An Interesting Meeting

I know this photo is not sitting correctly but I love the wide view!

It is the picture at the top of the last page in the

MOIRA 2011 Annual Report.

The article is titled 

"Interview with a Granddaughter"

What Indie wrote is very precious to me, 

if you get the chance to read the article you will understand why.

THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU WROTE, INDIE.

Altogether it was a pretty interesting day.

I have to admit I was anxious about going to the meeting,

I am a worrier, usually for no reason. 

To days worry -- would I be able to manage my boy!!

sometimes I am so silly, must be getting old.

First Challenge.

Managing Middi on the train at peak hour, for the first time.

The biggest problem with trains, is the other passengers.

Sometimes they can be very rude and even knock the dogs 

or stand on them!!!!

The train was packed with school kids, bags, office workers

and trolleys.

I warned everyone that I was coming in and they would need to watch their feet. 

Not much response, so I asked Nik to bring Midi in after me,

the fact that people would not move out of the doorway, 

made me mad, so I said I would look after him myself.

I could only use my voice and one hand movement to tell him to cross in front of me to the right hand side of the chair- 

his working position.

There was about 40cms  between the chair and the wall, 

he had to walk down that space to turn around and stand by me, 

then do a sit/drop into position next to me.

He did it like a trouper, the only thing that was slightly wrong ---, he dropped onto a girls feet. 

I did not correct him because I saw her deliberately move her feet out into the passage way.

Sometimes it makes me very proud to be the mum of

a 14 month old poodle boy.

So many people commented on my beautifully trained dog.

Not a very good photo, but it shows how tight  was the space

Second Challenge.

Attend the Annual meeting without making a fuss, or being a nuisance.

Of course we were late because the keys to the bus were missing!

Nothing more awkward than trying to creep in to a meeting with a squeaky wheel chair and a poodle who knows he is being looked at and walks like a king.

Warwick [CEO], made it easier by welcoming me, 

believe it or not!! :-)

Of course the big boy lay down and went to sleep,

I think he is used to me talking when we are out,

its always a long time!!!!

When the meeting was over he was surrounded by people wanting to know about him, and why I was doing training him myself.

My question to people who did not know him was 

"how old do you think he is?"

The answer was always "around five or six"?

when I told them he is only 14 months they were amazed.

If you think about it , he is still only a pup, 

if he was being trained through a training school 

he would have just started his formal training.

There should be a change to the law, 

so that dogs can be trained either way.

Both ways are good, I think it should be our decision,

after all we are the people using the dogs.

I have just realised there was one other thing 

that could have been a challenge -- 

there was beautiful food all around him at nose level

and he never even sniffed!!

I know he enjoyed himself, 

when a poodle knows he is in the limelight

he holds his head high.

Maybe our next challenge might not be so scary,

who knows.