39 Months Old

Holly is 39 months old today.  That is 3 years, 3 months.   I remember waiting for the one year mark, then the two year mark and of course the magical three year mark.  All that waiting ended with wondering where the time went.  Within her world, Holly manages well.  She knows the routine, she knows what she likes, she knows my limits and she still knows how to push the envelope between compliance and playfulness.

Holly has a new playmate, Kimber.  Playtime has begun now that the ground rules were set for the use of sharp puppy teeth.  They can be used to show, clash and hold – but not bite.  Holly was showing improvement with changing the tempo for inside vs outside play.  Apparently when a puppy is around, puppy energy takes the lead.  Kimber gets a pass, she hasn’t learned the change of pace yet.  Holly is not the one to teach her and finds herself back on square one.  Outdoor play is going well.  The two of them have engaged in chase, take-away and at times wrestling.  Holly is in heaven when she can get Kimber to chase after her.  Kimber is in heaven that the big dog is treating her like a real playmate and giving her authentic attention. 

I took the leap and registered Holly in the March TPTC Dog Show for Rally Novice.  This isn’t a Fun Match, this is a real deal.  In the Fun Match I misread two signs and was responsible for nearly all the points lost on Holly’s final score.  I figure in a real show my misses will double in occurrence and score.  My first thought was ‘Poor Holly’ but then I realized – when she does well, she gets treats; when I do bad, she gets treats.  Holly is coming out ahead with our Rally challenge!  One can never go wrong with keeping it fun.    To be continued…