As I had reported earlier, Savi was entered in her first NRD (Novice Retrieving Dog) ratings test but didn't pass. The WCA Retrieving Ratings have two parts, a land retrieve and then a water retrieve. At the NRD level, all dogs are tested on the land first and the dogs must retrieve the dead bird from a specific distance, 20-40 yards for the NRD test, and bring the bird back to the handler, who must remain in a circle with a diameter of 6 six feet. No food or training collars are allowed. The dogs that pass the land retrieve move on to the water portion of the test. Savi completed the land retrieve with flying colors so off to the lovely pond we go.
Savi is quite the little fish so I was not concerned about her swimming skills and typically, she'll retrieve anything from the water, especially her favorite accessory, a bird. Well, my fault for not properly introducing her to ducks, which is what they used for the morning test. Savi swam out the distance but then, wait she said, something isn't kosher here, I didn't order the duck...her pup-a-razzi caught some video of her in the act:
Basically, no bird, no pass. We patiently watched the rest of the dogs take their turn, some were successful, some were not. Then the morning test was over and it was time for lunch...never one to miss an opportunity, we grabbed one of the used ducks and a teased Savi with it...hmmm, she thought it was time to play and the duck was much more her style...into the water it went and Savi followed for the retrieve. We did this a number of times, increasing the distance and success! Maybe we didn't get the title, but she is still a winner and we have the tape to prove it:
1 comment:
Savi IS a winner in my book... Next year, DUCK SOUP!
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