Eat, Pray, Run.

That about sums our lives up!

So. Much. Eating. 

The Pup had her first Thanksgiving. Tragically, tryptophan had no effect on her. 

The turkey overall though... mmmmm.... Happy puppy.

Um, did you guys want a bite or something?

The Pup continues her study of White Dog's counter surfing techniques.

Well, no one said White Dog had a perfect record.

The Dog is also an old hat when it comes to counter surfing. However, typically not as successful due to her stubby little legs.

 

 Black Dog would like it noted that she takes no part in naughty counter surfing.  

When people are looking, at any rate.

The Pup was able to catch on fairly quickly...

Curse those short legs. 

 Hope everyone else enjoyed their Turkey Day as much as we did! Is anyone else currently subsisting on sweet potato casserole? I know I am!
***
So basically I have some new great things to be thankful for.

Enter the 'prayer' segment.

I've been crossing all available appendages, hoping and praying for an offer on a position I'd recently interviewed for. I didn't dare mention it in case of unintended jinxing, but it's official:


The Project has a new payroll funding our weekend antics!

Yay!

I'm so excited.  The pretty much best part? TONS of vacation time!

You know what that means...

More three day agility shows!

Double Yay!

The Dog was helping to celebrate. She is such a booze hound.

Sorry, Pup, none for you.  I just don't trust you with a glass bottle...

 ***

And then there's the running. 

Who says that just because it's nearly December in Minnesota you can't play agility?

So much practice recently.  I've triggered my favorite recurring injury of shin splints- or whatever, someday I might figure out what's actually going on- running so many dang dogwalks.

Just in time for a show this weekend!

Luckily it was *only* AKC, so I figured it was safe to navigate all of four runs spread out over hours and hours. I actually fared pretty well, only having spiky pain after those dang dogwalks.

The Dog was, I think, having her own pains as well.  I'm not sure; she may have been full of turkey, but she wasn't moving exactly right this weekend.  THREE rounds gone to knocked bars.  Weird bars too, not her normal in/out of tunnels or ones down due to me getting in the way.  Her first standard run looked pretty good and she had a nice fast time but one weird bar at the end.  Her JWW run looked terrible to me, many bars.  After Saturday I got clever and enlisted kind folks to take video.  Both runs showed some odd jumping style- chin down and head very high. Not a lot of power.  I want to say that there is something funny in her front or neck- she stretched out really well in her shoulders and rear so something that I don't know as well. A new problem area?

At any rate, she held it together for a pretty nice last run.  Still the odd jumping form, but it was a pretty friendly 'Dog course' so she made it through and ended up in first. I must say, she turned it on for the dogwalk and aced that part. At least I know she had a little fun!

Video:

Another AKC show next weekend. Potential to finish off her MX and MXJ this year, which would be fun!  Mostly, time to start working on 6 double Qs... since the plan is Tulsa 2013. Exciting!
***

 In Pup news, she's still being awesome.  In this brief respite from updates, she's turned 11 brilliant months old.  Her big breakthrough has been on the weave pole plane. Here is a super crappy clip of her weaving 2 sets of 4.  Sorry if it makes anyone barf.  It's quite Cloverfield-esque.

Since the video, she has gone on to weave 6 poles.  I'm so proud! We aren't doing too much since she's still young (though thankfully not growing anymore) so I'm impressed that she has caught on so quickly.  Clearly she is doing her part to get ready for the big debut set for 3-31-2012. Woo!  The BEST part is that she's weaving and running for toys now! And bringing them back! WOW!
 ***
We're all having fun with tricks now too.  After taking the summer to train, you  know, agility, it's time to get back at trick fun time.

I'm thinking I'll get some adorable video of the girls at it this week- The Pup is learning 'bow' and 'hug' and moving on to the next step in cik/cap turns.  She's also learning how to chill out ALONE when The Dog has a turn.  So far we haven't gotten to the point of any doors being shut. Solitude makes The Pup VERY sad.

The Dog is finally learning the shut doors.  Now I'll have one dog trying to slam my fingers in drawers and another trying to to lock me out.

My favorite, though, is 'hug sister' where The Dog is supposed to put her arm around The Pup.

She's getting pretty good at not mauling The Pup's face!

Click, Treat!

A Sense of EnTITLEment

I have some thoughts:

It annoys me when Blogger doesn't work but I forgive them because they used the word 'widget' in their apologetic explanation,

Rain makes places where dogs go potty at a show smell really yucky,

Pineapple Upside Down Cake is my favorite cake AND my favorite drink. 

I actually like AKC now.  Dun dun DUNNNN! Shocking, right?

Here is what I like. AKC has removed the competitive aspects.  It's true- I doubt I'm saying anything controversial here. Yes, they have a National, and sponsor a highly sought after world team, but even at those events, they still prize consistency first.  I get here that it's really not about whether you win or lose, but seriously, how you play the game. When you go to run, it's 100% you and your dog against the course.  Because of this mentality, you get a far more accessible organization. I really do like this part too. If it's accessible, you get breed loyalty.  People can stick with their breed of choice and- in theory-have a great time running their dog and earning some titles. I think that when the competitive component is introduced, you get pressure to get a dog that can not just run, but win.

Don't misunderstand- I'm not saying any one breed is better for performance than any other, nothing is ever guaranteed. Just pointing out a common misconception. We have all seen slow BCs and amazingly fast representations of other less likely so-called 'agility dog breeds.' It really all comes down to the dog you get and how you TRAIN it. But still, there is perceived pressure and with pressure comes doubt and then things go downhill from there.

I might be wrong, but I ask how else one would explain the BC breakout in USDAA? There is an organization that holds the competitive spirit above all else. Right down to the structure of their Nationals, they hold dear the wildcard dog that can come in and take it all in one run.  I love this too. It's exciting! It's why I do USDAA and gives me reason to run to the limit every time. But I think it's at the cost of variety and breed loyalty and that makes me a little sad. Sad too, that it feels sometimes like people don't have faith in their breed and their own ability to train it to greatness.  But that's my opinion, like I said I always think it's down to the dog and handler. Confidence and all that.

But besides variety and breed loyalty and all that, there are other things that give me reason to do AKC more now. The environment is so...friendly.  I told a friend the other day that there was a supportive aspect- camaraderie. You forget what it is like to sit and watch fellow competitors and to hear cheering for run after run.  The level of niceness is very refreshing (so are the high levels of cake). I think this is something else USDAA has lost (plus there is almost never cake).

But what I don't like about an individual, title-driven mentality is that it is ALL about the Q. Or, the QQ actually.

Whenever I have downtime to observe at an AKC show it amazes me how much seems to ride on qualifying.  A beautiful first run often is dismissed as worthless after a mistake in the second run. Literally, I hear people saying to their dogs "well, we might as well have not even come today." What about the first run?? I saw it, it was lovely! Did you forget? Did you forget that your dog is only here for because you brought him? So, you're telling me you had no fun?? There really doesn't seem to be a lot of fun, on an individual level. Lots of disappointment and dogs without treats, but not much fun despite it all.

So here is some unsolicited advice.

I've learned a lot in the last year. It actually took starting AKC again to realize that I too was guilty of putting too much value on a Q- I was a Title Chaser.  When I started AKC again last summer, I looked around and saw myself- but to the next degree. I was shocked at what the pressure of title chasing did- let me just say, it's not good. Wrong mentality.  No fun. No treats for doggies.

One of the big reasons I started my little project was to hold myself accountable.  That means obsessing over running well, not over running clean. Running well means running as a team- having a good relationship with my dog. Having a good time. Getting smarter. I force myself every weekend to shed the conservative and abandon what is safe- not to buckle to the pressure of running clean but to run my girl in a daring way.

And you know what? It's working. She is running better than ever. And all those former main goals of running clean and getting titles? Just falling into place. A pleasant side effect of GOing for it.  No- every run is NOT clean.  I can honestly say some of her best runs have not been clean, but I was just as proud and praised her as though they were. And I can honestly say we are both having fun. Can you? I hope so. If not, consider this option-

It's NOT all about the Q. Or the QQ. Every run is a new opportunity for being great and seeing your dog do something amazing. Remember the best part, it IS you and your dog- together- against the course.  Let go and Let Dog, as they say. 

They say that, right?

As for my gorgeous girl- she blew me away in Standard (and finished a title!! hahaha). But before you call me hypocrite, I would have called her a genius even with a missed contact or a bar down. More to my point- the best part of my day was her recovery after a smashed bar in JWW. Bars still make her sad, but she bounced back and flew through the second half, nailing a tough exit line. Good girl. Doggie treats flowed like cake.

“So… what IS it?”

I will really need to get used to this question for the time being.  Having a Fraken-Puppy Monster does lend to some queries when people meet her, and boy, did she meet a lot of people over the last week.

This past weekend Crack Puppy laid siege to the world of AKC agility. All who met her trembled in fear and recoiled in horror.  Pitchforks and fire-y torches ensued.

Nah!  But that would make a good story!

Reality was much less interesting but probably better for building those socialization skills than being run out of the building would have been.  The club hosting the show was awesome and made room for all the ‘six month old puppies’ coming in for exposure, among them my Franken-Pup.  Puppy made lots of friends and enrolled most of them into the Bite of the Week Club- five puncture wounds and the last one is on the house.  (We DID get lots of helpful advice on that little issue, now that people believe me about the Velociraptor-like nature. THANKS! She’s getting better already actually.)  She got to play with tons of nice dogs too, work on some foundation in a new place with LOTS of distraction and just hang out in the show environment. I was blown away by how settled she was; clearly she is made for the agility world. She chilled in her crate without a single hint of a complaint and I couldn’t faze her if I tried. To her joy, she got a bunch of new toys too. She even stole... er, I mean, picked out a teeny ducky squeaky all on her own from the vendor.  

Even the most die-hard breed enthusiasts gave her a warm welcome.  There were quite a few surprised blinks and “Ohs!” when they heard what she is (it was really funny, clearly they expected a Jack or something)- I’m not sure the term “sport mix” has infiltrated every circle yet and the idea of such a blend hasn’t even occurred yet in the imaginations of some.  But they know now! There was a general assent that it could be awesome. MN is so nice and progressive. Like San Francisco with better cheese.

***

Of course, the actual point in my being there was to run The Dog (who is feeling remarkably crabby about this second billing here).  As you may recall, I was completely unsure as to what version of Dog I would have.  Turned out to be a bit of everything!

On Saturday, she had probably one of her nicest Standard runs ever- pity about the weave pole entry though! (Once again, hate winter. Cannot train entries and she is starting to miss with regularity now! GA!!) Even with a refusal/restart she had a fantastic time. I can only predict what could have been without that refusal, but since it was already one of the fastest in the class… Oh well!  I will take the good feeling over the Q any day. She had so much fun and worked so well with me it almost made me a bit teary.  Then she ran JWW just as happily (though perhaps without quite the control) and qualified in 4^th even with a trip to China (or three), so a nice day.

Sunday we started with JWW and I expected her to be a bit calmer (not a morning dog, especially when it comes to JWW). HA! HAHAHAHAHAHH! She took some of the puppies’ crack I guess. A spectacular off course over a jump instead of going in the tunnel.  I had to laugh as she trotted around the backside of the tunnel- all I saw was her ears twitching in annoyance that I didn’t appreciate her unique course design. She begrudgingly got in the tunnel and on we went.  Fine after that and good spirits, until she crashed the last jump. I was surprised and made a small gasp. Big Mistake, Leader.  That plus the break in the run earlier turned The Dog into Atlas, with the weight of the run on her shoulders.  We played after and had some rewarding fun on the practice jump, but it was not enough for the self-flagellating dog. Sigh. She ran in Standard with 100% care but about 1% zest. That is about as zesty as white bread.  Which means of course her contacts were ALL sticky (even the Aframe), she did an abused dog auto-drop on the table, and she ran like Velcro through most of it.  She qualified- she made DARN sure that she would be perfect- but I don’t like the trade off.

Oh well. What can you do? She’s sensitive, but she will get over it, more quickly than me, I suspect. Cheese bites and getting to play with coveted widdle baby toys go a long way to restoring confidence, so we went home and played on a jump, rewarding tight turns and did some happy fun tables too.  

Puppy got to do some training too and made a movie. MOST people have already seen it, but the FB protesters (ahem, MOM) can watch it here.

We also took some great pictures of her at her first show.  Since I can’t get anything of her that isn’t blurry (unless she is sleeping) it was necessary to get someone with a good, non-cell phone camera to document the day. I will share those as soon as I can get them edited.  Enjoy the somewhat fuzzy fun for now.  

"Come out of here? But I WANT to sleep in the dog toy bag!"

She was dreaming of nursing or chomping. Wonder which??

Super Head Tilt Pose with new JOLLY BALL!

Isolated moment of sweetness.