Vito APDT Rally

Vito tagged along to Lance's CDSP trial this weekend.  I wasn't sure how his anxiety would be from the car ride and just in general being crated at a trial so I didn't enter him in anything before hand.

He was extremely anxious on the drive down but settled in beautifully into his crate, even sleeping for great portions of the trial.  When I took him out he was sleepy but perked up nicely to eat treats and tug with me.  So I decided to enter him in one round APDT Rally, level 3.

He did well but since we were first I didn't feel I had enough time to warm him up from his nap in the crate.  We lagged a little bit and then NQed on a send to the jump when Vito jumped up at my hand going out as he thought I had a treat in it!  Didn't even see the jump on that first attempt but we redid it just fine.  The bonus exercise was a retrieve which Vito brought nicely but started yawning as he fronted.  I thought he was just mouthing it so I didn't grab it as I didn't want to reinforce the mouthing.  By the time I realized it was a yawn it was fallign to the floor :)  He did grab it again as soon as he was done yawning.

Day 2 Vito was again anxious on the drive down but started to settle down about halfway.  He did great at the trial again so I decided to enter 1 more round of rally level 3.  This time I had more time to warm him up but he started to go a little flat before we entered the ring.  I am not sure if it's a training issue or not.  He lagged a bit in the beginning but did start to connect more by the end of the run.  All our fronts sucked.  We did qualify this time although technically the judge should have given us an NQ.  I gave Vito a treat after the moving stand-walk around and that is not considered a "stationary exercise" by APDT.  Oops!  The judge was generous and just took points off.
Video:

I'm not sure when Vito will be entered again in any obedience or rally but it was nice to be able to play with him a little bit this weekend.  I'm currently hypothesizing that his car anxiety and increased anxiety at work is due to his increase in fluoxetine.  The vet thinks it's a long shot but we're going to give him 2 more weeks at his current dose to see if he levels out and then cut him back and consider switching meds, again.