boston terrier Archives - Fran's Fitness Over 50

Fran holding Booker with the judge — Booker and the Judge (and me)

I’ve talked about the ups, and downs, and more downs, and frustrations of dog training here. It’s part of my life, so I talk about it. I train my Boston Terrier, Booker in Obedience. I’m holding him in the picture to the left. To our right is the judge at the Obedience Trial where we earned Booker’s Novice Obedience title.

Doing Obedience with a Boston takes a great deal of patience and consistency. You don’t see many at Obedience trials. You see lots of Golden Retrievers and Border Collies.

Bostons are goofballs. It takes about 3 years for their brains to start to settle in. All they want to do is play, eat, play, sleep, and play some more. To earn an obedience title on a Boston takes a whole lot of persistence.

And now that we’ve earned the first regular title in AKC (American Kennel Club – the organization in which Booker is registered), I aim to continue and progress to the next level. Which will take even more training and practice and persistence and patience and consistency.

Back to the main theme…

Booker and I earned that title in 3 days this Spring. Since we earned the title all in one year, we’re qualified to enter the AKC Obedience Classic. Every dog that earned a title all in one year is eligible to enter the Classic.

As any user of Facebook does, I was scrolling through my groups and newsfeeds today. And there is a long discussion that the Classic is nothing more than a money-maker for the AKC.

That may certainly be one reason to hold the trial, but I’m not looking at it like that.

The Obedience Classic is a venue to show how proud the competitors are of the work they put in. Proud of their dogs and their training. It’s a chance for all of that training to be recognized in a venue where people may observe that might be inspired to train their own dogs.

The Classic is held at the place where the Agility Invitational and the National Dog Show is held. But people who may get tired of the noise could stop in to watch some of the best teams in the country compete. Watch the bond these teams have – person and dog – nothing better!

So, for those who say that anyone can get in to the Obedience Classic, and that it’s nothing more than a regular show, I don’t buy it. It demonstrates the love and passion a person has for their dog!

Going to a dog show always energizes me. I think it’s because a dog show is so alien from most of our day-to-day lives. Most of us go to work every morning and sit. We spend our days looking at a computer screen or on the phone. Writing notes, completing spreadsheets, and not having much interaction with others.

A dog show is very different. First of all, by its very nature, there are beings of a different species present! Lots of dogs… Most of them are happy and wagging their tails. (Although, personally, I don’t have much experience with tails.) Loud and panting, perhaps, but generally happy. The whole place is loud, usually, with people and dogs moving around. It’s very dynamic with lots of energy.

Even at an obedience trial. Yesterday was the annual trial of the obedience club that I’m a member of. Even though it was a lot of hard work to put on the trial, I think each of us involved had a really good time. I know I did – and not just because of the ribbons!

It’s the interaction between the people and the dogs. And just the fact that there are dogs there to pet and talk to makes the place happy.

The energy of the place transfers to others.

And Booker won the trophy for Highest Qualifying Scoring Boston Terrier at the trial! That’s me on the left and the judge on the right.