CAMPAIGN 2006

This page is intended to document my journey with my best pal, Piper, as we pursue several big goals this year in the obedience ring. It will be an intense and hectic year on the campaign trail - hopefully this page will help my friends, family and students to understand why I haven't seen as much of them as usual.

GOAL #1 - Top Belgian Shepherd in Obedience in Canada

In 2004, the top Belgian scored 79 points. In 2005 (a bit tougher), the top Belgian had about 140 points. Points are awarded based on scores in every trial in which you compete. The higher your score, the more points you earn. You can get a maximum of 8 points per trial. You can do the math - that's a lot of trials!

GOAL#2 - To crack the Top 10 Herding Dogs

In 2004, it would have taken 72 points to earn the #10 spot. In 2005, around 80 points.

GOAL #3 - To earn the title of Grand Master Obedience Trial Champion

This is the only obedience title Piper hasn't earned, but it is a toughie. You have to qualify in two separate classes of competition, at the same trial, with scores of 195 or better in both classes (a perfect score is 200 points). And you have to do that 10 times! And under 10 different judges. And somewhere in there you have to earn a Highest Scoring dog in Trial (HIT) at least once from Open and once from Utility.
***MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!! Piper earns the coveted GMOTCh on May 14th in Manotick***

And enough legs for a second GMOTCh on June 17th......
.......And enough legs for a third GMOTCh on August 20th.....

GOAL #4 - To crack Top 10 All Breeds

OK, it's time for me to 'fess up. When the year started, I wasn't sure how possible it was to get into the Top 10 Obedience Dogs in Canada. But Piper's been having a GREAT year, and now I know what's possible. As of end-May, the odds are that we had enough points to be in the Top 10 for 2006. My new goal.....is to finish as high in the Top 10 as we possible can. In fact, I'm going for #1 overall. What a way for Piper to retire! There's no magic number of points we need, we just have to get more points than anyone else. I have listed below what it took to be in the Top 10 in 2004 and 2005 for reference.

You can check how we are doing at Canine Review - Top Obedience Dogs 2006 This is an unofficial listing of how the country is doing, and gets updated a couple of times a year.

UPDATE!!! Piper finishes #5 All Breeds in Canada in 2006.

Look for the official results in the August 2007 issue of Dogs in Canada

OUR TOTALS

PREVIOUS TOP 10 RESULTS (BY YEAR)

BREAK DOWN BY WEEKEND

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CAMPAIGN

Feb 12th - Winning a squeeker of a run-off against Bruce Gibbons and Rideau for the High in Trial. The judge had us do off-lead heeling - Figure 8 exercise, to break the tie and both dogs were so perfect, it was impossible to spot a winner. But Judge Susan des Cotes picked Piper and I. We had lost a run-off to Bruce the previous day for the HIT.

March 17th-21st - In the middle of this busy campaign year, Piper and I travel to Northern Newfoundland to assist in a search for a missing snowmobiler. At the incredible age of 9 yrs, 7 months, in her SAR retirement year, we faced one of the toughest physical challenges of her career in the Barrens. Tuckamore bushes, wind-swept plateaus, snow so deep she had to swim through it, yet she never once let me take the lead. She stayed out in front, just like she'd been taught, and broke trail for me for 3 straight days.

Apr 8 - Piper cleans up at Petawawa, winning every class and all 4 HITs. But the highlight was her Utility run under judge Sharlene Manderson, who deemed her to be perfect - up until her very last front, which was off by a few degrees, resulting in a score of 199.5, a mere 1/2 point away from the elusive perfect score of 200, something Piper and I have never earned.

May 14th - Piper does it! She earns the Grand Master Obedience Trial Champion title! And picks up two HITs to celebrate. What a special treat it was to complete this title at home, with so many friends around us. Thank you for your sincere cheers when the judge announced our qualifying score. But you'll have to excuse me now, I have to go marinate her steak........

May 21st - Sweep in Dollard des Ormeaux! Piper wins all 4 trials over the weekend.

June 9-10 - Sweep in Brome! Piper wins all 4 trials over the weekend, in our first outdoor trials of the year. And gets yet another 199.5, missing her final finish by a degree or two. This despite 2 full days of pouring rain. Nothing much more pathetic than a line-up of dogs doing a Sit-Stay in a rainstorm.....over and over again.

July 1-2 - Another sweep, this time in Chateauguay! A nice way to wrap up a 4 weekend stretch of consecutive trials. The endless string of trials, and the onset of summer temperatures, have taken a toll on our scores and our pass rate. Time to rest, swim, and regain our zest for the quest:-)

July 24-25 We're back! A three week break has done us both a lot of good - that, and some lower temperatures. Piper missed not one, but TWO, chances at a perfect score of 200. Once she ticked the broad jump with a toenail, resulting in a 1 mark deduction and a final score of 199. And once, she forgot to sit at heel at the halt - 2 mark deduction for a final score of 198. But the sparkle was back in her eye, and we are committed to making a determined run until the end of the year.

Aug 26-28 Dodged a BIG bullet (or two, or three) this week. I managed to jam my ankle tracking, spent a couple of days on crutches but got back on my feet in time for the weekend. Then Piper came up very sore at the show, probably a back injury, couldn't even bark without crying, and I had to withdraw for a day. Some good anti-inflammatories and thankfully she was rarin' to go the next day. And picked up a big 72 points, and 3 HITs! Our HIT total to date is above anything that's been logged in the past 3 years, and we have 4 months to go! I've heard rumours of a 1-year record of 47 HITs - yet another goal to which we can aspire! One more outdoor trial to go......

Sept 9-10 What a start to the month! Did well in Cornwall, only to get paged for a search in North Bay immediately after the last trial. Spent three days working hard on that search, then dashed off to Oakville for another trial. Despite her (and my!) fatigue, Piper still managed to get 3 HITs in tough Southwestern Ontario competition. The countdown is on......December 31st is just around the corner. Time to put the pedal to the metal.

Sept 29th Today, the campaign, and the decade long adventure, came to an end. After a brief illness, Piper died in my arms today, of an immune disorder that she just couldn't beat. She has left behind a legacy, and a devastating void. I will miss this exceptional dog terribly - her perfectionist manner, her bottomless capacity to work, her almost-human intelligence. But above all I will miss her humour, her hugs, her loyalty and her love. As a friend wrote me, I was blessed to that our lives were able to overlap for 10 sweet years. That'll do, Pipe. Rest well.

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