Riff and LP (video)

LP played with Riff again on Wednesday.  FUN!!!

Lumbar-Friendly Agility Handling

Practice Needed!  Handler Wanted!

So I'm doing the best I can to follow my PT's advice (except for "maybe you should find something else to do with your dogs"), and recover - carefully, but quickly - from my back problems. 
"Be Gone, Damn Bulging Discs!  Away With You, Pinched Nerve!"   There - that should help.  (Slapping hands together.) 
:-)

with MANY THANKS to LAURI P for playing with Riff at her agility field during my recovery.  YAY!!! 

with SPECIAL THANKS to MY SWEET HUSBAND, for helping my dogs stay exercised in the backyard.  Thank You for listening to my never-ending advice (which sometimes bubbles up even when I've told myself to 'rut the shuck up').  And Thank You for doing your best to follow my advice.  Even Keeper is beginning to understand exactly what you want, and to REALLY LIKE you.
;-)

Riff adores LP!  Riff also adores CF, my husband, and a couple of other people.  But he likes me most of all.  Honest.  Really. 

Well, for one thing - I feed him.  Heh heh.  And I'm not sure why I felt compelled to announce that - about him liking me best.  Of course he likes me!  Does it even matter if he likes me "best"?  Maybe not.  I tell you what, though - it can be tough, sometimes, to sit on the sidelines and Watch Other Folks Have Fun With Your Young Dog.  Especially if you're already in pain. 

Sitting it out can be a test of one's mental state.  When you're sidelined with an injury, does Doubt creep into your thoughts?  Fear?  Regret?  Sorrow?  Maybe even Depression?   I've had all of these mental states visit me during these past few weeks. 

Mostly I acknowledge their presence, let them wash through me - but not for long - and then banish them.  I tell myself this is a recovery similar to many others - One Day At A Time.  I've never been an AA member (knock on wood), but I do appreciate their Serenity Prayer.

Every day is precious (hey, especially at my age), so I try to make a Good Discovery each day.  I love to learn.  Maybe I'll find something in a book (so I've been reading a lot), maybe I'll see something while I'm watching Riff play with someone else.  Maybe I'll make a discovery about how to handle my dog on the agility field, even though I'm just sitting on the couch, trying to teach him a new trick.  The universe can be a wily jokester, or a generous teacher.  Either way - I guarantee! - you will find something wonderous every day.....if you just keep looking....even at the small stuff...

This weekend, as I spent hours watching the LiveStream broadcast of World Team Try-Outs, I sometimes wondered what I was going to take away from it (other than learning not to sit in that silly chair for too long).
Perhaps this is it:

When we get back to training, I'd like to shape my partnership with Riff in such a way that my body can stand up to it for years to come.  (His body, too!)  It could be that I need to incorporate several "methods" into my handling.  I'd like to stay ahead of my dog on the field, as much as humanly possible...and I'd like to avoid slamming my body into sudden stops, twists and turns.  I'd like to run as smoothly as I can, and I'd like my dog to run as quickly as he can, and turn as tightly as possible. 

So that's what I'm going to be thinking about for a while.  Maybe I'll start a new journal, and keep notes regarding specific ideas.  "On Developing a Celestial Style of Lumbar-Friendly Agility Handling"  Subtitle:  "For the Aging Yet Determined Handler"  Yeah...that sounds good.  Heh heh. 

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a link to Daisy Peel's website.  Nice article. 

http://www.daisypeel.com/blog/is-it-real/

All Kinds of Moms

There are all kinds of moms in the world, and - for me - this Mother's Day weekend featured "Mom" as "Agility Dog Handler"...specifically of the World Team variety. 

You wouldn't believe how many hours I spent in front of my computer screen, watching a LiveStream of the World Team Try-outs in Minnesota.  A lot.  I got swept away with it....much to the chagrin of my husband and my little doglings, who no doubt felt somewhat neglected.  I did come out of my office, however, to go to dinner with some friends...and when my son and his girl showed up for a visit.  I guess this means I'm addicted to agility, but not (yet?) hitting bottom... 

What an exciting event!  Many of the best handlers in the country were there, and they put on a terrific show.   There's nothing quite as wonderful as watching a world-class dog-and-handler team run a tricky agility course.  It takes years of heartfelt attention, work and play to reach that level.  Kudos to everyone there! 

Icon looked good.  Until he got sick :-( and had to be pulled from competition.  By all reports he's going to be fine, though.  (Whew!)  He still has lots of excellent agility in store....

I love watching Daisy P run her dogs.  This is Jester.  Her #1 dog Solar won the Large Dog overall division, so they're going to the World competition in France, in October.  She's a fast, fast runner, and her dogs aren't too shabby either!  ;-)  Daisy lives in Washington.



I'm not sure Laura J remembers giving me some encouragement at one of the trials, when Keeper and I were struggling.  But I sure remember her.  She is nice, nice, nice!  And we love her split-face BC, Kep.  So when they won the Round 5, Large Dog class....what a thrill!  WOOHOO!!!

Ashley seemed to be experimenting on a new start-line stay/longer leadout for Luka.  Luka didn't seem too happy with it, and they were 'out of sync' for much of the weekend.  They sure made up for it by winning the Round 5, Medium Dog class.  :-) 

Another local competitor is JD, who runs a speedy Papillon named Tantrum.  She's really nice, too.  Tantrum won second place overall in the Small Dog division, earning a place on the World Team.  YAY!



I like watching Linda Mecklenburg run, too.  I've watched a few of her training-online series.  She's great.  This is her dog Wonder. 

Vicarious Moments

Watching the AKC WORLD TEAM TRY-OUTS in Minnesota, on livestream this weekend.  Many great dogs and handlers are there.

The only local team I caught practicing today was Rob and Wings.  Nice.  I'll pick up a running schedule as soon as they post it, and hopefully catch at least a few of the fantastic teams I'd like to see (among which are my friends)! 

GO!!!!

:-)



Stayin alive, stayin alive...

...ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' ali-i-i-i-ive.

I've had this song stuck in my head.

But the part about "I'm a dancin' man" makes me feel a little blue.  So I get up off the recliner and dance a few steps to feel better.  Some folks might call it "moving around" but I like to think of it as dancing.  Riff gets up off the floor - all excited, tail curled tightly over his back.  He's ready to JUMP and BARK, because he's pretty darn sure SOMETHING IS HAPPENING.  He hasn't seen me dance much, so he's not sure what's going on.  He glances at the TV - did the Giants hit a homer?  Nope.  TV's off.  Poor pup can't hear the song in my head, so I sing a few bars for him: 

Whether you're a mother
Or whether you're a brother
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breakin'
And ever'body shakin'
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive....

...but by the time I reach the ah, ha, ha's, he's barking and carrying on way too much, and he's jumping on me and I'm almost falling down, and I'm laughing, but it hurts.  It hurts quite a bit.  So I sit down again. 

I tell Riff, "We'll go outside in a minute.  Just let me ice my back for a few minutes longer, young feller.  You whippersnapper, you.  Baby dog.  Big goober.  Restless baby dog..."  And I'm rubbing his shoulders like he likes, and he's settling down again.   

Keeper has watched the whole thing from under the kitchen table.  She's quite a bit more laid-back than Riff is.  She lifted her head to watch us dance, but now she sighs, and lays it back down.  Life isn't very exciting for the puppers when 'mom' has a bad back. 

Learning PATIENCE isn't easy either.  So I've decided to go ahead and get a cortisone shot in the disc in my back.  Maybe it'll take some of this pain away, and let me start my cool new exercise program to build strength in my back and legs, and prevent this sort of nerve-pinch from ever happening again.  May 12th is shot day.  (Shudder.)  I'm sure it will be FINE.  FINE!!!  In the meantime:

I've read a few books...

....I've put ice on my back, and a heating pad on my leg - pretty much all day, every day (it seems like)...

....and even got wired up to a TENS unit. It's an electrical nerve stimulator, designed to help Pain Go Away.  The PT said it's like allergy medicine.  Not a cure, but it helps with the symptoms.  It's something I never thought I'd try.  But beggars can't be choosers, as me old mam used to say.  Pretty much whatever they suggest, I'm willing to give it a try.

All of this is helping.  YAY!!!    We want to get back out to the agility field....ASAP!


Totally enjoy watching all the YouTube videos of friends running dogs at shows like the USDAA show in Prunedale.  (Fantastic runs!  Looks like it was a lot of fun.  Keep those videos coming!)  I bought the LiveStream for the World Team Try-Outs this weekend.  And must admit I look forward to watching the Derby (even though I think they run those horses way too young.)

I was trying to explain to the PT how cool the Agility Community is (he does TaeKwonDo, so he's into sports communities)...but I got all verklempt and had to stop.    

Working hard at getting better....
I miss everybody!

A Nice Photo

photo by Bo Vanecko

You Are About To Be....

kissed!! by Keeper.....

and Riff. 

Happy 1st Day of May!