When Branagan was a pup, I started him in Obedience Class at the age of
5 months. He was so compliant he was put in Advanced Obedience 5 weeks into
puppy class!--then Adolescence set in around 7 months and he turned into a
handful...
I found a patient, persistent Terrier Trainer named Shirley Flood
(Kerry Blue Terriers) and she fell in love with Branagan and he with her. We
worked consistently in Classes and practiced 5 minutes once or twice a
day--most often before I left for work in the A.M. (about 6:30!) and later at
night (around 10). Talk about distracted in Class!--have you ever seen a dog
heel backwards?? Branagan would spin around in the "heel" exercise to see the
dog behind him, walk backwards, then spin forward. In the Recall, he
frequently would stop on the way back to me to visit a "friend". We went to
regular Obedience class, Motivational Class and Attention Classes
intermittently over the years. Shirley was determined that Branagan would
qualify for his CD (AKC Companion Dog Obedience Title). However, I couldn't
even keep him in a Ring and hold his attention in a Match until he was 3!
At 4 1/2, I put him in a local Obedience Trial and Shirley came to
watch. Branagan qualified in all his exercises, but for the last 5 seconds
of the "off lead" heel--where 2 days in a row, he went to visit the Stewards
at the table! Shirley cried, I shrugged my shoulders and Branagan was happy
to have made two new friends! The following month, at Montgomery, he won his
first leg, outdoors, with lots of distractions (but no Stewards table in the
Ring!).
4 months later, Shirley was very ill. I had entered Branagan in a
local Show in Hamburg, N.Y. Lots of Members from our Obedience Club, Puppy
Day Care, and Liz Mattison and Chris Halvorson (who came over from the
Airedale Breed Ring) were there to "watch Branagan go for his Title" on
Sunday. The pressure was on! Before going in the Ring, I sent up a little
prayer--"Dear God, I don't really want this for me, but for Shirley. Please,
if he is EVER going to qualify for his CD, let it be now!" When he
qualified, there was so much excitement that I didn't hear the Judge call
back for awards. She laughed and said, "This lady is so busy celebrating,
she almost forgot to come back for her ribbons!" The miracle had happened
and Branagan was awarded his CD! I later took our 8X10 picture and the
ribbons to Shirley, who was by then in the Hospital and terminally ill. The
last thing she ever said to me was, "Give my Boy a hug from me..."
Shirley's belief and confidence in Branagan and me as a Team gave us
the inspiration we needed to succeed. The following month, I entered Miss
Georgia (who was also a student of Shirley's) at Niagara Falls, and Georgia
won her first leg, then her CD by the Fall. I know Shirley was right beside
us in that off lead heel!
Patience, persistence, practice and a sense of humor--Branagan really
taught me the meaning of all four of those words!--and so did Miss Shirley...
Happy AireTraining!
Yvonne and the JazzAires
Jazzaires Georgio Armani, CD, OA, NAJ, AG.I, CGC
"Branagan" AKA "Mr. B"
Jazzaires Georgia On My Mind, CD, NA, AG.N, JHFur, CGC
"Georgia" AKA "Twinkie
Beard", "Peaches", and
"Cute Liddle Miss Georgia"
Hamburg, N.Y.
AYMICH@AOL.COM
8/29/2002
Copyright © 2002 Yvonne Michalak
