Congratulations Athena!

Athena finished her basic obedience class! It's official. She is not very good at sit-stays (she wants to lay down), but she did manage to wait the full 2 minutes during the down-stay, getting up just as we were told to return to our dogs.

As a fun little exercise at the end, we did heel-downs or something like that, where you walk around with the leash draped over your arm. The point is that your dog obeys you and the leash doesn't fall off and you don't need to grab it to correct your dog. Athena would have done well, except this gal walked in with her charpe (no clue how to spell that breed; they are the really wrinkly ones) who seems to have a bit of an agressive temperment and a shiba inu--the two of them kept snapping and barking at each other. And ever since that pit bull got Achilles, I've been very short leashed when around any dog who I've seen be snippy. One of the times we went around that corner (which happens to be the corner that Athena has the most trouble with anyway, she always wants to duck in there and hide), the dogs broke out in a snarling, barking fit, and I grabbed the leash... Boo. I think she would have lasted a bit longer.

Now I have a little certificate stating she finished Basic Obedience to go along with her 2nd place ribbon from the B match. Yay!

There happens to be a dog show in Fargo at the end of May that I am thinking of entering Athena in. The numbers have been pretty good considering the state the show takes place in (27 whippets in 2007, and then 18-20ish in 2006 and 2005)... Plus I am pretty sure I'll be seeing some Affinity dogs there. :) I'll really need to work on my handling skills though, since I KNOW I am not very good at them. I'm getting better at getting Athena stacked quickly (and well), which is a good thing. I just need to figure out how to get a look of interest on her. At that B match, the whole time in the ring her ears never once perked up.