Sorry folks, I have been MIA on the blog front for about a month. Not exactly sure how that happened, except that I got REALLY busy, and then when I wasn't busy, I couldn't find the motivation to write. I am on day six of a ten day vacation that for a brief time, I wasn't sure I was even going to be able to take, so I finally have some time and energy to sit down and type.
I believe the last time I wrote, Xander and I had spent the weekend camping at the Palmetto trial. That seems like an eternity ago, as we are on an extended agility break at the moment. Actually, we did quite a lot of agility between the end of September, and the beginning of December, so we were in need of a rest! We hadn't been out to train in months until this morning, our outlet for a while was solely competition. I am extremely proud of my now mature, handsome man, who was the only dog to qualify in Advanced Standard both days at the Dog-On-It trial in November. We were the only Q on Saturday for the entire class, and one of only two Q's in Standard on Sunday. They were not PRETTY runs, but they earned us our long awaited Advanced Agility Dog title, finally!! We also earned our Advanced Jumper title that weekend, and picked up our first two Master Gambler Q's, another Steeplechase Q, a Master Snooker Q, and a Master Jumper Q. It was such a fun, relaxing, beautiful weekend in Winter Park.
Our last trial of the year was the Pals and Paws USDAA trial at the beginning of this month. It was our first time completely in Masters, which was SO much fun! In spite of working myself to death with three days as chief course builder, we picked up another DAM team Q with a bronze medal! My awesome partners, Terri and Vetter, and Sylvia and Oddysey were so great. Team was completed on Friday, which I thought was a fun way to start the weekend. Over the next two days, we got a Master Standard Q, our third Master Gambler Q, our first Master Snooker Super Q, and our first Master Pairs Q (thanks Mike and Dani!). We also had our best Steeplechase Q to date, with a 4th place in round one, and one stupid bar down in the finals that kept us from placing in round two. Overall, a great way to wrap up the 2011 trial season. We are taking January off, and will return for the Pals and Paws trial in the beginning of February.
Apart from agility, life has involved finishing up my six month certification program. I took my last final today. Things at work have been a little crazy, with ups including positive experiences teaching EPIC training classes, and downs centering on a threat to have our hours cut, or for people to be laid off. What will happen remains to be seen. At one point I was prepared to forfeit my vacation in order to offset a loss in hours, but once this decision was revoked, I went ahead with the much-needed break. This may come back to haunt me, but I feared that without the time off, I would not have been able to face another day in that place. We are also on the hunt for a new place to live, as our apartment decided to raise the rent well above our perceived value. A house with a yard is the goal now. Additionally, we are one of five finalists set to play the Nearlywed Game on January 12th for a chance at the $40,000 wedding package being given away by Jacksonville Magazine. If we don't win, we have decided to significantly simplify our wedding plans, which is a huge relief to everyone involved. Or at least to me!
So here we are, almost one year since I began this blog, and I have written at least once a month. I was significantly more prolific in the earlier months, but I am still proud that I have made it this far. It's been a year of many changes and a lot of growth. I feel like I am getting the hang of the whole "being an adult" thing, and even refinanced my car yesterday! I saved myself a lot in interest by lowering my rate and payments, and even got $100 cash back! I spoke to my mother for the first time in about four years, so that was pretty significant, but an entirely different story. We have plans for a low key New Years Eve with friends and family, and I am excited to see what 2012 will bring. When I write next year, I will be married (whoa!) and hopefully living in a house with a yard, have less debt, and be making more money. Here's hoping! Happy New Year to you all!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Roughing It
Wow, what an incredible weekend I just had.
Firstly, I must begin by saying that I spent the weekend sleeping in a tent. A tiny tent that Buster won as a result of being a superb employee, which he lent to me for the weekend. From corner to corner, it is approximately 5 feet, 10 inches. I know this, because that is my height, and when lying inside the tent, both my head and my feet touch the sides.
That being said, I LOVE camping and sleeping in a tent.
I had Friday off for Veteran’s Day, and took Thursday off to enjoy a much needed four day weekend. I had originally entered Kirby, but later realized I could not afford the entry fees and the hotel room, so scaled back to allow Xander and I to go and sleep cheap, namely $5/night in the tent. So although I very much missed running Kirby, Xander and I had a blast hanging out just the two of us all weekend. When we arrived Thursday afternoon, the wind was picking up and the sky looked ominous. My backup plan involved sleeping in my truck, but thankfully it didn’t come to that. I staked down the tent effectively enough to prevent us from blowing away that night; unfortunately, it didn’t prevent the wind from rattling the hell out of my little shelter and waking us up repeatedly. The first night was not the best experience, but we survived. Friday’s trial did not begin until 10am, with the small dogs going first. So although we were up before 6am, we didn’t actually run until after 12pm, which made for a long morning. We walked, played Frisbee, chilled in the tent with a book, and finally got to run JWW. Unfortunately, he slipped in the sand and chested the second jump, so not a great start. We redeemed ourselves many hours later in standard, and got our fourth MX leg with a 2nd place. My friend Pam pulled in with her little RV around 4:30 as we were finishing up and offered to take me to dinner if I would drive. I of course agreed readily, and we enjoyed a lovely seafood dinner at a cute little restaurant nearby.
We were in bed early Friday night. When it gets dark before 6pm, and you have no computer, TV, or other device to keep you entertained, there is not much else to do but read and listen to the wind. I thoroughly enjoyed both. Being “disconnected” felt so refreshing and I can’t remember the last time I felt so peaceful, or had the time to just blaze through a good book. I had picked up “Water for Elephants” on a whim while picking up camping supplies on Thursday, and had finished all 350 plus pages by Saturday night. It was an enjoyable read, and I certainly would recommend it.
I actually overslept a bit on Saturday morning, which, go figure, was the day they started big to small. I stumbled out of the tent at 6:45am, got myself cleaned up, and was ready to play after a much better night’s sleep. Without the wind to keep me awake, I found sleeping in the tent to be quite enjoyable. It was also nice to have showers and bathrooms nearby, and a vendor with good coffee for only a dollar. They also have the WORLD’S BEST RIBS. And they are super nice.
At any rate, my friends Chris and Carol arrived that morning, so I escorted them to where I had saved a spot, and they got set up while I walked the FAST course. Chris was nice enough to fill in behind the camera, as Buster had to work and could not come with me. Thankfully, he was home to provide “corgi duty” so I was able to come at all.
Xander earned his Exc A FAST title that morning with a second place. We would have gotten first if I had not caused some wide turns. We crossed a five point obstacle just after the buzzer went off, so we ended up with 74 pts instead of 79. Oh well, he is now Xander, AX, AXJ, XF, AD!
Standard was up next, and someone was a little too excited and very naughty. He ran his dogwalk and got one little toe hair in the yellow before leaping, he left the table on the “1” and not on my release after the “go.” He also missed the teeter, and then left the a-frame without a pause. I excused us from the ring.
Jumpers was better, although he knocked the #17 jump for some reason which took me by surprise and caused a spin before the finish. Double NQ Saturday, but at least we got that FAST title!
That afternoon we were done about 2:30 and so took a drive down into Bradenton, down to the Gulf, and stopped at a park/marina near Sarasota. We walked around and made friends with a couple and their lab/shepherd mix. Much to my surprise, Xander dropped into a play bow and romped and splashed and wrestled with his new friend for a good 20 minutes until they had to leave. I drove through St. Armand Circle near Lido Beach, and back up through my old stomping grounds in Bradenton. I passed Ringling School of Art and Design where I had spent a year in college, past New College where my friend/roommate went to school, and past the Petsmart where I spent every weekend grooming to pay the rent. We picked up some Wendy’s on the way back to the trial site, and the standard ring was just cleaning up as I pulled in about 5:30. It was an early night for us again, although I stayed up long enough to finish my book by flashlight and let the sounds of a nearby neighborhood party die down a bit. They certainly sounded as though they were having fun.
Sunday morning came all too quickly, and the little dogs began the competition once again with the new Time 2 Beat class. Xander was naughty again by 10:30am when we finally got to run, and missed the A-frame contact for the second time in his competitive life. Luckily, the course repeated it three obstacles later, so he both stuck his 2o2o and I held it with a “gooooood booooooy.” It was a fun and fast course, and I look forward to running this class more in the future. It is almost identical to Steeplechase, just without the second round and potential for cash prizes. Leave it to AKC to take the fun out of something.
After hours of waiting, being bored, and finally spending money on some new toys to pass the time, we got to run jumpers around 1pm. It was worth the wait. A tricky, fast, fun course that took out a lot of dogs, Xander was brilliant. I am so glad we got this one on video, and as soon as I have the time to load it, I will, but the crowd was cheering for us throughout. I heard my friend Terri whooping as we neared the last stretch, and my friends Pam and Carol were at the finish line to congratulate us. I was so happy with his sends and my ability to haul butt in the other direction to get my front crosses in! I didn’t fall down, and we ended up in 1st against a HUGE 20 inch class! Good boy!
With a double Q on the line, we had to wait until nearly 4pm to run standard. We had a clean, fast run going, with a stop on the dogwalk and a good teeter before coming to the table. He hopped on with no trouble (we’d had some hesitation in previous runs recently), stayed while I led out as usual, but then released himself on the “go” and took me by surprise. I didn’t have time to get in the front cross I had planned, and he ran past the third to last obstacle. Darn. But he got his a-frame, and we finished with another near miss. I know the double q’s will come eventually, but we have had so many near misses! At least he evened things up and broke his JWW draught. We now have four MX legs and four MXJ legs. I was overall very proud of him this weekend, and considering that we haven’t been out to the practice field to train in almost two months, he is doing phenomenally well! We have been training via trialing, because I really don’t have the same dog in practice as I do in competition. We’ve needed the mileage, and it’s good to see what we need to work on now. I am hoping to make a trip this week to practice the table and contacts, because we are back at it next weekend for the Dog Gone It trial in Winter Park. USDAA at one of my very favorite clubs/venues! I can’t wait!
New! Here is a video!
Firstly, I must begin by saying that I spent the weekend sleeping in a tent. A tiny tent that Buster won as a result of being a superb employee, which he lent to me for the weekend. From corner to corner, it is approximately 5 feet, 10 inches. I know this, because that is my height, and when lying inside the tent, both my head and my feet touch the sides.
That being said, I LOVE camping and sleeping in a tent.
I had Friday off for Veteran’s Day, and took Thursday off to enjoy a much needed four day weekend. I had originally entered Kirby, but later realized I could not afford the entry fees and the hotel room, so scaled back to allow Xander and I to go and sleep cheap, namely $5/night in the tent. So although I very much missed running Kirby, Xander and I had a blast hanging out just the two of us all weekend. When we arrived Thursday afternoon, the wind was picking up and the sky looked ominous. My backup plan involved sleeping in my truck, but thankfully it didn’t come to that. I staked down the tent effectively enough to prevent us from blowing away that night; unfortunately, it didn’t prevent the wind from rattling the hell out of my little shelter and waking us up repeatedly. The first night was not the best experience, but we survived. Friday’s trial did not begin until 10am, with the small dogs going first. So although we were up before 6am, we didn’t actually run until after 12pm, which made for a long morning. We walked, played Frisbee, chilled in the tent with a book, and finally got to run JWW. Unfortunately, he slipped in the sand and chested the second jump, so not a great start. We redeemed ourselves many hours later in standard, and got our fourth MX leg with a 2nd place. My friend Pam pulled in with her little RV around 4:30 as we were finishing up and offered to take me to dinner if I would drive. I of course agreed readily, and we enjoyed a lovely seafood dinner at a cute little restaurant nearby.
We were in bed early Friday night. When it gets dark before 6pm, and you have no computer, TV, or other device to keep you entertained, there is not much else to do but read and listen to the wind. I thoroughly enjoyed both. Being “disconnected” felt so refreshing and I can’t remember the last time I felt so peaceful, or had the time to just blaze through a good book. I had picked up “Water for Elephants” on a whim while picking up camping supplies on Thursday, and had finished all 350 plus pages by Saturday night. It was an enjoyable read, and I certainly would recommend it.
I actually overslept a bit on Saturday morning, which, go figure, was the day they started big to small. I stumbled out of the tent at 6:45am, got myself cleaned up, and was ready to play after a much better night’s sleep. Without the wind to keep me awake, I found sleeping in the tent to be quite enjoyable. It was also nice to have showers and bathrooms nearby, and a vendor with good coffee for only a dollar. They also have the WORLD’S BEST RIBS. And they are super nice.
At any rate, my friends Chris and Carol arrived that morning, so I escorted them to where I had saved a spot, and they got set up while I walked the FAST course. Chris was nice enough to fill in behind the camera, as Buster had to work and could not come with me. Thankfully, he was home to provide “corgi duty” so I was able to come at all.
Xander earned his Exc A FAST title that morning with a second place. We would have gotten first if I had not caused some wide turns. We crossed a five point obstacle just after the buzzer went off, so we ended up with 74 pts instead of 79. Oh well, he is now Xander, AX, AXJ, XF, AD!
Standard was up next, and someone was a little too excited and very naughty. He ran his dogwalk and got one little toe hair in the yellow before leaping, he left the table on the “1” and not on my release after the “go.” He also missed the teeter, and then left the a-frame without a pause. I excused us from the ring.
Jumpers was better, although he knocked the #17 jump for some reason which took me by surprise and caused a spin before the finish. Double NQ Saturday, but at least we got that FAST title!
That afternoon we were done about 2:30 and so took a drive down into Bradenton, down to the Gulf, and stopped at a park/marina near Sarasota. We walked around and made friends with a couple and their lab/shepherd mix. Much to my surprise, Xander dropped into a play bow and romped and splashed and wrestled with his new friend for a good 20 minutes until they had to leave. I drove through St. Armand Circle near Lido Beach, and back up through my old stomping grounds in Bradenton. I passed Ringling School of Art and Design where I had spent a year in college, past New College where my friend/roommate went to school, and past the Petsmart where I spent every weekend grooming to pay the rent. We picked up some Wendy’s on the way back to the trial site, and the standard ring was just cleaning up as I pulled in about 5:30. It was an early night for us again, although I stayed up long enough to finish my book by flashlight and let the sounds of a nearby neighborhood party die down a bit. They certainly sounded as though they were having fun.
Sunday morning came all too quickly, and the little dogs began the competition once again with the new Time 2 Beat class. Xander was naughty again by 10:30am when we finally got to run, and missed the A-frame contact for the second time in his competitive life. Luckily, the course repeated it three obstacles later, so he both stuck his 2o2o and I held it with a “gooooood booooooy.” It was a fun and fast course, and I look forward to running this class more in the future. It is almost identical to Steeplechase, just without the second round and potential for cash prizes. Leave it to AKC to take the fun out of something.
After hours of waiting, being bored, and finally spending money on some new toys to pass the time, we got to run jumpers around 1pm. It was worth the wait. A tricky, fast, fun course that took out a lot of dogs, Xander was brilliant. I am so glad we got this one on video, and as soon as I have the time to load it, I will, but the crowd was cheering for us throughout. I heard my friend Terri whooping as we neared the last stretch, and my friends Pam and Carol were at the finish line to congratulate us. I was so happy with his sends and my ability to haul butt in the other direction to get my front crosses in! I didn’t fall down, and we ended up in 1st against a HUGE 20 inch class! Good boy!
With a double Q on the line, we had to wait until nearly 4pm to run standard. We had a clean, fast run going, with a stop on the dogwalk and a good teeter before coming to the table. He hopped on with no trouble (we’d had some hesitation in previous runs recently), stayed while I led out as usual, but then released himself on the “go” and took me by surprise. I didn’t have time to get in the front cross I had planned, and he ran past the third to last obstacle. Darn. But he got his a-frame, and we finished with another near miss. I know the double q’s will come eventually, but we have had so many near misses! At least he evened things up and broke his JWW draught. We now have four MX legs and four MXJ legs. I was overall very proud of him this weekend, and considering that we haven’t been out to the practice field to train in almost two months, he is doing phenomenally well! We have been training via trialing, because I really don’t have the same dog in practice as I do in competition. We’ve needed the mileage, and it’s good to see what we need to work on now. I am hoping to make a trip this week to practice the table and contacts, because we are back at it next weekend for the Dog Gone It trial in Winter Park. USDAA at one of my very favorite clubs/venues! I can’t wait!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Where Did October Go?
Holy cow, where did October go?! Here were are, November 4th, and I am still thinking its last month. What a busy fall this has been….
The last time I blogged, we had completed a fairly unproductive weekend of agility in Orlando. Although we did not experience much success, (actually none) some important lessons came from that weekend, and led to some important decisions. For one, between my increasingly crazy job, new responsibilities, and taking an online certification course, I decided that the stress of also trying to teach classes right now was too much. The challenge of fighting 45mins of traffic to change clothes, shove dogs into the car, and fight 45 more minutes through traffic to build courses and teach for a couple hours, practice with my dogs, and then make the long drive home and get to bed at midnight was taking too much of a toll. The fact that my classes were on Mondays, one of my most hectic work days, and often following a weekend of trials or travels, meant that I was supremely exhausted by Tuesday, and didn’t feel human again until Thursday. Although I struggled with the decision for months, and was able to delay it through the summer by teaching on Saturday, Buster was very supportive and helped steer me in the right direction. I miss my students terribly, but still see and talk to many of them, and will hope to resume classes in the future when the conditions are favorable again. Secondly, after falling on my butt and ruining a terrific JWW run with Xander, I bought a pair of soccer cleats (which I love) and have been running drills with Buster to improve my footwork. I am determined to learn to be less clumsy!
On a happier note, after being too stressed out to enjoy or compete well in Orlando that first weekend, we returned to the area the following weekend as part of Buster’s birthday celebration which we shall now refer to as the “ Roller Coaster Marathon Extravaganza!.” Having never ridden the coasters at Busch Gardens together, and for Buster, who had never ridden them at all, we were excited to go there on Saturday after staying at the La Quinta within walking distance of the park, and visual distance of the Sheikra! We awoke early enough to walk to the Ihop for an absurdly big breakfast before continuing to the gate, where we were actually 10 minutes too early to get in. Once the gates opened, we made a mad dash to the new Cheetah Hunt, and sat in the front row. While it was a fun warm up ride, it didn’t live up to the hype of the commercials, and we were glad we had ridden it first. From there was the floorless classic, Montu, set in the Egypt area. Always a favorite of mine, it was a definite step up from the lethargic Cheetah. After that, we headed across the park to the Sheikra, where we both experienced this thrill for the first time. By far my favorite ride in the park, the first drop was incredible and left us wanting another ride! We did ride it again, although later in the day. After this, we headed to the powerful Kumba, the oldest ride in the park, and still one of the best. We also rode Kumba twice, which was nothing compared to the seven times my uncle, brother, and I rode it in a row without stopping when we were younger. I am certain I would puke now if I attempted this today, although Gary was about my age now when he did it with us. Hard core, that one is.
We saw many animals, including a petting zoo of kangaroos, and some incredible cheetahs and tigers. We also rode the train and sky rides a couple of times, and did the Rhino Rally where an obnoxious kid almost tripped me when he cut across to get the seat in front. We saw a goofy pirate 4-D movie, and then were ready to head back. We enjoyed a fun evening in Ybor City with dinner at the Green Iguana, and turned in early.
Nothing says happy birthday like a car alarm at 2am, which is what we heard when our adjoining neighbors came home from the Hallowscream and woke us up. Sharing a door with obnoxious neighbors (who talk loudly and leave their TV blaring all night long) is not recommended, and while we didn’t get much sleep that night, we did get a $20 discount for complaining.
After that, we headed to our second home, Universal Studios Orlando, where we spent the day riding every ride we wanted. All weekend we enjoyed riding in the front row, and almost zero wait times! The longest we waited all weekend was for lunch and for the Rip, Ride, and Rockit!, which were both well worth the wait. All told, we rode 15 different rides over the two days, including 9 different coasters. Also, our weird but fun waiter Eric told us, after assuring us that he is good at picking up on things like this, that we shared a special aura together that will last. Good to hear, but we knew that already. Oh, and there was Butterbeer. Always Butterbeer. Yummmmmm.
The following week went quickly, as I was off on Friday for our Pals and Paws trial here at the lovely Equestrian Center. I really hope we get to keep this venue, as this was such a wonderful trial. In my opinion, it was one of the best our club has ever put on, and went really smoothly. People were happy and seemed to be enjoying themselves. I also got to see my student Anna Marie run her poodle Irish for the first time, and she Q’d in two Novice JWW, and one Novice Std runs! I ended up stepping in to run the costume contest on behalf of Stacey, which turned out to be a lot of fun. I was also one of the chief course builders, but had a nice judge who nested his courses well, even if he spent a long time tweaking each course! Overall, Xander and I had a great weekend, and we are really figuring things out. We had one trainwreck in JWW, but other than that, we either Q’d or missed by only one little thing. In the other two JWW runs, he ran past a wingless jump on a sharp turn both times, so obviously something to work on! We earned two ExcA FAST legs, both with 1st, and he earned two MX legs, in which I held his dogwalk for several seconds, so we earned a 4th in both. The other STD run was a near miss with one off course near the end of the run, as he blasted out of the tunnel toward the weaves without looking for me. Something I know, but didn’t see, and fell into the trap! More homework!
Kirby had fun, although seemed to be struggling to focus by the third day. He had a couple train wrecks, two close calls, and two awesome MXJ runs. He earned a 3rd on Friday, and on Saturday he beat a bunch of 12in dogs for a 1st! I have decided though, that due to his age and his build, I am going to go ahead and move him to 8in performance. He loves the game, and hopefully this way he will get to play it a little longer! Welcome back to the land of Novice, and only 6 weave poles buddy.
Kaylee, in the meantime, enjoys yelling at the boys when they come home and demands to know where they have been, and what they have been doing. She gets the most snuggles though. It’s a good life of retirement.
Monday was Halloween, so Count Buster and the Lady Vampire Bonnie accompanied Lumberjack Lovers Mike and Ashley, along with a poor victim, Buster’s friend Adam, to roam the streets of downtown St. Augustine. We had a fun dinner and admired the fellow costumed creatures. This was the first time in years that I’ve worn a costume. Good times.
This weekend, Xander and I are checking out a short seminar in Ocala with Rhonda Koeske, and the following two weekends will be AKC and USDAA agility. Then it will be Thanksgiving, and I will be asking where November went! Happy holidays?
Oh, and Youtube disabled the music that I carefully picked out, but here is the video from Pals and Paws last weekend. Pretend it’s a silent film….
The last time I blogged, we had completed a fairly unproductive weekend of agility in Orlando. Although we did not experience much success, (actually none) some important lessons came from that weekend, and led to some important decisions. For one, between my increasingly crazy job, new responsibilities, and taking an online certification course, I decided that the stress of also trying to teach classes right now was too much. The challenge of fighting 45mins of traffic to change clothes, shove dogs into the car, and fight 45 more minutes through traffic to build courses and teach for a couple hours, practice with my dogs, and then make the long drive home and get to bed at midnight was taking too much of a toll. The fact that my classes were on Mondays, one of my most hectic work days, and often following a weekend of trials or travels, meant that I was supremely exhausted by Tuesday, and didn’t feel human again until Thursday. Although I struggled with the decision for months, and was able to delay it through the summer by teaching on Saturday, Buster was very supportive and helped steer me in the right direction. I miss my students terribly, but still see and talk to many of them, and will hope to resume classes in the future when the conditions are favorable again. Secondly, after falling on my butt and ruining a terrific JWW run with Xander, I bought a pair of soccer cleats (which I love) and have been running drills with Buster to improve my footwork. I am determined to learn to be less clumsy!
On a happier note, after being too stressed out to enjoy or compete well in Orlando that first weekend, we returned to the area the following weekend as part of Buster’s birthday celebration which we shall now refer to as the “ Roller Coaster Marathon Extravaganza!.” Having never ridden the coasters at Busch Gardens together, and for Buster, who had never ridden them at all, we were excited to go there on Saturday after staying at the La Quinta within walking distance of the park, and visual distance of the Sheikra! We awoke early enough to walk to the Ihop for an absurdly big breakfast before continuing to the gate, where we were actually 10 minutes too early to get in. Once the gates opened, we made a mad dash to the new Cheetah Hunt, and sat in the front row. While it was a fun warm up ride, it didn’t live up to the hype of the commercials, and we were glad we had ridden it first. From there was the floorless classic, Montu, set in the Egypt area. Always a favorite of mine, it was a definite step up from the lethargic Cheetah. After that, we headed across the park to the Sheikra, where we both experienced this thrill for the first time. By far my favorite ride in the park, the first drop was incredible and left us wanting another ride! We did ride it again, although later in the day. After this, we headed to the powerful Kumba, the oldest ride in the park, and still one of the best. We also rode Kumba twice, which was nothing compared to the seven times my uncle, brother, and I rode it in a row without stopping when we were younger. I am certain I would puke now if I attempted this today, although Gary was about my age now when he did it with us. Hard core, that one is.
We saw many animals, including a petting zoo of kangaroos, and some incredible cheetahs and tigers. We also rode the train and sky rides a couple of times, and did the Rhino Rally where an obnoxious kid almost tripped me when he cut across to get the seat in front. We saw a goofy pirate 4-D movie, and then were ready to head back. We enjoyed a fun evening in Ybor City with dinner at the Green Iguana, and turned in early.
Nothing says happy birthday like a car alarm at 2am, which is what we heard when our adjoining neighbors came home from the Hallowscream and woke us up. Sharing a door with obnoxious neighbors (who talk loudly and leave their TV blaring all night long) is not recommended, and while we didn’t get much sleep that night, we did get a $20 discount for complaining.
After that, we headed to our second home, Universal Studios Orlando, where we spent the day riding every ride we wanted. All weekend we enjoyed riding in the front row, and almost zero wait times! The longest we waited all weekend was for lunch and for the Rip, Ride, and Rockit!, which were both well worth the wait. All told, we rode 15 different rides over the two days, including 9 different coasters. Also, our weird but fun waiter Eric told us, after assuring us that he is good at picking up on things like this, that we shared a special aura together that will last. Good to hear, but we knew that already. Oh, and there was Butterbeer. Always Butterbeer. Yummmmmm.
The following week went quickly, as I was off on Friday for our Pals and Paws trial here at the lovely Equestrian Center. I really hope we get to keep this venue, as this was such a wonderful trial. In my opinion, it was one of the best our club has ever put on, and went really smoothly. People were happy and seemed to be enjoying themselves. I also got to see my student Anna Marie run her poodle Irish for the first time, and she Q’d in two Novice JWW, and one Novice Std runs! I ended up stepping in to run the costume contest on behalf of Stacey, which turned out to be a lot of fun. I was also one of the chief course builders, but had a nice judge who nested his courses well, even if he spent a long time tweaking each course! Overall, Xander and I had a great weekend, and we are really figuring things out. We had one trainwreck in JWW, but other than that, we either Q’d or missed by only one little thing. In the other two JWW runs, he ran past a wingless jump on a sharp turn both times, so obviously something to work on! We earned two ExcA FAST legs, both with 1st, and he earned two MX legs, in which I held his dogwalk for several seconds, so we earned a 4th in both. The other STD run was a near miss with one off course near the end of the run, as he blasted out of the tunnel toward the weaves without looking for me. Something I know, but didn’t see, and fell into the trap! More homework!
Kirby had fun, although seemed to be struggling to focus by the third day. He had a couple train wrecks, two close calls, and two awesome MXJ runs. He earned a 3rd on Friday, and on Saturday he beat a bunch of 12in dogs for a 1st! I have decided though, that due to his age and his build, I am going to go ahead and move him to 8in performance. He loves the game, and hopefully this way he will get to play it a little longer! Welcome back to the land of Novice, and only 6 weave poles buddy.
Kaylee, in the meantime, enjoys yelling at the boys when they come home and demands to know where they have been, and what they have been doing. She gets the most snuggles though. It’s a good life of retirement.
Monday was Halloween, so Count Buster and the Lady Vampire Bonnie accompanied Lumberjack Lovers Mike and Ashley, along with a poor victim, Buster’s friend Adam, to roam the streets of downtown St. Augustine. We had a fun dinner and admired the fellow costumed creatures. This was the first time in years that I’ve worn a costume. Good times.
This weekend, Xander and I are checking out a short seminar in Ocala with Rhonda Koeske, and the following two weekends will be AKC and USDAA agility. Then it will be Thanksgiving, and I will be asking where November went! Happy holidays?
Oh, and Youtube disabled the music that I carefully picked out, but here is the video from Pals and Paws last weekend. Pretend it’s a silent film….
Friday, October 21, 2011
The Video Speaks for Itself
This weekend we are going to Busch Gardens and Universal for Buster's birthday! Can't wait!! Happy birthday my love!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
That DAM Team
Xander and I participated in our first Dog Agility Masters Tournament this weekend at the Cool Critter’s USDAA trial in Palmetto, FL. I am clarifying the name of the tournament because after repeatedly referring to it as the “DAM” tournament, Buster finally asked me “why are you calling it a damn tournament?”
One could probably swear at the sheer number of runs that this particular entry results in however. On a general AKC weekend, we get two runs a day and three if we are lucky. That’s around four to six runs over the course of two days, and maybe an extra two or three if it’s a three day trial. On Saturday, we had eight runs. Yes, eight runs. In one day. Madness. Add to that the three runs we had on Friday night, and the four we had on Sunday, and that makes for a long weekend. Given that we hadn’t competed really since July, and that last trial in Tallahassee was only one day, followed by one night in Deland earlier this month, we were a little overwhelmed by fifteen runs. Still, it was a blast.
I took Friday off as Palmetto is a four hour drive south of Jacksonville and the trial was scheduled to start at 4pm. I LOVE Palmetto. It truly is my favorite venue in terms of ease of access, parking, crating, spectating, and the running surface. We even stayed at the Ramada just down the street, which was much better than I expected. Clean, quiet, with a big room, and easy to get in and out of, I had no complaints. Also, the weather was gorgeous. Basically, it was a recipe for an awesome weekend.
I had an easy drive for the most part, and arrived a little before 2pm on Friday. I was set up and ready for the Double Bubba BBQ vendor to start making lunch before the trial began. They have, hands down, the best ribs on the planet. And I didn’t even used to like ribs.
Friday afternoon was advanced snooker, steeplechase, and grand prix. We went in needing one more snooker Q for our title, and knew we would get another chance on Tuesday, so there was no pressure. Of course we Q’d, even though Xander knocked the #6 jump in the closing, so dropped us to 2nd place. Still, a new title is a great way to begin the weekend. Following this was steeplechase, and one caveat I must mention is that our armband was 22001, which meant that we were the first 22in dog in the running order ALL WEEKEND. With the exception of two classes that got shuffled, and we were either second or last. For the most part though, we got lots of experience hanging out on the start line waiting for bars to be changed, or in a couple cases, waiting for a timer issue to be resolved. We also dealt with LOTS of conflicts, which I do blame at least two NQ’s on, but it was all still very good experience. Dealing with these issues is part of the game, and I was enjoying myself so thoroughly that I couldn’t even bring myself to be upset about any of it! The temperature truly was spectacular, with a cool, dry breeze. How can one be unhappy?
At any rate, I think steeplechase and grand prix ended up going at the same time, although they changed the running order to allow the performance dogs to start in one ring, and the championship dogs to start in the other. We ran steeplechase first, and were great going into a very difficult line. I was a dork and shouted out the WRONG command, and like a good dog, Xander turned and headed the wrong way. D’oh! Somehow, I managed to call him off a tunnel and bring him back. He ran around past me and we had to do a big circle to get back on track, which ate up close to ten seconds. Still, he didn’t take anything off course, and we finished without a fault. Steeplechase is a game that has two rounds, and the fastest dogs from the first round go on to compete for money in the second round. The number of dogs that Q is determined based on the fastest time, which in this case was a blistering 29 seconds set by Gabrielle and Zing. We were lucky somehow, and managed to earn the very last placement, lucky 13. Not pretty, but a Q is a Q.
Next up was grand prix, run shortly after steeplechase, and my boy was ready to rock. The ending was VERY tricky, and took down a lot of dogs and handlers. We made it through clean and even earned 3rd place, just half a second behind Sarah’s amazing girl Kate and a few seconds behind Stuart’s awesome dog Ares. We were three for three that night, although I got partial stops on the a-frame, I was still naughty and released him quickly. That poor dog, I really can’t maintain criteria. Bad handler!
Saturday began the team competition, and my teammates were Kelly Rossi and her super young boy Nitro, along with Terri Lee and her incredible young girl Vette. We were indeed a baby dog team, although Vette already has her ADCH! Kelly and I had never done team before, so it was a fun experience. I didn’t even really know all the rules, so it was a learn-as-you-go kind of thing! Our team name was Xander’s Nitro-Charged Vette. The reason we had so many runs on Saturday was the result of doing advanced pairs, standard, jumpers, and masters gamblers, in addition to doing team gamblers, standard, and snooker, as well as steeplechase finals! It was a long, eleven hour day, but we enjoyed every minute. Our pairs partners, Gail and Neece, were stellar, and even though we took the second to last jump off course, incurring a 20pt fault, our combined time was so fast that we still qualified. Thanks Gail and Neece! This was our first pairs leg, pairs not being my favorite class. Following this was team gamblers, where we played in a manner I had never done before, which was simply an accumulation of points, with a 13 second bonus time at the finish in which your point values were doubled, but lost if you didn’t cross the finish line in time. We played it safe and earned 51pts, although we could probably have earned another 10pts if I’d been greedy. Still, it was a respectable 5th place finish, and put our team in 3rd place after the first event. Our first run in master gamblers was good, and I thought we had earned the gamble which was a jump to A-frame, turn away into a tunnel, and over a jump, but the judge called Xander for running out too far after the tunnel before turning to take the jump. The finishing jump was at an angle, and I saw her give the Q to Zing for doing the exact same thing, but not us. Oh well, judging is hard, and I would NOT want their job of standing up for twelve hours and having to make those calls! The agility gods balanced it out later in jumpers. We were first up again, in a small class, and started the first three jump sequence. The judge stopped us because of a timer malfunction, so we had to putz around for nearly ten minutes while they straightened it out. By the time we got to go again, Xander made a beautiful turn and missed one jump completely. The rest of the run was gorgeous however. I went back to our crate thinking “oh well” until Gail walked up and told me she had good news. Either the scribe missed the call, or the judge missed the mistake, but either way, we got a Q with 1st place. Go figure.
Team standard ended up being the same time as advanced standard, and with the stress of another conflict, we went into team first. It was a heartbreakingly beautiful run that was spoiled by another bad handling maneuver on my part. I didn’t fully support a jump which led to him running past it. If I’d been thinking more quickly, I could have pulled him around and only earned a refusal, but I panicked and he back jumped. I earned our team a big fat E. Bummer. The difficult thing about team competition is the guilt that goes along with making a mistake. Normally, you just hurt yourself, but in team, it affects your teammates! The biggest lesson I learned about team this weekend was to get a score on the board! Even if you earn faults, don’t get an E! Luckily, Kelly and Nitro saved us with an awesome clean run and 4th place. Yay Nitro!
At any rate, we immediately had to go into advanced standard, and after the rush of team, he crashed the tire, which was the very first jump, and I decided to take him off. I did find myself frustrated after these two setbacks, but we recovered with a yummy rib from the barbeque vendor, which Xander got a little piece from. Since these were all MY mistakes, I was never upset with him, just with myself. Still, being in paradise and doing what I love meant that I didn’t keep my foul mood for long.
Steeplechase finals came next, and we discovered another hole in our training. The weaves were followed closely by a broad jump with no real room for building speed to get over it, and he landed on the third plank. This earned a fault, and resulted in me having to collect him again to finish. The rest of the run was pretty, but we have yet to run the finals clean. One day…one day. Team snooker was the last run of a long day, and although we had a great plan, Terri and Vette saved the team by being the only one to make it through to the finish. Xander knocked a bar on the third red jump, and I did manage to stop him long enough to figure out what to do next. We got the fourth red and made it to the closing, but I turned him away prematurely and he was whistled off for a refusal on the #2 jump in the closing. Still, we got a score on the board, even if it was only 22 points.
Sunday arrived before we knew it, and we started with team jumpers and advanced standard again running at the same time. Again with a conflict, we ran jumpers first and encountered a nasty angle to the broad jump. He landed on the third panel again, which meant that we will definitely be practicing the broad jump. Still, we got another score on the board, and Nitro ran clean again. Sadly, we rushed right into standard and had a fabulous run going until we came to the a-frame. We had iffy a-frames all weekend, due to my eagerness and lack of consistency, and he finally missed one. This was his first ever missed contact of any kind, in any trial. We really needed a standard leg, as we ONLY HAVE ONE, but no dice. Sigh. It is totally my fault though, so I can’t be mad at him. He nailed the dogwalk however, and I had him hold it, so at least there was that. He had also had a wonderful send ahead on the dogwalk in team standard with a beautiful contact, so the a-frame is really our biggest issue.
Although we already earned our advanced snooker title on Friday, I decided to run snooker on Sunday to practice the a-frame, which we did twice. It was not ideal, but at least he got them and did pause if not stop. We Q’d with 1st place.
After a looooong weekend, team relay was the last event. I have never done a three dog relay, so it was truly a unique event. Our team was in fourth place standing going into the final run, so we ran fourth to last. Our plan worked well, and both Nitro and Xander ran clean, although we had an iffy teeter and an almost off course. There was an extremely difficult turn near the end which resulted in faults for every team prior to us, but I did a front cross and was the first person to run clean. I even heard the judge say “nice” as I did it. However, I almost sent him into the weaves, but called him off at the last second, and that was followed by the VERY questionable teeter. Somebody was a little amped! Vette was last dog, and was called on her teeter, which we all thought was totally legal, so I think the judge just wished she’d called mine, so called Vette’s instead! She also ran past the last jump, but Terri skillfully pulled her around without incurring an off course, and we were done! The announcements were made immediately following the final few teams, and we maintained our fourth place standing to earn our first DAM Q! This was also Kelly and Nitro’s first! Terri used the front cross maneuver we had talked about with her aussie Bella, and that team came in first. Go Terri!
The final tally for the weekend included a Q in all three tournament classes (steeplechase, grand prix, and DAM team), as well as two snooker legs (for his advanced snooker title +1), an advanced jumper leg, and an advanced pairs leg. Hooray! And I learned so much from watching the other dogs and talking to the other handlers. Xander is longer and taller, as well as much heavier (with muscle) than his competition. He has so much heart, and tries so hard in spite of not being able to turn as fast or as tight due to his length and weight. He outweighs the females by nearly ten pounds, and is MUCH longer than dogs like Kate, Nitro, and Vette. I am eager to see how our core strengthening continues to improve his ability to turn and how that will affect our competitiveness. We really need to work on the broad jump and continue working the a-frame, but I really think we are making great strides as a team. I received a number of compliments from some highly respected handlers, so I was very proud of my young boy and continue to have high hopes for him. Can’t wait until our next show!
One could probably swear at the sheer number of runs that this particular entry results in however. On a general AKC weekend, we get two runs a day and three if we are lucky. That’s around four to six runs over the course of two days, and maybe an extra two or three if it’s a three day trial. On Saturday, we had eight runs. Yes, eight runs. In one day. Madness. Add to that the three runs we had on Friday night, and the four we had on Sunday, and that makes for a long weekend. Given that we hadn’t competed really since July, and that last trial in Tallahassee was only one day, followed by one night in Deland earlier this month, we were a little overwhelmed by fifteen runs. Still, it was a blast.
I took Friday off as Palmetto is a four hour drive south of Jacksonville and the trial was scheduled to start at 4pm. I LOVE Palmetto. It truly is my favorite venue in terms of ease of access, parking, crating, spectating, and the running surface. We even stayed at the Ramada just down the street, which was much better than I expected. Clean, quiet, with a big room, and easy to get in and out of, I had no complaints. Also, the weather was gorgeous. Basically, it was a recipe for an awesome weekend.
I had an easy drive for the most part, and arrived a little before 2pm on Friday. I was set up and ready for the Double Bubba BBQ vendor to start making lunch before the trial began. They have, hands down, the best ribs on the planet. And I didn’t even used to like ribs.
Friday afternoon was advanced snooker, steeplechase, and grand prix. We went in needing one more snooker Q for our title, and knew we would get another chance on Tuesday, so there was no pressure. Of course we Q’d, even though Xander knocked the #6 jump in the closing, so dropped us to 2nd place. Still, a new title is a great way to begin the weekend. Following this was steeplechase, and one caveat I must mention is that our armband was 22001, which meant that we were the first 22in dog in the running order ALL WEEKEND. With the exception of two classes that got shuffled, and we were either second or last. For the most part though, we got lots of experience hanging out on the start line waiting for bars to be changed, or in a couple cases, waiting for a timer issue to be resolved. We also dealt with LOTS of conflicts, which I do blame at least two NQ’s on, but it was all still very good experience. Dealing with these issues is part of the game, and I was enjoying myself so thoroughly that I couldn’t even bring myself to be upset about any of it! The temperature truly was spectacular, with a cool, dry breeze. How can one be unhappy?
At any rate, I think steeplechase and grand prix ended up going at the same time, although they changed the running order to allow the performance dogs to start in one ring, and the championship dogs to start in the other. We ran steeplechase first, and were great going into a very difficult line. I was a dork and shouted out the WRONG command, and like a good dog, Xander turned and headed the wrong way. D’oh! Somehow, I managed to call him off a tunnel and bring him back. He ran around past me and we had to do a big circle to get back on track, which ate up close to ten seconds. Still, he didn’t take anything off course, and we finished without a fault. Steeplechase is a game that has two rounds, and the fastest dogs from the first round go on to compete for money in the second round. The number of dogs that Q is determined based on the fastest time, which in this case was a blistering 29 seconds set by Gabrielle and Zing. We were lucky somehow, and managed to earn the very last placement, lucky 13. Not pretty, but a Q is a Q.
Next up was grand prix, run shortly after steeplechase, and my boy was ready to rock. The ending was VERY tricky, and took down a lot of dogs and handlers. We made it through clean and even earned 3rd place, just half a second behind Sarah’s amazing girl Kate and a few seconds behind Stuart’s awesome dog Ares. We were three for three that night, although I got partial stops on the a-frame, I was still naughty and released him quickly. That poor dog, I really can’t maintain criteria. Bad handler!
Saturday began the team competition, and my teammates were Kelly Rossi and her super young boy Nitro, along with Terri Lee and her incredible young girl Vette. We were indeed a baby dog team, although Vette already has her ADCH! Kelly and I had never done team before, so it was a fun experience. I didn’t even really know all the rules, so it was a learn-as-you-go kind of thing! Our team name was Xander’s Nitro-Charged Vette. The reason we had so many runs on Saturday was the result of doing advanced pairs, standard, jumpers, and masters gamblers, in addition to doing team gamblers, standard, and snooker, as well as steeplechase finals! It was a long, eleven hour day, but we enjoyed every minute. Our pairs partners, Gail and Neece, were stellar, and even though we took the second to last jump off course, incurring a 20pt fault, our combined time was so fast that we still qualified. Thanks Gail and Neece! This was our first pairs leg, pairs not being my favorite class. Following this was team gamblers, where we played in a manner I had never done before, which was simply an accumulation of points, with a 13 second bonus time at the finish in which your point values were doubled, but lost if you didn’t cross the finish line in time. We played it safe and earned 51pts, although we could probably have earned another 10pts if I’d been greedy. Still, it was a respectable 5th place finish, and put our team in 3rd place after the first event. Our first run in master gamblers was good, and I thought we had earned the gamble which was a jump to A-frame, turn away into a tunnel, and over a jump, but the judge called Xander for running out too far after the tunnel before turning to take the jump. The finishing jump was at an angle, and I saw her give the Q to Zing for doing the exact same thing, but not us. Oh well, judging is hard, and I would NOT want their job of standing up for twelve hours and having to make those calls! The agility gods balanced it out later in jumpers. We were first up again, in a small class, and started the first three jump sequence. The judge stopped us because of a timer malfunction, so we had to putz around for nearly ten minutes while they straightened it out. By the time we got to go again, Xander made a beautiful turn and missed one jump completely. The rest of the run was gorgeous however. I went back to our crate thinking “oh well” until Gail walked up and told me she had good news. Either the scribe missed the call, or the judge missed the mistake, but either way, we got a Q with 1st place. Go figure.
Team standard ended up being the same time as advanced standard, and with the stress of another conflict, we went into team first. It was a heartbreakingly beautiful run that was spoiled by another bad handling maneuver on my part. I didn’t fully support a jump which led to him running past it. If I’d been thinking more quickly, I could have pulled him around and only earned a refusal, but I panicked and he back jumped. I earned our team a big fat E. Bummer. The difficult thing about team competition is the guilt that goes along with making a mistake. Normally, you just hurt yourself, but in team, it affects your teammates! The biggest lesson I learned about team this weekend was to get a score on the board! Even if you earn faults, don’t get an E! Luckily, Kelly and Nitro saved us with an awesome clean run and 4th place. Yay Nitro!
At any rate, we immediately had to go into advanced standard, and after the rush of team, he crashed the tire, which was the very first jump, and I decided to take him off. I did find myself frustrated after these two setbacks, but we recovered with a yummy rib from the barbeque vendor, which Xander got a little piece from. Since these were all MY mistakes, I was never upset with him, just with myself. Still, being in paradise and doing what I love meant that I didn’t keep my foul mood for long.
Steeplechase finals came next, and we discovered another hole in our training. The weaves were followed closely by a broad jump with no real room for building speed to get over it, and he landed on the third plank. This earned a fault, and resulted in me having to collect him again to finish. The rest of the run was pretty, but we have yet to run the finals clean. One day…one day. Team snooker was the last run of a long day, and although we had a great plan, Terri and Vette saved the team by being the only one to make it through to the finish. Xander knocked a bar on the third red jump, and I did manage to stop him long enough to figure out what to do next. We got the fourth red and made it to the closing, but I turned him away prematurely and he was whistled off for a refusal on the #2 jump in the closing. Still, we got a score on the board, even if it was only 22 points.
Sunday arrived before we knew it, and we started with team jumpers and advanced standard again running at the same time. Again with a conflict, we ran jumpers first and encountered a nasty angle to the broad jump. He landed on the third panel again, which meant that we will definitely be practicing the broad jump. Still, we got another score on the board, and Nitro ran clean again. Sadly, we rushed right into standard and had a fabulous run going until we came to the a-frame. We had iffy a-frames all weekend, due to my eagerness and lack of consistency, and he finally missed one. This was his first ever missed contact of any kind, in any trial. We really needed a standard leg, as we ONLY HAVE ONE, but no dice. Sigh. It is totally my fault though, so I can’t be mad at him. He nailed the dogwalk however, and I had him hold it, so at least there was that. He had also had a wonderful send ahead on the dogwalk in team standard with a beautiful contact, so the a-frame is really our biggest issue.
Although we already earned our advanced snooker title on Friday, I decided to run snooker on Sunday to practice the a-frame, which we did twice. It was not ideal, but at least he got them and did pause if not stop. We Q’d with 1st place.
After a looooong weekend, team relay was the last event. I have never done a three dog relay, so it was truly a unique event. Our team was in fourth place standing going into the final run, so we ran fourth to last. Our plan worked well, and both Nitro and Xander ran clean, although we had an iffy teeter and an almost off course. There was an extremely difficult turn near the end which resulted in faults for every team prior to us, but I did a front cross and was the first person to run clean. I even heard the judge say “nice” as I did it. However, I almost sent him into the weaves, but called him off at the last second, and that was followed by the VERY questionable teeter. Somebody was a little amped! Vette was last dog, and was called on her teeter, which we all thought was totally legal, so I think the judge just wished she’d called mine, so called Vette’s instead! She also ran past the last jump, but Terri skillfully pulled her around without incurring an off course, and we were done! The announcements were made immediately following the final few teams, and we maintained our fourth place standing to earn our first DAM Q! This was also Kelly and Nitro’s first! Terri used the front cross maneuver we had talked about with her aussie Bella, and that team came in first. Go Terri!
The final tally for the weekend included a Q in all three tournament classes (steeplechase, grand prix, and DAM team), as well as two snooker legs (for his advanced snooker title +1), an advanced jumper leg, and an advanced pairs leg. Hooray! And I learned so much from watching the other dogs and talking to the other handlers. Xander is longer and taller, as well as much heavier (with muscle) than his competition. He has so much heart, and tries so hard in spite of not being able to turn as fast or as tight due to his length and weight. He outweighs the females by nearly ten pounds, and is MUCH longer than dogs like Kate, Nitro, and Vette. I am eager to see how our core strengthening continues to improve his ability to turn and how that will affect our competitiveness. We really need to work on the broad jump and continue working the a-frame, but I really think we are making great strides as a team. I received a number of compliments from some highly respected handlers, so I was very proud of my young boy and continue to have high hopes for him. Can’t wait until our next show!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The Canine Athlete
What can I say about the Liz McGuire seminar besides fantastic? My brain was completely full by the time we left on Saturday afternoon following roughly eight hours packed with great information. Big thanks goes out to Sheila, a Pals and Paws Club member who graciously offered the use of her home and yard to accommodate the ten working dogs and handful of auditors. I know we left a lot of hair on the floor to be vacuumed!
I was originally hesitant to sign Xander up for a working spot, as he tends to get weird in tight spaces with strange dogs and people. However, he was a SUPERSTAR. He was not fazed by anyone or anything, was happy to work, and friendly toward everyone! I was extremely proud of him, in spite of his obnoxious, repetitive protest barking during the times he was stuck in the crate (sorry fellow seminar attendees!) It was fortunately a very cool, overcast day (for Florida that is), so I was able to leave him crated in the car with the vent lock for the first 2.5 hrs of the seminar which was lecture. That only left another 5 hours or so….
Anyway, we arrived at Sheila’s home in Fleming Island at 9am and met Liz McGuire, who specializes in human strength and conditioning and physical therapy, but is bringing her knowledge to the dog world as well. She presented an incredible amount of very relevant information during the lecture, and I really appreciated her straightforward, direct, logical style and mentality. She made it obvious that she is more concerned with the health and longevity of our dogs, rather than making money, so she doesn’t sell or endorse any particular products that she uses in her seminars. This immediately increased her credibility in my mind. Her slide show included a few pictures swiped from Facebook, including two of Xander! Unfortunately, both were demonstrating something less than ideal. In one, he was doing the teeter in Vero Beach for the first time, which was VERY light, so he slid all the way to the end before it sort of crashed down under him. He made the contact, but it wasn’t pretty. She did say that he was demonstrating excellent body awareness in the shot, as he was able to react to the unpredictable obstacle and maintain criteria. Poor guy, he is just so good! Sometimes it would be better if he would bail off…..The other picture was him taking a jump so tight to the upright that he has that closest eye shut. No damage done, but he could have jumped into the upright itself. Fortunately, these were plastic, but that is not always the case. Liz showed us video of her dog that was impaled on a metal jump cup. After being impaled, the heavy metal jump pulled through his body, requiring 22 external stitches and 18 internal. We all cringed and could not believe that the dog took another jump after the injury! The biggest lesson here was that just because the WILL, does NOT mean they should. Our dogs give us so much effort, heart, and sometimes work through what must be excruciating pain to play our game. We owe it to them to recognize when they are hurt, to be proactive in preventing injury by avoiding dangerous activities, and for conditioning and resting them appropriately in order to give them the best chance at staying healthy.
After the lecture, we were taught to manually examine our dogs to determine their current state of balance and to look for any sore, troubled spots. I knew from my experiences with Kaylee’s bad back that the back muscles will twitch when sore, so it was some familiar information. Xander currently is very well balanced with no apparent issues. She did tell me that he has a very long loin, which given that I am no structural expert, I was already fairly aware of. She compared him to a 7ft athlete. Although he is very athletic, he does have weaknesses, including that long loin. I have always wondered why he has trouble with tight turns, and will sometimes face-plant after making one, so it was great when she explained it to me. He has tons of power in his rear end, and knows speed, but not control. She told me that if I work to strengthen his front and his core, that it will greatly improve his control and prevent injury. I am very excited to have something to work on!
Liz introduced us to a number of different ways to strengthen our dogs. The first way involves a large, inflatable “peanut” which is used in human conditioning. Similar to the large balance ball most people are familiar with, the peanut is larger, and a good shape for introducing dogs to the concept of balancing. Xander was first in line to give it a try, and gamely hopped right on! (salmon treats help) He immediately dropped into a down position for stability, which most of the other dogs did as well, but soon was coaxed into standing. Liz asked me if he was fast, and several of my fellow attendees chimed in “yes” which made me chuckle. She again demonstrated that although he is obviously athletic, she was able to push him off balance with a slight push to one hip, and he quivered with the effort to maintain balance. She said it will only take a short session initially to give him a full body work out, and tire him out mentally and physically. And it can be done indoors in the A/C! I ordered one the very next day.
After the other dogs had a turn on the ‘nut, we headed outside for some other activities. Some of which had our dogs wondering what on earth we were thinking, particularly the “wheelbarrow.” However, they were all good sports and gave so much effort. There were some weaves, and some cavallettis, which were trickier than they looked, and even a miniature aframe. There were balance disks, a bosu ball, and the peanut.
The afternoon included a break for lunch and a little walk around the neighborhood for Xander, followed by some muscle measurements and more outdoor activities. Xander was chosen to demo a sequence of collection/extension exercises in which he really had to think and focus on his body position. The sequence began with cavalettis, followed by the balance disk in 2on2off position, followed by the aframe, then another balance disk, and a pair of jumps in the 270 degree set up, finished with a balance disk. After ten minutes or so, he was done and trying to hide behind Anna Marie! Liz again emphasized that these exercises push them mentally and physically, and don’t need to be long!
Overall, the seminar was extremely informative, fun, and left me with a lot to do for homework. I have ordered some equipment to work on Xander’s core strength, as well as learning to run him down hill to strengthen his front. Liz warned me that I better be in good shape if I hope to keep up with him in the future, so we are excited. And most importantly, I want to protect him from injury. We plan to apply the warm up and stretching routine that she showed us, as well as the rest, active rest, and strength and conditioning calendar she helped us form. I would recommend that anyone who has not yet attended one of Liz’s seminars should do so as soon as possible! The sport has changed, and we need to keep the health and longevity of our dogs the number one priority. They are athletes, and we need to treat them as such!
I was originally hesitant to sign Xander up for a working spot, as he tends to get weird in tight spaces with strange dogs and people. However, he was a SUPERSTAR. He was not fazed by anyone or anything, was happy to work, and friendly toward everyone! I was extremely proud of him, in spite of his obnoxious, repetitive protest barking during the times he was stuck in the crate (sorry fellow seminar attendees!) It was fortunately a very cool, overcast day (for Florida that is), so I was able to leave him crated in the car with the vent lock for the first 2.5 hrs of the seminar which was lecture. That only left another 5 hours or so….
Anyway, we arrived at Sheila’s home in Fleming Island at 9am and met Liz McGuire, who specializes in human strength and conditioning and physical therapy, but is bringing her knowledge to the dog world as well. She presented an incredible amount of very relevant information during the lecture, and I really appreciated her straightforward, direct, logical style and mentality. She made it obvious that she is more concerned with the health and longevity of our dogs, rather than making money, so she doesn’t sell or endorse any particular products that she uses in her seminars. This immediately increased her credibility in my mind. Her slide show included a few pictures swiped from Facebook, including two of Xander! Unfortunately, both were demonstrating something less than ideal. In one, he was doing the teeter in Vero Beach for the first time, which was VERY light, so he slid all the way to the end before it sort of crashed down under him. He made the contact, but it wasn’t pretty. She did say that he was demonstrating excellent body awareness in the shot, as he was able to react to the unpredictable obstacle and maintain criteria. Poor guy, he is just so good! Sometimes it would be better if he would bail off…..The other picture was him taking a jump so tight to the upright that he has that closest eye shut. No damage done, but he could have jumped into the upright itself. Fortunately, these were plastic, but that is not always the case. Liz showed us video of her dog that was impaled on a metal jump cup. After being impaled, the heavy metal jump pulled through his body, requiring 22 external stitches and 18 internal. We all cringed and could not believe that the dog took another jump after the injury! The biggest lesson here was that just because the WILL, does NOT mean they should. Our dogs give us so much effort, heart, and sometimes work through what must be excruciating pain to play our game. We owe it to them to recognize when they are hurt, to be proactive in preventing injury by avoiding dangerous activities, and for conditioning and resting them appropriately in order to give them the best chance at staying healthy.
After the lecture, we were taught to manually examine our dogs to determine their current state of balance and to look for any sore, troubled spots. I knew from my experiences with Kaylee’s bad back that the back muscles will twitch when sore, so it was some familiar information. Xander currently is very well balanced with no apparent issues. She did tell me that he has a very long loin, which given that I am no structural expert, I was already fairly aware of. She compared him to a 7ft athlete. Although he is very athletic, he does have weaknesses, including that long loin. I have always wondered why he has trouble with tight turns, and will sometimes face-plant after making one, so it was great when she explained it to me. He has tons of power in his rear end, and knows speed, but not control. She told me that if I work to strengthen his front and his core, that it will greatly improve his control and prevent injury. I am very excited to have something to work on!
Liz introduced us to a number of different ways to strengthen our dogs. The first way involves a large, inflatable “peanut” which is used in human conditioning. Similar to the large balance ball most people are familiar with, the peanut is larger, and a good shape for introducing dogs to the concept of balancing. Xander was first in line to give it a try, and gamely hopped right on! (salmon treats help) He immediately dropped into a down position for stability, which most of the other dogs did as well, but soon was coaxed into standing. Liz asked me if he was fast, and several of my fellow attendees chimed in “yes” which made me chuckle. She again demonstrated that although he is obviously athletic, she was able to push him off balance with a slight push to one hip, and he quivered with the effort to maintain balance. She said it will only take a short session initially to give him a full body work out, and tire him out mentally and physically. And it can be done indoors in the A/C! I ordered one the very next day.
After the other dogs had a turn on the ‘nut, we headed outside for some other activities. Some of which had our dogs wondering what on earth we were thinking, particularly the “wheelbarrow.” However, they were all good sports and gave so much effort. There were some weaves, and some cavallettis, which were trickier than they looked, and even a miniature aframe. There were balance disks, a bosu ball, and the peanut.
The afternoon included a break for lunch and a little walk around the neighborhood for Xander, followed by some muscle measurements and more outdoor activities. Xander was chosen to demo a sequence of collection/extension exercises in which he really had to think and focus on his body position. The sequence began with cavalettis, followed by the balance disk in 2on2off position, followed by the aframe, then another balance disk, and a pair of jumps in the 270 degree set up, finished with a balance disk. After ten minutes or so, he was done and trying to hide behind Anna Marie! Liz again emphasized that these exercises push them mentally and physically, and don’t need to be long!
Overall, the seminar was extremely informative, fun, and left me with a lot to do for homework. I have ordered some equipment to work on Xander’s core strength, as well as learning to run him down hill to strengthen his front. Liz warned me that I better be in good shape if I hope to keep up with him in the future, so we are excited. And most importantly, I want to protect him from injury. We plan to apply the warm up and stretching routine that she showed us, as well as the rest, active rest, and strength and conditioning calendar she helped us form. I would recommend that anyone who has not yet attended one of Liz’s seminars should do so as soon as possible! The sport has changed, and we need to keep the health and longevity of our dogs the number one priority. They are athletes, and we need to treat them as such!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Bridal Biscuit Birthday Blowout
What a weekend!
My North Carolina cousin and bridesmaid Kara made the long trip with her friend Julie the Cruise Director to spend the weekend with me and the gang. Kara, my other cousins and bridesmaids Jane and Becky, as well as my cousin Andie and her son Leighton all met at the Starbucks across from David’s Bridal on Saturday morning just before 10am. Kara caught us up on her life, as well as telling us about the all important trip to Krystals that Julie the Cruise Director had so carefully planned. Personally, I tend to plan for avoiding Krystals, but that’s just me. After a cup of java and some catching up, we got to the business at hand and headed to David’s Bridal.
Although Jane had thoughtfully made an appointment, the customer service at this particular store is consistently lacking. The employees were rude and quite often just ignored us, so we basically took matters into our own hands. Leighton was not in the mood to hang out in a bridal store, not that I can blame him. Even at less than two, he knows that this is nowhere for a man to be! Andrea took him home shortly after we arrived, so Kara, Jane, Becky and I proceeded to rifle through the bridesmaid gowns and color swatches. Although Becky had been yelled at last time for handling wedding gowns without an attendant, we were told that they basically didn’t care about the rest of the merchandise, so it was fair game! After some modeling and research, we picked three nice colors, and two nice designs that will suite everyone. Mission accomplished!
We then proceeded to the mall for lunch (and bridal biscuits) and to look at shoes and other things. This was followed up with a trip to Michaels and Hobby Lobby to look at decorations and for brainstorming. After 6hrs, we were all wiped out and headed home. The party was not over, however, as we reconvened at 7pm to celebrate Jane’s birthday with the entire family at Carabbas. We took over the middle of the dining area, and enjoyed a delicious meal before gathering at Becky’s house for presents and the world’s biggest cupcakes. (I ate the frosting, and Buster ate the cake, it’s a perfect relationship)
After celebrating and laughing well past 10pm, I was up again early to meet Jane and Kara for more planning. My beautiful girls stayed up past 2am on Saturday night doing research and working on a master plan and budget. I was amazed, and ever so grateful. If this was all left up to me, I’m afraid we would have been missing a lot, because I had NO idea where to start on my own.
Becky wasn’t up to hanging out with us, but we three spent the morning and early afternoon at Panera’s discussing the plan before hitting up the Dollar Tree, Joanne’s, and DSW. Kara had to leave at around 1:30 to meet up with her ride and head back to NC, so the weekend was over quickly! I came back home and took my poor neglected dogs to the park to make up for leaving them at home all day on Saturday. Afterwards, I took a nap! I was a bit overwhelmed after everything was said and done, but with my wonderful family, we will have an awesome event to look forward to!
Oh, and just to remind you that this blog is still mostly about dog training, Buster and I spent Friday night setting up an ISC JWW course I saw on facebook, and he filmed while I ran. It was so much fun! Enjoy!
My North Carolina cousin and bridesmaid Kara made the long trip with her friend Julie the Cruise Director to spend the weekend with me and the gang. Kara, my other cousins and bridesmaids Jane and Becky, as well as my cousin Andie and her son Leighton all met at the Starbucks across from David’s Bridal on Saturday morning just before 10am. Kara caught us up on her life, as well as telling us about the all important trip to Krystals that Julie the Cruise Director had so carefully planned. Personally, I tend to plan for avoiding Krystals, but that’s just me. After a cup of java and some catching up, we got to the business at hand and headed to David’s Bridal.
Although Jane had thoughtfully made an appointment, the customer service at this particular store is consistently lacking. The employees were rude and quite often just ignored us, so we basically took matters into our own hands. Leighton was not in the mood to hang out in a bridal store, not that I can blame him. Even at less than two, he knows that this is nowhere for a man to be! Andrea took him home shortly after we arrived, so Kara, Jane, Becky and I proceeded to rifle through the bridesmaid gowns and color swatches. Although Becky had been yelled at last time for handling wedding gowns without an attendant, we were told that they basically didn’t care about the rest of the merchandise, so it was fair game! After some modeling and research, we picked three nice colors, and two nice designs that will suite everyone. Mission accomplished!
We then proceeded to the mall for lunch (and bridal biscuits) and to look at shoes and other things. This was followed up with a trip to Michaels and Hobby Lobby to look at decorations and for brainstorming. After 6hrs, we were all wiped out and headed home. The party was not over, however, as we reconvened at 7pm to celebrate Jane’s birthday with the entire family at Carabbas. We took over the middle of the dining area, and enjoyed a delicious meal before gathering at Becky’s house for presents and the world’s biggest cupcakes. (I ate the frosting, and Buster ate the cake, it’s a perfect relationship)
After celebrating and laughing well past 10pm, I was up again early to meet Jane and Kara for more planning. My beautiful girls stayed up past 2am on Saturday night doing research and working on a master plan and budget. I was amazed, and ever so grateful. If this was all left up to me, I’m afraid we would have been missing a lot, because I had NO idea where to start on my own.
Becky wasn’t up to hanging out with us, but we three spent the morning and early afternoon at Panera’s discussing the plan before hitting up the Dollar Tree, Joanne’s, and DSW. Kara had to leave at around 1:30 to meet up with her ride and head back to NC, so the weekend was over quickly! I came back home and took my poor neglected dogs to the park to make up for leaving them at home all day on Saturday. Afterwards, I took a nap! I was a bit overwhelmed after everything was said and done, but with my wonderful family, we will have an awesome event to look forward to!
Oh, and just to remind you that this blog is still mostly about dog training, Buster and I spent Friday night setting up an ISC JWW course I saw on facebook, and he filmed while I ran. It was so much fun! Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Long Nights and Early Mornings
Buster, Xander and I headed to Deland on Saturday afternoon for the second annual Dog-On-It USDAA night trial at Gail Waller's house. Last year, it was our very first experience doing "real agility." We got our first measurement, even though we didn't have a card and didn't get credit because USDAA sent ours to the wrong address and I didn't know I needed one to be filled out. AKC has those forms at trials....So anyway, given that he turned 3yrs old this week, we got our fourth and final measurement this weekend! No more measuring torture at trials!!
Last year we had the misfortune of entering only Saturday night, and being about 5 minutes from our very first run when the power went out and never came back on. Sadly, a small airplane had crashed into a power pole nearby (Gail's place is right next to the airport), and took out the power all night. The man lost his life, so although we were inconvenienced, it was a trivial thing once we found out the cause. We ended up returning on Sunday night last year to complete our runs, and most competitors were there well into the night finishing Sunday's runs after Saturday's runs. Last year we ran Gamblers, Pairs, and Grand Prix. This year, again, I entered only Saturday, however the runs included Gamblers, Jumpers, and Grand Prix. Although we saw a swarm of skydivers, which was amazing, no one crashed into any power poles. We were still there until 1am though....
The evening started with Jumpers. We've only run in four complete USDAA trials and the one night in Deland last year. So he's only had two opportunities at Advanced Jumpers, both of which we NQ'd for a knocked bar or off course. I was very pleased that we earned a needed Q Saturday night, and although we had some wide turns to tighten up, still managed a 20 second run with 2nd place. Now we need two Standard Q's and a Pairs Q for his AAD!
Gamblers is my favorite game, and he has Q'd in all but one of our runs since we began competing in USDAA. Kelli Verelli set up a fun course, complete with rubber contacts, and we earned our Advanced Gamblers title with 2nd place. He was slow coming across the unfamiliar rubberized dogwalk, and we barely missed earning points on our last teeter, which would have clinched 1st place. His aframe in the gamble was picture perfect though, so I was very pleased anyway. Now we get to play at the Master's level!
Scribing and playing gate steward helped keep me occupied, but poor Buster was wondering if we were ever going to go home by the time Grand Prix started at MIDNIGHT. I had estimated we'd be done by 10pm, so he had every right to be impatient! Xander is also pretty typically grumpy and ready for bed by 10pm, so I was impressed when it came time for our GP run at 12:45 am and he was up to play! He had a GORGEOUS run going until he didn't quite collect for the weave entry and entered at the second pole. Which was probably a blessing considering he WIPED OUT the triple which was the very last obstacle. Our future DAM team partner Nitro did the same thing right before us, as did several other dogs. It was in the dark, and I just didn't warn him sufficiently. Poor guy. In the video, you can hear everyone cry out in sympathy. He hopped right up and was good to go the next day, so thank goodness for resilient, young dogs!
I would like to note also that his dogwalk was fast and confident the second time over, and he had a beautiful send out around the backside of the following jump. The little stinker did self release from his A-frame, but considering it was almost 1am, I decided to cut him some slack. Maybe he will associate the self release with wiping out on the triple....is that wrong of me to think?
Anyway, Buster was such a great sport, and drove most of the way home until I took over at about 2am. We were in bed by 3am, and just because we are crazy, woke up at 7:30 and drove to Universal Studios on Sunday. Who needs sleep when there is Rip, Ride N' Rockit to ride and butterbeer to drink?!
Yesterday was a day of recovery and cleaning house for me, and a day of work and golfing with his boss for Buster. And here were are in September. Didn't this year just start?!! September means the beginning of trial season though, so bring it on!!
Last year we had the misfortune of entering only Saturday night, and being about 5 minutes from our very first run when the power went out and never came back on. Sadly, a small airplane had crashed into a power pole nearby (Gail's place is right next to the airport), and took out the power all night. The man lost his life, so although we were inconvenienced, it was a trivial thing once we found out the cause. We ended up returning on Sunday night last year to complete our runs, and most competitors were there well into the night finishing Sunday's runs after Saturday's runs. Last year we ran Gamblers, Pairs, and Grand Prix. This year, again, I entered only Saturday, however the runs included Gamblers, Jumpers, and Grand Prix. Although we saw a swarm of skydivers, which was amazing, no one crashed into any power poles. We were still there until 1am though....
The evening started with Jumpers. We've only run in four complete USDAA trials and the one night in Deland last year. So he's only had two opportunities at Advanced Jumpers, both of which we NQ'd for a knocked bar or off course. I was very pleased that we earned a needed Q Saturday night, and although we had some wide turns to tighten up, still managed a 20 second run with 2nd place. Now we need two Standard Q's and a Pairs Q for his AAD!
Gamblers is my favorite game, and he has Q'd in all but one of our runs since we began competing in USDAA. Kelli Verelli set up a fun course, complete with rubber contacts, and we earned our Advanced Gamblers title with 2nd place. He was slow coming across the unfamiliar rubberized dogwalk, and we barely missed earning points on our last teeter, which would have clinched 1st place. His aframe in the gamble was picture perfect though, so I was very pleased anyway. Now we get to play at the Master's level!
Scribing and playing gate steward helped keep me occupied, but poor Buster was wondering if we were ever going to go home by the time Grand Prix started at MIDNIGHT. I had estimated we'd be done by 10pm, so he had every right to be impatient! Xander is also pretty typically grumpy and ready for bed by 10pm, so I was impressed when it came time for our GP run at 12:45 am and he was up to play! He had a GORGEOUS run going until he didn't quite collect for the weave entry and entered at the second pole. Which was probably a blessing considering he WIPED OUT the triple which was the very last obstacle. Our future DAM team partner Nitro did the same thing right before us, as did several other dogs. It was in the dark, and I just didn't warn him sufficiently. Poor guy. In the video, you can hear everyone cry out in sympathy. He hopped right up and was good to go the next day, so thank goodness for resilient, young dogs!
I would like to note also that his dogwalk was fast and confident the second time over, and he had a beautiful send out around the backside of the following jump. The little stinker did self release from his A-frame, but considering it was almost 1am, I decided to cut him some slack. Maybe he will associate the self release with wiping out on the triple....is that wrong of me to think?
Anyway, Buster was such a great sport, and drove most of the way home until I took over at about 2am. We were in bed by 3am, and just because we are crazy, woke up at 7:30 and drove to Universal Studios on Sunday. Who needs sleep when there is Rip, Ride N' Rockit to ride and butterbeer to drink?!
Yesterday was a day of recovery and cleaning house for me, and a day of work and golfing with his boss for Buster. And here were are in September. Didn't this year just start?!! September means the beginning of trial season though, so bring it on!!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Happy Birthday Xander!
Xander celebrated his third birthday on Tuesday! I can't believe it's been three years, but he really does seem "mature" lately. My sweet little man. I adore that dog.
My plan to celebrate his birthday was to take the three dogs to their favorite park after work to swim and chase the frisbee. I used to offer special treats such as canned food to celebrate occassions, but after Kaylee made a huge mess on the carpet the last few times, I've switched my gifts to activities instead of food! It's not as though they don't receive a plethora of treats, toys, and activities on a regular basis as it is....
My plans could easily have been derailed however, as I attended to our normal routine on Tuesday morning. The corgis typically go out to potty first, and I usually walk them on the route least likely to be infested with feces, namely along the sidewalk in front of the complex. We had gone a few buildings down the walk, when a red merle aussie came bounding toward us. At first the corgis did their typical Napolean-complex routine, which involves looking and acting bigger and more intimidating than they are (which is not at all). The aussie, who was about Xander's size, was not daunted and continued toward us. Given her disregard for their antics, the corgis returned to the business at hand, and I was able to pet her. Extremely friendly, obviously young and immature, she bounced and cavorted at me. She was naked, and with no collar and no tags, I feared the worst. Since I had never seen her before, and she was obviously friendly, but a bit overweight and overactive, I immediately assumed someone had dumped her. It is a sad, but all too common situation: person buys a cute, fluffy puppy from the pet store, and one year later finds themselves with a 45lb whirling dervish of energy. Some people are not responsible enough to do the right thing, namely, train the dog, or find it another home, or even take it to a shelter, so they dump it in an area that seems likely for the dog to be taken in by someone. Our complex is reknowned for being pet friendly, and is busting at the seams with dogs of all sizes. I called out in the dark for a potential owner, but heard no reply.
It was still merely 6am at this point, so I groggily turned to head back to the apartment, and decided to see what the little red girl would do. Somewhat surprisingly, she trotted along behind me as though we were long lost bosom buddies, and the corgis allowed it.
When we arrived at my apartment door, she was destracted sniffing a bush, and I ducked inside. After trading out the corgis for Xander, I braced myself for his reaction. Typically, he is fine with other dogs off leash, but if he is on leash, tends to be reactive in areas he deems his territory. Particularly his front door. We walked out and found the girl waiting for us, and in his surprise, Xander barely managed a bark before she was bouncing around enthusiastically toward him. Much to my amazement, his body language relaxed, and we walked out all together. She was very submissive, and off leash, therefore, he seemed to deem her no threat. After Xander had done his business, with our new friend tagging along, I had to make a decision. With no sight of anyone looking for her, I could not leave her out to be hit by a car or otherwise hurt. I decided to open the door, and watched as she trotted right in with Xander.
How many dogs get their own dog for their birthday? Not many, I would suspect, but this was Xander's gift this year. The pair, who were perfectly matched for size, proceeding to wrestle and run about my tiny living room for the thirty minutes it took me to prepare for work. Xander thought she was super fun, and even sexy, as she tolerantly allowed him to hump her several times before he grew tired of it. I was still struggling with what to do when I called Buster for advice. If I tried to lock her in the bathroom or a crate, she might bark and scream all day and disturb our neighbors. I could call the office, but they would tell me I could not keep another dog in my apartment. I could leave her loose in my living room, but she could demolish the place. I had no idea if she was potty trained, or had a penchant for eating couches. However, after talking to Buster and sitting with her on the porch for a bit, I just had a good feeling about her. We agreed to let her loose in the living room with Xander, in the hopes that he would keep her occupied and too tired out to create any havoc. The corgis would stay gated in the back half of the apartment, in the bedroom and bathroom area. I wished for the best, and left for work.
All day long I wondered what I was going to do with this large, mouthy, bouncy, untrained aussie who was very sweet, but roughly 45 lbs. I planned to take her to be scanned for a microchip after work and wished fervently that my apartment would still be mostly intact when I returned home. The first thing I did, after a long day of watching the clock, was to check the community mailbox billboard. My eyes immediately lit upon a picture of her sweet, goofy face. "Lost dog! Sarah slipped out of her leash this morning! She is one year old and VERY friendly, but likes to jump on people. Please call...." I immediately dialed the number, which was a Gainesville area code, and answered by a young woman. She was thrilled when I told her I'd found Sarah, and we agreed to meet on the sidewalk as she was in the building three down from mine.
I rushed back home, found Buster being excitedly greeted by four barking dogs, and grabbed an extra leash to slip around Sara's neck. I quickly told him where I was going, and slipped out the door. Sarah's mom was walking down the sidewalk, and in her excitement, did not bring a leash or anything. I asked her about this, and she said "Oh, she normally stays with me." I replied with a bit of a smirk, "except for this morning, eh?" And she chuckled nervously. She looked to be fresh out of college, or perhaps still in college, which would explain the Gainesville cell phone number. She also explained that this was her first experience with dogs, as she was classically a cat person. Apparently, Sarah was more her husband's dog, which surprised me that he did not come along for the reunion. Since she had no leash, I walked them back to their building, and watched as she attempted to have Sarah sit before going inside. Sarah, much to my chagrin, decided she would rather go with me and bounced around and tried to come along as I turned away. I decided just to stand there until she was ushered inside, and I heard a man's voice exclaim "Sarah!"
It was a happy ending in a way, given that I was able to reunite the dog with her owners and no one was the worse for wear. On the other hand, I am tempted to call her back and remind her to keep a collar with ID on the dog at all times, and to perhaps enroll in some training classes (and get the poor dog more exercise!)
Miraculously, my apartment was completely unscathed, as she had not chewed on anything, nor had she had any accidents. It did not surprise me so much at that point, given that she is accustomed to living in an apartment. However, she could have still destroyed the place. Xander seemed uncharacteristically mellow, so I am thinking they had a fabulous day of wrestling and playing. We also kept our plan of going to the park, although he was not nearly as energetic as normal! All in all, I think he had a good birthday, and I enjoyed doing a little good deed and interacting with a sweet little, red aussie for a short time. Maybe they can have a play date again sometime....and hopefully there will be a red-headed girl in his future one day. (When we have a yard!)
My plan to celebrate his birthday was to take the three dogs to their favorite park after work to swim and chase the frisbee. I used to offer special treats such as canned food to celebrate occassions, but after Kaylee made a huge mess on the carpet the last few times, I've switched my gifts to activities instead of food! It's not as though they don't receive a plethora of treats, toys, and activities on a regular basis as it is....
My plans could easily have been derailed however, as I attended to our normal routine on Tuesday morning. The corgis typically go out to potty first, and I usually walk them on the route least likely to be infested with feces, namely along the sidewalk in front of the complex. We had gone a few buildings down the walk, when a red merle aussie came bounding toward us. At first the corgis did their typical Napolean-complex routine, which involves looking and acting bigger and more intimidating than they are (which is not at all). The aussie, who was about Xander's size, was not daunted and continued toward us. Given her disregard for their antics, the corgis returned to the business at hand, and I was able to pet her. Extremely friendly, obviously young and immature, she bounced and cavorted at me. She was naked, and with no collar and no tags, I feared the worst. Since I had never seen her before, and she was obviously friendly, but a bit overweight and overactive, I immediately assumed someone had dumped her. It is a sad, but all too common situation: person buys a cute, fluffy puppy from the pet store, and one year later finds themselves with a 45lb whirling dervish of energy. Some people are not responsible enough to do the right thing, namely, train the dog, or find it another home, or even take it to a shelter, so they dump it in an area that seems likely for the dog to be taken in by someone. Our complex is reknowned for being pet friendly, and is busting at the seams with dogs of all sizes. I called out in the dark for a potential owner, but heard no reply.
It was still merely 6am at this point, so I groggily turned to head back to the apartment, and decided to see what the little red girl would do. Somewhat surprisingly, she trotted along behind me as though we were long lost bosom buddies, and the corgis allowed it.
When we arrived at my apartment door, she was destracted sniffing a bush, and I ducked inside. After trading out the corgis for Xander, I braced myself for his reaction. Typically, he is fine with other dogs off leash, but if he is on leash, tends to be reactive in areas he deems his territory. Particularly his front door. We walked out and found the girl waiting for us, and in his surprise, Xander barely managed a bark before she was bouncing around enthusiastically toward him. Much to my amazement, his body language relaxed, and we walked out all together. She was very submissive, and off leash, therefore, he seemed to deem her no threat. After Xander had done his business, with our new friend tagging along, I had to make a decision. With no sight of anyone looking for her, I could not leave her out to be hit by a car or otherwise hurt. I decided to open the door, and watched as she trotted right in with Xander.
How many dogs get their own dog for their birthday? Not many, I would suspect, but this was Xander's gift this year. The pair, who were perfectly matched for size, proceeding to wrestle and run about my tiny living room for the thirty minutes it took me to prepare for work. Xander thought she was super fun, and even sexy, as she tolerantly allowed him to hump her several times before he grew tired of it. I was still struggling with what to do when I called Buster for advice. If I tried to lock her in the bathroom or a crate, she might bark and scream all day and disturb our neighbors. I could call the office, but they would tell me I could not keep another dog in my apartment. I could leave her loose in my living room, but she could demolish the place. I had no idea if she was potty trained, or had a penchant for eating couches. However, after talking to Buster and sitting with her on the porch for a bit, I just had a good feeling about her. We agreed to let her loose in the living room with Xander, in the hopes that he would keep her occupied and too tired out to create any havoc. The corgis would stay gated in the back half of the apartment, in the bedroom and bathroom area. I wished for the best, and left for work.
All day long I wondered what I was going to do with this large, mouthy, bouncy, untrained aussie who was very sweet, but roughly 45 lbs. I planned to take her to be scanned for a microchip after work and wished fervently that my apartment would still be mostly intact when I returned home. The first thing I did, after a long day of watching the clock, was to check the community mailbox billboard. My eyes immediately lit upon a picture of her sweet, goofy face. "Lost dog! Sarah slipped out of her leash this morning! She is one year old and VERY friendly, but likes to jump on people. Please call...." I immediately dialed the number, which was a Gainesville area code, and answered by a young woman. She was thrilled when I told her I'd found Sarah, and we agreed to meet on the sidewalk as she was in the building three down from mine.
I rushed back home, found Buster being excitedly greeted by four barking dogs, and grabbed an extra leash to slip around Sara's neck. I quickly told him where I was going, and slipped out the door. Sarah's mom was walking down the sidewalk, and in her excitement, did not bring a leash or anything. I asked her about this, and she said "Oh, she normally stays with me." I replied with a bit of a smirk, "except for this morning, eh?" And she chuckled nervously. She looked to be fresh out of college, or perhaps still in college, which would explain the Gainesville cell phone number. She also explained that this was her first experience with dogs, as she was classically a cat person. Apparently, Sarah was more her husband's dog, which surprised me that he did not come along for the reunion. Since she had no leash, I walked them back to their building, and watched as she attempted to have Sarah sit before going inside. Sarah, much to my chagrin, decided she would rather go with me and bounced around and tried to come along as I turned away. I decided just to stand there until she was ushered inside, and I heard a man's voice exclaim "Sarah!"
It was a happy ending in a way, given that I was able to reunite the dog with her owners and no one was the worse for wear. On the other hand, I am tempted to call her back and remind her to keep a collar with ID on the dog at all times, and to perhaps enroll in some training classes (and get the poor dog more exercise!)
Miraculously, my apartment was completely unscathed, as she had not chewed on anything, nor had she had any accidents. It did not surprise me so much at that point, given that she is accustomed to living in an apartment. However, she could have still destroyed the place. Xander seemed uncharacteristically mellow, so I am thinking they had a fabulous day of wrestling and playing. We also kept our plan of going to the park, although he was not nearly as energetic as normal! All in all, I think he had a good birthday, and I enjoyed doing a little good deed and interacting with a sweet little, red aussie for a short time. Maybe they can have a play date again sometime....and hopefully there will be a red-headed girl in his future one day. (When we have a yard!)
Monday, August 15, 2011
Raining Cats and Dogs
Well, it may not have been raining cats and dogs, but it was raining hail shortly after Xander and I arrived in Deland, FL for a Saturday night training session/fun run/fund raiser. Gail Waller owns a nice little facility called "Fast Friends" near Daytona, and has recently been offering it for fun runs as well as hosting Dog-On-It's evening USDAA trials in September. Given that the September night trial, (which does not include standard runs, only tournament and a few games classes), will be held on Labor Day weekend, I thought it would be beneficial to go try out our new and improved contacts in a trial like setting.
Xander and I had already woken at 5am on Saturday to go out and practice and for me to set up and teach my classes, so by the time we left at 3pm to make it to the fun run at 5pm, it had been a long day. Fortunately, we'd all had a brief nap in the afternoon, and with the help of a java-chip frappachino from Starbucks, I was ready to rock.
Laurie Dana from Dog-On-It had organized the event as a fundraiser for the World Team, who were practicing themselves this weekend for the big event in October. I volunteered to act as "judge" and was the keeper of the stopwatch as well, so had planned to stay until the posted 9pm finish time. My friends Chris and Carol also made the long drive from Amelia Island to get young Wicked more exposure on different equipment, so we were all a bit bummed when we arrived to what amounted to a small hurricane.
Chris and I actually fought through the initial tumult on the road to the facility, with oncoming traffic throwing walls of water at our windshields as we tried to navigate the narrow two lane highway(since construction had the two other lanes shut down). Once both our vehicles arrived at Fast Friends, the wind was whipping, but the storm had not yet arrived. In spite of lightning and thunder, Carol and I managed a brief walk through on the course before the bottom let out. The entire group of us ran for the shelter of our vehicles and endured wind, rain, and even hail.
After one hour of the pounding storm, a number of people gave up and headed for higher ground. Fortunately, those of us die-hards who remained only had to wait another half an hour for the storm to relent.
Surprisingly, the ground was not soaked on the field, as it was raised above the level of the other areas, and Gail's nearby creek collected much of the run off. Laurie and the others decided it was safe to proceed, and so we did.
The wait was well worth it. Laurie had set up a Grand Prix course with a starters/advanced level course nested within it. Each participant had two minutes to run the course, work on whatever they chose, and use toys/food as rewards. I enjoyed playing judge/timer and watching the other teams play. When it came time for Xander and I, my plan was to pretend that the first run was real, no toys, no corrections, just test our contacts in a trial setting. Xander NAILED them. I was thrilled. We handled the opening in a way that others were struggling, and although I didn't do it as well the second time through, it was beautiful the first time. He was fast and confident, and held his contacts fantastically. I rewarded him with a tug session, and as we still had one minute left, we proceeded to run the second course. He was a bit more pushy on his a-frame this time around, but I did not correct him. I knew that he might self release on our next turn, so I kept that in mind.
After cycling back through the running order, it was our turn again around 8:45. Xander nailed his dog walk, but as I had anticipated, self released from the a-frame. I put him back on the contact and rewarded with the toy this time. Laurie suggested I repeat the sequence again, and he was "sticky" this time, with some creeping into position. I released and rewarded with the toy. We did another sequence involving the dogwalk, and again I released to the toy. After doing a few more things, we ran to the aframe, and he nailed it again. Fast, confident, held the position for release to the toy. All in all, he was MUCH improved, and I will just have to make an effort to hold and mark the a-frame in competition. His dogwalk was fast and confident, and his jumping and weaves were lovely. He has really matured a great deal in the last year, and all our work has paid off. Thanks again to Gabrielle Blackburn for all her wonderful advice at the summer contact seminar!!
Thanks goes out to Laurie and Gail for organizing and hosting the event, and although the fund raiser was not as successful as they'd hoped, some money was still raised for Tori and the rest of the World Team. Only six weeks until they leave for France!
Xander and I had already woken at 5am on Saturday to go out and practice and for me to set up and teach my classes, so by the time we left at 3pm to make it to the fun run at 5pm, it had been a long day. Fortunately, we'd all had a brief nap in the afternoon, and with the help of a java-chip frappachino from Starbucks, I was ready to rock.
Laurie Dana from Dog-On-It had organized the event as a fundraiser for the World Team, who were practicing themselves this weekend for the big event in October. I volunteered to act as "judge" and was the keeper of the stopwatch as well, so had planned to stay until the posted 9pm finish time. My friends Chris and Carol also made the long drive from Amelia Island to get young Wicked more exposure on different equipment, so we were all a bit bummed when we arrived to what amounted to a small hurricane.
Chris and I actually fought through the initial tumult on the road to the facility, with oncoming traffic throwing walls of water at our windshields as we tried to navigate the narrow two lane highway(since construction had the two other lanes shut down). Once both our vehicles arrived at Fast Friends, the wind was whipping, but the storm had not yet arrived. In spite of lightning and thunder, Carol and I managed a brief walk through on the course before the bottom let out. The entire group of us ran for the shelter of our vehicles and endured wind, rain, and even hail.
After one hour of the pounding storm, a number of people gave up and headed for higher ground. Fortunately, those of us die-hards who remained only had to wait another half an hour for the storm to relent.
Surprisingly, the ground was not soaked on the field, as it was raised above the level of the other areas, and Gail's nearby creek collected much of the run off. Laurie and the others decided it was safe to proceed, and so we did.
The wait was well worth it. Laurie had set up a Grand Prix course with a starters/advanced level course nested within it. Each participant had two minutes to run the course, work on whatever they chose, and use toys/food as rewards. I enjoyed playing judge/timer and watching the other teams play. When it came time for Xander and I, my plan was to pretend that the first run was real, no toys, no corrections, just test our contacts in a trial setting. Xander NAILED them. I was thrilled. We handled the opening in a way that others were struggling, and although I didn't do it as well the second time through, it was beautiful the first time. He was fast and confident, and held his contacts fantastically. I rewarded him with a tug session, and as we still had one minute left, we proceeded to run the second course. He was a bit more pushy on his a-frame this time around, but I did not correct him. I knew that he might self release on our next turn, so I kept that in mind.
After cycling back through the running order, it was our turn again around 8:45. Xander nailed his dog walk, but as I had anticipated, self released from the a-frame. I put him back on the contact and rewarded with the toy this time. Laurie suggested I repeat the sequence again, and he was "sticky" this time, with some creeping into position. I released and rewarded with the toy. We did another sequence involving the dogwalk, and again I released to the toy. After doing a few more things, we ran to the aframe, and he nailed it again. Fast, confident, held the position for release to the toy. All in all, he was MUCH improved, and I will just have to make an effort to hold and mark the a-frame in competition. His dogwalk was fast and confident, and his jumping and weaves were lovely. He has really matured a great deal in the last year, and all our work has paid off. Thanks again to Gabrielle Blackburn for all her wonderful advice at the summer contact seminar!!
Thanks goes out to Laurie and Gail for organizing and hosting the event, and although the fund raiser was not as successful as they'd hoped, some money was still raised for Tori and the rest of the World Team. Only six weeks until they leave for France!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
The Close of July
August. Wow. How did that happen?
Things have been good and busy in my world the last couple of weeks. Let's see...I began a six month, professional certification program that I will be completing online. Each set of two classes lasts only 6 weeks, so we jumped right in with quizzes, discussion posts, and assignments the first week and will continue at a rapid pace throughout the program! It has been a welcome challenge and a productive way to spend my free time (aside from writing blog posts and studying agility videos).
The weekend after Perry, and prior to this one, Buster, Michael (his brother), and our friend Michael(not his brother), went to Wet N' Wild in Orlando on Sunday. It was a fabulous time of riding slides, hanging out in the lazy river, and having a couple of mudslides at the poolside bar while Michael(brother) gallavanted around the park with some new friends. I felt so relaxed I could have easily fallen into a contented sleep while sitting there at the table. Days like that are too few and far in between, and I treasure them.
I must mention also that the day before that, on Saturday afternoon following teaching classes and practicing with my dogs, I met with my cousins to go dress shopping. When we arrived at David's Bridal, the greeting counter was mobbed with shoppers. Jane and I attempted to sneak past without being seen, however, those DB ladies were too fast and cunning. We were assaulted with catalogs and instructed that if I wished to try something on, I would need a "bridal consultant" of which none would be available for a couple hours. We were allowed to peruse the inventory, at which time Becky pulled out a few possible options, none of which I was thrilled about, but that might give us some ideas. After amassing a handful of gowns, she was scolded by one of the employees and made to return them to the racks. After all, we were potentially mangling someone's future wedding dress while we carried it around in its protective plastic bag. The audacity. This speaks volumes for my opinion on the wedding industry in general. So although Becky made an appointment with the "consultant" for trying dresses on later that afternoon, I was thrilled when she suggested we depart to the nearby mall to look at Dillards and the like.
Once in Dillards, we headed to the dress department. I had already explained what I was looking for: no frills, thrills, lace, bedazzling, etc. Simple, flowing, comfortable, and looks like it belongs in a beach style wedding. Given these instructions, my cousins set out to look. I vetoed a number of possibilites before Becky picked up a dress and said "how about this one." In surprise, I said "well, that's kinda perfect." I tried it on, and we all agreed. It was perfect. Given that it was the first and only dress I had tried on, we placed it on hold and continued through the mall. After a futile effort in Belk, JCPenny, and several specialty stores, we all decided I should buy the dress. And that was that. Buster was shocked when I told him, and said "well I guess it's official now." This amused me, considering my dress cost a tiny fraction of the cost of the engagement ring. I kind of thought the ring had made it official!
So, that brings us back to speed for this past weekend. I spent Saturday morning in my usual manner; up at 5am to arrive at the field in time to set up and get a run with Xander in prior to teaching class. Afterwards, I worked the dogs from about 10-11am and thought I might have a heatstroke. It was brutally hot, but we stayed hydrated and the dogs made frequent trips to the kiddie pool. I doused myself with the hose half a dozen times. After returning home and cleaning up, I did a few chores before leaving at 3pm to head to Tallahassee. The boys (Kirby and Xander) accompanied me to our state capital for one night before heading into Bainbridge, Ga for one day of AKC agility. It was the first time I had traveled with the two of them and not Kaylee, so I was a little concerned about their getting along. Turns out, Kaylee seems to be a bit of an instigator, and without her around, they were perfectly content to hang out together. When it came to cuddling on the bed, Kirby chose not to participate, but that did not surprise me. Thankfully, they were both quite exhausted from a long morning practice followed by a three hour car ride, so we not bothered by the loud children running and screaming at the nearby hotel pool. Surprisingly, I was exhausted enough not to notice them either once I fell asleep at around 10pm.
Bainbridge is roughly 45 mins from the I-10 intersection where our La Quinta was located, so we departed early Sunday morning. I had talked to my good, long time friend Debbie Mosher who had been there since Friday, and knew I would be able to set up near her in the building. This was fortunate given the small size of the facility and the very limited crating area. We squeezed in near her, her friend, my other long time friend Stacey, and several other regulars. It was a great ringside spot in the corner out of traffic, but with a great view of the action. This was our first time attending at this site, and on the astro-turf surface, so I was glad for the experience. I don't know if I will attend again, as the ring was small and tight and despite the anti-slip spray I used on Xander's feet, he still managed a pretty impressive face plant while attempting to make a tight turn into the weaves. Also, the gnats were SWARMING outside to a degree I have never before witnessed. Inside the building was cool and pleasant, actually a bit too cool, but gnat free. Outside was sweltering heat and plagues of gnats. It made trips to potty and warm up/cool down rather unpleasant.
At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with Debbie, Stacey, and everyone. It was an uncharacteristically relaxing day of competition with only one ring to watch and manage. It was a fairly small entry and composed a mainly 8inch competitors. This was not surprising given the tight spacing of the ring. I had decided I was there primarily to enjoy running Kirby, given that his foot was 100% healed since the fiasco of Perry. I also wanted to test Xander's contacts to see if all our hard work was beginning to pay off. I am thrilled to report that Kirby was fast, happy, and excited to be running, and that Xander nailed his contacts! He was in fact clean in standard, despite a little spin coming out of a rear cross on the chute (I hate rear crosses at the chute...so many dogs get tangled that I don't use it if I can avoid it, and would rather have a spin than a panicked tangle) and came in 2nd place. This would be his first MX leg. Kirby had some a-frame to weave entry issues, and she called his dogwalk although I am pretty sure he got it. He redeemed himself in JWW with a FABULOUS fast and smooth run to earn his AXJ with a 1st place! Not to be outdone, Xander followed with a 1st place in JWW to earn his third MXJ leg and his very first Double Q! I was so pleased with him. He really had to tork himself in a few places to make it through the tight course without knocking any bars. I didn't realize how much until I watched the video on the computer last night. That boy has SO much heart, and really isn't the most graceful creature. He basically uses his massive muscle and sheer will to power through his clumsiness. I have to be very aware of how I set his lines to prevent slips on turns and weird angles around jumps to keep him from hurting himself. He loves the game so much that his teeth chatter when he is on the line. Both boys were really great, and I was truly proud of them. I was also happy that I maintained my calm, relaxed demeanor and really took my time handling. I think having the tight courses and new footing forced me to be patient, thoughtful, and calm, and it resulted in a feeling of being "in the zone" during Kirby's run especially. I have not felt that since running Kaylee, and was so entranced by the sensation and the fact that I had finally achieved it with my little wild man Kirby. I can't wait to feel that more often, and with both boys. It really was such a great day, probably the best day of agility in a long time overall.
I made it home before 7:30, and even beat Buster and Michael home. They apparently had an exciting weekend as well of kayaking and going to Orlando to visit some friends. Everyone was in bed early last night, and here we find ourselves already in August. Four weeks of brutal heat and no agility trials until September. I am sure we will find other ways to entertain ourselves, but I really can't wait for the season to start up again!
Things have been good and busy in my world the last couple of weeks. Let's see...I began a six month, professional certification program that I will be completing online. Each set of two classes lasts only 6 weeks, so we jumped right in with quizzes, discussion posts, and assignments the first week and will continue at a rapid pace throughout the program! It has been a welcome challenge and a productive way to spend my free time (aside from writing blog posts and studying agility videos).
The weekend after Perry, and prior to this one, Buster, Michael (his brother), and our friend Michael(not his brother), went to Wet N' Wild in Orlando on Sunday. It was a fabulous time of riding slides, hanging out in the lazy river, and having a couple of mudslides at the poolside bar while Michael(brother) gallavanted around the park with some new friends. I felt so relaxed I could have easily fallen into a contented sleep while sitting there at the table. Days like that are too few and far in between, and I treasure them.
I must mention also that the day before that, on Saturday afternoon following teaching classes and practicing with my dogs, I met with my cousins to go dress shopping. When we arrived at David's Bridal, the greeting counter was mobbed with shoppers. Jane and I attempted to sneak past without being seen, however, those DB ladies were too fast and cunning. We were assaulted with catalogs and instructed that if I wished to try something on, I would need a "bridal consultant" of which none would be available for a couple hours. We were allowed to peruse the inventory, at which time Becky pulled out a few possible options, none of which I was thrilled about, but that might give us some ideas. After amassing a handful of gowns, she was scolded by one of the employees and made to return them to the racks. After all, we were potentially mangling someone's future wedding dress while we carried it around in its protective plastic bag. The audacity. This speaks volumes for my opinion on the wedding industry in general. So although Becky made an appointment with the "consultant" for trying dresses on later that afternoon, I was thrilled when she suggested we depart to the nearby mall to look at Dillards and the like.
Once in Dillards, we headed to the dress department. I had already explained what I was looking for: no frills, thrills, lace, bedazzling, etc. Simple, flowing, comfortable, and looks like it belongs in a beach style wedding. Given these instructions, my cousins set out to look. I vetoed a number of possibilites before Becky picked up a dress and said "how about this one." In surprise, I said "well, that's kinda perfect." I tried it on, and we all agreed. It was perfect. Given that it was the first and only dress I had tried on, we placed it on hold and continued through the mall. After a futile effort in Belk, JCPenny, and several specialty stores, we all decided I should buy the dress. And that was that. Buster was shocked when I told him, and said "well I guess it's official now." This amused me, considering my dress cost a tiny fraction of the cost of the engagement ring. I kind of thought the ring had made it official!
So, that brings us back to speed for this past weekend. I spent Saturday morning in my usual manner; up at 5am to arrive at the field in time to set up and get a run with Xander in prior to teaching class. Afterwards, I worked the dogs from about 10-11am and thought I might have a heatstroke. It was brutally hot, but we stayed hydrated and the dogs made frequent trips to the kiddie pool. I doused myself with the hose half a dozen times. After returning home and cleaning up, I did a few chores before leaving at 3pm to head to Tallahassee. The boys (Kirby and Xander) accompanied me to our state capital for one night before heading into Bainbridge, Ga for one day of AKC agility. It was the first time I had traveled with the two of them and not Kaylee, so I was a little concerned about their getting along. Turns out, Kaylee seems to be a bit of an instigator, and without her around, they were perfectly content to hang out together. When it came to cuddling on the bed, Kirby chose not to participate, but that did not surprise me. Thankfully, they were both quite exhausted from a long morning practice followed by a three hour car ride, so we not bothered by the loud children running and screaming at the nearby hotel pool. Surprisingly, I was exhausted enough not to notice them either once I fell asleep at around 10pm.
Bainbridge is roughly 45 mins from the I-10 intersection where our La Quinta was located, so we departed early Sunday morning. I had talked to my good, long time friend Debbie Mosher who had been there since Friday, and knew I would be able to set up near her in the building. This was fortunate given the small size of the facility and the very limited crating area. We squeezed in near her, her friend, my other long time friend Stacey, and several other regulars. It was a great ringside spot in the corner out of traffic, but with a great view of the action. This was our first time attending at this site, and on the astro-turf surface, so I was glad for the experience. I don't know if I will attend again, as the ring was small and tight and despite the anti-slip spray I used on Xander's feet, he still managed a pretty impressive face plant while attempting to make a tight turn into the weaves. Also, the gnats were SWARMING outside to a degree I have never before witnessed. Inside the building was cool and pleasant, actually a bit too cool, but gnat free. Outside was sweltering heat and plagues of gnats. It made trips to potty and warm up/cool down rather unpleasant.
At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with Debbie, Stacey, and everyone. It was an uncharacteristically relaxing day of competition with only one ring to watch and manage. It was a fairly small entry and composed a mainly 8inch competitors. This was not surprising given the tight spacing of the ring. I had decided I was there primarily to enjoy running Kirby, given that his foot was 100% healed since the fiasco of Perry. I also wanted to test Xander's contacts to see if all our hard work was beginning to pay off. I am thrilled to report that Kirby was fast, happy, and excited to be running, and that Xander nailed his contacts! He was in fact clean in standard, despite a little spin coming out of a rear cross on the chute (I hate rear crosses at the chute...so many dogs get tangled that I don't use it if I can avoid it, and would rather have a spin than a panicked tangle) and came in 2nd place. This would be his first MX leg. Kirby had some a-frame to weave entry issues, and she called his dogwalk although I am pretty sure he got it. He redeemed himself in JWW with a FABULOUS fast and smooth run to earn his AXJ with a 1st place! Not to be outdone, Xander followed with a 1st place in JWW to earn his third MXJ leg and his very first Double Q! I was so pleased with him. He really had to tork himself in a few places to make it through the tight course without knocking any bars. I didn't realize how much until I watched the video on the computer last night. That boy has SO much heart, and really isn't the most graceful creature. He basically uses his massive muscle and sheer will to power through his clumsiness. I have to be very aware of how I set his lines to prevent slips on turns and weird angles around jumps to keep him from hurting himself. He loves the game so much that his teeth chatter when he is on the line. Both boys were really great, and I was truly proud of them. I was also happy that I maintained my calm, relaxed demeanor and really took my time handling. I think having the tight courses and new footing forced me to be patient, thoughtful, and calm, and it resulted in a feeling of being "in the zone" during Kirby's run especially. I have not felt that since running Kaylee, and was so entranced by the sensation and the fact that I had finally achieved it with my little wild man Kirby. I can't wait to feel that more often, and with both boys. It really was such a great day, probably the best day of agility in a long time overall.
I made it home before 7:30, and even beat Buster and Michael home. They apparently had an exciting weekend as well of kayaking and going to Orlando to visit some friends. Everyone was in bed early last night, and here we find ourselves already in August. Four weeks of brutal heat and no agility trials until September. I am sure we will find other ways to entertain ourselves, but I really can't wait for the season to start up again!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Taking the Good with the Bad
Xander and I competed in Perry, GA this weekend. I had $80 invested in running with Kirby also, but unfortunately that did not come to pass. He was either bitten or stung or exposed to some unknown irritant which caused an avalanche effect. The irritant motivated him to chew his foot, which caused an infection and swelling, which resulted in my placing an e-collar on him, which resulted in much lip licking and drooling, which led to red and inflamed skin around his mouth. All this led us to the vet this morning for some topical and oral steroids, as well as some antibiotics for the infection. The vet was hopeful that he would be out of the e-collar by the weekend, and then his face would get better as well . Here's hoping that's how it goes. He is also entered in one day of competition on July 31 in Tallahassee. It would be nice if he didn't have to sit that one out as well!
Given that I took off both Friday and today for the trip, and to enjoy a long weekend, my concern and compassion for Kirby's suffering put a bit of a damper on the experience. I am thankful that it was nothing worse, after all, we drove through horrendous rain on Friday and could have been in an accident, but it's hard not to feel a bit sorry for one's self when things don't go as you planned. Still, I was proud of myself for not dwelling on it too much, and maintaining the ability to enjoy the good parts of the weekend.
One benefit to scratching Kirby meant that on Saturday, when the running order was small to tall, we were afforded a leisurely morning sleeping in at the hotel and actually eating breakfast prior to dashing out for the trial. We had set up on Friday afternoon, before spending an extra hour in accident related traffic, so we breezed in at about 10am Saturday morning. Just in time to see our friends Carol and her little boy Wicked earn a 1st place in Novice JWW! He was successful in JWW on Sunday as well, along with his sister Kansas who earned her 9th MXJ leg! Apparently, it was a JWW weekend, because Xander earned his first two MXJ legs along with his first 31 MACH points!
Xander and I have been working REALLY hard on contacts, and I was determined to be consistent and demand criteria in the trial. We hadn't competed since the end of May, so I hoped that all the practice using the tips we learned from Gabrielle's seminar would pay off. I also decided that I would be strong and leave the ring if he did not maintain criteria. As hard as it was to give up another entry fee, especially given the loss of Kirby's fees, I knew it would be challenging. However, on our Saturday std run, he self released from the A-frame, which was the second obstacle, and left me out of position which immediately resulted in an off course jump. I thanked the judge and we left the ring. I wasn't angry. We went off and played a low key game of tug. I just wanted to show him that if he didn't play the game as we'd practiced, he wouldn't get to play anymore. Simple as that.
I was very proud of myself for having the resolve to do that. Maybe it paid off or maybe I just got in his face more, but he nailed his A-frame contact on Sunday. Sadly, we had some confusion on the next obstacle (he thought it was the tunnel, I thought it was the jump), and so we NQ'd. However, the rest of the run was gorgeous and he had a fabulous dogwalk contact, weaves, etc. Plus it was nice to run the ENTIRE course, and not have to leave!
I am feeling empowered by the experience, knowing the the long run is more important than the single run, and when we compete for the one day at the end of the month, I plan to treat our runs the same way. We will have a long break with no trials in August, and then we will see if our new trial criteria really holds up when the season starts again in September!
I am also planning to work on tightening my handling and using more front crosses than rear crosses. I am a bit of a clutz, which means that rear crosses are more comfortable to me when I can see where we are going rather than running fast and pivoting. However, after watching some teams which posted faster times, I saw quite definitively that front cross handling is overall faster. We only need to shave off a second or two to be in first place contention, which I think is doable. And it will be a fun challenge! We still managed 4th place in a huge, competive Exc B class, so I was proud of my boy.
Apart from the JWW successes, Buster and I enjoyed the weekend together and a delicious dinner at Outback with Chris and Carol. Our hotel was as nice as last time, and super convenient, so no complaints there. Other than the ants that somehow made their way from the parking lot into my car. At least they don't bite. There was also some sort of cattle competition there at the fairgrounds, which lead to an infestation of flies in my car as well. I drove around today with the windows down, so I'm hoping that's gotten rid of the rest of them. Not sure about the ants. Maybe I should vacuum?
Overall, it was not the best weekend, as I was worried about Kirby and feeling guilty that he was suffering and stuck in a crate at the show. I was afraid something more nefarious was happening to him, so was anxious to see the vet as soon as we returned. I was relieved to hear that after a few days of meds, he should be feeling better soon. Poor guy is totally over this cone-head business! Also, not running Kirby on Sunday meant that we were able to leave prior to 3:30pm, unlike many who were still there at 6 and 8pm. Yikes! We were home by 7:30 and Buster was able to get some sleep before heading back to work today.
So not the best, but could have been worse, and we got some good experience out of it. Such is life, right?
Given that I took off both Friday and today for the trip, and to enjoy a long weekend, my concern and compassion for Kirby's suffering put a bit of a damper on the experience. I am thankful that it was nothing worse, after all, we drove through horrendous rain on Friday and could have been in an accident, but it's hard not to feel a bit sorry for one's self when things don't go as you planned. Still, I was proud of myself for not dwelling on it too much, and maintaining the ability to enjoy the good parts of the weekend.
One benefit to scratching Kirby meant that on Saturday, when the running order was small to tall, we were afforded a leisurely morning sleeping in at the hotel and actually eating breakfast prior to dashing out for the trial. We had set up on Friday afternoon, before spending an extra hour in accident related traffic, so we breezed in at about 10am Saturday morning. Just in time to see our friends Carol and her little boy Wicked earn a 1st place in Novice JWW! He was successful in JWW on Sunday as well, along with his sister Kansas who earned her 9th MXJ leg! Apparently, it was a JWW weekend, because Xander earned his first two MXJ legs along with his first 31 MACH points!
Xander and I have been working REALLY hard on contacts, and I was determined to be consistent and demand criteria in the trial. We hadn't competed since the end of May, so I hoped that all the practice using the tips we learned from Gabrielle's seminar would pay off. I also decided that I would be strong and leave the ring if he did not maintain criteria. As hard as it was to give up another entry fee, especially given the loss of Kirby's fees, I knew it would be challenging. However, on our Saturday std run, he self released from the A-frame, which was the second obstacle, and left me out of position which immediately resulted in an off course jump. I thanked the judge and we left the ring. I wasn't angry. We went off and played a low key game of tug. I just wanted to show him that if he didn't play the game as we'd practiced, he wouldn't get to play anymore. Simple as that.
I was very proud of myself for having the resolve to do that. Maybe it paid off or maybe I just got in his face more, but he nailed his A-frame contact on Sunday. Sadly, we had some confusion on the next obstacle (he thought it was the tunnel, I thought it was the jump), and so we NQ'd. However, the rest of the run was gorgeous and he had a fabulous dogwalk contact, weaves, etc. Plus it was nice to run the ENTIRE course, and not have to leave!
I am feeling empowered by the experience, knowing the the long run is more important than the single run, and when we compete for the one day at the end of the month, I plan to treat our runs the same way. We will have a long break with no trials in August, and then we will see if our new trial criteria really holds up when the season starts again in September!
I am also planning to work on tightening my handling and using more front crosses than rear crosses. I am a bit of a clutz, which means that rear crosses are more comfortable to me when I can see where we are going rather than running fast and pivoting. However, after watching some teams which posted faster times, I saw quite definitively that front cross handling is overall faster. We only need to shave off a second or two to be in first place contention, which I think is doable. And it will be a fun challenge! We still managed 4th place in a huge, competive Exc B class, so I was proud of my boy.
Apart from the JWW successes, Buster and I enjoyed the weekend together and a delicious dinner at Outback with Chris and Carol. Our hotel was as nice as last time, and super convenient, so no complaints there. Other than the ants that somehow made their way from the parking lot into my car. At least they don't bite. There was also some sort of cattle competition there at the fairgrounds, which lead to an infestation of flies in my car as well. I drove around today with the windows down, so I'm hoping that's gotten rid of the rest of them. Not sure about the ants. Maybe I should vacuum?
Overall, it was not the best weekend, as I was worried about Kirby and feeling guilty that he was suffering and stuck in a crate at the show. I was afraid something more nefarious was happening to him, so was anxious to see the vet as soon as we returned. I was relieved to hear that after a few days of meds, he should be feeling better soon. Poor guy is totally over this cone-head business! Also, not running Kirby on Sunday meant that we were able to leave prior to 3:30pm, unlike many who were still there at 6 and 8pm. Yikes! We were home by 7:30 and Buster was able to get some sleep before heading back to work today.
So not the best, but could have been worse, and we got some good experience out of it. Such is life, right?
Thursday, June 30, 2011
This Too Shall Pass
No matter how dense the smoke, no matter how dark the day, the only constant in our lives is that things never remain the same. The rain will come, the smoke will clear, and although there are still fires on the horizon, the skies are looking blue again.
Last week, Buster and I finally set a date for our wedding. It went a little something like this:
"So, we said the beginning of May right? What's the first Saturday in May?"
"May 5th," I say.
"Then May 5th it is!"
"Well, I should make sure there is not an agility trial that weekend...."
Minor argument ensues.
"Well, May 5th is the beginning of May, by the next weekend, it's the 12th, and that's the MIDDLE of May."
"Do you care that it's Cindo De Mayo?"
"Nope, do you?"
"Hey, I love tacos. May 5th it is!"
So there you have it. We had our first planning session last weekend with my lovely family, and made a good headway in defining our vision. It's gonna be great.
Yesterday was a good day overall as well. This week has been crazy at work, and I had some unsettling news about something else, but I spent the day looking forward to seeing Circque Du Soleil here in Jacksonville with the tickets I won from the local radio station. Most people have to pay roughly $80 or more per ticket, so I was pretty thrilled that we could finally see the show after many years of hearing amazing reviews. We were not disappointed. Other than being disturbed by the idiots sitting in front of us, who apparently cannot go for an hour without looking at their phones, it was a mesmerizing experience. Of course I yelled at both people wwho were within my reach, so that mostly took care of the problem. Honestly, if you want to sit here and play on your phone, why did you pay to come see this show?!
Anyway, the quality of the performance was beyond words. The music, the costumes, the stage, the death-defying feats of athleticism and flexibility, all astonishing. My friend Jen, who brought her husband for his birthday, wanted to know where the contortionists kept their organs. I wanted to know what their spines were made of. There were fire jugglers, trapeze artists, balancing acts, something involving a large metal ring that I can't even describe, and trampolines in the floor with tumblers! I want trampolines in my floor!! There was a live band playing, and a lady singing incredible french music, and even clowns that I liked. I normally hate clowns, but these were hilarious! I have never sat with my mouth wide open and my breath held for as long as I did last night. It was absolutely astounding. If there is any way you can see this show, do it!!
On top of that, I got two peices of promising news. I was accepted into a mentoring program sponsored by the local chapter of the American Society of Training and Development. The group is made up of professionals in the field of corporate training and instructional design. I am very much looking forward to pairing up with a mentor and learning how to make my way into this field. Also yesterday, I received a scholarship for a Health Information Technology certification program which will run for six months and provide me with a professional ceritifcation as a Trainer for computerized health information, such as the EPIC system we are converting to here at Shands. It has taken patience, and a great deal of encouragement from a good friend here on the inside, but I think I am finally heading in the right direction. I can put up with the place I am in, as long as brighter skies are on the horizon. The horizon is looking pretty good right now.
On top of all that, Buster's brother is coming to stay with us for a month. He arrives today, and we are both excited to see him! Buster says that while he is here, I don't have to do ANY dishes. How could I not be excited!?!
Last week, Buster and I finally set a date for our wedding. It went a little something like this:
"So, we said the beginning of May right? What's the first Saturday in May?"
"May 5th," I say.
"Then May 5th it is!"
"Well, I should make sure there is not an agility trial that weekend...."
Minor argument ensues.
"Well, May 5th is the beginning of May, by the next weekend, it's the 12th, and that's the MIDDLE of May."
"Do you care that it's Cindo De Mayo?"
"Nope, do you?"
"Hey, I love tacos. May 5th it is!"
So there you have it. We had our first planning session last weekend with my lovely family, and made a good headway in defining our vision. It's gonna be great.
Yesterday was a good day overall as well. This week has been crazy at work, and I had some unsettling news about something else, but I spent the day looking forward to seeing Circque Du Soleil here in Jacksonville with the tickets I won from the local radio station. Most people have to pay roughly $80 or more per ticket, so I was pretty thrilled that we could finally see the show after many years of hearing amazing reviews. We were not disappointed. Other than being disturbed by the idiots sitting in front of us, who apparently cannot go for an hour without looking at their phones, it was a mesmerizing experience. Of course I yelled at both people wwho were within my reach, so that mostly took care of the problem. Honestly, if you want to sit here and play on your phone, why did you pay to come see this show?!
Anyway, the quality of the performance was beyond words. The music, the costumes, the stage, the death-defying feats of athleticism and flexibility, all astonishing. My friend Jen, who brought her husband for his birthday, wanted to know where the contortionists kept their organs. I wanted to know what their spines were made of. There were fire jugglers, trapeze artists, balancing acts, something involving a large metal ring that I can't even describe, and trampolines in the floor with tumblers! I want trampolines in my floor!! There was a live band playing, and a lady singing incredible french music, and even clowns that I liked. I normally hate clowns, but these were hilarious! I have never sat with my mouth wide open and my breath held for as long as I did last night. It was absolutely astounding. If there is any way you can see this show, do it!!
On top of that, I got two peices of promising news. I was accepted into a mentoring program sponsored by the local chapter of the American Society of Training and Development. The group is made up of professionals in the field of corporate training and instructional design. I am very much looking forward to pairing up with a mentor and learning how to make my way into this field. Also yesterday, I received a scholarship for a Health Information Technology certification program which will run for six months and provide me with a professional ceritifcation as a Trainer for computerized health information, such as the EPIC system we are converting to here at Shands. It has taken patience, and a great deal of encouragement from a good friend here on the inside, but I think I am finally heading in the right direction. I can put up with the place I am in, as long as brighter skies are on the horizon. The horizon is looking pretty good right now.
On top of all that, Buster's brother is coming to stay with us for a month. He arrives today, and we are both excited to see him! Buster says that while he is here, I don't have to do ANY dishes. How could I not be excited!?!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Shrouded in Smoke
When I am away from this computer, I have so many great things I would like to write about. The awesome experience I had this weekend at Gabrielle's seminar, the super cool friendship bracelet from the Columbian couple who flew in to audit, my amazing students and the fantastic classes we had last night, and of course my amazing fiance with all he is conquering AND who took the time to clean the apartment while I was gone. Sadly, when I sit here at my desk, in a city choked with smoke that burns my eyes and nose, and try not to think about how much I hate where I am and who I have to spend all my days with, it all leaves me. I find myself checking out mentally to make it through the day until I can return to my few hours of freedom in the evening. Something has to change. Soon.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Fun in the Summer Sun
I had a fabulous weekend.
I actually managed to call the radio station on Thursday and win a pair of tickets they were giving away to Cirque De Soleil when it comes to Jacksonville on June 29th. That was super exciting considering that I’ve wanted to see the show for many years, but the cost was always prohibitive. Scoring about $200 worth of tickets was a great way to get rolling into the weekend.
On Friday night, Buster and I used the gift certificate that my terrifically generous uncle Gary had given him for graduation to eat at Tento Churrascaria. This was an interesting experience, as neither of us had ever eaten at a place like this. The “gauchos” travel around the restaurant with an assortment of meats ranging from filet wrapped in bacon, to grilled flank steak, sausage, turkey, chicken, and more varieties of steak. There is a buffet of sides including salads, vegetables, and potatoes, but I wouldn’t recommend filling your plate with them. With the gauchos constantly bringing savory meats to add to your plate, it’s impossible to eat fast enough to keep up! We left feeling extremely full, and the biggest surprise of the night was the grilled pineapple with a hunt of cinnamon that was absolutely delectable!
Saturday morning came early as the alarm went off at 5am so that I could get out to the field and set up to teach class. I was able to play with Xan for a bit before my students arrived, and enjoyed two really great classes, in spite of the heat. We were thrilled not to be choked with the clouds of smoke that had been prevalent the day before. All of Florida is wishing for some much needed rain! However, I was glad it didn’t rain out the fun on Saturday. After finishing with classes, the dogs and I headed home for lunch and a nap. I no time at all, Xander, Buster, and I were packed up and heading out for the 16th annual Florida State Frisbee Championships.
Given my limited finances, I essentially cannot afford to compete in agility AND Frisbee, except when the Frisbee is in my back yard. So although we will probably only compete once a year until I win the lottery, I truly love the “Frisbee folks.” Everyone is SO friendly, welcoming, and supportive, it is impossible not to enjoy yourself. I would really like to be able to travel more, but at least we have this event once a year. Our friends Chris and Carol even made the trip into town to cheer us on, and for Carol to practice with her new camera. This annual event is particularly enjoyable because of the venue, which is on soft, green grass at Mandarin Highschool. In spite of the heat earlier in the afternoon, by 7pm we were quite comfortable and enjoying the show. I entered the intermediate division this year, as it is a new category for less experienced competitors. It was only our second time competing in freestlye, our first having been one year prior at the same event. After our week long, last minute cramming, I was pretty happy with our routine. I was thrilled to be the third team in the ring, so I didn’t have to stress out for long! We were certainly not world class, and my difficulty level was low, but we still made the finals in 5th place. (Out of seven competitors. ;) It was great to enjoy watching the other, much more skilled handlers before they announced the running order for finals, and I was surprised to hear that we would get to play again! Xander was pretty tired by that point, and barking his grumpy “ready for bed” bark, so I was concerned about getting him to even play. I decided to just go out and have fun, and we did! Our second routine felt much better than the first, and he did a great job maintaining enthusiasm in spite of the heat and a very long day. We moved up a spot, and ended in 4th place.
It was a terrific event, well photographed, featuring many fun vendors and spectators. I will look forward to next year! I also had one very laid back border collie the next day. He got a well deserved day off!
Sunday was a delightfully lazy change of pace. Buster and I spent the day just hanging out and doing a little of this, and a little of that, but nothing much. It was awesome. We grilled in the evening with our friends, and went to bed full and happy.
Next weekend I will be heading to Gabrielle Blackburn’s house to hopefully learn the secrets of her fabulous 2o2o and running contacts!
I actually managed to call the radio station on Thursday and win a pair of tickets they were giving away to Cirque De Soleil when it comes to Jacksonville on June 29th. That was super exciting considering that I’ve wanted to see the show for many years, but the cost was always prohibitive. Scoring about $200 worth of tickets was a great way to get rolling into the weekend.
On Friday night, Buster and I used the gift certificate that my terrifically generous uncle Gary had given him for graduation to eat at Tento Churrascaria. This was an interesting experience, as neither of us had ever eaten at a place like this. The “gauchos” travel around the restaurant with an assortment of meats ranging from filet wrapped in bacon, to grilled flank steak, sausage, turkey, chicken, and more varieties of steak. There is a buffet of sides including salads, vegetables, and potatoes, but I wouldn’t recommend filling your plate with them. With the gauchos constantly bringing savory meats to add to your plate, it’s impossible to eat fast enough to keep up! We left feeling extremely full, and the biggest surprise of the night was the grilled pineapple with a hunt of cinnamon that was absolutely delectable!
Saturday morning came early as the alarm went off at 5am so that I could get out to the field and set up to teach class. I was able to play with Xan for a bit before my students arrived, and enjoyed two really great classes, in spite of the heat. We were thrilled not to be choked with the clouds of smoke that had been prevalent the day before. All of Florida is wishing for some much needed rain! However, I was glad it didn’t rain out the fun on Saturday. After finishing with classes, the dogs and I headed home for lunch and a nap. I no time at all, Xander, Buster, and I were packed up and heading out for the 16th annual Florida State Frisbee Championships.
Given my limited finances, I essentially cannot afford to compete in agility AND Frisbee, except when the Frisbee is in my back yard. So although we will probably only compete once a year until I win the lottery, I truly love the “Frisbee folks.” Everyone is SO friendly, welcoming, and supportive, it is impossible not to enjoy yourself. I would really like to be able to travel more, but at least we have this event once a year. Our friends Chris and Carol even made the trip into town to cheer us on, and for Carol to practice with her new camera. This annual event is particularly enjoyable because of the venue, which is on soft, green grass at Mandarin Highschool. In spite of the heat earlier in the afternoon, by 7pm we were quite comfortable and enjoying the show. I entered the intermediate division this year, as it is a new category for less experienced competitors. It was only our second time competing in freestlye, our first having been one year prior at the same event. After our week long, last minute cramming, I was pretty happy with our routine. I was thrilled to be the third team in the ring, so I didn’t have to stress out for long! We were certainly not world class, and my difficulty level was low, but we still made the finals in 5th place. (Out of seven competitors. ;) It was great to enjoy watching the other, much more skilled handlers before they announced the running order for finals, and I was surprised to hear that we would get to play again! Xander was pretty tired by that point, and barking his grumpy “ready for bed” bark, so I was concerned about getting him to even play. I decided to just go out and have fun, and we did! Our second routine felt much better than the first, and he did a great job maintaining enthusiasm in spite of the heat and a very long day. We moved up a spot, and ended in 4th place.
It was a terrific event, well photographed, featuring many fun vendors and spectators. I will look forward to next year! I also had one very laid back border collie the next day. He got a well deserved day off!
Sunday was a delightfully lazy change of pace. Buster and I spent the day just hanging out and doing a little of this, and a little of that, but nothing much. It was awesome. We grilled in the evening with our friends, and went to bed full and happy.
Next weekend I will be heading to Gabrielle Blackburn’s house to hopefully learn the secrets of her fabulous 2o2o and running contacts!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Disc Doggin
We interrupt our regularly scheduled obsession for something a little different this week.
I have loved watching Frisbee dogs since I saw “Flight of the Navigator” at the age of 8 or 9. A childhood favorite, the movie began with footage of the hero attending a Frisbee dog competition and trying to teach his dog to catch the disc as well. Watching those high flying Aussies leaping, soaring, and flipping to catch the disc completely mesmerized me. I vowed to one day have a dog that would be as eager and adept at catching a Frisbee as these dogs were.
Kaylee was about three months old the first time I attended the Florida State Frisbee Dog Championships here in Jacksonville, FL back in 2002. With her little body and adorably huge ears, she was a huge hit among the fellow spectators as we sat ringside and admired the athleticism and enthusiasm of the competing dogs and handlers. With the exception of being rained out once or twice, I have attended every June to watch the showcase of dogs having a blast playing this game and demonstrating incredible skills.
When I adopted Xander, my first “big dog,” I immediately set about to create love for the disc. Kaylee is actually remarkably skilled at catching a soft Frisbee, but isn’t physically capable of really playing the game the way other dogs can. Kirby delights in chasing the frisbee, but only when it is thrown for Xander. He has no actual interest in the disc itself. Xander progressed from playing with a soft, small, puppy disc, to chasing rollers on the ground, to catching a regular sized rubber disc, to eventually catching a real Frisbee. I clearly remember my thrill the first time he caught a Frisbee in the air and eagerly returned it to me for another toss. He has only grown in skill, confidence, and enthusiasm.
While agility is my first love, it is nice to have another activity to keep us well rounded. Additionally, being able to stand in one place and throw the Frisbee for long enough to wear him out without requiring me to actually run around is very nice on evenings when I am too tired from work to play hard myself!
Over the last couple of years, we’ve gone to a few actual competitions and mostly just played at toss and fetch, which tests the ability of dogs to catch Frisbees at a distance and return them quickly. Last year, at the 16th annual FL State Frisbee Competition, we made our first foray into the world of freestyle. Freestyle consists of a ninety second to two minute routine made up of a variety of skills and elements and scored on drive, athleticism, skill, originality, and catch ratio. I picked a song, made a little routine, and performed in front of the big crowd. I had no real expectations, and in spite of my less than stellar throwing abilities, we had fun, stayed focused, and ended up about the middle of the pack. It was hotter than all get out, but we had a blast. I have thrown the Frisbee hundreds more times since then, so I am hoping my throwing skills have improved at least a little.
This year’s competition sort of snuck up on me since we have been so busy competing in agility. I realized Sunday that the competition was approaching this coming Saturday, and we have not practiced a routine in about a year. Crunch time. This year’s competition has an intermediate division, so I am tasked with choreographing a 90 second routine and finding a suitable song. We worked on Monday night, and I messed us up by trying to cram too many elements into our practice all at once. We ended up tripping all over one another. Last night was far more successful, although I had a challenge in finding someplace to play. Open fields with no one to chase you off are hard to come by! We ended up at a large church off Kernan at McCormick, which turned out to be a nice spot in the shade. I simplified our routine, broke it into smaller elements, and we had a great practice. Afterward, I went home and picked out a song and burned it onto a CD. Tonight’s plan, start to bring the elements together and get a feel for the song!
While I again have no expectations for placing in the competition, especially considering we’ve just begun practicing our routine one week beforehand and don’t do any of the vaulting that many competitors do, I know we have enough skills to put on a good little show, and Xander LOVES to play! So we will have fun no matter what. And watching the other teams is always the best part! Sadly, my agility club has always scheduled their annual meeting and fun run for the same weekend, so I am sad to miss out on that, especially since I am running for Vice President. However, this is my one Frisbee event of the year, and there will be LOTS more time for agility after that. Wish us luck!
I have loved watching Frisbee dogs since I saw “Flight of the Navigator” at the age of 8 or 9. A childhood favorite, the movie began with footage of the hero attending a Frisbee dog competition and trying to teach his dog to catch the disc as well. Watching those high flying Aussies leaping, soaring, and flipping to catch the disc completely mesmerized me. I vowed to one day have a dog that would be as eager and adept at catching a Frisbee as these dogs were.
Kaylee was about three months old the first time I attended the Florida State Frisbee Dog Championships here in Jacksonville, FL back in 2002. With her little body and adorably huge ears, she was a huge hit among the fellow spectators as we sat ringside and admired the athleticism and enthusiasm of the competing dogs and handlers. With the exception of being rained out once or twice, I have attended every June to watch the showcase of dogs having a blast playing this game and demonstrating incredible skills.
When I adopted Xander, my first “big dog,” I immediately set about to create love for the disc. Kaylee is actually remarkably skilled at catching a soft Frisbee, but isn’t physically capable of really playing the game the way other dogs can. Kirby delights in chasing the frisbee, but only when it is thrown for Xander. He has no actual interest in the disc itself. Xander progressed from playing with a soft, small, puppy disc, to chasing rollers on the ground, to catching a regular sized rubber disc, to eventually catching a real Frisbee. I clearly remember my thrill the first time he caught a Frisbee in the air and eagerly returned it to me for another toss. He has only grown in skill, confidence, and enthusiasm.
While agility is my first love, it is nice to have another activity to keep us well rounded. Additionally, being able to stand in one place and throw the Frisbee for long enough to wear him out without requiring me to actually run around is very nice on evenings when I am too tired from work to play hard myself!
Over the last couple of years, we’ve gone to a few actual competitions and mostly just played at toss and fetch, which tests the ability of dogs to catch Frisbees at a distance and return them quickly. Last year, at the 16th annual FL State Frisbee Competition, we made our first foray into the world of freestyle. Freestyle consists of a ninety second to two minute routine made up of a variety of skills and elements and scored on drive, athleticism, skill, originality, and catch ratio. I picked a song, made a little routine, and performed in front of the big crowd. I had no real expectations, and in spite of my less than stellar throwing abilities, we had fun, stayed focused, and ended up about the middle of the pack. It was hotter than all get out, but we had a blast. I have thrown the Frisbee hundreds more times since then, so I am hoping my throwing skills have improved at least a little.
This year’s competition sort of snuck up on me since we have been so busy competing in agility. I realized Sunday that the competition was approaching this coming Saturday, and we have not practiced a routine in about a year. Crunch time. This year’s competition has an intermediate division, so I am tasked with choreographing a 90 second routine and finding a suitable song. We worked on Monday night, and I messed us up by trying to cram too many elements into our practice all at once. We ended up tripping all over one another. Last night was far more successful, although I had a challenge in finding someplace to play. Open fields with no one to chase you off are hard to come by! We ended up at a large church off Kernan at McCormick, which turned out to be a nice spot in the shade. I simplified our routine, broke it into smaller elements, and we had a great practice. Afterward, I went home and picked out a song and burned it onto a CD. Tonight’s plan, start to bring the elements together and get a feel for the song!
While I again have no expectations for placing in the competition, especially considering we’ve just begun practicing our routine one week beforehand and don’t do any of the vaulting that many competitors do, I know we have enough skills to put on a good little show, and Xander LOVES to play! So we will have fun no matter what. And watching the other teams is always the best part! Sadly, my agility club has always scheduled their annual meeting and fun run for the same weekend, so I am sad to miss out on that, especially since I am running for Vice President. However, this is my one Frisbee event of the year, and there will be LOTS more time for agility after that. Wish us luck!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
A Memorable Memorial Day
What a whirlwind of a weekend! Long treks down south are difficult when you have to work a full day beforehand, but we made it. For some reason, when I lived in Bradenton, it seemed to only take me three and a half, maybe four hours to make the drive back to Jacksonville. Strangely, when Buster drives, and when we make several stops, and decide to stay in St. Petersburg because the La Quinta is free with Returns points, the drive morphs into a five hour expedition. We departed on Friday evening at roughly 6 pm, which was fairly remarkable given that I had not cleaned out my car or packed prior to leaving work at 4:30 pm, and arriving home at a little after 5:15. The poor dogs, having been locked up all day while we were at work, got walked and fed and shoved into crates. They had a pit stop along the way; however, it was not sufficient to satisfy poor Xander’s need for activity. By the time we made it to the hotel after 11pm, we were ready for bed. He was not. He understandably did not sleep well that night, and so neither did we.
Saturday morning began around 2am with the “I am frustrated and don’t want to sleep “ bark, which is exceedingly annoying. I tried to ignore him, and finally gave up and let him out. After that, I tried to fend off the excited licking and pawing for a few hours until the alarm went off at 5am. We left the hotel at 6am, and made the drive into Bradenton. The benefit of staying in St. Petersburg is the privilege of driving over vast expanses of beautiful water as the sun is rising. We arrived at the Manatee Fairgrounds in time to secure a nice close parking spot, and got set up for the weekend. My purchase of warm weather accessories, including cooling mats, a Ryobi fan, and an aluminet shade cloth really paid off. Although we were covered in shade during the later parts of the afternoon, the first several hours of the morning brought heavy sunlight directly onto our crating area. The prime real estate was taken the day prior, so we had to work a bit harder to stay comfortable. Buster went as far as to set up our canopy near the edge of the cover, so as to block more of the sun. We managed to stay fairly comfortable in spite of the heat and humidity.
My biggest flaw with traveling to trials is that I am not a superstar when it comes to being sleep deprived and off my routine. The first day of a trial is typically the worst unless I arrived early the day prior. Coming in late on Friday night and not sleeping well equaled a less than stellar state of mind. Having support there in the form of Buster and our friends Chris and Carol helped tremendously, however, I really need to work on getting better at handling the travel, etc. We did get a couple of Q’s on Saturday, however, they were flawed and I did a pretty poor job on our other runs. I even knocked over a jump wing with my arm as I was running Kirby and it almost fell on him. Poor guy. He did break his stay, but he really didn’t deserve to have jumps thrown on him. Thankfully, both my dogs are very forgiving. Xander earned his second Open Fast leg on Saturday morning and I tried a sharp rear cross into the weaves. He made it to the 10th pole before doubting himself, so that is something to work on more. I really do like Fast for the purpose of trying different handling maneuvers without necessarily sacrificing the Q. He would have earned 1st if we hadn’t spent so much time on the weaves, but he earned a 2nd place anyway. Kirby recovered from Exc JWW to earn his Open Standard title that afternoon with one off course and a 2nd place as well. Not our best day, but not our worst either. I really enjoyed hanging out with everyone, and although we were there for about twelve hours, Buster was still game for a trip down memory lane. I took him to my first apartment in Bradenton when I attended Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota my first year of college. We cruised down to St. Armand’s circle, which is a major tourist spot for those with money, and for those who wish to appear they have money. Past that, we stopped at Lido beach to appreciate the beautiful blue water and white sand. We didn’t make it back to the hotel until after 8pm. It was a long day.
Buster was kind enough to go back out and pick up a delicious meal from Pollo Tropical, and with full bellies and tired dogs, we all slept well through the night. It is amazing the difference a good meal and a good night’s sleep will do for my mental acuity.
Sunday morning began with much less stress and much more appreciation for the beautiful trial site, the happiness of being surrounded by friends, and the privilege of playing my favorite game with my wonderful dogs. Xander began the morning very early with a kick ass Open Fast run for 1st place and his title. The relief of having that title completed seemed to boost me throughout the rest of the day. I had really wanted to finish his Exc A titles in std and jww, but even more, I had wanted to get both dogs completely out of Open. With Kirby done on Saturday, and Xander done that morning with Fast, I just decided to enjoy the rest of the day. I worked hard on visualizing success in our runs: I pictured exactly what our runs would look like and how my dogs would respond to my cues. I did not allow any thoughts of just “seeing what would happen” and instead focused on making what I had visualized a reality. This was very successful in JWW, as both boys ran clean and each earned 1st place. That would make Xander’s AXJ title, and his second title of the day.
Standard came many hours later, and by then my attention was starting to fade. I made the conscious effort to eat and stay hydrated throughout the day, which I had failed to do the day before and got very lightheaded along the way. Even still, the heat and long hours had started to take a toll. I let doubt creep in as Xander and I approached our standard run. I tried as hard as I could to push that out and just enjoy my boy. I made myself smile and we began. We had a close call when he nearly ran past the teeter again, the same mistake we had made in std on Saturday, but I pushed in just in time, and he made it. I recovered on the table, and we were solid right up to the end. It was a tricky ending that involved two jumps heading toward the fence, with a wrap on the second jump and doubling back to the first and a turn to the finish. I planned to pull him and then flip him away to make the wrap, but in my anxiety, I called “switch,” his rear cross cue, WAY too early, and like a good dog, he turned on the flat. I immediately pushed him forward and flipped him again, and we finished clean. As we came off the run, I was disappointed that we had no doubt incurred a refusal with the spin only a few jumps from the finish, but immediately my friends came over to say the judge hadn’t called it. I was incredulous. Why? I still wonder why, but I didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. The agility gods giveth, and the agility gods taketh away. Maybe we were far enough back that the judge didn’t feel he had seen or committed to the second jump, or maybe she was distracted. Either way, we earned his AX title. Maybe not the best way to earn it, but in my experience, it will come back around. One day a judge will call us for something undeserved, and I will have to remember this gift. They are human. They make mistakes. Sometimes it is in our favor, sometimes it is not.
At any rate, after Xander’s hat trick of three titles and three 1st placements in one day, I wasn’t too concerned about Kirby’s first venture into Exc std. He has been surprisingly consistent lately, having earned his second AXJ leg that morning, but I still consider running him pretty hit or miss in the realm of qualifying. He really gave it a good go and was flawless except for bouncing off the table. After watching the video, it was totally my fault for the angle I presented it to him, and I was very happy with his speed and focus. He nailed his weaves ALL WEEKEND and our friend Kaimen offered me a million dollars for him. I briefly considered it, but then decided I am kind of attached to him after all.
In the end, Xander ended up with an awesome new neon green and blue tug leash that matches several of my shirts and his harness. There was good video footage taken by my lovely fiancé and some fun pictures taken by Furry Fotography. I may have purchased a photo license plate….We ate terrific food supplied by the best food vendor I have ever encountered at a trial. We thoroughly enjoyed the company of friends and the beauty of our surroundings. The boys earned four titles, four 1st placements, and two 2nd placements, and we made it home by 11:30pm on Sunday night. It would have been fun to stay and compete on Monday, but it was great to have a day of recovery before returning to work today. And although Buster had to work yesterday, he had a shorter than normal day and was able to take a nice nap before we headed out to teach class last night. It was a really memorable Memorial weekend.
I am already looking forward to our next adventure.
Saturday morning began around 2am with the “I am frustrated and don’t want to sleep “ bark, which is exceedingly annoying. I tried to ignore him, and finally gave up and let him out. After that, I tried to fend off the excited licking and pawing for a few hours until the alarm went off at 5am. We left the hotel at 6am, and made the drive into Bradenton. The benefit of staying in St. Petersburg is the privilege of driving over vast expanses of beautiful water as the sun is rising. We arrived at the Manatee Fairgrounds in time to secure a nice close parking spot, and got set up for the weekend. My purchase of warm weather accessories, including cooling mats, a Ryobi fan, and an aluminet shade cloth really paid off. Although we were covered in shade during the later parts of the afternoon, the first several hours of the morning brought heavy sunlight directly onto our crating area. The prime real estate was taken the day prior, so we had to work a bit harder to stay comfortable. Buster went as far as to set up our canopy near the edge of the cover, so as to block more of the sun. We managed to stay fairly comfortable in spite of the heat and humidity.
My biggest flaw with traveling to trials is that I am not a superstar when it comes to being sleep deprived and off my routine. The first day of a trial is typically the worst unless I arrived early the day prior. Coming in late on Friday night and not sleeping well equaled a less than stellar state of mind. Having support there in the form of Buster and our friends Chris and Carol helped tremendously, however, I really need to work on getting better at handling the travel, etc. We did get a couple of Q’s on Saturday, however, they were flawed and I did a pretty poor job on our other runs. I even knocked over a jump wing with my arm as I was running Kirby and it almost fell on him. Poor guy. He did break his stay, but he really didn’t deserve to have jumps thrown on him. Thankfully, both my dogs are very forgiving. Xander earned his second Open Fast leg on Saturday morning and I tried a sharp rear cross into the weaves. He made it to the 10th pole before doubting himself, so that is something to work on more. I really do like Fast for the purpose of trying different handling maneuvers without necessarily sacrificing the Q. He would have earned 1st if we hadn’t spent so much time on the weaves, but he earned a 2nd place anyway. Kirby recovered from Exc JWW to earn his Open Standard title that afternoon with one off course and a 2nd place as well. Not our best day, but not our worst either. I really enjoyed hanging out with everyone, and although we were there for about twelve hours, Buster was still game for a trip down memory lane. I took him to my first apartment in Bradenton when I attended Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota my first year of college. We cruised down to St. Armand’s circle, which is a major tourist spot for those with money, and for those who wish to appear they have money. Past that, we stopped at Lido beach to appreciate the beautiful blue water and white sand. We didn’t make it back to the hotel until after 8pm. It was a long day.
Buster was kind enough to go back out and pick up a delicious meal from Pollo Tropical, and with full bellies and tired dogs, we all slept well through the night. It is amazing the difference a good meal and a good night’s sleep will do for my mental acuity.
Sunday morning began with much less stress and much more appreciation for the beautiful trial site, the happiness of being surrounded by friends, and the privilege of playing my favorite game with my wonderful dogs. Xander began the morning very early with a kick ass Open Fast run for 1st place and his title. The relief of having that title completed seemed to boost me throughout the rest of the day. I had really wanted to finish his Exc A titles in std and jww, but even more, I had wanted to get both dogs completely out of Open. With Kirby done on Saturday, and Xander done that morning with Fast, I just decided to enjoy the rest of the day. I worked hard on visualizing success in our runs: I pictured exactly what our runs would look like and how my dogs would respond to my cues. I did not allow any thoughts of just “seeing what would happen” and instead focused on making what I had visualized a reality. This was very successful in JWW, as both boys ran clean and each earned 1st place. That would make Xander’s AXJ title, and his second title of the day.
Standard came many hours later, and by then my attention was starting to fade. I made the conscious effort to eat and stay hydrated throughout the day, which I had failed to do the day before and got very lightheaded along the way. Even still, the heat and long hours had started to take a toll. I let doubt creep in as Xander and I approached our standard run. I tried as hard as I could to push that out and just enjoy my boy. I made myself smile and we began. We had a close call when he nearly ran past the teeter again, the same mistake we had made in std on Saturday, but I pushed in just in time, and he made it. I recovered on the table, and we were solid right up to the end. It was a tricky ending that involved two jumps heading toward the fence, with a wrap on the second jump and doubling back to the first and a turn to the finish. I planned to pull him and then flip him away to make the wrap, but in my anxiety, I called “switch,” his rear cross cue, WAY too early, and like a good dog, he turned on the flat. I immediately pushed him forward and flipped him again, and we finished clean. As we came off the run, I was disappointed that we had no doubt incurred a refusal with the spin only a few jumps from the finish, but immediately my friends came over to say the judge hadn’t called it. I was incredulous. Why? I still wonder why, but I didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. The agility gods giveth, and the agility gods taketh away. Maybe we were far enough back that the judge didn’t feel he had seen or committed to the second jump, or maybe she was distracted. Either way, we earned his AX title. Maybe not the best way to earn it, but in my experience, it will come back around. One day a judge will call us for something undeserved, and I will have to remember this gift. They are human. They make mistakes. Sometimes it is in our favor, sometimes it is not.
At any rate, after Xander’s hat trick of three titles and three 1st placements in one day, I wasn’t too concerned about Kirby’s first venture into Exc std. He has been surprisingly consistent lately, having earned his second AXJ leg that morning, but I still consider running him pretty hit or miss in the realm of qualifying. He really gave it a good go and was flawless except for bouncing off the table. After watching the video, it was totally my fault for the angle I presented it to him, and I was very happy with his speed and focus. He nailed his weaves ALL WEEKEND and our friend Kaimen offered me a million dollars for him. I briefly considered it, but then decided I am kind of attached to him after all.
In the end, Xander ended up with an awesome new neon green and blue tug leash that matches several of my shirts and his harness. There was good video footage taken by my lovely fiancé and some fun pictures taken by Furry Fotography. I may have purchased a photo license plate….We ate terrific food supplied by the best food vendor I have ever encountered at a trial. We thoroughly enjoyed the company of friends and the beauty of our surroundings. The boys earned four titles, four 1st placements, and two 2nd placements, and we made it home by 11:30pm on Sunday night. It would have been fun to stay and compete on Monday, but it was great to have a day of recovery before returning to work today. And although Buster had to work yesterday, he had a shorter than normal day and was able to take a nice nap before we headed out to teach class last night. It was a really memorable Memorial weekend.
I am already looking forward to our next adventure.
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