Sometimes I realize to what degree the sport of obedience trialing requires an almost obsessive love for delayed gratification. The video below presents Reardon’s debut in the Novice Obedience ring. He did a wonderful job, winning the class and earning a 196 out of 200 points, and ½ point away from the High in Trial score.
The routine we do doesn’t look too complicated. In fact, Reardon makes it look easy. But behind this successful debut is 3 ½ years of training, starting when Reardon was a 7-week-old puppy. While we certainly didn’t train just for this set of exercises—he knows the advanced obedience exercises too, better than any novice dog I’ve trained—the degree of attention he shows, the precision on turns and sits, and the willingness to concentrate in a distracting location are all on-going projects for any dog training at this competitive level for the obedience ring.
Beyond that, I ponder the easy appearance of Reardon’s performance. Italians have a word for a kind of beautiful performance, sprezzatura, to describe a performance that is intensely complex and difficult, but is made to appear graceful and effortless by the performers. I like to think Reardon’s first novice run approaches this degree of sprezzatura. Or at least shows a glimpse of it.
Where did he lose his points? He lost 1 point by moving a foot during the judge’s exam that follows the figure 8 heeling pattern. He lost another point somewhere in the heeling on lead, but his big blooper came right at the end of the off-leash heeling, where he decided he had figured out the heeling pattern and would complete the last about-turn on his own, thank you very much! I have to laugh about it; here’s a dog who’s never been in the novice ring before, already injecting his own comments on events. He’s not being disobedient or distracted; he just wants to get on with things. That blooper cost us 2 points, but I’m happy to see him so confident right at the beginning of his showing career. Way to go, Reardon!
It’s Rozzie’s turn tomorrow, in the pouring rain if the weather reports are right. I’m glad we trained in the rain on Thursday.
The Spaniel Annals 
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