Spring Break Catch Up

So last week was spring break and instead of doing all my homework during that time, I instead spent my time stressing about the obedience trial, and doing everything except study and school work. That means for the past two days Rugby hasn't really been worked as I catch up on all my assignments. This also means that he isn't very happy with me. I always know when he needs to be worked because he becomes something of...a pest and starts constantly bugging me. And right now, he is something of a pest!

So before we went to bed tonight we practiced for a little bit inside. We did our #2 glove since I knew it would be easy and signals and the moving stand. We combined it all with practicing fronts and finishes.

I think Rugby has finally gotten the swing finish down pretty good since today he kept trying to do it without me asking. I made a game of it - we were switching between the finish to the left and to the right. The problem was he kept wanting to go left. :/ Since he was so eager to swing, I kept encouraging him to keep going and eventually I had him going in a complete circle around me - backwards. He thought is was very funny that if he kept going he ended up where he started, and I think I created a swinging monster out of him! If I can pick a word to use, perhaps we can spend some more time on it and get him to do it with less encouragement from me. It certainly would be easy to convince him to do!

I wasn't as successful in getting him to get that excited about the finish to the right, but maybe after a couple of tries and maybe getting outside will help to?

He was consistently happy the entire time we worked today, even though it was only 20 minutes or so. It was a different kind of happy than how he usually works so I'm not exactly sure whats up with him - but I'm not complaining! Also almost every single front he gave me was perfect too! Where were those fronts last weekend?!

Rugby's itching problem reappeared the week of the trial. :( He even tried to itch in the ring a couple times over the weekend. It is very dissapointing but untill the vets can figure something out and get him off medicine, etc we can't work scent articles. He has an appointment with a holistic vet next Tuesday. Hopefully he can think of something the others haven't been able to see!