Getting What You Really Want

When I was about nine years old, my mother, brother, and I had a weekly routine. Every Friday we would travel to the Wal-Mart shopping center on 103’rd Ave here in Jacksonville to visit Xeno’s comic book shop. My mom, very much like her younger brother, my uncle Gary, was an avid comic book collector. She initially began reading X-Men, which branched off to a number of other storylines, resulting in a big stack of comic books waiting for her each week. My brother and I looked forward to these weekly visits, as we enjoyed looking at all of the comics and collectibles and were friends with the really cool, twenty-something clerk named Jeff who loved Star Wars, comic books, action figures, and all things awesome. The name of the owner of this comic book shop escapes me now, but she was friends with my mom for years. We had followed the shop when it originated in the Gateway mall years prior and eventually moved to the prime Wal-Mart proximal location on the West side of Jacksonville. She was an older lady who owned the business with her husband, who I rarely remember seeing, but who had other interests in addition to comic books. She sculpted figurines and collectibles, some intended for use in role playing games, others just for the sake of cute. At age nine, I was more interested in the latter. On one occasion she sculpted a small dog and cat figurine with tiny accessories, such as bowls and a bed that fascinated me. I became preoccupied with acquiring them. On top of that, there was a Hallmark store located next door. My love affair with Hallmark began the year prior, when I received my first collectible Hallmark Christmas ornament, which spawned a collection of hundreds over the last 23 years. In addition to ornaments, I adored stuffed animals, and Hallmark carried some of the best. Thus it happened that I came to be enamored with a small, stuffed calico kitten that I named “Scampers” before I was even able to take it from the store. My obsession with both the sculpted figurines and the stuffed kitten began around the same time, when I had sadly no money.

My mother, bless her good intentions, was much more structured with me than she was with my younger brother. I was afforded a small allowance; however, it required massive amounts of house cleaning in order to earn a meager amount. We’re talking bathroom cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, and other unpleasant tasks in the house which my grandmother had raised four children and lived in for roughly thirty years by that time. My only other sources of income were from good grades (I earned money for every A and B I brought home on my report card) and from birthdays. Mom was also diligent about making me go to school, which I now deeply appreciate. My brother, who suffered from terrible asthma as a small child, was allowed to stay home with every sniffle, and eventually dropped out of high school in the tenth grade. On the other hand, I went to school unless I was desperately ill, and went on to earn a scholarship in high school which put me through college to earn a Bachelor’s degree. Therefore, I was presented with choices as a child that helped prepare me for the realities of adulthood. There were a great many things I was not taught that I probably should have been, and some of the lessons I did learn needed to be relearned later in life. This lesson, although obviously memorable, did not really hit home with me until recently. Now I am glad for it.

After saving my money for several weeks in order to afford the figurines and the stuffed kitten, and checking frantically every week that they were still available for purchase, the Friday finally came that I would be able to bring them home. Unfortunately, my body decided to rebel against me. I awoke that morning, having gone to bed with the excitement of the next afternoon’s weekly trip to my favorite places, with a severely upset stomach. I wasn’t just suffering from my usual “nervous stomach”, I felt outright ill. My mother gave me the option of staying home, in which case I would not be allowed to go shopping that afternoon, or I could make it through the school day and be allowed to bring home my long awaited treasures. I remember battling with myself over this decision, and ultimately decided that I would do anything to be able to go out that afternoon to get what I wanted. So I went to school.

The day was an eternity of misery. When you feel nauseous, it is nearly impossible to think or do anything else. I spent much of the day with my head on my arms, resting on my desktop. Given that I was typically an “A” student, overachiever, and rule follower, my teachers and the staff loved me. I can’t tell you how many times during the day someone offered to call my mom so I could go home. I stubbornly refused. I was in an epic battle against the forces raging inside my body, and determined that the power of my will would prevail.

When the classroom music teacher came and the students got up to dance, I sat at my desk feeling lightheaded. When it was time to paint, I could scarcely muster the energy to finger paint, and cleaning up afterwards was a dreadful chore. Lunchtime was a torture of badly smelling, burnt cafeteria pizza which made me fight the urge to gag. Again, the teachers in the lunch room pleaded with me to go home, and I steadfastly refused. I desperately wished for that half hour to hurry by, but it crept along as though intentionally testing my resolve. The afternoon dragged out until after 2:00pm, at which time I began watching the ticking of the second hand on the clock, focusing solely on the wonderful prizes that would reward me shortly.

After what felt like weeks of agony, the school bell rang. It would have been the sweetest sound, were I able to hear it over the loud thudding of my heart and the blood rushing in my ears. My friend Amanda, who had worried over me all day like a mother hen, walked with me out to the circle where my mother would soon arrive to pick me up. Although I doubt he remembers it (thankfully), Buster was there too, as he was my classmate at the time and would often walk with me as well. After what would soon transpire, I only remember that he made a sympathetic comment which somehow managed to comfort me in spite of my embarrassment. Not all kids are awful.

So there I stood a sickly green, but victorious; having endured the entire school day feeling like death warmed over, and having fought down countless waves of nausea. My prize was in sight, and I had now only to be picked up and driven to retrieve it. I must have let down my guard for that brief moment, and whatever was plaguing me finally triumphed and came spilling forth onto the sidewalk. Obviously, elementary school kids are not particularly prepared for something of this magnitude, and the reaction was predictable. Luckily, my friend Amanda, the loyal and mature soul that she was, stood by in my defense after I was done puking on the front steps of our school. Additionally, my mom had the decency to pull up shortly thereafter. Given that it was Friday, by the time I returned on Monday, the few people that witnessed the event had already moved on to other things, and luckily I wasn’t subject to too much ridicule.
After welcoming me into the car and hearing what had just occurred, my mom felt that we should just go home so that I could lie down. Most parents would have insisted on this given what had just transpired. However, I would have none of that, and my mom was a soft hearted soul who hated to disappoint. Deliriously, I detailed the various ordeals of my day and expounded that after upholding my end of the bargain, i.e. going to school, I deserved my reward. We drove to the shopping center, my mother frequently sparing me concerned glances as I sprawled sickly in the back seat. Somehow I was able to drag myself into the stores long enough to make my purchases.

I believe these toys became infinitely more valuable as a result of my hard work and suffering to acquire them. Scampers in particular accompanied me for many years of car rides and daily playtimes and has the wear to show for it. I am not sure what happened to those figurines, although I kept them well into my teens, but I know I still have Scampers in a box somewhere, a testament to the power of my will. Or it could be stubbornness. But I’m going to go with will. Had someone just bought them for me, they would likely have been neglected and forgotten, as were so many other toys. The value of something, be it an object or an accomplishment, is directly related to the effort and sacrifice they required in achieving them, at least that’s what I’ve come to believe.

Things get more complicated as you go through life, and getting what you want requires more than just making it through one particularly unpleasant day. My parents studied at the school of instant gratification, and never had the resolve to endure a job they didn’t like, or sacrifice something they wanted that moment in order to save money for the future. Perhaps if I’d had better role models, I wouldn’t have had to learn the hard way. Maybe I would have had to learn it on my own regardless. At any rate, I have learned it. After working so hard to get through high school and college, I fell prey to the path of least resistance, not knowing or caring what the long term consequences would be. I quit jobs impulsively when angry, bored, or frustrated which often left me lost and desperate and forced to take the next crappy job that came along, only perpetuating the same cycle. I spent money I didn’t have, using credit cards to buy things I wanted, or thought I needed, with money I didn’t have. Now, a decade later, I am paying the consequences. I am now enduring a job I don’t particularly like in order to move into a position I hope to find more fulfilling further down the line. I put up with daily frustrations and irritations because I see that jumping ship is not the answer. I think very hard about the money I spend and what I spend it on, because I now have to use so much of my income to pay for the debt I accumulated in the carelessness and shortsightedness of prior years. I appreciate now how hard money is to come by, and take opportunities to make more wherever I can find them in order to get on level ground again. Only when I’ve atoned for the mistakes of the past can I be rewarded with the luxuries I desire in the future such as a house with a backyard, and my own agility equipment.

Its taken lots of trial and error to finally realize that it may take years of doing something you don’t really like or want to do in order to ultimately get the prize you seek. Winning the battle requires patience, endurance, and a commitment to that goal which will not be denied. Somewhere along the way, in trying to decide WHAT I wanted and WHERE I should direct my energy, I lost touch with the power of that nine year old girl’s determination. It’s always been there, and surfaced here and there for various reasons, but only now do I really appreciate it. I think that finally having goals, discovering my talents, and realizing a vision for what my life can be if I am willing to work for it, I am beginning to see that little girl’s will power emerging once again.

I needed the power of a kindred spirit to help me see what is possible if you are willing to endure. Funny that he was there on that day over twenty years ago, but we both had many lessons to learn and mistakes to make before we could become the people we are today. We still have many lessons to learn, but the difference now is that we have a direction and a reason for trying. Each day remains a struggle between what would be most gratifying in this moment and what we are ultimately striving towards. The key is to remember that all things worth having require you to resist what is easy, or fun, or satisfying right now in order to achieve that long term gratification. This takes effort and focus in every moment of every day. Chances are, not every battle will be won, but it’s a long war. Luckily, when I know what I want, there is usually no stopping me.

Hopefully there won’t be too much vomit along the way.

The Fun of Friday Eve

Xander and I had a great time in class again last night. It was a bit hot, which is nice, but we both have to get reacclimated to running in the warmer temperatures. He and I were both panting after performing a few sequences that were heavy on the running. I've been requested to post the video, as I may have mentioned something about "Lauren trying to kill us," when we were rightfully told to repeat a difficult sequence a couple of times. Buster was kind enough to accompany us to the field to provide filming service, but has now been dubbed by my long time friend and classmate Stacy as the "community fiance." Apparently the club bylaws state that all fiances must be shared with the club in providing dog sitting, filming, and equipment moving services. Stacy was gracious enough to allow me certain privaleges that aren't shared, so I appreciated her graciousness.
At any rate, I very much enjoy the opportunity to watch my handling on video from class while I am training, as opposed to typically seeing myself only in competion. I behave differently to a degree, and learned a few key things about my handling on tight turns by watching last night's footage. I also enjoyed running Kirby and Kaylee after Xander's class was over. I admit that my focus has primarily transitioned to training and running Xander, and I already notice a major shift in the way I view courses and handling. When running a corgi, one doesn't have to consider stride length, collection, and speed of approach. My corgis are fast, but I can still essentially outrun them, as they only really have one speed. There is not really an issue of collection, as their jumping is small to begin with. So much more thought and strategy goes into running a dog that can easily leave you in the dust. That's not to say that running a small dog is a peice of cake either. Running small dogs tends to require more "running" because they won't move out as far away as many large dogs will, so you are required to "go with them" more often. I laughed when I briefly forgot that little old Kaylee was not in fact a border collie, and pealed off a straightforward jump because I was too early in my turn. I also notice a HUGE difference in weaving. I spent a considerable amount of time and effort in teaching Xander independent weave entries from many difficult angles. While Kaylee and Kirby are both competent weavers, Kaylee more so than Kirby because she is more consistent, although Kirby is much faster when he FEELS like it, neither of them has an independent entry. Kaylee, who I trained roughly eight years ago, requires that I set her up to enter correctly. Kirby has major issues with on-side weave entries, and is most effective with off-side entries. I could spend more time and effort correcting this, but with his bum knee, I try not to do too many repetitions of anything with him, particularly the A-frame and weaves, his two weakest, and most physically challenging obstacles. I was thrilled when Xander nailed a couple of very difficult entries without much deliberate handling from me, and not suprised when the corgis had difficulty with them!
Regardless of skill, the "low riders" have a blast getting to play. Kaylee will probably always hold the title of "most consisent dog ever" and Kirby just squeals with excitement when presented with agility equipment. I also love my classmates, many of whom I have known for years but rarely spent so much concentrated time with before. (Except Stacy who was my traveling buddy until our dogs became mortal enemies ;)
Also, apparently I am going to run for the board of our club again. Springtime means our annual meeting will be soon approaching, and although the key positions will most likely remain the same, the board members tend to change frequently. I have served several times in the past, mostly when Kaylee was young, and was even Vice President in my last year of service. It has been long enough now that I feel the urge to get involved again. When Lauren suggested before class that we volunteer, I felt my hand go up. Now that there are witnesses, I suppose I can't back out now!
On another note, I ordered a huge box of new Hero discs to prepare for the Florida State Frisbee Championships in June. They arrived yesterday, all twenty assorted colors and varieties, so it was like Christmas! It's been almost a year since I purchased discs, but we were down to only one which was not riddled with holes and rendered unflyable. Here's hoping this supply lasts another year. Frisbees ain't cheap! I am feeling an urge to go test them out this afternoon.....

Film at 11

Ok, I am not clever enough to put MUSIC to my video...but maybe one day. Until then, just turn off the sound to your computer like I do (since the barking makes my dogs bark anyway), and enjoy some footage of this weekend's trial!

Growing Up

Last weekend at Pals and Paws, Xander had a number of Baby Dog moments, compounded by the fact that I wasn’t handling him to the best of our ability. Wide turns, shopping for off course obstacles, random flipping, and things like that which indicated inexperience, loss of focus, and a lack of connection in our partnership. Much of that I attribute to my own lack of focus, being tired from long days of course building, and being unable to spend much time with him outside of working. This weekend however, the Xan Man was looking very much like the Big Dog I know he can be. He has really only been to less than ten shows since we started in September, so I have to remind myself that we are still learning about one another. Up until now, I have been tentative and unsure about his reactions to certain maneuvers. In essence, I wasn’t trusting him, or I was leaving him to make his own decisions in situations where I should have been giving him more information. In Orlando, at another spectacular Dog-Gone-It USDAA show, we finally truly came together as a team.

Dog-Gone-It Club shows are spectacular for several reasons. For one thing, the weather is often gorgeous, as it was this weekend, and the site is beautiful. Lush green grass, blue skies, warm sun, and cool breezes were the recipe for perfection at this Central Florida gem. The trial is smoothly run, the competitors are fun and happy, and the dogs are fantastic. The atmosphere is so positive and enjoyable, and the site itself so peaceful and relaxing, that in spite of some heat, it was virtually impossible to not have a good time.

This was our second weekend in Advanced, having picked up one Advanced Gambler and one Advanced Snooker Q last weekend. Saturday began with Advanced Pairs, and although Xander and I ran our half flawlessly, our poor teammate had already NQ’d on the first half. This gave us the opportunity to work on a few things and to run hard and fast, which we did. I was not even disappointed that we didn’t Q, because I hadn’t forgotten the baton, and the mistake was not my fault this time!

Gamblers was the next class we ran, with a strategy I had carefully planned for timing and points. I was thrilled that we handled it precisely the way I’d planned, and the timing of the buzzer was perfect. Sadly, I doubted myself, so we killed a few seconds making a wide turn around on an extra jump, but he nailed the gamble and we earned 1^st place. Gamblers also provided us the opportunity to practice a few elements we would see in Advanced Standard, which was the next class to follow. The practice seemed to pay off, as our only mistake was a wide turn before a front cross, which cost us several seconds, and earned us a 2^nd place Q(missing 1^st place by 1 second).

Steeplechase was the last class on Saturday, and by then it was approaching ninety degrees. Buster was clutch in keeping our shade shelter properly positioned to keep us all cool, as well as offering expert filming services to myself and a few others. The course was fast and fun, with a few tricky spots. Xander handled it almost flawlessly, and was extremely responsive to my cues. He barely missed the entry on our final pass through the weaves, due to an extremely fast line of jumps leading to up to it, so we lost a few seconds there. However, we qualified for the finals in 9^th place.

Buster and I enjoyed an exquisite dinner at Bonefish Grill that evening while the dogs relaxed in the hotel. We all slept very soundly that night, and awoke dark and early for another day of fun. After packing up and checking out of the hotel, we made it to the site just in time for my Advanced Snooker briefing. The big dogs ran first on Sunday, so I had no time to obsess over a strategy after walking the course, I just decided on one and we were in the ring before I had time to think! I chose the 7, 7, 5 strategy and in spite of the cool morning and his obvious excitement, Xander responded to every collection cue I presented, and we made it through clean! He did yell at me when I steered him around the outside of a tunnel, but he respected my handling and didn’t go off course! We ended up with another 1^st place Q.

Standard came after Starters Snooker had wrapped up, and after a nice long walk with the corgis around the park. Sunday was also Kaylee’s 9^th birthday! Although she didn’t get to enjoy any agility, she did get to sleep on the bed three nights in a row, as well as spend time walking around the gorgeous park and rolling in the soft grass. She seemed happy. At any rate, the Standard course was extremely tricky, and I was thrilled to run with no off courses. The heartbreaker came when Xander knocked the displaceable tire, an obstacle we don’t have access to for practice, and we received a 5 pt fault. He also got a bit tangled in the chute after I chose to rear cross it, as the course was almost set up to force that maneuver. I despise rear crosses to the chute for that very reason, but he recovered quickly and I wasn’t forced to intervene. He was also a bit naughty on his dog walk, but stopped when I marked it with an “uh oh”. His contacts all weekend, except for a dogwalk in standard on Saturday, weren’t really a stop  so much as a slow down to pause. I think I may have to insist on a stop in practice, and a pause in competition, as that’s what he’s come to expect. I still regret my decision earlier on in releasing him early, but he was so creepy and slow before. Now that he is confident, he is fast and doesn’t want to stop at all! Luckily, he still has never missed one, and as long as he respects that he must slow at the end, I may settle for our “managed contact” approach. This remains to be determined.

Steeplechase finals were another heartbreaker, as he was running hard and fast, in spite of the heat and handled it brilliantly until another wide turn to a front cross resulted in a bar down. Still, he handled some tricky elements that many seasoned dogs had trouble with, and made a respectable time just a few seconds from the first place dog!

Advanced Jumpers was almost immediately following Steeplechase, and my poor boy was worn out. I was dragging myself, and although he gave it a valiant effort, he dropped one bar toward the end of the run. Even with the NQ, he still earned 3^rd place ;) More importantly, we finished the weekend with ZERO off courses! His only mistakes all weekend were two dropped bars and one displaced tire! We felt very in tune, calm, and connected all weekend. His weaving was BRILLIANT, his stays were rock solid, and I was able to keep him focused and responsive in spite of many tempting off course possibilities! Overall, we just had FUN and really enjoyed the game together. It is such an incredible feeling when you can begin to trust your dog, to push them for things you know they can do, and to get the behaviors you see in practice! Hopefully I will have time to post some video this week.

Now we need two Standard legs, one Pairs, and one Jumpers leg to earn our AAD. And we only need one Gamblers and one Snookers to move up to Masters in those games! We have already planned for AKC trials in the next couple of months, although I wish there were more USDAA shows! This game is so addictive; I played all weekend and now find myself on Monday wishing I were back there playing again! At least I will be teaching class tonight, and can get my fix that way. I suppose there are worse things to be addicted to, although I doubt this addiction is much cheaper than any other…Time to buy more lottery tickets!

Lessons in Losing

Let me start by saying that I had a fabulous time this weekend. I watched a lot of good friends have some spectacular runs, the courses and judges were great, and there were spectators and news coverage! Pals and Paws has come a long way since I joined the club many, many, many years ago. We’ve gone from holding trials in small, outdoor venues, often plagued with rain and mud, to trialing in a massive state of the art equestrian center. The surface was fantastic this weekend, the trial ran very smoothly with an abundance of helpers, and even though I worked my butt off as a chief course builder, I had a great many wonderful helpers to ease the burden. Special thanks to Keiko and Buster for being there to help so often and to Mike from Dog-On-It who is a total professional as well a great guy to work with.

We didn’t Q much this weekend. I could make excuses about getting up at 4:30 in the morning, and the time change, and being tired, etc. etc., but I don’t really think that had anything to do with it. We hadn’t trialed in over a month, and since then, Mr. Xan Man has gotten MUCH more confident. And faster. And pushier. He’s decided that he is going to RUN and take what is in front of him unless I tell him otherwise. The days of hanging back and handling conservatively to get through Novice courses are over. This was our first trial in Advanced so courses are getting tougher and I have to HANDLE my dog! I watch myself on the video sometimes and think, “why wasn’t I moving?!” Ha! He did have a couple of random baby dog moments, one in which he cut directly in front of me after the A-frame to take the tire that I never even considered, and again where he flipped away from me in a pinwheel. I really can’t figure out the logic behind those other than “baby dog moment,” but everywhere else was totally my fault. My fault for being too slow, too far behind, and too late in my commands. He has really stepped up the speed, which is awesome, so I have to step up the speed of my brain to match. I am also giving him another six months with the "baby dog" free pass, at which point he will be three and held accountable for any random goofiness! ;)

We started the weekend with Advanced Gamblers in which the gamble was a series of four lateral jumps, set at severe angles so that the dog was intended to slice them. An off course jump was set up directly where dogs were turning toward their handlers, so many just came in and took that jump. I managed to see the jumps as a straight line from the dog walk, and kept him out on a parallel line so he just ran straight through and never looked at the off course jump. We had the fastest time, but unfortunately I did a failed front cross and ran him around the A-frame, which was 3 pts, and cost us first place. It was still a nice run overall, even though I scolded myself for getting greedy and releasing him from his contacts too soon in an effort to win.

Advanced Standard was next and we had a great run going until he blasted past the weaves after a wide turn. In correcting him, I got too far behind and missed the front cross I had planned and sent him in the wrong end of the tunnel. He came out and ran toward the judge, while I stood there and laughed. The look on his face was priceless when he realized the judge was NOT me, and spun around to find me. Gotta love the baby dogs. I DO need to help him with more verbal cues to let him know where I am out of the tunnels, as he’s done similar things a couple times before in losing me coming out of a curved tunnel.

Grand Prix was a very tricky course, and we handled it really well except for a front cross he didn’t read correctly and so took an off course jump. We definitely need to work on those front crosses.

Advanced Pairs goes on my list of “Bonnie’s Biggest Blunders.” Step 1. Find your pairs partner. Step 2. Decide which half you are running, and which half your partner is running. Step 3. Walk the course. Step 4. Come to the line with the baton in your hand. Step 5. Run your course and hand off the baton to your partner. I had a critical failure in Steps 4 and 5 in which I COMPLETELY FORGOT THE BATON. After running my course, I go to hand off said baton, and see it laying on the ground. DOH! I apologized to my partner, and fortunately for us, she was VERY nice and wasn’t terribly mad. To assuage my guilt, they faulted on their half. She probably did that on purpose to make me feel better. Handler fail.

In addition to my brain fart, Xander got really pushy on his contacts in pairs and was not really stopping at all. He had perfect contacts in Standard, and then he was stopping just after the contacts in Grand Prix, and only slowing down in pairs. I marked those with a pause and an “uh oh” and I knew that my greed in gamblers had come back to haunt me. I kicked myself mentally for most of the evening. However, we regrouped from the disappointment of pairs, played some “target” games on the stairs, had a tug and trick session, and were happy again before snooker. I decided to go for broke and did the all three 7’s strategy and managed to make it work for a q and 1^st place. I guess I do love snooker. And since there were no contacts, we just got to have fun running and jumping.

Sunday morning came exceedingly early with the time change, and we were back for more. I concentrated our bonus gamblers run on doing the contacts and didn’t really focus on the gamble. He was pushy on his A-frame, but did pause until I released him. His first dog walk was another stop just past the contact, but when I turned him around and ran it the other direction, he stopped perfectly. I held it with a “goooooood boy!” and then released. I got confused when I heard the other ring’s buzzer go off, and I think I negated the gamble by hanging around too long. Oh well, at least we have the one we need for the title.

Advanced standard would have been a great run, with a beautifully executed rear cross into a ridiculously difficult weave entry, but he cut me off after the A-frame and took that tire. I was really happy with the rest of the run, except for another failed front cross. Again, work to do. His contacts were MUCH better though, so I was happy with that.

Advanced Jumpers came at the end of a very long weekend. Xander, to my amazement, was still high as a kite and loving the game. He was so fast and I was so slow that we had an off course. However, I layered an entire line of jumps and was excited about that. It was a fun NQ run.

So overall, we only walked away with two Q’s. However, I learned a lot about what works, what doesn’t, what areas we need to focus on in practice, and skills that I need to improve in my handling. Even though his contacts were pushy at times, he has never actually missed one (knock on wood)  and I think we were back on track by the last standard run. His jumping was flawless and we had zero knocked bars in all eight runs of the weekend. His start lines are rock solid. More importantly, he was fast, happy, and totally engaged in the game even after twelve hours of being there on Saturday, and another nine hours on Sunday. It was a long weekend.

I learned this weekend that although Q’s are awesome, I learn a lot more from the runs that go wrong. I look forward to the challenge of learning to run my Xan Man to the best of our abilities and am so excited to have such a fast and happy partner to run with. And maybe I will be able to put some of that education to work next weekend at Dog-On-It. Can’t wait!!

The Designer Dog Debate

Last evening, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend time with my good friend Lara and her friend and dog trainer Laura. Lara, Laura, Laura, Lara….confusing yes, but certainly fun. Both L’s are dog nuts like me, with Lara recently increasing her household number of dogs to four, and Laura boasting an impressive ten adults and some temporary puppies. Each of these ladies is a hardcore Frisbee enthusiast, and like any of us who sport a competitive nature, they desire the best and brightest dogs to play and compete with. Lara has an Aussie named Jazz, an Aussie/BC mix rescue named Sting, and a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever mix (NOT to be mistaken for a cocker spaniel) named Louie. She has done amazing things with each of her dogs and should be very proud of these accomplishments. However, none of her dogs exhibits the level of “drive” that she craves to harness. Drive is that magical word in the competitive dog world that essentially means the dog is willing and able to play hard and perform at the top of the sport. In agility, this trait is often showcased by Border Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, the Belgian breeds, and a number of other breeds which originated for a specific working purpose. A notable exception would be the Papillon, that for its toy and companion dog origins, exhibits a remarkably high level of drive that in many cases rivals the Border Collie.

In the world of Frisbee, there have never been any restrictions for dogs to be pedigreed in order to participate. While the USDAA has always welcomed mixed breeds, and the AKC has just embraced this policy, competitors seeking to compete in World Class events will be restricted to a dog with a recorded legacy. Although the sport of Frisbee originated with the legendary Ashley Whippet, it has often been dominated by Aussies, Border Collies, Australian Cattle Dogs and mixes of various shapes and sizes. The inclusion of these mixes has never been restricted nor looked down upon to my awareness, so it is not surprising that people have sought to create the “perfect” Frisbee dog by combining breeds that show the appropriate attributes. Enter the border-staffy, and the aussie-staffy.

Laura owns several of these combinations, including an aussie-staffy named Monster, and a several border-staffies. I was fortunate to meet Recon last night, and watch both dogs demonstrate their Frisbee skills at a local park. The combination of the athletic herding breed with the power and muscle of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier results in a dog that exhibits high levels of “drive” as well as the physical prowess to perform incredible leaps, twisting catches, and powerful bursts of acceleration. This basically spells dream dog for a highly competitive Frisbee player such as Lara. And Laura.

For this reason, Laura is staying with Lara along with two puppies from a recent border-staffy litter. Lara is faced with the task of choosing between little brindle marked Seiko, and the adorably piebald Casio. At only 8 weeks, these pups exhibit tremendous speed, coordination, fearlessness, and endurance. I witnessed them running with the adults, tugging and wrestling with one another, jumping and climbing in and over objects for nearly two hours without showing any signs of slowing down. After being the recipient of a high flying hello from Monster, in which he launched his 40lbs of concentrated muscle mass directly at my midsection, I can see that these puppies will be equally powerful and enthusiastic in their gymnastics. While her chosen puppy may likely prove a handful, Lara is excited at the prospect of finally having a dog that won’t quit and will play as long and as hard as she would like her to.

Not everyone has been supportive of Lara’s decision. Personally, I am torn on the issue of breeding in general, and classically have been adamantly opposed to the breeding of “designer dogs” such as Labradoodles, Goldendoodles, and pretty much anything with a ridiculous name made from a combination of other breeds.  There are thousands of dogs in need of rescue every day, so how is it right to purposely create more? On the other hand, I enjoy the world of the purebred dog, and have great respect and appreciation for breeders who seek to improve their particular breed, and strive to make them healthier and more temperamentally sound. After some thought, I realized that it is obviously not the dog that I have an issue with, rather the producer and the consumer.

Essentially, all breeds originated from some combination of other breeds, with the breeder envisioning some ideal combination of traits that would prove useful for some particular purpose. Herding breeds were crafted as a selection of elements resulting in a dog which possessed great focus, intelligence, the desire to work, and the biddable nature to make it trainable and trustworthy with stock. Sporting breeds were designed to seek out prey such as birds, but also to do so in a manner that did not result in actually killing the bird. Traits such as gentleness and a soft mouth were paramount. All of the recognized “pure” breeds we know today are descendant from some combination of other breeds. If border-staffies and labradoodles serve a practical purpose, who is to say that is wrong?

The problem, as I previously mentioned, comes from the nature of those creating, and those seeking out “designer dogs.” I have no issue with breeders of any kind who are diligent in testing their stock for genetic diseases that should not be passed on to future generations. These “hobby breeders” in most cases spend a great deal of money, time, and research to make an ideal match, take great care of both mother and puppies, and even greater care in placing these puppies. Potential homes are carefully screened, and a guarantee is usually made for health. Additionally, these breeders remain a resource to new homes for the life of the puppy, and all good breeders will insist that the dog be returned to them if it cannot be kept for any reason. Irresponsible breeders, be they producers of Golden Retrievers or Goldendoodles, are more interested in profit. They mass produce to fill the needs of consumers, and are unconcerned with the long term effects of these breedings. Many of these dogs come with physical or psychological problems and often, as a result of their “trendy nature” will end up in shelters. People who purchase a dog for thousands of dollars because it is “popular” at the time, are highly likely to get tired of the dog when it actually does happen to shed or is bigger than the breeder claimed. There are all sorts of claims about poodle mixes including their excellent temperament and lack of shedding. However, genetics is full of variables, and there is no guarantee to any of these claims. Sadly, the dog is the one to suffer.

In an ideal world, dogs would only be born into caring, dedicated, loving homes and they would perfectly fit the needs of the household. There would be no dogs in shelters and none euthanized. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world. People can often be selfish, greedy, short-sighted and uneducated.  As a result, there will likely always be some controversy between those in the dog world over breeding vs. rescue, as well as breeding for pedigree vs. breeding for utility.

For now, I will say that I love my purebred Corgi Kaylee who was purchased from a wonderful breeder many years ago, my rescued Corgi Kirby who has all sorts of health and behavioral issues as a result of his puppy mill origins, and my rescued Border Collie Xander, who although quirky at times, is as fit, healthy, and astute as any comparably high priced pedigreed dog. I am also looking for the ideal breeder for my next border collie one day. I will openly admit that the advantage of seeking a carefully bred dog with a predictable structure and temperament is a greater guarantee of success in the sport I love. I have limited resources and space, and cannot adopt countless dogs in the hopes that one will grow up to have the traits I’m seeking. I was extremely fortunate with Xander, and could very well end up with another great rescue in the future, however the lure of the pedigree is hard to ignore.

To Lara, I wish you all the delightful puppy breath, scrapes from sharp puppy teeth, hugs and tail wags, sleepless nights, potty training adventures, and new trick training that a puppy brings. I hope that your chosen puppy turns out to be everything that you’ve ever wanted, but I know from experience that you will love her and care for her no matter what. A puppy is a puppy, and regardless of its background, should be loved and appreciated. I envision no perfect solution to the breeding debate; so I feel we must all do what is right for ourselves, be responsible for the lives we create, and do our best to educate the general public about responsible dog ownership. Perhaps one day we will all figure it out. Until then, love the pups you have, they are never in our lives long enough!

The Joy of Snooker

Snooker, apart from being a card game (*correction: billiard game :) that I have no real knowledge of or experience with, is also a game played in USDAA agility trials. Unlike AKC trials, with their Standard, JWW, and sometimes FAST classes, USDAA trials include a wide range of games such as Gamblers, Pairs Relay, and an assortment of tournament and team classes, as well as Snooker. While many people prefer the straightforward nature of AKC and are not interested in the games offered by USDAA, many others prefer the variety of training and handling challenges presented by these classes.

Personally, I have always been a huge fan of the Gamblers class, in which dogs are allowed to gather points during a timed “opening” sequence, followed by a timed “distance” challenge during which the dog must perform a sequence of varying difficult while the handler remains at a specific distance. The challenges increase in difficulty along with the distance between handler and dog as teams move from starter level to master level. I have always marveled at teams that work flawlessly, communicating complicated changes of flow as well as difficult discriminations or weave entries with limited handler assistance.

Pairs is a game that I could really do without, as teams must rely on one another to qualify. I do appreciate the challenge of having my dog remain in the ring under control while our partner completes their half of the course, however, you are at the mercy of your partner when it comes to receiving a Q. Additionally, the burden of guilt rests on your shoulders if you are in fact the team to disqualify the run.

As for Snooker, people tend to either love it, or hate it. I used to belong to the latter group, now I may actually have shifted to the former. Previously, I viewed Snooker as a game which required sloppy, jerky, panicky handling in order to steer the dog around course without the dog taking an incorrect obstacle. Snooker, I believe, was designed to test the training of speed in addition to control on the part of the dog. It also inspires careful strategizing on the part of the handler, as well as the ability to “think on your feet.”

There are many rules involved in Snooker, which is part of why the game is so difficult to learn. The course is set up to include three or four “red” jumps as well as roughly six “colored” obstacles. The basic rule of the game is that you must earn points by taking a “red” jump correctly, followed by one “colored” obstacle for points. After three or four (depending on the dictates of the course) “red” jumps are taken, the dog must complete the “closing sequence” of 2-7 numbered obstacles and cross the finish line. The trick is in the layout of the course, with challenges including the distance in between the red jumps and the layout of other obstacles. Teams must strive for as many points as possible within the time limit, but should work to keep a smooth and relatively flowing course for the dog to handle. Runs can become ugly when handlers opt for a strategy that includes attempting to guide the dog past incorrect obstacles, and may resort to screaming or micromanaging. The trick to completing a beautiful Snooker run is to come up with a strategy that collects a good number of points as well as creating a relatively logical path for the dog. This doesn’t always happen. Other rules include the mandate that a “red” jump must be completed successfully before attempting a “colored” obstacle, so if a dog knocks the bar on a red jump, the handler must alter the strategy “on the spot” in order to find and complete a different “red” jump. Most times, the dog will keep running and take the wrong obstacle as the handler tries to figure out what to do next! There are many other rules handlers must keep in mind during their strategizing, and attempt to remember on the fly if their plan goes awry. This is not a game for the weak at heart.

I considered teaching this game to my students for months before I was actually brave enough to make the plunge. We had previously played Gamblers and FAST, in addition to our standard and JWW courses and the typical smaller sequences we train with. Although I wanted to provide them with a complete education, I hesitated to present this game knowing that it was likely to result in frustration and irritation. While I presented the rules as clearly as I could manage, Snooker is unfortunately one of the games you “learn by doing.” Although I had to whistle many of my students off the course after only a few obstacles at times, it was far better to learn the rules in class rather than in a trial setting where you’ve paid an entry fee, only get one shot at the course, and may get whistled off without really understanding why. No class runs faster than Snooker, as teams may find themselves at fault as early as two obstacles into the run, and are excused from the ring. While I realized being faulted and made to leave the course during training might result in some anger and irritation, I realized this is one of the most potent and memorable ways to learn. Speaking for myself at least, I can say that situations which have caught me by surprise and resulted in emotion are in fact the lessons I don’t forget. I hope that my students will forgive me for the experience, and hopefully took away a better knowledge and understanding of the game as a result! We did in fact run a “standard” sequence at the end of class so that everyone had the opportunity to complete a sequence, and I believe everyone handled the lesson very well. The class seemed to have a good grasp of the rules as well as successful plans for handling by the end of the session, so I was naturally very proud of them! We probably won’t be playing Snooker again anytime soon though….

Xander and I on the other hand, having only run Snooker twice at the Starter level of USDAA, will be presented with our first opportunity at Advanced Snooker this weekend at the Pals and Paws trial. Hopefully I can take some of the lessons from last night and find a successful strategy for us. If not, we will get to try again the following weekend in Winter Park at the Dog-Gone-It club trial! Have I mentioned how much I love agility lately?

Spring Makes Me Babble

Aside from the pervasive covering of pollen on every outdoor surface in Jacksonville that results in sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, and congestion, I am super happy that spring has sprung! Bless that little groundhog for being brave and not dashing back into his burrow. I am thrilled to be wearing my Vibram Five Fingers again when out teaching and running agility, not to mention flip flops and t-shirts when walking dogs in the morning. I hate layers and shoes and socks. Warm weather means freedom!!

Last February was a misery of endless days plunging to sub-freezing temperatures. We set a record for this last year. This year on the other hand, it was hitting 80 degrees before February was even over! Now it's March 1st....seriously, how did that happen already?!

My very first post of the year, and my first post in general, said that 2010 was so exciting that 2011 couldn't possibly top it, or even measure up. Buster had other ideas, and so I now find myself being introduced to his friends as "fiance." It has a nice ring to it. The ring is nice too ;)

Another event to look forward to is Buster's graduation from ITT Tech. He is trying to sell himself short and believes that it's not a worthwhile accomplishment. I could not disagree more vehemently. In addition to working his way up in Pepsi (he is enjoying his first week on a taylor-made, lucrative new sales route), he has spent countless hours in class, and more hours beyond that doing homework. For two years he has suffered long days and short nights of sleep to get where he is now. This is his last week of classes and we will be attending his graduation ceremony on April 1st. No foolin!

In addition to that, Buster's grandmother will be visiting from New York to attend the ceremony, and we've decided to throw in another trip to Universal Studios with her. Really, any excuse to go to Universal is good for us. We will also make a trip to St. Augustine with her, as that is another of our favorite local spots to visit when the weather is nice. Since she lives so far away, and in such a different climate, it will be fun to enjoy the novelty of Florida vicariously through her eyes. We are both excited!

Before that, Xander and I have a couple of USDAA shows, one here in town followed by another in Winter Park (one of my favorite sites). Winter Park is outside on beautiful grass and should be absolutely lovely in mid-march. Later in April, we will be taking all the pups to the big show in Perry, GA, as Buster has never experienced the magnitude of the Perry in April show. There will be every dog activity conceivable, from agility to flyball, confirmation to obedience, lure coursing, and shopping! (I won't be spending money, but it's still fun to look!) Our friends Chris and Carol will be coming too, and it is also their first time attending. Should be a party! Kaylee got her first MACH at the Perry in July show back in 2005, so it will always be a favorite site of mine.

I would also like to take the opportunity to mention how much my students rock and how much I love Monday nights. I feel more invigorated on Monday nights than any other night of the week. You've all worked so hard and I love seeing it show! As for myself, I am working on improving my peripheral vision in order to handle courses faster and smoother. Although I managed to trip over the same jump THREE TIMES last night while teaching, I did have some great runs with my kids after class. I am again looking forward to class with Xander Thursday night. Hopefully the weather will be as gorgeous as it was last night.

So although I'm being really good about saving money and paying off debt (my smallest credit card will be paid off in the next four months), there is still a lot of fun and excitement for 2011. Hooray for Spring!!