3bluentru

Tugs at my heart....

Wow. A other amazing day. Standard run was a killer corse, and it not so gently murdered lots of GRAT teams, soi was thrilled to get out with just ONE refusal with Tru. Wow. The course was easier for not so driven dogs, so Biz ended up CLEAN, but abit slow. I was totally out of gas as well, long pretty hot, but fun day.

Snooker was a bit tricky...lots of different combinations to choose from. I ran Teu first, did all 4 reds for a 2,7,5,4 and thru 6 in the closing before taking the wrong side of a tunnel. Biz on the other hand, I did the same course, minus the opening red-2. And she ran so smoothly, 8,5,4 and swoosh...done for 21st place out of 229 dogs! That's not a type...229 dogs!

So proud of my little girl and my big boy Tru!

Bizs team Japan sitting in 44th of 187 teams, and Tru's, well...waaay lower. Both my teammates had E's in Standard, so we re out of the running most likely,

Ok, exhausted, thanks for all the wonderful comments, it means alot to me.

Well, I said I wanted to keep track of things at Cynosport 2014 (I sometimes wonder if I have early Alzheimer's) so here I go. If I sound like I'm bragging in these posts, well maybe I am, damn, I'm so stoked about my runs today! Ten ill get to the grumpy stuff, which of course, since I had a grand day, doesn't matter! Had I had a shitty day, man, I'd be all over the grumpy stuff.

First run was stoopid, 'Power & Speed'...fun run, but not for a warm up run IMO. You did about 5 obstacles, then onto the numbered part...I think UKI does this. It gobbled teams up...but now my incredible, amazing Tru! He ACED it! We had one HAIL MARY and pulled it off...whew! Ended up 16th out of about 70 dogs! Whoa! Fun!

Biz did great too, ACED her teeter! GOOD GIRLIE! Robert Guiterrez (Biz's godfather) had been working the ring by the tuner....she got one sniff of him (even tho he left the ring) and she as looking for him! Hahaha...made me happy, as you know she adores them to do that!

Next was Steeplechase quarter finals...and guess who was the FIRST dog on the entire event! Yup! ME AND TRU!
I have to thank Lisa Bowers here, for instilling in me that all local trials are to prepare you for Nationals, so I decided it was no big deal, I've gone first many, many times, and laid down an easy going run that ended up being 9th place! THANK YOU LISA! Sorry, can't drag video to this on the ipadfor some reason.

Biz ran, and pulled out of the tunnel, and missed an aframe contact...no worries, she was spy and fast!

GP quart finals were next for Tru, and he ACED THAT TOO, what? A perfect Q day? Wow. Tru ended up 16th, without me even considering pushing him...just running our course, and wow.

SO...ON TO SEMI FINALS IN GP AND STEEPLECHASE, yahoo!
Now the sucky part...I gotta go to bed, cuz I gotta get up at 5:30 for a Snooker briefing at 6:30 am! Yikes!!!!

Having fun, loving seeing MW folk do so well, and love seeing all the dogs and handlers having fun. Nicely nite!

Today I had my first session with a Personal Trainer. Her name is Jennifer, she is young, svelt, and...has a border collie! Most of you know I've been battling a bad back/and or hip for a while now, and NOW it's horrid. I have tried massage, chiro, infrared, had X-rays, heat, ice, you name, it.

But, I know part of the problem is my weak core...so onward!

We did alot of stretches, and squats (I have a feeling I'm going to learn to HATE squats...anyway, it was fun...we chatted about dogs, agility, kids and it went fast...and relatively easy.

Until....an hour later...BAM! I can't step on that stupid left hip! Thank goodness Russ took over dinner, served it to me while I iced....and now...I'm better! I have an ice chest next to my bed In case I need it during the night, I won't have to hobble downstairs.

We'll see how the week goes...but I'm gonna try to stick it out and see her a couple more times before I go see another ortho inEugene. Here's to strength! Mental and physical!

Life is busy when there's a Henry around!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROSIE! well...now dammit, it's belated. Blame Facebook. And thank Mick...he kept pawing me..."you forgot to wish Rosie happy birthday!" Whew...

Love RAT trials at Elma, love it better when it's not pouring rain. Started out with Master standard on Saturday...and as you can see, Tru started out'normal'...until the third obstacle, about the top of the dog walk...and it was tough going from there. I've never had a fearful dog, and Tru has never been fearful in the ring except at Corvallis after the circus ordeal. And now this....carrying over from his fear in Corvallis a couple of weeks ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag_GioiJRQg

I was sad, nearly cried, but knew that would upset him more, so we trudged on...and by days end...we managed a little triumph at the end of Steeplechase. He was CLEAN, but out of round 2... But I didn't care...HE RAN, and was HAPPY! I was ecstatic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6jPYh9pZ3s

So I went to bed happy, worried, and in deep thought...

And on Sunday, our 2nd run was GP...(Tru already has his 2 Qs for Nationals, so there was no pressure to Q)...but he managed a QUITE NORMAL, CLEAN 3rd place Q behind Desieres Pace and Blynns Ray!! AND HE RAN AND HE WAS HAPPY! And I was over the moon...and not because of the Q!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viq2sZQZo4o

And things just progressed better and better thru the day...a super fast off course in Pairs (wheeeee!), a Q in Snooker...and my favorite run all weekend, a non-Q in Jumpers...BUT HE RAN, AND HE WAS HAPPY...AND HE OVERCAME HIS FEAR! I am so proud of Tru...it had to take so much heart, so much trust, and so much love to power thru that fear. I am amazed, humbled, and in awe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWdNn6n3eic

Never before has getting a Q meant less...I always TRY to just enjoy the game, have fun, and I really don't care about the outcome...but this past weekend...I had only ONE wish...for my dog to feel balanced again...and I think we're nearly there.

Will this fear come again? Maybe. But he will know that I will be there for him...my boy, my lovely Tru. You are back.

After the sadness of freaky Tru at the Corvallis trial, I went to Portland to be with Alysa as she had surgery to remove some bad cells from her cervix. It all went well, and Rob and I tortured her with our craziness, which made her WANT to be put under to get away from us :) poor thing...I turn into a nut when I'm in a hospital, cracking stupid jokes and being weird...and of course, Rob tops me! We had a blast.

Then I spent the rest of the week working in the yard, and laying more bricks around the house to try to de-mud it for years to come. Damn those bricks are hard...I have little bruises all over my thighs! But it's coming along...96 bricks down...many many more to go.

I'm definitely not a champion bricklayer...but I enjoy the result!

On Saturday, Stephanie and Henry came over and we played outside, he took a nap, then we all went to the zoo....and THEN.. Henry got to spend the night with JUST ME! We had so much fun...he just adores the dogs, and they adore him. Jammer might be a jerk at times, but he loves kids, especially Henry...he just lays next to him as Henry wiggles his fingers in his fur...

Plus...
, I can get him to do ANYTHING by bribing or threatening (as the case may be) with the dogs!

I.e. "I don't want to take a bath!"
But the dogs want to watch you take a bath..

This is his pool side bar...he was offering them coffee...so fun.

And where does Henry sleep on impromptu sleep over night? On a bed made off dog beds of course (lay 2 side by side and add blankets!),..with his 'best friend' Mick at his side, and dog toys everywhere. I had to move them off his bed, where he had gathered them all...

It was a great week!

Then I came home, and became depressed again...so much to do over at moms, but we are getting thru it...and just a few more days and I get to go to Portland and RAT! Yes, life is good....it just has a few speed bumps right now.

Hope to see man of you there!

Weeeel...the Corvallis curse hit us again this year, hard and heavy.

As many of you remember, the circus came to town...3 years ago with lions, tigers and/or bears at the fairground arena. Tru WAS NOT a fan of the circus! He was terrified of the smell of something, as we're many other dogs. Tru WOULD NOT run in the left hand arena, no way. The right hand area was okay, and we could be thru a course, but definitely NOT the left side.

Last year was thought again in the left hand arena, and then I entered an AKC show there last year, and on his 2 Nd run...he ran OUT OF THE ARENA.

Sooo...this year I had trepidation about going to the trial at all...but with all that has been going on, I was SO looking forward to a weekend with dogs, friends and agility I entered. I thought I might have to throw the Steeple chase run if it was in the left hand arena, but most of my classes wold be in the right hand arena. ...so I entered.

Friday night I asked the trial chair if I could walk hi. Around the area...which I did, and he was fine...not an issue.

Our first run on Saturday was gamblers...and he WAS excited, normal high with a tad extra since we hadn't played in a while....we were both excited! The results were horrifying. As ou can see he starts out in super drive and happy...(its a Short video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AifF7SP-DvI

And so, I went and talked to the judge, which was good, cuz she wondered what happened, as he started out so well. I asked if I cold just do a couple obstacles in the next class, which was standard, and head out to reward. She was great, and said I could so anything I wanted to. So I planned to do jump tunnel (which he had done so happily in gamblers), the teeter and out. (Epic fail (this video is even shorter). I placed Julie Pitt at the arena gate to catch him if he bolted out of the arena..and he did....right around the corner and into a soft crate that was just like ours, only one space down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWB7QeU9J4Y

You can see Julie saying SHIT! As he bolts past, and Tammy looking astonished! We all were. I pulled him from the rest of the weekend. Tu was fine outside the arena, and I did walk him around outside the arenas over the weekend, with confident Mick in tow. I also took him into the arenas after the snow on Saturday on leash, and he was timid, tail tucked, but better. No treats and I didn't push him to tug...poor dog!

It breaks my heart to think that something has frightened him so badly. I don't think it will carry over to other venues, it hasn't in the past.

I think Nancy Kemna said it best..."he's just brilliant. He says, "why should I go back into the lions den when I escaped once? I'm NOT going in there to give that lion another chance!". Trunks back to his normal loving fun self, and that's all that really matters.

AND on another note...at this SAME VENUE, LAST YEARS AKC SHOW...Biz would NOT do the teeter, and this year, she had not changed her mind...ugh!

So....we will not be returning to Corvallis for an agility show anytime soon.

I have been trying to stay on my running regiment...ugh...SO hard when you are THIS age...but I keep plodding along. I have a goal...to RUN 3 miles in the SAND DUNES. It's a BIG goal...hard as hell...but a goal I would LOVE to ACHIEVE at this age. I'm doing the 'Couch to 5K'...and feel if I can do this in the DUNES, I can DO IT ANYWHERE. So now I've confessed, and now I know YOU know, which will hopefully make me achieve it even more.

Each night I run I hurt EVERYWHERE...each morning I feel better than the night before! The body is an amazing thing, I also have GREAT partners...and GREAT places to run...my favorite track:


And my second NOT SO FAVORITE, HARD AS HELL TRACK:


It often 'PAYS' to keep your eyes open while cooling down...like finding a needle in a haystack!

This was a new trail for me in the dunes...it would thru the dunes on an ATV trail...then opened up to the above shot...I loved it, but it IS abit isolated...and although Tru and Biz do not like strangers...I doubt they could save me from a band of wild ATV'ers. Sign...need to get that gun permit! (yes, I am going to do that!)

Still working on cleaning out Mom's house, ugh, such a horrible process. I hate it, and it depresses me, but thank GOD for Russ...he has been wonderful!

I didn't go to the RED HOT ROVERS trial, as it backed up to WAG...and Argus is just SO FAR. someday we will be closer, and then I can go if I want easier. Hope to see lots of you at WAG...gotta head out for a run!