# New SchH2



## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Vala is now Balien zu Treuen Händen SchH2 AWD1 CGC. USA Club: O.G. Buckeye. Judge: SV Reinhold Walter. 

This weekend had a rocky start. On Friday I started my truck to move it over so I could load it. It started making a funny noise. I popped the hood and when I went to look my serpentine belt came off. One of the idler pulleys had blown its bearings. Not funny, but maybe coincidental, 8 years ago almost to the same weekend I was on the way to the same club to train to get Nike ready for her BH (she got her BH on 12-4-01). This same idler pulley broke on the Ohio Turnpike. Thank God it broke this time at home and 
my neighbor was able to come down at 3 in the afternoon and fix it for me.

Tracking this weekend was tough. Many dogs on Saturday walked the articles because it was so cold and nothing was holding much scent. Dogs did a bit better today, but it was still pretty cold when we tracked. For those of you who don't like getting up early and track on these cold Sunday mornings you could be setting your dogs up for failure.

A lesson in always preparing for the unknown. They used metal stakes instead of flags to mark the tracks for the SchH2 and 3's. I don't know if this confused Vala or maybe I wasn't confident enough when I started her. It was very cold with a heavy frost. Vala pulled me to the scent pad, but took a long time to actually start down the track. Then I could see she wasn't sure that this is what I wanted her to do. She looked back at me several times and didn't show her normal intensity. She circled slightly on the first corner. My second leg was EXTREMELY short due to a miscommunication between the track layer and the tracking coordinator. She came to the first article, stopped and looked at me. I thought about telling her to down, but instead waited her out. She headed back towards me and looked confused. I told her to "find it" and she started to search half heartedly and ended up off the track. I thought at this point we were going to fail so my heart started racing. I told her to find it again as she hit the end of the line and she came back and started searching. I was running the rules through my head and thought to myself, "praise" so when she hit the track again I said, "good girl". That was all she needed. She nailed the first article. I showed it to the judge and then praised her and pet her to let her know this is what I wanted. The rest of the track was great. She could have hit the second corner a bit tighter. The third leg was excellent as was the last article. 85 pts. Funny, the judge asked me if she came from Mink. Nike's mother is from Mink lines.

Obedience. I was paired up with Mark Scarberry and did my obedience last of the SchH2 dogs. The sun had melted the top layer so it was a bit like doing obedience on grease. Their field is quite wet due to a lot of rain and we had to pick a dry area to do the long down. This was without fault. Heeling, my first about turn was not as smooth as it should have been due to the footing and the judge nailed me for handler help. He only took 1/4 pt so not a big deal. The sit in motion was without fault. The down was extremely fast (as he put it, she looked like I shot her). She flew into me, but couldn't stop and literally flew into me. Finish was correct. The stand in motion was without fault. She locked up beautifully. The retrieve on the flat was without fault. She slid past the dumbbell in the mud and had to grab it on the way back. The judge took the field conditions into consideration so did not take any points for this. The retrieve over the jump actually worried me. It was so muddy on each side of the jump and Vala is crazy over the jump. She hit the jump both ways and could have been calmer in the hold. He took the slippery conditions into consideration so didn't dock me a lot for hitting the jump. The retrieve over the wall was without fault. The send out the build up was correct and she flew. She could have downed faster, but didn't require a second command. The judge loved her and asked me when I am trialing at the Nationals.







During the critique he said that he has seen very few retrieves as good as hers and wanted to know how I have taught it. 96 pts. There actually was a 3 way tie for high obedience (all of us with 96) and it went to one of the other SchH2 dogs who had an overall higher score.

Well, then we had protection. I went into protection pretty high from obedience. I let her watch Mark go into the blind and then wondered if I would have any control AT all. The blind search was very tight and correct. She was dirty when she went into the 
blind, but then went into very good barking. My heart, of course, was thumping as I waited those awful 20 seconds. She stopped barking as I came around the blind, but continued to guard nicely. The call out was correct (I would have liked her a bit closer to me). The set up for the escape was correct. She was very fast into the helper. Her out could have been faster. Reattack was fast and correct. Out could have been faster. She bumped Mark as I approached. Back transport was correct. The attack out of the back transport was very fast. Then everything started to sort of fall apart. She outed OK, but then didn't want to leave Mark and got dirty. She started avoiding me and Mark told me to tell her sit and relax. I was pretty jacked so I told her sit in a calmer voice, took a deep breath and said heel. She heeled nicely down field (a few dogs broke on this) and sat quietly before the pursuit (long bite). She came in hard on the long bite and then required 2 outs. Mark had a tough time locking up on her and I really wondered if she was going to out. Just as the judge told me to out her a 3rd time she let go. She bumped once as I approached. The side transport was correct. Also, during the guarding she would bark really well until I got near and then she would sit and look between the two of us. Anyhow, 82 P. The judge said in 
his critique, "Lisa Clark and Balien, 85 in tracking, 96 in beautiful obedience, but her schutzhund (protection) is s***. She has no respect for her handler." LOL But, we passed, we have our 2. All my energy that is so great in obedience is NOT as good a thing in protection.

The judge loved her. He wanted to see her pedigree. Asked me if she had had puppies. Told me I will be competing with her until she is 10. Yeah, if she doesn't kill herself over the jumps. So 85 (G) - 96 (V) - 82 (G) 263 P overall rating of G. I finally have my V score in obedience. This is the one that has evaded me on all of my dogs. I knew Vala had it in her.

I liked this judge. He doesn't speak much English so they had to use a translator. He wants to promote SchH and the German shepherd Dog. He is not just a points judge. He watched how the dogs worked, took into consideration the conditions and judged accordingly. He was very pleasant to trial under and very helpful to the SchH1 people. One of those judges that loves what he is doing. He was tough, but very fair and consistent. All the dogs earned their titles this weekend.

O.G. Buckeye puts on a fantastic trial. They had 33 entries with 23 SchH dogs. They are very supportive of their members and of the handlers that come in from outside clubs.


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## Stephanie17s (Jun 16, 2009)

Congratulations on the title!


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

Sounds like one heck of an awesome weekend! I could almost feel your excitement and nervousness on some parts of your post, excellent written out post!


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## phgsd (Jun 6, 2004)

Congrats! It sounds like really rough conditions, I don't envy that...
We have Reinhold at our fall club trial every year and he is great...just like you said, he is big on temperament vs. just points, and helpful to the newbies.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

This is my first time trialing under him and I would definitely do it again.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

Congratulations Lisa!!


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## Northern GSDs (Oct 30, 2008)

Congrats!!!!! Sounds as though the conditions in themselves were a challenge!

And thanks so much for the detailed descriptions of each of the phases - always very helpful for the rest of us!



> Quote:All my energy that is so great in obedience is NOT as good a thing in protection.


Ah, yes, I can relate to that as well! 

And how awesome to receive such nice compliments from the judge - that in itself must be very rewarding!

Did you mange to get any pics or vid of your routines?


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

Sounds like you guys did a great job pulling it off under some hard conditions! Congrats!!


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

And THANK YOU for the detailed break down on all the phases!


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## Lynn_P (Mar 17, 2004)

Congratulations Lisa & Vala.. I love the way you critqued the the phases.


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

BIG Congrats!!


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## Smithie86 (Jan 9, 2001)

Congrats!!! 

I really like Vala!


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## Smithie86 (Jan 9, 2001)

Congrats!!! 

I really like Vala!


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## JackieM1982 (Jul 21, 2005)

I enjoyed reading your description of each of Vala's phases. Good luck for her SchH3! 

Pics?!


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## Deejays_Owner (Oct 5, 2005)

A BIG







Lisa!!


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

Congrats!!!


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## TRITON (May 10, 2005)

Congratulations Lisa!














Thanks for all of the great details, feels like we got to be there














Ms Vala was a bit of a naughty bitch, but those are usually the best ones and the most fun to work







Now we need pictures!


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## Branca's Mom (Mar 26, 2003)

A Big Congrats!


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## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)




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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Sorry, no pictures. Their club photograper was also trialing and I was down there on my own. 

Thank you all and I am glad you liked the write up. Trialing is about the experience and what you can learn and not just the scores and the results.


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## 24kgsd (Aug 26, 2005)

Congratulations!!!


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## Lynn_P (Mar 17, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: lhczthThank you all and I am glad you liked the write up. Trialing is about the experience and what you can learn and not just the scores and the results.


So very true Lisa...


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## Betty (Aug 11, 2002)

Congrats Lisa! You must be feeling proud today.

I loved the write up, thanks!


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## Northern GSDs (Oct 30, 2008)

> Quote:Trialing is about the experience and *what you can learn *and not just the scores and the results.


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

> Quote: Quote:
> Trialing is about the experience and what you can learn and not just the scores and the results.


I agree 100% with this statement too! And so many people have lost sight of this..


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Congratulations Lisa ~ I know how tough it was there this weekend!!!























Lee


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I had a good time. That club has always been very welcoming to me, but I have known them a long time.


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## dOg (Jan 23, 2006)

Congrats and Thanks So Much for sharing...
it made us all learn.


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

Congratulations!!
What you have done with Vala is awesome on itself. And to trial by yourself is twice as hard, even if the club members are welcoming.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Not the first time I have trialed on my own. I have found many clubs are pretty helpful and welcoming to outside handlers especially in this region.


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