Arrroo roo. It's me again. My goodness what a surprise today presented me with!

I went to another show. Here we go again, I thought, a lot of walking and looking around, meeting people and other dogs, then a run, and then back home again. However, there was a very strange twist in the tail today. Mum lead me up to a jump and asked me to sit in front of it, which I did. Mum told me to wait and then walked off. She then said "ok". I suddenly realised that I wasn't at the show to socialise, but this was it - it was ME - ME IN THE RING!!! Oh my goodness, I had better stick close to mum and pin my ears back to listen to what she has to say. Oh - oh I never expected this to happen. What ever next? Well, I made sure I listened very hard, and followed her instructions precisely. (click on pictures to enlarge).

All the way round I went, over the jumps, down the weaves, through the tunnels, around corners, all the time pinning my ears right back against my head so that I could hear what mum was saying. I daren't miss a word. I was so surprised that I was actually there to do things. I really wasn't sure what to make of it all actually. Mum was very very pleased with me, because I had gone clear!!! She said I was a very good boy, even though it took me 38.312 seconds to complete the course, whereas it only took Tallulah 24.014 to go around. Mum was ever so pleased because she said I was very thoughtful and listened to everything she had to say.

I was then given something to drink, had a freshly cooked sausage to eat, and enjoyed a welcome rest. Mum then went off and spent time helping out in the ring. However, after a while, she came back and collected me, and off we went again.

This time, there were different coloured jumps (us dogs are not as colour blind as many humans appear to think - we do see certain colours you know). Once again, mum told me to sit, walked away a bit and then gave the magic word "ok". As soon as she said that, I knew what I was there to do, so off I went:




"Oh goodness" shreiked mum "he's going fast". I whizzed through the weaves, but mum still gave me guidance "weave come weave come weave come" she said (I think that is very funny). I then went through the pipe tunnel, over the jump, up the A frame, and mum said "touch", so I did. I put my feet on the contact and waited for mum to say "ok". I then went over another two jumps, then up the dog walk, and mum said "touch" again, so I did. Then came the cloth tunnel, which frightened Tallulah at her first show. Tallulah says this was because ours has a light plastic covering, but I am Barkley, and cloth tunnels don't scare me, so through I went. I then had a big combination which is known as a "snake".

I cleared it. I gave mum no worries there at all.


Mum was so pleased by how I was going, she thought I was going to give her another clear round and in good time too, but just at this moment:



Mum became complacent, and assumed that I would follow her around the jump as Tallulah does... but I am not Tallulah, and haven't got her great experience. I was having fun, and I spotted the pipe tunnel just to the left of me, and ran in there instead, and got eliminated. I should really have followed mum to the see-saw or "tilt" as she calls it. Had I gone that way, I would have been clear and got two clears at my first show. Never mind though, mum was absolutely elated. She gave me a really big hug and she bent down and said into my ears "what a very clever and special boy you are, and what great potential you have shown me today".

I then went back to my friends. We had a walk around, and then came home. I had a play with my friend Megan the Rotweiller, and Crunchie the Spaniel, then I had my meaty dinner, and now bed. zzzzzzzzz

A good day was had by Barkley. Mum says we could well be back there again tomorrow.