Vito USDAA

USDAA trial at On the Run.

Friday
Gamblers- NQ
Decent happy Toller.  We did a nice fun little loop, doing his happy aframe twice.  I blanked and threw in a bonus cross on my way to the gamble that put me on the wrong side and thus forced a rear cross wrap.  But Vito actually did it and kept up speed!  We did not make the wrap up the dogwalk from the distance line.  I think only 2 dogs actually turned tight enough out of the tunnel.

Standard- Q

What fun course!!!  A backside and several wraps, stuff that I love to practice with Vito in working on collection to extension.  But not one that I really see being Happy Making for the Toller in a trial.  Starting with the weaves as second obstacle really slowed him down.  But after the weaves he really did well!  Hard to judge his speed, but Vito certainly was trying hard and didn't stay in collection after the wraps.  And of course he just loved the ending. I wish the video actually recorded!

Pairs- Q
Vito went second and had some decent speed.  We got a refusal as he ran right by the first jump coming out of a tunnel to a serpentine, but he was happy to fix it and weaves were much faster than in standard.

Saturday
Gamblers- NQ
Sad Toller.  Started a bit worried about a young boy who was busy straightening the chute as we entered.  Thankfully he didn't react at all and had no problem taking that chute as my second obstacle.  I hard a really hard time trying to find a nice opening for Vito and ended up doing weave poles twice.  Any life he had was sucked right out of him.  We really didn't even try the gamble as he pretty much was crawling to a stop on the teeter so I ran with him.

Standard- Q
Much happier Toller.  Weird course where I could keep him on my right for 90% of the course as long as I ran ahead and did some pushes.  I can't say he ran full speed but he was certainly happy and trying hard.  We made it through the course no problem.

Pairs- E
I was so excited to be paired with fellow toller, Quantum!  She can get really worried sometimes, and other times be be brilliant, so we both knew anything could happen between the two neurotic dogs! Sadly though Miss Quantum decided to be worried.  The big delay at the start did not help her at all.  Vito got to go second and actually did a nice job.


I was really happy with how the trial went.  Not the fastest running Vito, but he kept his attitude up despite all the wraps and backsides that showed up.  In the past that definitely would have shut him down.  Another plus was his dogwalk seemed to come back to fuller speed.  No little extra strides thrown in so all were pretty well extended, and his last run he even skipped a stride!  Of course it helped that all exits were straight.

Several nice people agreed to video tape his runs, but sadly we seemed to be cursed with operation issues.  We did manage to get his last two runs of the weekend taped, standard and pairs: