2023 Goals

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NOSEWORK

Calcifer and I are going to begin trialing in NACSW nosework this year, since he has completed his ORTs. Our first NW1 trial will be April 1st! I have a soft goal of attaining our NW2, and hope to attain our NW3. This of course, is entirely dependent on available trials near to us and how he does at those trials. I feel Calcifer is more than able to achieve his NW2, but as we learned in our journey to achieving the ORTs, the path is not always a straight line!

I have discovered that there are two UKC nosework trials in Wyoming each year and we will start working towards our NN (novice nosework) title.

I have also discovered a third nosework venue available to us USCSS ( US Canine Scent Sport) also holds two trials with in a reasonable driving distance of us, and we will also work toward our novice and intermediate titles in that venue.

In order to get ready we will be adding in negative/blank search areas to our training rotation. This will help me identify when Calcifer is not finding anything, and will help Calcifer understand there is not always odor available when he is asked to search.

In training we will also be working on continuing to grow his enthusiasm and clean up his trained final behavior (down) in an effort to clarify our communication during searches.

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COURSING & RACING

In 2022 I introduced Calcifer to lure coursing and straight racing. Although he was slow to start, he improved with each practice. I am excited to get him on the field in 2023 to run in ASFA singles and to participate in the ZASSC in Colorado. I plan to also include Reese in these events following his first birthday in March. Ultimately I would like to certify Calcifer to run in open in 2023, but that will depend entirely on his drive and focus. We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for his teenage shenanigans so I am excited to see how he does this year!

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CONFORMATION SHOWING

My focus in 2023 is mainly going to be on sports rather than shows, that being said, we plan to attend 3 conformation shows in 2023.

First in March we will be attending the Silken Windhound National Specialty, SilkenFest. This will be a big trip for me as I do not generally travel so far for dog events, but I plan to have an art booth, as well as participate in the specialty show and ASFA. Calcifer will also have the opportunity for SPOT testing which is the UKC equivalent to the CGC, as well as breed health testing where we will be re-running his eye and thyroid tests now that he is two.

Second, I plan to attend the Mothers Day classic in Greeley, Co. This is the closest UKC show to me and Calcifer will have 5 chances at UKC grand champion legs (if there are enough champions entered). He has one leg toward his grand championship, and needs four more. I am not in a rush for him to achieve his grand, and feel I should prioritize performance titles at this time.

The third and final show I plan to attend is another ISWS specialty. This show will be held alongside a 5 day AKC cluster in Oklahoma City. This is a great opportunity for Silken Windhounds and their journey to gain AKC acceptance. There will be two days of specialty shows, and this show is a bit more of a comfortable drive for me.

Conformation showing is more difficult when it comes to making goals, I know which shows we plan to attend, but as far as making achievable goals is harder. So for now I will be thrilled to get another win toward our ISWS championship, but that is a difficult title to achieve given the few opportunity at shows and the steep competition at these shows.

Final thoughts, I do have plans to bring home a silken puppy in 2023, and my show plans may change depending on the timing of that puppy's homecoming! I just don't have further show plans for Calcifer. With a new puppy joining us we may be in the ring more in 2024, even though we will not be attending SilkenFest next year.