Sadie had a trial in CT today. The just missed Q'ing in T2B (2 seconds over time) and Standard (missed dogwalk contact), but got a beautiful Q in Jumpers.
Sorry for the dark video on Standard. Not sure what the video camera was doing....
T2B was a Holy S#!t run. I left to get Sadie just after the 20" dogs started. By the time she had peed, 24" was already done and we were marked absent! Luckily they hadn't moved anything out yet, and the judge was kind enough to let us run. Between the rush into the ring and the massive adrenaline high from thinking I'd missed the run, I was afraid it would be dicey.
A group of women were laughing about it a bit, and offered to cheer for us. I figure why not! So we set off like our asses were on fire, and they were clapping and cheering. Sadie has never, NEVER run so fast or so focused in her life. We flew through that course, hugging turns and neatly avoiding a 'trap' jump. Our downfall was the weaves... 12 of them. She's so used to 6 poles in class and trials that she decided she must be done at 10. Having to use up all three attempts put us 2 seconds over maximum time.
We got lots of compliments on that run. One person said they thought we might have won, if not for the weave issue. All I can say is, it was a heck of a ride.
A friend got video on her camera, so hopefully I can post it later!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
On The Road Again: Part 2
Apologies for the (very) late conclusion to our trip, but it’s been a busy few weeks around here!
Friday was nice and quiet for pups. People went golfing and shopping, and some fabulous naps were had. I even took the pups to a nearby park, where Sadie could wander off-leash, and Maxwell played fetch on his long-line. Even in the light drizzling rain, we had a great time. Sadie sniffed around, got treats for recalls, and beat on her brother. Maxwell got to burn some of his crazy energy, relax away from the crowd, and got lots of treats for getting called off another dog walking past.
The Saturday after Thanksgiving, a bunch of us were going to take the train into Chicago to hang out and have dinner. My boyfriend’s parents would watch the dogs for us, though no real walks or anything would be needed.
We had a late lunch of take-out Chinese, which meant both our pups were under the table, praying for someone to drop food. Towards the end of the meal, my boyfriend rubbed Sadie with his foot for being a good dog. She was wet.
We got her up on her feet, and found that she had been lying in a puddle for some time. It wasn’t there when we sat down to eat, so clearly she peed herself and either a) didn’t notice, or b) didn’t care. Sadie hates being wet (unless swimming is involved) so I’m going with option a.
She also walked really funny, and kept trying to just lie down wherever she was. Poor thing looked miserable. Which of course means we made her even happier by getting her into a bathtub to wash off the urine. She had already stopped moving strangely by the time we finished cleaning her up, and she shook off like a normal dog. Someone suggested that she knew she had been bad by peeing in the house. I reminded them that she was probably scared and confused, since suddenly there were six humans fussing over her and acting strangely.
Our trip into the city was cancelled, and we stayed in to watch the dog. She drank a fair amount, and peed even more, but didn’t make another mess in the house. I made sure. I took her outside at least every hour until we went to bed.
Both dogs were ready to head home the next morning. They were totally worn out from all the people and lack of dog-naps, and probably missing their routines. Sadie even slept for a while on the road home.
It’s amazing how dogs seem to know when they are close to home. By the time we got to our exit, both animals were staring hard out the windows and panting. Sadie ran back and forth, driver-side to passenger-side and back again, whining. Maxwell sat on the center armrest and looked over his shoulder at the road ahead.
As we came in the door, we just dropped stuff on the floor until the car was unloaded. Maxwell’s bed ended up in the middle of the entryway, with Sadie happily ensconced. Maxwell patrolled the apartment, eventually settling on the human bed.
And all was right in the canine world again.
Friday was nice and quiet for pups. People went golfing and shopping, and some fabulous naps were had. I even took the pups to a nearby park, where Sadie could wander off-leash, and Maxwell played fetch on his long-line. Even in the light drizzling rain, we had a great time. Sadie sniffed around, got treats for recalls, and beat on her brother. Maxwell got to burn some of his crazy energy, relax away from the crowd, and got lots of treats for getting called off another dog walking past.
The Saturday after Thanksgiving, a bunch of us were going to take the train into Chicago to hang out and have dinner. My boyfriend’s parents would watch the dogs for us, though no real walks or anything would be needed.
We had a late lunch of take-out Chinese, which meant both our pups were under the table, praying for someone to drop food. Towards the end of the meal, my boyfriend rubbed Sadie with his foot for being a good dog. She was wet.
We got her up on her feet, and found that she had been lying in a puddle for some time. It wasn’t there when we sat down to eat, so clearly she peed herself and either a) didn’t notice, or b) didn’t care. Sadie hates being wet (unless swimming is involved) so I’m going with option a.
She also walked really funny, and kept trying to just lie down wherever she was. Poor thing looked miserable. Which of course means we made her even happier by getting her into a bathtub to wash off the urine. She had already stopped moving strangely by the time we finished cleaning her up, and she shook off like a normal dog. Someone suggested that she knew she had been bad by peeing in the house. I reminded them that she was probably scared and confused, since suddenly there were six humans fussing over her and acting strangely.
Our trip into the city was cancelled, and we stayed in to watch the dog. She drank a fair amount, and peed even more, but didn’t make another mess in the house. I made sure. I took her outside at least every hour until we went to bed.
Both dogs were ready to head home the next morning. They were totally worn out from all the people and lack of dog-naps, and probably missing their routines. Sadie even slept for a while on the road home.
It’s amazing how dogs seem to know when they are close to home. By the time we got to our exit, both animals were staring hard out the windows and panting. Sadie ran back and forth, driver-side to passenger-side and back again, whining. Maxwell sat on the center armrest and looked over his shoulder at the road ahead.
As we came in the door, we just dropped stuff on the floor until the car was unloaded. Maxwell’s bed ended up in the middle of the entryway, with Sadie happily ensconced. Maxwell patrolled the apartment, eventually settling on the human bed.
And all was right in the canine world again.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
WARNING: Do Not Give Your Dogs Antler Chews!
I found a funny-looking tooth when I brushed Maxwell's teeth on Sunday. It has this grey area with plaque around it. I'm thinking oh no, major cavity. Here comes the tooth extraction! I got a better look at it last night at the club, and showed a friend. We agreed it actually looked cracked. So he went to the vet today.
Sure enough, his tooth is fractured. They put him on antibiotics, and he'll get a cleaning and X-rays next week, but the vet was fairly confident he'll get to keep the tooth. She thinks that the antler chews I gave the dogs are to blame, as they are so hard.
On a whim, she decided to give Sadie a quick look as well. I bring both dogs to all appointments, so that the non-exam dog gets to have a positive vet visit. In fact, Sadie had her annual physical last Friday, and came home with a clean bill of health.
A close inspection of her teeth, however, found an issue: a broken tooth. Not just fractured, but missing a chunk, and with another section attached only below the gumline. That sucker has to come out. Bonus, since it's a premolar, it has to be done by an oral surgeon.
DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOGS ANTLER CHEWS!
Sure enough, his tooth is fractured. They put him on antibiotics, and he'll get a cleaning and X-rays next week, but the vet was fairly confident he'll get to keep the tooth. She thinks that the antler chews I gave the dogs are to blame, as they are so hard.
On a whim, she decided to give Sadie a quick look as well. I bring both dogs to all appointments, so that the non-exam dog gets to have a positive vet visit. In fact, Sadie had her annual physical last Friday, and came home with a clean bill of health.
A close inspection of her teeth, however, found an issue: a broken tooth. Not just fractured, but missing a chunk, and with another section attached only below the gumline. That sucker has to come out. Bonus, since it's a premolar, it has to be done by an oral surgeon.
Two antler chews: $16
One tooth cleaning, X-rays, antibiotics, and one tooth extraction: Wait, how much...?
The joy of watching my dogs enjoy chewing their antlers: Totally not worth it
DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOGS ANTLER CHEWS!
Teaser 6
Your older dog is doing great; she’s got obedience, agility, and disc dog titles, and you just started herding. (For fun!) Your new pup just started competing and squeaked in his first title in under a month. You couldn’t be prouder, and want to showcase your dogs’ successes. You don’t want to just start emailing everyone you know, but want your training friends to be able to see your dogs’ titles and recent results. If only there were a place you could post bios of your dogs and highlight your proudest moments…
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