I showed Paisley a few weekends ago, and she did really well, she won both of her first classes, then lost in the second one. I was just so happy that she went around the ring and stood for the judge, winning was the least of my concerns those two days:)) I have decided to hold off on showing her until she can be in the 9-12 month class. My reason for making this decision is due to the incident with the kid trying to run her over on his skateboard 4 days before her first show. Paisley has the most amazing and wonderful temprament, so outgoing and carefree, but since that incident she has become a bit timid, and I can’t say I blame her. I’ve been working with her, and I can get her to walk past kids on their skateboards, but she is nervous, but she will walk past them.
I want to focus on building up her confidence again, and my plan is to take her consistently to conformation classes each week, expose her to new things and places, and work with her at home for a few months. I want her to be the Paisley she was before this stupid kid did this to her, and I feel I can get her there with time. I don’t want to push her when I feel she isn’t ready mentally and risk ruining her for good. I want to do what is best for Paisley, and I just think in a few months she will have the confidence she needs, and she will be able to go into the ring with her head held high rather than worrying about every little noise. There are a lot of people that have been telling me that it’s good experience to put them into the ring, but I can’t do this to her, she is ready mentally for this, and to win a dachsie needs to be both physically and mentally ready. I know Paisley best, and I have her best interests at heart, and I want her to have fun in the ring:) In a few months she will have matured some, she will have her coat in, and she will be ready mentally as well. She is maturing very nicely, and I know she has the ability to go into the ring and win, but she needs to be confident to be able to do this. The judge we had on Sunday said she is one of the nicest dachsies he’s seen in a long time, meaning low to the ground, and heavy boned. He even said in a few months, once she matures a bit “she will be a hard one to overlook”, and this got me thinking. She can go into the ring now, but I just feel better if I wait a few more months and work with her in other areas, and also work with her on stacking and gaiting before she goes into another show. She loves going to class, so I know she has the right attitude, so we’ll keep building on that, and in a few months she will be ready to rock and roll. She is better outside, she will play in the yard now, but if she hears a noise she runs to the steps, she thinks this is her safety area:)) She doesn’t act scared, and will watch the kids, but for whatever reason she chooses to do this from the steps. I just thought I’d say something because some of wondered when I will be showing her again:)) I just feel it’s my obligation to do what is best for her, and pushing her at this point just to get her into the ring is not in her best interest:)) Bobbi

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