but only got one qualifying score. It was a bit disappointing, but the judges were very encouraging and I learned a lot. We worked hard in the ensuing year and at the 2012 Burns Lake show, Lewis had three qualifying scores and earned his PCD. When I was entering the puppy I co-own with Bettejean VanWeerthuizen in conformation at the Whitehorse dog show, I thought 'what the heck' and entered Lewis in the novice obedience trials. What a thrill to not only get a qualifying score in our first novice competition, but to also get high in class! Lewis went on to get three qualifying scores and earn his CD. At the Whitehorse show, they also offered rally obedience. I had never watched a rally trial, but thought "we could do that"! We were going to be in Kamloops visiting family at the end of August, so I entered Lewis in the rally trials there. Again, Lewis rose to the occasion, got three qualifying scores, two high in class and earned his rally novice title! Not a bad year for two newbies to the obedience world and it proves you can teach an old dog new tricks!!
Janet Caird and "Lewis", Ch. Tyee's Goldeneye, PCD, CD, RN
Smithers, BC