Recalibrating

For over a year our goal has been to make it to Open and survive. We made it and survived our way around the course.

Now it is time to reset the goal. Now it is time to get to where we have a chance to be competitive. We need to do more than just "get around" an Open Course. And it is clear that our major emphasis has to be in cleaning up the drive and getting our communication together in that area.

I need to step up as a handler and Piper needs to listen to me on the drive. She has shown enough glimpses that I know she is capable but they have not transferred well to the trial field (for the most part). Our danger area seems to be making the turn and getting going on the cross drive.

We don't plan on trialing for another two months and our work requirement is clear. Maybe soon we will become an Open dog/handler team instead of just a dog that is running in the Open Class and surviving.

We started that process in earnest yesterday. It is clear we still have a long way to go.