Our Pup Knows Her Stuff

The 4-H dog show was this evening. Nancy (the dog) was pretty nervous at the start, which was pretty much what we expected. She didn't allow the judge to do the examination, which we also kind of expected. Munchkin #1 did a stellar job at showmanship anyway, in my opinion.

Thankfully, by the time they got to the obedience classes, Nancy was quite a bit calmer. Still anxious, but at least able to follow commands. When they got in the ring for obedience, it really became clear that Nancy knew her stuff. She sat when she was supposed to sit, walked when she was supposed to walk, and came off looking like a fairly well-educated dog.

I overheard a number of people in the crowd murmuring agreement. Because they opted to skip the examination section for obedience portion, as well, her score was quite a bit lower than it would have been. None-the-less, they ended up 2nd in their class.

I'm proud of the dog, but more than that, I'm extremely proud of my daughter who has spent so much time working with this dog. Miss Nancy has come a long, long way from that poor starving pup we found on our porch last fall. Hubby deserves kudos, as well. He's really worked hard at helping this dog make the necessary adjustments to become a loving member of our family.

We aren't done yet! Some days it still feels like we have a long, long way to go. But tonight was enough to prove she's still salvageable. She's a good dog. Not the best dog... yet... but I have faith we'll get there.