2 Oct 2009.  

Today started out like any normal day.  That clock-thing on dad's bed started beeping early - like it does most days.  Dad slapped it - like he does most days.  Then dad got out of bed - like he does most days.  My nice soft warmie bed is right next to dad's bed.  I like that because sometimes at night things wake me and dad up, and dad will put a hand on me and tell me it is all OK.  When dad gets up he is always careful to not step on me.  And I am careful to not move.  It took me a while to get this right.  If I move dad might step on me or I might trip dad and make him fall.  I usually follow dad around the house while he gets ready for work.  But today was different.  Dad didn't get dressed.  He went to the radio room and talked to a few of his friends.  I didn't get my normal bone stuffed with cream cheese either.  Yup - something is different today.  Then mom got up and made breakfast for everyone.  All the dogs got an early breakfast too.  Something is up.  I was getting excited.

After breakfast all the dogs got put outside.  Not just a short time, but for a long time, maybe a whole 30 minutes.  That is about 5 hours in dog-time.  Great Danes get about 10 years to 1 human year you know.  This was different too, we normally just go out to pee, then back in our beds.  Mom and dad were busy doing something inside.  Soon all the dogs got put in their beds.  Mom said it was so we wouldn't be in the way.  Mom and dad started packing.  They are going somewhere.  Daisy started howling - she couldn't see what was going on and she wanted to be a part of whatever it was.  I could see mom and dad moving around.  Yup - they were packing the dog-show van.  Uncle Parker told me to be patient and watch for my green dog-training bag.  If the green dog training bag got packed - dogs were coming along.  I knew it wasn't dog training.  They don't pack the van just for dog training.  Maybe it was a dog show.  So I sat in my bed and quietly watched.  Dad told Daisy to "Knock It Off!" a few times.  I got some nice pats on the head for being patient whenever dad walked by.  Then - THERE IT WAS!  Dad opened the cabinet and pulled out my green training bag.  Oh-goodie.... dogs are going somewhere today.  I'm a happy dog, a happy happy dog...... we are going somewhere.  It doesn't matter where - somewhere - anywhere is good enough.  We always have a great time.

Mom loaded Daisy and I into the dog-show van.  My dog-mom Sammy had to stay home with Uncle Justin and Grandma Quiver.  I was sad that they couldn't come along, but I was excited that we were going somewhere.  Mom started the van to let the motor warm.  Dad did all his pre-flight checks.  GPS - ON.  RADIO - ON.  Radio check - AOK.  Navigation data loaded into the GPS - Check.  Last gear check - AOK.  Dad said everything was ready.  Mom started backing out of the car-port.  We were on the way.  It was still dark outside, so there wasn't much to see.  After a bit I started napping in my bed.  Uncle Parker told me he always got sick traveling.  He hated traveling, but he loved my dad and wanted to go everywhere with him.  So he went anyway and got sick.  I don't get sick traveling.  But the noise and motion sometimes makes me sleepy.  So I took a nap.  Some time later mom stopped the van.  I got up to look.  It was still dark outside, but we were somewhere with lots of lights.  Some guy in a green uniform was talking to mom and dad.  Then he went back behind the van with dad, and they opened the doors on the back of the van.  The nice man just wanted to see Daisy and I.  The man seemed friendly, so I wagged my tail for him.  He said we were good dogs.  Well - OF COURSE WE ARE!  They closed the doors and dad got back in the van.  Mom started driving, and I went back to sleep.

I woke up when the van started turning and going slow.  I looked out of the window.  It was light outside, and we were in a big park with green grass.  It must be a DOG PARK!  Oh-goodie.  I'm a lucky dog, a lucky lucky dog.... we are going to a DOG PARK - where the dogs bark.  Mom let dad park the van, dad is so good at that.  He always finds a perfect spot and slips the van right in.  With the van parked - mom and dad opened the back doors and started unloading stuff.  This was different.  What do we need to unload for a dog park?  But mom and dad opened the van windows, closed the doors, and left us in the van.  I am a sad sad puppy - I got left behind.

A long time later - like maybe 15 or 20 minutes, mom and dad came back for us.  Dad put my flexi-lead on me, and I dove out of the van and started running.  Suddenly I got snapped up short, and dad yelled OWWW.  Dad scolded me for acting silly.  I looked around.  We were not at a dog park.  We were at a DOG SHOW.  But this was different.  Dog shows are inside a building.  This was outside.  Dad told me to behave, so I did.  I walked nicely next to dad.  While we were walking lots of people said hi to dad, and they asked about Uncle Parker.  Dad told them that Uncle Parker was gone, but that River was his new puppy.  I stood tall and proud so dad would be proud of me too.  Some people had something called a Parker Fan Club card.  They asked if I had a card yet.  Dad said no, Parker didn't get a card until he had earned a few titles and worked as a therapy dog.  Little River had a ways to go yet.  Hey - I ain't so little!

Dad took us to a place where there were some tent-like things.  We got put into some beds.  This was our dog-show home I guess.  But where will mom and dad sleep?  That nice Mary-Lynn lady was there, and she took Daisy out and looked her over.  Dad was busy fixing up some chairs to sit on.  After a bit, dad took me out and we went exploring.  There was lots of stuff to see and do and sniff.  And lots of dogs too.  I wanted to make friends with them and play, but dad said they were busy - they had to work.  Dad took me to a ring, and dad got some piece of paper and put it on his arm.  The paper said R-30.  I wonder what that means.  Mom and Mary-Lynn put on papers like that when they are showing Daisy.  Is dad going to show Daisy today?  Dad got some other big paper with some drawings on it too.  Oh-well... we went exploring some more.  And guess who was there.  Karen, my favorite Alpha-human dog trainer.  We got to say hi.  Then after a bit dad took me back to my bed and told me to rest up.  Rest up for what dad?  

Dad took the big paper and he studied it some, then he walked around like he was training a dog.  But there was no dog, just dad.  It almost looked like dad was dancing.  He did it over and over again.  After a bit, dad got me out of my bed and he put my training collar on.  Then mom had the paper and she called out to dad what to do while dad was training me.  Dad was telling mom there were something called STAGES that I had not trained on yet.  So dad gave me a little training now.  But dogs do not learn that fast - especially not puppies.  We need to do it several times on several days to get it right.  So I tried - but I didn't get it all.  Dad said today was only a practice day anyway - we were just going to have fun.  I like having fun.  After a while I started getting bored.  Mom said I had enough, and dad should let me rest.  So dad took off my training collar and put me in my bed.  I got down to take a nap and soon I was having good doggie-dreams.

A little while later dad woke me up.  Mom and Daisy were gone.  Dad put my training collar on, and he got our green training bag.  Then we went for a short walk.  We walked to a dog show ring.  There were several dogs there, and we watched the dogs and their humans walking around in the ring.  There was some judge-man in the ring.  He had some papers on a clip-board, and he was writing something while the dogs walked around the ring.  When a dog finished, the judge-man took that paper to a table and gave it to some other lady called a ring-steward.  She put the dog's score on the score-board.  Dad asked who was in the ring.  Someone told dad they were the Rally Advanced dogs.  Dad told me "OK - we have some time to watch".  This was a different kind of show - I didn't get it.  I watched - but it wasn't like any training I ever did.  There were these orange things all in the ring, I never saw that before.  And there were some signs on the orange things.  And there were some white boards that the dogs had to jump over.  Well - at least I know how to do jumps.  But when dad took me to the practice dog shows the ring was always empty.  I was kinda worried now.  I could tell dad was anxiously waiting for those dogs to get finished.  After a bit they did finish.

Mom showed up without Daisy.  The Rally advanced dogs were standing around, and the judge-man called them all in the ring and talked to them.  There was lots of applause, and the judge-man passed out ribbons to all the humans in the ring with the dogs.  While this was going on, the ring-steward lady was moving the orange things around and changing the signs.  Then she took the jumps out of the ring.  Dad was studying that big paper, and watching the ring-steward lady move the orange things.  She was putting the orange things with signs down, and dad was checking the paper.  Hey - that paper is a COURSE MAP!  Dad was studying the course on the paper.  When the ring-steward lady was finished, the judge-man said the Rally Novice entrants could walk the course.  Mom took me from dad, and dad took his course map and went into the ring.  Hey dad - I want to walk the course too.... you forgot me!  There were 4 other people with dad, and they all walked around the course doing the same dance dad was doing earlier when he was training me.  None of them had a dog with them.  I guess the course-walk-dance is just for the humans.  Dad went around a few times as did all the people.  When the others quit - dad went around once more.  Dad asked the judge-man a few questions, then dad came back to mom and I.

Mom handed my leash to dad, and dad took me over to the side of the ring.  Dad whispered in my ear to watch what they do so I can do it too.  Do what dad... I don't understand this yet.  The ring-steward lady called for dog #24.  A lady and a dog went into the ring and the dog sat.  Easy so far, I can do sit.  The judge-man asked if they were ready.  The lady said YES and the judge-man said FORWARD.  The lady said HEEL, and she and her dog started walking.  They walked around the orange things in a strange way that I just couldn't figure out.  The judge-man didn't say anything else.  In my practice shows the judges always said left turn or right turn or halt or something and me and dad did what they said.  This judge-man didn't say anything, he just kept writing on his clip-board.  When the lady finished she shouted Yeaaaaa... and her dog leapt in the air.  Everyone clapped their hands for them.  The judge-man walked over to the lady and told her that he was sorry, but she was disqualified... she did stage two backward.  The lady looked at the judge-man, then looked at stage two, and said Oh-noooo.  I could feel that she was sad as she walked away.  The ring-steward lady marked D-Q on the score board for # 24.

Next the ring-steward lady called for dog #25.  DOG #25?...  DOG #25?... she told the judge-man that dog #25 was absent.  The ring-steward lady then called for dog #26.  DOG #26?...  DOG #26?...  I guess dog #26 was absent too.  The ring-steward lady told the judge-man.  That left only 4 more dogs including me and dad.  The ring-steward lady called for dog #27.  A man with a big black dog stepped forward into the ring.  The judge-man asked if they were ready.  The man said YES and the judge-man said FORWARD.  This team did better, and after they were done the judge-man went to the table with his clipboard, and the ring-steward lady wrote 81 on the score board.  Everyone clapped their hands again while the team left the ring.  Not bad.  I thought they did really good.  The ring-steward lady called for dog #28.  A lady and a dog stepped into the ring.  The judge-man asked if they were ready.  The lady said YES and the judge-man said FORWARD.  The lady and her dog walked the course the same as the man and his dog did.  When they were done the judge-man went to the table with his clipboard, and the ring-steward lady wrote 76 on the score board.  I guess they didn't do so good.  Everyone was clapping hands for them anyway.  Dad whispered to mom "This judge is tough!"  Mom agreed.  Dad leaned over me and said "Don't worry River, this is just practice and we are going to have fun".  The ring-steward lady called for dog #29.  Another lady and dog stepped into the ring and the dog sat.  The judge-man asked if they were ready.  The lady said YES and the judge-man said FORWARD.  The lady and her dog walked the course the same as the lady and her dog before did.  When they were done the judge-man went to the table with his clipboard, and the ring-steward lady wrote 79 on the score board.  This wasn't taking very long, only a few minutes each.  As this lady was finishing and people were clapping their hands for them mom moved away with her camera, then dad called me to heel and we moved to the front of the ring.  Uh-oh.... it must be my turn now.

The ring-steward lady called DOG #30.  Dad said HERE and we walked into the ring.  I was a little scared, but I gave dad a perfect sit.  The judge-man asked dad if we were ready.  NO - I AM NOT READY DAD.  Dad leaned over me and whispered "Ok River, lets just have some fun".  Then dad stood up and said "Yes-sir - we're ready".  The judge-man said FORWARD.  Dad said RIVER... HEEL.  I got up and started walking with dad.  I did my best to stick right with dad.  I can heel really really good, so I did.  For the first stage dad made me heel in a weave-pattern in and out of the orange things.  There was not a lot of room for a big dog like me, so dad was brushing right up against the ring to give me room.  Somehow I knew I wasn't supposed to step on the orange things so I stayed really close to dad.  When we past the orange things dad said GOOD JOB RIVER.  Whew - we got through that one.  Next was the one that got the first dog D-Qed.  Don't do it backwards dad.  Dad halted and I sat.  Dad said HEEL and took one step.  I took one step and sat.  Dad said HEEL and took two steps.  I took two steps and sat.  Dad said HEEL and took three steps.  I took three steps and sat.  Dad said GREAT JOB RIVER... HEEL.  I stood up and followed dad.  Hey - this isn't so hard.  In fact this is FUN!  I was having a really great time and I was wagging my tail all over the place.  Everything was going great and I could feel dad was very happy too.  Then we got to stage 12.

Stage 12 was just like stage 2, except backward.  .  While heeling along - dad stops while calling "RIVER - FRONT".  I was supposed to pass dad, turn right 180º, then sit in front of dad looking up at his face.  I did that, Perfect.  Then dad takes one step back while calling me "FRONT".  I must step forward and sit in front of dad looking up at his face again at the same time dad moved.  Then two steps back, then finally three steps back.  Then dad moves forward and I fall into heel position and we continue.  On the 3-steps part I was distracted watching the dog in the next ring doing a retrieve.  I was slow coming off the sit to follow dad, so I made up for it by leaping up.  I went too far past dad and was sitting to dad's right side.  Oops.... sorry dad.  I felt that dad was disappointed, and the judge-man was writing on his clip board.  We finished the last two stages, but I was sad and my tail wasn't wagging.  When we reached the end of the course dad yelled RIVER - YOU DID IT!  I guess dad was surprised and happy.  We walked out of the ring.  Mom came up and said we certainly qualified.  Dad was still hugging me and telling me how good I did when the judge-man called all the dogs back in the ring.  The judge-man said some things, then started passing out ribbons.  He said "In first place with a score of 84, dog #30".  Dad looked at the judge-man and then at his number paper.  Dad - I am dog #30.  Go get our ribbons.  Not only did dad and I qualify, but we won!  Everyone came to dad and congratulated us.  My very first real dog show and we won.  Mom took some pictures with dad and me and the judge-man.  After the pictures, dad took me out of the ring and knelt down next to me.  He put his arms around my neck, and he had water in his eyes.  Then dad told me "River, Uncle Parker would be so proud of you today".  I really wish Uncle Parker could have been here with us too.

Mom said that Daisy didn't win anything, so we could leave.  Dad put me in the dog-show van.  Mom put Daisy in with me.  They left us for a few minutes, then they got in the van and we started driving.  They left the tent-thing behind with our doggie-beds.  We drove a long long time and when we stopped we were back home.  Daisy said she didn't understand why we didn't pack everything up.  Silly Daisy.... it's because we are going back tomorrow.  I had a great doggie-day.  More tomorrow.