Bella Earns Her UDX

Bellgrey Bella UDX TD VER RE CGC

by Sharon Hall

Bella was only my second obedience dog, and, originally,  my highest aspirations for her was to get a UD. But, she got her Novice, Open and Utility titles fast, and was way too young to retire. And, I really like the sport of Obedience, so I decided I wanted to go for a UDX, even though it seemed like a lofty goal. There are very few Bassets with UDs, much less UDX titles. Until Bella’s UDX in April, 2014, there had been only two UDX Bassets, one titling in 1997 and one in 1999.

Our UDX quest began at a good speed, but began to go slowly, way too slowly. We participated in other sports, mostly tracking, and Bella got her TD. In obedience, I tried different methods, different training schedules, different treats.  None of them did the trick.

While I was at trials, I watched people working in the ring, and wanted to work with someone whose students did well, had happy dogs, and who worked with many different breeds. I decided to contact Dee Dee,  and I am so glad I did. Her patient, creative, and positive approach made the difference, and Bella became the third Basset UDX since the inception of the title, and the first one in 15 years.