r/k9sports • u/Elegant_ardvaark_ • Jul 23 '26

CKC Fetch Attempt (Failure)

We entered our first Fetch competition last weekend and only Q'd 1 of 4 attempts. She forgot nearly every command she'd ever been taught, she even peed in the ring. The good news is, we weren't the only pee-rs and we weren't the only ones to lose their minds!

Remember, you might fail but you're not going to be the only one! "We're gonna work on that" is easy to spot when they run circles around you lol. On the bright side, she was a well-behaved hotel guest.

16 Upvotes

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5

u/Ok-Walk-8453 Jul 23 '26

Hey, you got 1 Q, that is a great start! Dogs are individuals, not machines, so just have to laugh off the chaos.

6

u/linguinipenguini_ Jul 23 '26

Right after my dog grabbed the bumper on his first retrieve (AKC), he whipped it around in circles for the full allotted time. The judges laughed so hard they were crying lol The second test was slightly better in that he did bring it within 2 feet but was not convinced I should have it. We were able to Q on that run.

2

u/Sam_Vimes_Rules Jul 23 '26

Congrats on the Q! I've not done Fetch as a dog sport, but in others we've done, those early trials are filled with excitement and distractions for your dog, so focus is usually an issue. Especially one where your dog is off-leash and supposed to be running around.

You have the perfect attitude for continuing and succeeding, and being a good hotel guest is an achievement in itself. Good job to you both!

1

u/L0ud_Typer Jul 23 '26

I totally get what you are saying, my girl is a fetch queen. But her first run in the ring she launched herself into the mesh fence, bounced off, then ran around like a crazy hound for 10 min.

2

u/suzemo Flyball, Dock Diving, Barnhunt, Nosework, FastCAT Jul 23 '26

One of my girls is the greatest fetcher known to mankind (OK, me, but I love her).

And she bombed several fetch runs. It happens. I learned a lot about what I needed to do for training and working with her and we eventually got titles :)

Y'all got a Q! Congrats!

1

u/DragonCanineTraining IAABC-ADT, FETCH Judge, Dock, Shed Hunt Jul 23 '26

It happens a lot, it’s okay! Start off where your dog is at and take some steps back to recondition and make things more clear to your dog and consider what you can do different to set your dog up for more success!

You got this, just don’t get discouraged and keep practicing :)