End of the season is always eventful...

Made a few mistakes today with Jenna, should have pushed her harder in jumpers. We ended up third behind an amazing pap, and one of our students with a wonderful dog and a flawless run!! Then in standard I asked for distance on the contacts and shouldn’t have, they were in, but she was kind of sticky. I’m so glad the season is over though, in the spring her contacts should be a thousand times better…they always are.

Kenzie on the other hand had flawless contacts, and a flawless standard run. Q and 1st! Only one bar in standard, and a spin that wasn't called. I'm amazed at how far that dog has come, really these last few weeks she has really come into her own. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K3J3tboPIg

As fun as today was, it wasn’t all fun and games. Chessie ate some cookies yesterday off the counter that had raisins…which she puked up. Her mommy said she looked normal today, and was all happy…which she was until we got on the start line. In jumpers she took the first three jumps, looking at me like I was torturing her. She skipped the fourth and I picked her up, I was worried that she might be sick. Raisins are toxic and can shut down the dogs liver.... needless to say I was confused and worried. As soon as we left the ring she was fine and bouncy and excited again.  Then a few hours later it was time for standard, so I was popping Chessie over the practice jump a few times. She was having so much fun, there was a MACH run in the other ring and the entire building was filled with applause and screaming. All the noise and food really pumped her up for the run. Put her on the start line and she gave me that look again, like ‘hmmm….this isn’t always fun.’ But once past obstacle 11 she picked up speed and started barking! She even growled all the way through the weaves.

I was so worried about that little girl; thankfully it was just a mild case of ring stress. It’s funny though I’ve only run her for about 6months, and known her for not all that much longer, but really I love her so much. Even though her mommy will start running her again this winter, I think Chessie and I will always have a strong bond from our agility adventures together. And really isn’t that bond like the best thing ever? Ever been so connected to your dog that every run feels flawless, regardless of whether you Q’d? I love that feeling; to me having that special bond with a dog is priceless.