Here's the newest member of our family, “Bo”. He comes to us from WayToGo Papillons. Here's his pedigree.
Bo competes in obedience, rally obedience, and agility. He is an agility monster. He recently missed the down contact on the A frame — this is quite an achievement for a 10" dog, but happily he came out of this escapade with no injuries.
Bo is very proud of his sister, Annabelle, who fairly recently finished her championship! And his cousin Cache Cache, who beat 130 other paps to go Winners Dog at the 2008 National Specialty!
M Nicole Fischer photography
- May 2008:
- Bo earned his first Open Standard Agility leg at the Weimeraner Agility trial on Saturday May 17th, with a first place run that was 20 seconds under course time. Bo and Jennie are taking the summer off from agility trials, so she can focus on improving her handling.
- Bo earned two more agility titles on Sunday May 11. These are in USDAA (United States Dog Agility Association) at the Starters (aka, Novice) level. He earned his Starters Standard (SSA) and Starters Jumpers (SJ) titles with clean runs (and first places) 15 seconds under the course times. His standard run was a bit wild (first run of the day) and fast, but he ran clean. We NQed in Snooker (as always -- its one of those wacky you invent your own course things that I always mess up!). Then the third run of the day was jumpers. He was (thankfully!!!!) a bit tired by then (it was after 4 PM). So we had the most gorgeous perfect run. Everyone enthused when we finished, but the lady whose chair was next to mine (a complete stranger) told me that while Bo was running that jumpers run, everyone was remarking on what an amazing papillon he is. :-) Oh -- and expect a LONG GAP before any more titles. These were all the easy ones....
- Bo finished off his Novice Agility titles at the Oriole Dog Training Club Agility Trial May 3-4, 2008. Bo finished his Novice FAST (NF) on Saturday (May 3rd) with a first place run. Then Sunday he put in his first open qualifying performance in FAST with a second place! This is because he is, in fact, a very fast dog. FAST courses seem pretty easy for Jennie, because she is used to working the send with Bo on regular agility courses, so the send in fast is not novel... Both of these runs were under judge Tim Verelli. However, Bo and Jennie held together on Sunday afternoon long enough to earn his Novice Agility (NA) title with a First place under judge Sam Banks. Jennie dreams of the day when she can have a two jump lead out and can catch her dog at the end of the course instead of him dancing around just out of reach....
- April 2008:
- Bo and Jennie had a grand time at the Papillon Club of America National Specialty (April 20-27 in Frederick MD). Bo qualified in 7 of 8 runs and finished 2 titles! (Rally Excellent and Novice Jumpers). Bo finished his NAJ in 3 shows, with perfect clean runs in each and two first places and a second place. Unfortunately his handler had bumbled a couple of Novice runs, so he is still awaiting that third standard leg for his NA title! He also earned 2 Agility Novice FAST legs at the specialty, but no placements because of his handler.
- Bo finished his Rally Excellent (RE) title at the specialty, then went on to win the Rally Advanced B class and earned himself yet more toys and some seriously large rosettes! In the five times Bo has competed in rally advanced, he has earned first place 3 times and a second place once. That one non-placing Q, Jennie had the flu and thus Bo as not in the placements (a likely yet true excuse). At his first AKC agility trial on Saturday April 5th, Bo came home with two first places and clean runs in Novice Standard and Jumpers (8"), at his home club's (Capitol DTC) trial in Westminster MD. However, further work is needed on start-line stays (what is that????) and weave poles.
- March 2008:
- Bo had two clean runs in USDAA Starters Agility (Standard and Jumpers) at the Hog Dog Trial in Millersville MD on Saturday, March 29, 2008, earning legs with perfect scores and second and fourth place runs. Jennie has yet to really figure out how Snooker works. Bo got his second USDAA Starters Standard Agility leg on Sunday, March 30th, with a clean run and second place. It was bitterly cold, however, so Jennie and Bo came home early, and did not wait for the other classes.
- February 2008:
- Bo finished his UKC-CD on February 9, 2008, at the Dulles Gateway Obedience Training Club Trial in Catoctin Maryland. Bo finished his title with a 188.5 (half a point out of the placements, but we were extremely happy with the Q!!!!!). Jennie is looking forward to doing more agility and working on Open in the coming months. Bo is always happy to be doing things. Bo is currently competing in obedience and is an insane agility-monster-in-training. Once he gets his weave poles down we'll be ready to show the world what a noisy and driven little git he can be. Bo is taking a break from rally, as Jennie wants to focus on obedience and agility.
- January 2008:
- At the UKC K9 Konnection Obedience Trials (CTA Building in Beltsville, MD) on January 12 and 13, Bo earned his first two UKC-CD legs with a scores of 193 on both days. On the Saturday trial this earned him a fourth place under Judge Lorraine Currey, and on Sunday it earned him a third place under Judge Lee Hussey. Both days the other placements were a border collie and goldens. Go small dog, go!
- December 2007:
- Bo earned his second CD leg at the Catoctin KC Trial on Saturday December 1st, with a score of 191. Bo's heeling is beautiful, but he finds the stays challenging. Bo finished his CD on Saturday December 15th at the Oriole DTC Trial with a score of 189 under judge Anthony Cherubini. On Sunday December 16th at the Oriole DTC trial, Bo earned an insurance leg under judge Sharon Crossman, with a 3rd place and a score of of 193.
- November 2007:
- Bo earned his first leg toward his CD at the Upper Marlboro KC Trial on Sunday November 25th. He also competed (and won!) a run-off to earn fourth place with a score of 188.5+!
- October 2007:
- Bo earned an “insurance” leg in Rally Advanced A, a first place rosette, and a lovely new toy on Saturday October 6th at the Mount Vernon DTC Rally Trial. At Capitol DTC Trial on Sunday October 7th, Bo earned his second RE leg (third place), and also got a fourth place in the Wild Card Novice.
- September 2007:
- Bo finished his RA with a second place (score 95) on September 21st, 2007, at the Southern Maryland Dog Training Club of Forestville Rally Trial. This Q earned Bo his RA (Rally Advanced) title, so he is now officially WayToGo Fuligin Beau Tay, CGC, RA.
- The dirty: bad handler! Again, Bo would have had a FIRST place but the two-legged partner in the team (naming no names) accidentally miscued him to go around one of the pylons on the weave-around-the-pylons exercise, so we had to do it again (-3 points right there). Bad handler! Bad handler! So Bo only got a second place instead of first. Also, due to a clerical error, he almost didn't get the second place or even the Q! However the stewards and judge were great once I asked about it, and got everything fixed, even though it was late.
- On Saturday September 22nd, Bo earned his first Rally Excellent (RE) leg with a score of 99 (judge MaryAnn Mullen at the Hyattsville DTC Rally trial).
- June/July 2007:
- Bo got his first two legs towards his Rally Advanced (RA) title at the Blue Crab Cluster in Bel Alton, Maryland, on June 30th and July 1st. On Saturday the 30th, he earned a First Place with a score of 97 under judge Nancy Withers. Sunday's score was only 88 (Judge Cheryl Pratt), because Jennie could not manage the Schutzhund about-turn. Seeing as how she was laboring under a nasty case of stomach flu, we think she can be forgiven. For those of you anxious to watch and relive our lowest-scoring performance to date, John shot a video (see photos below). You may be pleased to note that Bo livened up the course by adding a few extra bounces.
- May 2007:
- Bo earned a leg towards his first agility title on May 12, 2007, at the USAA Touch And Go Agility trial, with a second place run in Starters Jumpers. (We won't discuss our Snookers run.)
- April 2007:
- Bo finished his Rally Novice (RN) title at the Cherry Blossom Cluster (April 21-22, 2007). He earned a 97 under judge Debra Barrows on Saturday's Old Dominion Kennel Club Trial. He finished his title on Sunday's Baltimore Kennel Club Trial under judge Cheryl Pratt, with a perfect score (100) and First Place. All four placements In Rally Novice B at that trial had perfect scores, so Bo earned first by being the fastest of them to complete the course.
- March 2007:
- Bo's debut in the obedience ring was at the Dog Owners Training Club Trial, on March 18, 2007. He earned a qualifying score in Rally Obedience (Novice B) under judge Debra Barrows, with a score of 94.
(See “Top 10 reasons NOT to own a papillon”.)
