I went to UK Toy yesterday and entered the obedience for fun, we do ok at companion shows but no good at open shows with all the collies and shepherds! Worked our round and came back to check, and were astounded to find we were lying 1st!!! When we went to do the stays we were still lying 2nd, I was so excited. My girl usually does perfect indoor stays (she chews grass outside!) so had my fingers tightly crossed. Did the sit stay fine, then started the downstay. Somehow someone had dropped a screwed up bit of paper between her and the next dog, and the judge tried to sneak over to pick it up so as not to distract the dogs, but it scared my girl and she jumped up!! She still scraped a 6th place which we were pleased with, but of all the one in a million chances!! I'm not blaming the judge as she didn't even realise she'd scared my girl, and wouldn't have known it would spook her to have her doing that, but wanted a bit of sympathy for what must have been one of the more unusual reasons ever to break a stay!

Oh yes, and by the time they'd done the presentations we'd missed our breed class - wouldn't have got anything but just added to the fun! :-)

could the judge not have left the paper until your dog was called back to you? especially if it wasn't bothering the dogs.

I dont know anything about obedience but what a shame for you.

That's super Lucy - shame about the breaking the stay - as you say from being spooked but I would have thought that if the dogs were going to notice the bit of paper they would have already so it should have been left alone.

Oh well - 6th is still a super result!

Bit naughty of the judge, it would have been fine before the stays, but better to leave it once the dogs were doing the stays !

Can't remember who the judge was, but I would have made sure any little "extras"had been removed before the stays, especially indoors

Well done anyway, pity the results aren't on Higham press yet.

Kate & Oliver were there in Novice & A, he did well Easter Monday was 3rd in Pre B's & 5th in Beginners

What a shame but well done anyway
I remember my Aysha running first once at a companion show she only ever entered three obedience competitions in her life ,as I returned to her I was so nervous I stood on her toe and as she moved her foot and yelped we were pushed down to sixth place.Poor Aysh would have won if it wasn,t for her daft owner.

What a shame.  To make it fair I think judge should have walked between all dogs!  She gave an unfair disadvantage to your girl :(

Thanks all! I've been at shows where I have mucked things up, and I've been at shows where pure bad luck has mucked things up, but it's the first time the judge has blown it for us!! :-)