# First Seminar



## DancingCavy (Feb 19, 2001)

This weekend was Risa's first seminar (I went to an agility one in December so it was my second). I was so excited to be able to spend an entire weekend working with Ris but also a bit nervous. She's still a bit worried in new places, afraid of people, and reactive around other dogs (due to fear). Overall, she did wonderfully!!!

She was definately stressed and worried and spent a lot of time wandering, sniffing, and looking at everything going on around her. However, once I got her attention and she realized it was time to work, she did very well. She excelled at the attention game (we work on this all the time) and the presenter (Andrea Dugan) used Ris as a demo for it.

Aside from her growling at other dogs near her kennel, she was very well-behaved while she was in it. She didn't even roll it over! On Saturday I left to go to the bathroom and accidentally left the zipper partway open. She didn't leave her kennel. Sunday I did it again and she bolted and came looking for me. I think it was because someone sat in my chair and Ris got worried. Not a big deal. As soon as I came to her she followed me back to her kennel and went back inside.

It was so nice to be able to work around so many dogs (about 16 in total) and people in a new place. Considering how worried Ris still is in situations like this, she did amazingly well. She gave other dogs 'the eye' a few times but that was about as far as it went. She did growl and snarl at a dog while she was on my lap which meant she had to go back in her kennel. Otherwise, she did really well. I'm so proud of her. She's come so far in the short time we've been together even though she's still pretty nervous and scared a lot of the time. I'm so proud of my girly.





































We also made the paper.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

WTG Risa!!! Sounds like you two had a great weekend!









BTW Jamie when she escaped was she trailing or airscenting you?


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## tibvixie101 (Nov 26, 2007)

Good Girl Risa! She's making great progress!!


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## DancingCavy (Feb 19, 2001)

LOL, Ruq. Y'know, I'm not sure which she was doing. I heard a commotion in the main room about a dog being loose and I was on the opposite side of a 'bar' (in the kitchen) getting my sandwich together when I saw her walking down the hallway towards the exit. My brain instantly thought "That's my dog!" and I came out of the kitchen got her and sent her back to her kennel. Her nose wasn't on the floor so, if she was scenting at all, I don't think she was trailing.

It didn't take her long to realize the routine of the seminar either. Work a bit then back to the kennel. Once she practically dragged me in with her as I hadn't unhooked her leash as she went in.







As the seminar went on, I started asking her to go kennel from farther away and she did just that without stopping and sniffing.


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## Keeyah (Apr 24, 2007)

Well done Risa! She made the paper? Can I have an autograph!


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## kelso (Jan 22, 2007)

Risa and Jamie!


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## DancingCavy (Feb 19, 2001)

Thanks guys!!!

Ris says you can have her 'paw'tograph:


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## sklippstein (Apr 10, 2008)

good job to the both of you!


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