I entered Gimme in the West 1 Regional video competition at the Intermediate level. Naturally she started her false pregnancy just four days before the day we planned to video our entry, so I wasn't sure how well she'd do. She actually did better than I expected. I've become friendly with the gal who runs the daycare and I talked to her beforehand, asking her to do her best to keep the barkers quiet. She did a good job and it helped a lot.
Despite how well she did, when we got home the very first thing Gimme did was go in the office, grab BHumpy and drag him into the living room and on the couch. Then she gave him "special attention"; she gave him more attention later. BHumpy is a 5' tall stuffed bunny I bought for her at Easter. I thought Gimme might enjoy cuddling with him when she was home alone; I was wrong. After the first examination she proceeded to ignore him, wouldn't even look in his direction. If I put him on the couch, next time I saw him he was on the floor. Then one day she discovered his purpose. He's been in the corner of my office ever since - until today. Poor BHumpy...
I started by heeling the course, leaving out all the behaviors except those for a side change. I had treats in my pockets, so Gimme did well. Overall her heeling has deteriorated badly. Part of the reason is because I have stepped on her foot more than once, so she wants to keep space between us. Even though I worked barefoot, the moment there was any touch between my foot and hers, she went wide and stayed there. She thinks 3' away is a good distance to keep her paws safe from my clodhoppers. I need to go back to the plan I was working with Kathy; it helped a lot more than heeling. I'm also contemplating teaching her to put her foot on mine as a trick, just to restore her comfort.
Behaviors warm-up video - I took her through the course practicing individual behaviors, working on those needing extra, with play breaks as needed. We had a moment when we came to the first corner just as the daycare worker was bringing a dog in from a potty break. I was pleased Gimme was able to go back to work so quickly. Many behaviors she got the first time while others needed a couple repeats to get them accurate.
RFE Intermediate Entry video - This is our best run. It's not what I hoped for, but it's pretty good, especially given Gimme's condition. Interestingly it's the first one we completed. If I'd had any idea it would be the best run, I could have rewarded this strongly and quit while I was ahead. None of the subsequent runs were as good.
We are supposed to get results for entries within 2 weeks of closing date. So it could be as much as seven to ten days. I'll let you know how we did when I know.
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