Hi everybody, it’s me, Penny! I know I haven’t been around much, but mom and I have been really busy.

A couple weekends ago I took mom to a dog training facility that we don’t visit very often. My Aunt Dianne trains there and she told us about an obedience trial. She and mom thought I might be ready, so mom enrolled me way back when she had confidence in us.

As the date got closer she got a little (lot) more worried. You see we’d tried to qualify in the beginner novice three times already and we’ve only earned one leg. That means we’ve NQ’d (didn’t qualify) two times!

Mom says I am very creative and have found new ways to NQ at trials and even at fun matches. I pride myself on being a good thinker. Yep that’s me. Always thinking.

Anyway, mom had to make two trips out of town just before this trial and she was worried that we hadn’t practiced very much. Friday night, the night before the event, she put me on her lap and hugged me and whispered in my ear that no matter what happened on Saturday she’d always love me.

I licked her face and asked to get down.

Mom got us to the venue way too early and they were running behind so we had to wait and wait and wait until it was our turn. Toward the end of us waiting I started telling mom that I was over it and started grumbling loudly about the whole thing.

She was sure I wasn’t going to cooperate.

But guess what? The judge was moving right along between tasks in the ring and there was no time for me to go into a deep think about what I was doing. So I just trotted along with mom.

OK, so my heeling was, as mom says, sloppy. And I moved one of my feet when the nice lady judge petted me. But I stayed still and didn’t move anything but my swivel head when I sat in the middle of the ring and mom walked (quickly) around the perimeter.

And my recall? It was perfect.

I earned a 196 out of 200 points and second place! Mom said she had tears in her eyes when we walked out of the ring.

This weekend I’m signed up for trials on Saturday and Sunday. I only have to get one more leg for my Beginner Novice Title.

Mom says she’s not counting her chickens. I don’t know what that means, we don’t even have chickens. I’m already a barking fool, if she adds chickens to our house it’s gonna get crazy!

I’ll add a postscript to this after our runs Saturday and Sunday. Wish us well!

All the photos of me working were taken by Cathi of Cathi Winkles Photography. The images of me sitting around waiting were taken by my mom. (Who also doesn’t wait very well.)

Talk later, your beginner obedient girl, Penny.

PS: It’s Saturday evening now. Mom said I should let you know I qualified and earned my Beginner Novice Title!

AND…I met my sister too!

What a stellar day!