Penny here. I interrupt your August to bring you a special announcement. Mom and I NQ’d yesterday.

But I can explain.

You remember last weekend when we went to a ‘fun’ match and I decided in the ring that I wasn’t having fun so I refused to participate?

Well. The real trial was this weekend. Mom signed us up for both Saturday and Sunday, back when she had high hopes. Possibly when she was wearing those rose colored glasses you have heard about. She went to an eye appointment this past Wednesday and doesn’t have rose colored glasses anymore. If you know what I mean.

So yesterday (Saturday) we got to the venue with a couple hours to spare. Mom wanted me to be fully acclimated to the building and the noise and the other dogs and stuff. No problem mom, none of that stuff bothers me at all!

They were supposed to start my event about 10:50, and we were the third dog in our ‘class, Beginner Novice. Beginner Novice is supposed to be easier stuff than Novice, and the judges just might give you a little more grace if you’re slightly off.

That’s what mom hoped anyway.

So last week at the fun run was a disaster. This week mom and I practiced every day and I did everything perfectly in my training basement, and in my driveway and even on my group walk on Friday night.

So Saturday, while we were waiting mom tried to balance my in crate rest time with some playful, upbeat practice time where we’d heel around the room a little, or go outside and work on my recalls, which I might add, were perfect.

The judge was running long, so it was 12:45 before our event started. And I was the second dog instead of the third because a dog didn’t show up. Mom wasn’t too worried, I seemed relaxed, happy and alert.

But as soon as we walked into the ring (and mom started heeling me from way back so I was all focused on her when we entered) I started to act different. I refused to sit on my own, and she had to push my behind down and stare at me real hard.

That freaked me out too, and when we set off heeling I stayed a bit behind her just to be safe. Mom was not amused but she just kept walking hoping I was back there somewhere. I did sit when we halted at the end of the heeling pattern. But it took me awhile.

I lagged as expected on the figure 8, but I sat each time we halted. Slowly, but I sat. I was getting kind of ticked because so far there had been no cheese offered for all my hard work.

Then I let the nice lady judge do her sit for exam thing. I sit, she pats me on the head. I’m not supposed to move. It was the least I could do, as it was obvious she wanted to pet me. I mean, who doesn’t?

Plus not moving was becoming a thing.

I sat still as a rock in the middle of the room for my long sit while mom walked around the room. Everybody in the area was staring at how beautiful I looked sitting there. I didn’t move at all except to keep my eyes on my mom.

She was feeling pretty proud of me and obviously she forgot to give me my cheese.

The last thing I had to do was a recall. I love recall. I get to run straight to my mom and I know I look beautiful doing it. It’s one of my favorite things to do. But mom could already tell from the way I walked with her over to the start line that I was getting more and more miffed about the lack of a proper reward.

So she set me up and kissed me on my head and whispered in my ear to please just come to mom, and she walked over to the other side of the ring, turned around and called me.

And I sat. Very still.

Mom knew she could call one more time without disqualifying us and she tried to make it a happier, more excited call, but I didn’t move a hair. The judge even tried to walk in back of me thinking I’d get up and run to mom.

But I didn’t. Nope. Nothing.

Here’s the deal. No treats, no worky. Mom shouldn’t expect me to work for free. I’m holding my skills as hostage until she gives me what I want. And what I want is treats!

So that, ladies and gentlemen, was that. We NQ’d which means we didn’t qualify. And the judge was sad and the crowd was sad, and mom’s friend who is helping to train me was sad.

But mom wasn’t sad. A little disappointed because we were this close, but not sad. Because I had done a lot right that day when I didn’t get freaked by loud noises and other dogs and lots of people going by me real close and stuff. I didn’t get tired of waiting, and I stayed engaged with her right up until we walked in the ring.

Mom says she’s realy happy with all of that. And now she says we’re going to work on tightening up that heel and getting a reliable recall and then, whenever that is, we’re going to try again.

She says she loves me very much and she knows I did the best I could. But she also says I’m going to have to get over the not getting treats thing.

Cause, she says, that starts today.

Uh oh.

Signing off for now, your home loving sheltie girl Penny who will probably ask you to overnight her some treats to a secret post office box very soon.

(PS: I don’t have any pictures of me in the ring, so these images are mostly from my walks this past week and of me hanging out at home. There’s a couple of me waiting with mom at the trial yesterday.)