Good signs!

I'm a little behind in posting about our daily activities...but having a job is much more tiring than I remembered!

Anyways, just a quick little update.  Hopefully this weekend I'll have more time.

Tuesday we started a new class with Lexi (we didn't enter Bentley this session because he isn't ready yet physically) about contacts and weaves.  She needs a lot of handling work, but we can't afford more than one class, and Jonathan and I have committed to working on all the RTH positions with her during the week on our own.

I will post more about the class another time, but I had to say that our instructor actually used Lexi as an example while we were doing fast, straight weave approaches, and said "see how Lexi rocked back onto her rear and collected into the weaves?"  I thought I would cry.  I couldn't believe it!  I guess our work is paying off!

And then, another moment of Zen on Bentley's part.  As many of you know, we've struggled consistently with his contacts.  As a quick recap, we started with 2o2o but he was unmotivated, lacked confidence, and crept down the down side of the equipment.  It would take him 10 seconds to come down the a-frame some times!  And then, he would creep and jump off and STILL miss the contact.  So, we switched to running.  It did wonders for his confidence, but then he got too confident and starting jumping (which was partially our fault as we started rewarding jumps by accident) off too early.  Now, we're back to 2o2o because it's the only thing holding him back from Standard success!

Anyways, my little boy just doesn't learn quickly or generalize well.  He never seemed to get the position, and often just seemed confused despite our best efforts.  We had recently started retraining just with a target on the flat, or with little incline.  Tonight we took him outside (after over a month off due to his surgery) on the lowered a-frame and he got into position like a champ!  He showed true understanding of his job because when he missed it, he slowed down, but couldn't hold  it, and got back into position moving his back legs.  What a good boy!