Life is like a box of tissues … My 1st OB medal.

MKA Obedience trials was held last Sunday and the turnout was encouraging with more than 40 teams registered; 25 in PreNovice, 11 in Novice and 4 in Open class.

Guess what? I’ve finally won a medal in OB trials … 3rd place to be exact in the MKA Novice class, pawsome. After years of heeling by Mr Owner’s left leg, I’ve finally struck bronze! All those years trying to figure out why dogs are made to heel on their owners’ left, when there is a whole lot of space on the right, front, and back …and to date, I still haven’t figured it out … Why do we have to heel on your left?!!

Mr Owner told me not to get carried away with the win as my fortune was largely due to other teams’ misfortune. The event started late, dragged on for too long and by the time Novice class commenced, it was already 2pm under the hot midday sun. Naturally, most dogs wilted in the heat, started lagging and committed fundamental errors. eg. moving during the stand, sit and down stay tests. That we had to heel 2x – on lead and off leash made the exercises even more difficult to bear. Certainly seemed longer than the Open and Intermediate heeling routines.

When it came to my turn, Mr Owner mentioned that I wasn’t any better with my awkward heeling moves reminiscent of Heelwork to Music and a snake sliding across the grass. In fact, I was trying to figure out why we had to heel in the sun, and instead tried to shift my bearings towards the shady trees but Mr Owner kept telling me not to be funny. Mr Owner got a tad exasperated midway through the heeling exercise and mixed up his left and right turns, so it wasn’t entirely my fault. Still we soldiered on and completed the routine, somehow.

Actually my heeling score (34/50) was the lowest amongst all the teams, but more than half the teams were eliminated due to their fidgety stay exercises. My saving grace was a solid Recall and Stay routines, which gave me perfect scores (50/50) and allowed me to steal 3rd place overall. Mr Owner was rather surprised to see me on the podium and rather pleased as well.

Mr Owner said I was lucky. My take on this: ‘Life is like a box of tissues, eventually the bottom sheet will come up tops’ … loosely translated, ‘Every dog has his day’. JRTs aren’t born to heel nicely, so any win at the OB trials will have to come from hope … hoping in hope that the more capable teams have an off day.

Now I can place what little OB skills I’ve acquired over 5 years to the bottom of my toy chest. May have spoken too soon, Mr Owner is now looking for the dumbbell for the retrieving exercise …

All that waiting (I waited for 5 hours from 9am to 2 pm) just to take part in an exercise which lasted less than 5 minutes … wonder if it was all worth it? I think there were moments when I almost passed out from all that lack of activity. My owners must have fallen asleep with all that waiting, hence why there are no photos of my OB exploits.

Thank god I brought along my skateboard to try out some new moves on the slightly sloping pathways in the park. My first time riding the board without any help from my owners, radical. Look ma, no hands!

Also had time to play ball with the 3 lovely sisters, Amber, Chloe and Faith …sure beats OB heeling exercises anytime.

Goes to show that OB trialers are a patient lot. Hats off to them! Congrats to me mates, Chloe and Amber the GRs, for winning 2nd and 3rd placings in PreNovice class. Pacco came very close to winning but got unstuck in the Stay routines.

Like I said, ‘Life is like a box of tissues …