[selzer]

While I have shown in puppy matches, I have never shown or taken any handling classes.

So Joy and I were serious novices. The boxer had been shown before. The collie lady, and the leonberger people and the clumber dude have shown but not with this dog. So most of the dogs were newbies, and I was the novice handler in the group.

Joy does not like to stack, but by the end, we were managing it ok. And she mostly pulled out, rather than gaited, after the class was over, she gaited perfectly to the exit. The instructor even remarked at how good she was doing it then.

I was sweating like crazy.

I was very happy that Joy was kool with the lady checking her head out and looking at her teeth and all that stuff.

It was an interesting class.

The instructor had taking the smooth collie class up at the IX center last year and I was actually there watching. This is significant because I NEVER watch conformation, too busy on the other end doing rally or watching agility or spending all the money I don't have in the stores.