More practice!

Today Nova did a beautiful job with the Ketschker on #2 to the weaves. She also did a really nice job on the teeter, serpentine and front cross. Her weave entries still need a lot of management but she’s doing great and is so much fun. Vega did better today on that serpentine I was struggling yesterday.

The orange numbers is something I tried with Vega mostly because I wanted to see if I could layer a jump and have her stay in. We did Ketschker in front of #2 and I layered #4 and did Ketschker there too. She did a lot of barking at me (maybe not what she’s expecting me to do?) but she read it perfectly each time. It’s funny how she let’s me know when she’s unhappy with something I’ve done. Nova, on the other hand, never makes a sound!

Fred decided to make up a sequence for me off of what I had set up. It turned out to be very fun and full of front crosses. Someday I have to figure out some exercises with blind crosses too. We’ll go out later this afternoon again.

Practice

I finally figured out that if I don’t go to PT I don’t hurt so I cancelled all my appointments and will rehab myself. So far it’s going great.

Today I went out to set up a portion of the WT Tryouts standard run and ended up with something that was more like what we did in class on Monday.

I practiced the Ketschker on 2 with both dogs. Vega read it beautifully every time but Nova struggled more. I finally did a front cross and she nailed it. I think it worked better for her for me to hold up and let her hit her weave entry too.

I both dogs did really well with a rear cross between 6 and 7 but I really struggled getting 10 with both dogs. I think I was babysitting the teeter too much so I was not where I should have been. I’ll have to work that more tomorrow. I’m also going to try to do a Ketschker before 5 and see if I can do a blind between 6 and 7! Woohoo! Scary stuff for me (but fun)!

I have to change my theme back to the old one… this one is really bugging me!

Frustrated

I was really frustrated in class this week. Vega was annoying me, I couldn’t do any of the sequences we did so well the week before, my knee hurt and I felt rushed (my own doing).

I forgot that bringing a ball to class was going to make Vega over the top. I’m not sure how I could possibly forget that or maybe I thought she was past it but I didn’t even notice the ball had her a little insane until Katrina reminded me!

I had PT Monday afternoon so my knee was sore going into class. The big source of my frustration there is that I just didn’t do that much in PT, rode the bike for 10 minutes, jogged for 1 minute, did 20 agility side to sides and 20 squats… that’s it! Yesterday my knee swelled up and I ended up doing nothing all evening except sitting with ice on it. I just can’t imagine how I’m supposed to be able to do more than one day of a trial when it takes me two days to recover from any activity.

I’m trying to not be frustrated with myself since there’s really nothing I can do to speed things up but I want to get back to the way things were. I want my life back.

I’m pretty sad but I’m going to pull the dogs from all the trials I’ve entered them in. I honestly don’t think I can do them especially given how hard it was for me to race Nova across the building Monday night. I haven’t sent the in premium for DAPPR and will wait until just before it closes to decide if I should. I would like to compete once before camp, if nothing else to get a fix on what I(we) can do. I guess we’ll see.

Trying to end on a positive note:
** With the money I’m saving on premiums I’m going to go join the YMCA tonight and start swimming and put Alyssa in swim lessons.
** Vega had a fabulous time in class Monday and got to play a bunch.
** Nova got a lot more distance on some sends to a tunnel and is doing a really nice job of following me around sequences.
** Merlin had a wonderful nosework class. He loves doing hides outside. He was happy all the way through class and his tail was wagging the whole time. It was fun to watch him do so well.

First class after second surgery was fantastic!

It’s been a month since our last class and 3 weeks from surgery and we went back to class tonight. I know last month I wandered around saying I just couldn’t have surgery again because I figured I’d be out of commission for several more months again. Thankfully I was wrong. I felt stronger and faster than I did three weeks ago and though I still feel some soreness I am very much improved.

I guess all a person has to do is spend a few months not being able to move without pain or muster any kind of strength or have to stop doing the one thing they love to do so much to really appreciate what a gift it was when they had it. I can’t even begin to explain how grateful I am that I got to play with my girls tonight and that I get to play with them again tomorrow and hopefully the next day. I have really missed them a lot and I sure hope I always remember how lucky I am to get to play… even if we aren’t very good sometimes.

Tonight was extra cool because there was an amazing amount of improvement.

• Nova had more distance and fabulous sends tonight
• Both girls struggled to get collection and finally got some
• Vega’s weaves are really approaching phenomenal
• I did a Ketschker Turn with both girls and all three of us did great!
• I did a blind on the landing side of a tire and it was perfect every time! Huge since I was so afraid before.
• Nova did great at her figure eights with pushes
• My Vega still gives me hell when I make her collect

Nights like tonight make me very excited for the future.

Yet another surgery and Vega’s 4th birthday!

It’s hard to believe it’s only been a month since I last posted. So much has happened. The week of March 12th I went on call again and got to put in 74 hours that week! I’m not complaining because I know I’m lucky to have a job but some weeks I don’t feel terribly lucky. It’s amazing how far behind you can get on everything else in your life when that happens too.

That same week I had another MRI done and found out on St. Paddy’s Day that I had to have surgery again. Part of my meniscus had healed but part of it broke back off. So much for stomping around and saying I won’t have surgery again.

My most perfect, sweet Vega turned 4 on March 26th! We celebrated in the morning playing ball and having a sardine snack (that was all her – not me)! I can hardly believe she’s 4 already. It’s going way too fast. Love those crooked ears!

Then I ran off to have surgery! It turns out the doctor was right and this surgery was much easier. It only took 1/2 and hour (last one was 1 1/2 hours), there was no nerve block (thank God) and nothing cut, screwed or rebuilt! He went in, took the offending piece of meniscus out, took a few pictures and left. I walked out of there a couple of hours later feeling pretty damn good.

It’s been 2 1/2 weeks since this last knee invasion and I feel great! Two nights ago I walked 1.5 miles and last night went 2.1 miles and have had no soreness at all! I have never bothered to walk the border collies because they’ve always just wanted to play ball but after just two days they’ve gotten really good at it and are really enjoying our nightly prowls. Merlin was really excited when it was his turn last night.

My next goals are to lose the weight I’ve gained since October (and some) and get some strength back in my legs. Six months of sitting around on my behind has not been kind to me at all. Goal is to lose 40 lbs. I entered a dog trial in 6 weeks and am running Vega and starting Nova! Since she has no send I better be able to run.

My crazy Nova

Getting to play with my girls again

It has been really bugging me trying to figure out how to be able to train with my girls when there was no way I was going to be able to go back to class and keep up with the other humans.

I asked Katrina about privates and she did everything she could to make it as easy for me as possible to do. I seriously could not have gotten a better, more accommodating instructor and I’m so thankful that I stumbled upon FAAD and Katrina all those years ago. I can’t think of another person who would give so much to help me get to play with my dogs in the last five years. Incredible!

So begins a new journey for me and my girls. We do privates on Mondays that include Vega, Nova and Ben. I can’t run yet but I can do small sequences that don’t involve turning. This week Fred and Ben had their first class (more on her blog about that). I worked on Nova sending to a tunnel and coming out to me, wraps ending by my side, walking next to me and weaves. Vega and I did weaves back to a tunnel and a tunnel to a jump using the Ketchner move. Reinforcement that we made the right choice in our training.

That move was taught to everyone in class after I had surgery so I’ve not gotten to try it before Monday and it’s just not as intimidating to be behind everyone else when you don’t have to see that. I got to play with my girls, learn something new and be successful. Wow!

Not getting to play with my dogs for so many months has given me a different perspective on it, especially with Vega. I really don’t care if we ever Q again or if she ever gets those titles she so deserves to have as long as we get to play and have fun together. My posted on FB tonight:

I don’t care what Vega could have been with a different handler. She’s mine, I’m hers, we love each other and good, bad or ugly it’s our game together.

No more frustration, no more feeling like I have something to prove, no more feeling like she should be with someone else… We had a good time playing in class and she’s just as happy as if she was winning Nationals. I’m just so happy that I get to play!

Merlin loves his job

It’s only January 6th and Merlin is already having a great year. He made the FAAD calendar this year for the first time! I was so touched to see him there. He also turned 5 on Monday and is finally turning into an (almost) normal dog. I don’t think it’s age and maturity though as much as him having a job that he loves. He’s been doing nose work for a year now and he gets more confident every week. There have been a couple of times in the last couple of months that I’ve pulled him from class (only to save money) but weeks like this week remind me of why he needs this so much. He truly loves playing his “find it” game and especially loves outside hides.

This week in class hides were in the hay barn and the car building. He was so excited waiting outside the hay building his tail was wagging like crazy! Last year this week he was terrified of food in an open box! He went in and sniffed around a bit and then climbed the hay bales to the rafters to find his first hide!!! He was way up above my head! I was shocked and so proud of him. He found the second hide pretty easily on the cart by the entrance.

His next set of hides were in the car building on the trailer. He found the one in the back pretty quickly and then came to the second one and stood up with both his paws on the trailer to indicate it! Again, what a good boy. He wagged his tail all the way in and all the way back out. We did another hide in the hay building which he found easily enough, though I leaned in too soon on that one.

Tonight we did hides in the house and I faked him out with an empty tin I stuck at eye level. I’m not sure why but I was pretty proud of myself. I hid scent in chapstick tubes tonight and put the first on my keyboard on my desk. He was convinced the way to get to the scent was to put his feet up on my chair but it rolls so he was afraid. He was so cute pawing at the desk and barking (!) at me to tell me where it was. I didn’t give in though until he leaned up and put his nose on it. We did a few more hides but the other big one for him was having to walk across the scary treadmill to get it on the floor on the other side.

The best part about all of it is watching him get excited about getting to play. He’s started jumping up on my to say Hi or to get love! I know most people train their dogs to not do that but it took Merlin 5 years to get the confidence so I encourage it. He has also gotten better about playing in general. He’ll actually bring me a ball now to play with him instead of waiting until I start it. He’s less pushy with his sisters and he shares better. He is just much nicer to be around and he’s a lot happier.

A new beginning in 2012

I never bothered to catch up with the end of 2011. It didn’t turn out the way I planned and with knee surgery in October it was too depressing to write about so I’m just going to start new… now. I have no plan for going back into competition. I don’t even have a planned for taking my dogs back in class. I figure when it quits hurting when I run I’ll think about it.

Vega is in Masters everything, Excellent A Standard, Open JWW and Open FAST. Kenette has been running her in class since November and doing a fabulous job. She’s been going a little stir crazy since I don’t practice with her much. It’s just been the last couple of weeks I could run the weave poles. Today I set up “A” in the Alphabet Drills book and she practiced rear crosses, front crosses and threadles. Just for fun I stood back behind the weaves on the right and sent her to the end without moving. She couldn’t do it in the gamble earlier this year but actually did today!!! What a good girl. She’s so ready for me to start playing with her every day again. Soon.

Nova has been playing with Greg in class and is doing so well. She’s all about paying attention and doesn’t take off the way Vega did (does). She also doesn’t like to send so much either but she’s really fast and silly and fun. She just got upright weaves (again) on New Year’s Day! She had them the beginning of October and then I couldn’t move after surgery so she lost them again. Earlier this week she only had the entry and exit if she was on my right. Today she had the entry and exit on my left too. Now we have to get some decent entries.

We practiced rears, front crosses and threadles too and she did REALLY well. I don’t move very well so she’s having to follow some sloppier than normal handling but we’re getting there, very slowly.

Practicing mental management…

Our adventure started Friday morning. I got everyone packed up and in the car at 8:23am. I note this because it’s the first time I’ve ever gotten going early. Off to a good start… We stop to fill the tank and then to the park to play ball. About ½ a block from the park, as I’m driving of course, I turn to say something to Fred and hit the curb. I got out, looked and the steel is showing on the right front tire and there’s a big bubble in the side. Okay… think fast. I drove over to the new Discount Tire in Monument (about ½ a mile from my house) and run in and say, “How fast can you get new tires on that van. I’ve got to be in Laramie in four hours.” Lucky for me there’s nothing going on there and I have four new tires in 21 minutes! Fabulous, I’m on the highway at 9:29am!

After that little mental management exercise I decide that I’m not going to focus on the ridiculous amount of money I spent for those tires and just get to Laramie. As I’m driving up I notice that a section of my shoe is coming off the bottom. Okay, that’s just not going to work. Somewhere on Highway 287 I stopped to fill up and buy super glue. I took the little cap with the needle attached and stuck it in the tube of super glue. I, of course, need both hands to fix my shoe so I pulled the cap out of the tube with my teeth. I have the super glue in one hand and the shoe in the other and commence to gluing. When I’m done gluing and holding down my shoe pieces I take the cap out of my mouth with a little tug… oh oh! My top lip is stuck to my front teeth! I’d complain or laugh but I can’t really do either very well. After a few minutes I get my lip loose and then spend the next ten minutes trying to scrap the super glue off of my teeth so no one notices at the trial. Nice! This is turning into one little mental management exercise after another. What next? I know! Maybe I can order up a swarm of bees or even better a bunch of snakes in the parking lot of the dog trial. That would be cool. I could get all the way there and be held hostage in my van with the amazing new tires and my sore lip!

I put the address for the arena in my GPS but it didn’t find it. I picked the next closest address and figured if I couldn’t figure it out I’d call someone. After I unstuck my lip I was passed by the FRAC trailer and thought this is perfect! I’ll just follow them. I know where they’re going. I continue speeding behind a madman racing up Highway 287, while scraping my front teeth, for 35-40 miles. Who drives like this with a trailer full of agility equipment? Wow. Well, I manage to keep up and follow him right into the McDonald’s parking lot! Oh look, the madman is Rob! He’s going to know for sure he’s being stalked. I pull in, park behind him and wait while he slowly walks over to get his food and slowly walks back to his truck. Poor Fred mentions how hungry she is and how much she’d love some McDonald’s but I didn’t drive like an idiot for almost 40 miles to have the madman lose me in a McDonald’s parking lot! Too bad kid! After a while we are back on the road and pull into the arena parking lot. Well hallelujah, we’re here and no snakes!!!

No more Novice for Vega!

No matter how hard I tried we just couldn’t seem to Q Novice JWW. I started joking that we’d have MACH points before we got into Open or that I was going to just hang out and wait for Nova to join us but it was really starting to bug me. Honestly the biggest issue seemed to be the wide-open courses. We don’t train for NADAC and the 25 feet between jumps was kicking my butt though most of the time if I was “there” I was in the wrong place and caused an off course or a bar down.

Since I decided I had a much better shot at tighter courses I made a point of entering the trial the Durango club puts on every year because Sheila Kauffman was the judge. Vega got her first jumpers Q under her and I knew she would have courses that we could do.

We stayed in a Days Inn in Cortez that was old but turned out to be right across the street from a really nice park and lake. Turns out all three BCs LOVED going there every morning and evening and quickly had a pattern of fetch the ball in the park then fetch the ball in the lake (to cool off). There was a nice playground for Fred to play on too.

Saturday they changed the running order and we ended up running JWW around 11 and immediately did Masters Standard. Since we’re in Exc A we ran around 1:30 so it was a lovely short day for us.

That Novice JWW course was absolutely perfect for us and I was excited to go. It started out 2 straight jumps into a pinwheel and then a tunnel. Vega came around to the 3rd jump of that pinwheel and I said tunnel and there she went… right past that jump into the tunnel. What a good girl, damn it. Oh well we finished that course and I learned (something besides holding up and support longer). I walked that course managing a jump after a tunnel on the landing side of the jump because I was sure I couldn’t get there. Then I ran it and forgot to go to the landing side and I was right where I thought I couldn’t be. On THIS run I decided I don’t ever have to think “I won’t get there” again because I can and do more often than not. We may not have Qd this run but it was really good for me to figure this out.

We had a really nice standard run and if I’d trusted Vega to stay in the weaves while I rear’d them I think we’d have Qd it too. Another note to self…

Sunday was a VERY long day with the pressure of “I NEED TO GET THIS Q”. We got to the park at 7am. We ran standard at 10am. It wasn’t good. Vega was giving me hell at the turn from 2 to 3 and went past the jump. I’m sure she never even saw it since she was so busy being in my face! We finally pulled it together at 5 and had a nice run but, of course, NQ.

It was 95 degrees and we waited 7 hours for the JWWW run. It was miserable. All of the dogs were bored (you can only play ball so many times and do so many hides). Fred was bored. There was no one at the playground and we’d forgotten the cards. The day seemed to take forever.

We finally got to walk at about 4:45pm. It was a tougher course than Saturday’s and Vega was over-the-top wound. The opening was okay… 2 jumps, front cross to jump, tunnel. I remembered to hold up at a jump after the tunnel so Vega wouldn’t run by it. Perfect weave entry, I chickened out on a front cross after that and did a rear. Good news is she had a REALLY wide turn because she didn’t read my rear cross at all. That gave me a huge head start on the speed circle coming up. That speed circle four jumps across the back and a jump coming in towards me (the kind Vega lives to run by). I was so far ahead that I just slowed up and called her in over it and then back out over another jump and back in a little for the finish. YAY!!! We did it.

I turned around to tell Sheila thank you and she was cheering too. VERY COOL Silly but I was tearing up when I took my very, very awesome little dog to play. Attempt number 14, according to my cohorts, is just not that many but it sure felt like it to me and it was really a great feeling to finally get it. Fred tried to videotape but got so excited there was more grass on the video than the run.

We went to Dairy Queen, then the lake one more time to celebrate and then made the long drive home. We finally got home at 3:30am. I had to work that next morning so it was a really long couple of days but totally worth it.