2 TTs with me in the middle! Best snuggley sandwich ever
I took Dhali to his first conformation drop in class tonight. It went pretty well :) Everyone was very helpful and gave me lots of tips. Sometimes conflicting tips, but it was the thought that counts, right? It took Dhali a while to warm up, but by the end of the hour (which went by VERY fast) he was a cocky little guy and gaiting very nicely. I think with a few clicker sessions we will have this conformation thing down. It was nice to get a lot of turns practicing.
One lady was nice enough to let me borrow one of her leashes, but we still don't have a show lead!
It might take some practice to get the right speed. Too fast and Dhali jumps and bites the lead. Too slow and Dhali jumps and bites the lead. Hmmmm :P
The only draw back to the class? It's a 1 1/2 hour drive one way. If anyone ever accuses me of NOT being dog crazy I will have this proof. I drive all over the country for my babies.
We went to a dog show yesterday! It was fun and we learned a lot. AKC has a new 4-6 month puppy class and Dhali is 4 months old now.
It was an Open show, so there were people like me, who had never been to a show before, but there were also a lot of people who looked like they showed their dog all the time and maybe this was just a practice for them.
I'm pretty sure we were the least prepared of the entire show - I didn't even have a show lead for Dhali! I just used a grooming loop attached to his regular leash. Totally ugly, but it worked - sort of :P Everyone else had pretty leads and I had leash envy.
We met some very nice people. Everyone was extremely friendly and tried to help each other out. I'm not sure if this is what a 'normal' show is like or just because it was an open show, but I was surprised at how friendly everyone was. After watching 'Best In Show' you would think they were all cutthroat and mean LOL!
The show ran very smoothly, even though they kept changing which breeds were going to show in which ring. There were 3 rings. Everyone was ready to go, except at the very beginning there was one girl showing 3 dobermans and she kept having to change her arm bands to show the next one. Pretty much every class had just one dog in it. Except there was a group of 4 Briards that were all from the same litter, so they were all in the same class. It took the judge FOREVER to decided how to place them. She kept sending them around and around the ring. One was darker, but otherwise they all looked the same to me.
Anyway, I knew nothing about showing. I thought that Dhali would be competing against other puppies, but nope. Silly me!
He got first place and best of breed, but he was the only Tibetan Terrier LOL! And then for group (non-sporting) he got 2nd out of 3 dogs. I wish I knew why the judge gave the poodle 3rd. I should have asked when I was there, but I didn't think about it until I was home again.
The judge seemed to like Dhali. She said he was a good, good puppy. :)
It was fun and I think we did better as we went along. Dhali was adorable, of course.
I did it for the socialization and exposure to a trial environment. And also, because I have always wanted to be in a dog show! I mean I organized a neighborhood dog show when I was 10, so it's always been a dream of mine :P
It was very good for Dhali, because for about an hour he just laid in his crate and watched dogs walking back and forth in front of his crate. There was one little shih tzu that its owners almost walked to death. Back and forth and back and forth for an hour BEFORE the judging started.
He got a little antsy at the 1 1/2 hour point when I had moved his crate 3 times - to get near the correct ring where we would be showing. And after we had shown he didn't want to sit around any more. He was pretty bored. I should have brought something along for him to chew on, but I didn't want him to get bully stick breath or mess up his coat!
It was an interesting experience. I wish we could find more open shows or b-matches or fun matches. It's very good training for a puppy. Easy, because you can have food and they just have to walk around. Easy for me too! I've always thought that conformation dogs were very laid back when it comes to hanging out in a crate or working around other dogs. That's what I want for Dhali! So he sees it's not a big deal.
Here is our video! Feel free to laugh - I'm sure I made every mistake possible!
All handsome and brushed out. He was VERY tired when we got home.
He is super, super good on the grooming table. I'm always prepared for him to freak out, like Tibby, but he just doesn't! I'm always happy to be 'disappointed' by him LOL!
Independent, curious, highly intelligent,clever, mischievous, precocious, strong-minded, playful. Collected from various sources:
1 -Stubbornness. Tibetan Terriers have an independent mind of their own and can be stubborn and manipulative. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.
2-Suspiciousness or timidity when not socialized enough.
3-"Separation anxiety" (destructiveness and barking) when left alone too much.
4-Lively and playful at times, yet also calm and low-key.
5-Makes a good watchdog but is not aggressive with people.
6-Most are amiable with other animals, though perhaps a bit bossy.
7- The Tibetan Terrier is very stubborn in general and must be shown from Day One that you are in control.
8-An athletic and agile sure-footed climber, and a clever problem-solver who often uses his paws with great adeptness to open doors and hold toys.
9- 1/3 Dog + 1/3 Cat + 1/3 Teenager = 1 Tibetan Terrier
10-Tibetan Terriers are family-oriented: they love to play games and participate in activities with their people.
Patience and a sense of humor are musts for the people of a Tibetan Terrier.
