Mock Obedience trial this Sunday

[Jovial Monk]

Hmmmm not sure how it happened. Can't really vaccinate against kennel cough, like 'flu it keeps mutating. Not sure if the dog was coughing (incubation period 9-10 days) or started soon after.

So no lessons until the mock trial at my club Sunday week--going tomorrow with a few other people to practice by ourselves, then will take that long walk.

Talking about sickness, I feel like the flat side of hammered dogshit today, irritable bowel syndrome

[Jovial Monk]

Did the mock trial this morning, dog working very nice, doing all the turns sits stands & drops but too soon, ran off to do a pee then ran out the ring & across the next one. I got her and shoved her in her crate until the stays (1 min sit stay, 3 min drop stay) which she did very nicely.

I read ("How to train a Superdog" which I bought a few weeks ago) and realised Demi is underexercised: so today after I finished stewarding at the trial took off for Bridgewater and the last bit of the Pioneer Womens Trail. got lost of course, walked quite a few KM of the Heysen Trail (incl a wrong turn that likely added 2Km to the walk )Not sure that was the Pioneer Womens trail tho, so bit of research and another walk perhaps.

This year not a good one for long walks, a LOT wetter and colder than last year and as trainee instructor by the time lunch time comes around going for a big walk is the last thing on my mind! But I will have to drag my ancient carcass along for a long walk nevertheless I guess.

Relaxing now--hope Frogen don't hate me--with a pint of Samuel Smith "Old Brewery Pale Ale."

Oh, BTW, Demi has been shorn! Well, mostly shorn anyway, I do need to finish a few bits, then some all-over tidying--will post a piccy in a few days.

[Jovial Monk]

I tell you what, taking the dog for walks like today, even when it is along roads, like unfortunately today was, you do see parts of the countryside and vistas you just do not see any other way. Unfortunately I left the camera in the car this afternoon.

Today i walked past Hills properties that I don't think were working or hobby farms but were still huge parcels of land, with sweeping long driveways, dams etc and huge areas of what I can only call parkland.

In one walk last year I got to a point where I could look along the whole Adelaide hills face, quite a spectacular sight.

Since the weather will warm up soon and snakes come out of hibernation i don't think I will make too many more Hills walks. But I might make that particular walk again.

Another walk, had lost the Pioneer Women's Trail and got to a point where i was standing at the top of a steep hillside (not quite a cliff) looking at cars apparently rushing to destruction by pranging into the hillside but of course actually going into the Heysen Tunnels on the SE freeway here in Adelaide. Want to get there again and take a movie of it on my digicam. Very emotive at first.

[Jovial Monk]

OK so get out of bed early and take dog for a walk. It waited till I was well away from home then started raining! Not hard but wet all the same! Waited out the worst of it then kept going. Walked dog about a Km on a short lead then we got to this park and I took the lead off and encouraged dog to run run run! I go down one side of the park, up the other, dog back on lead and over the railway then into another park where she was off lead then I heeled her a few hundred metres off-lead and she did that well. Then lead on and back home, both fairly wet.

Stupid dog waded into the duckpond, guess she really wants a duck dinner I called her to me to get her out of there and then OF FUCKING COURSE she shook herself all over me! hehehehe never a dull moment with a demented terrier.

If reasonably dry I will shoot home sharpish this afternoon and take her to the dog park.

[Jovial Monk]

My aches have aches. If Demi has to be exercised then unfortunately so must *I* Ugghhh!

So up at 5.30am today, head out a few minutes later, walk to a park (2Km away) take Demi off lead & let her run until near the other boundary when I put her back on the lead and we walked another 2Km to the dog park, do a few circuits, poor Demi had to cope with a bossy whippet bitch then lead back on and back home, got back at 8.30. Three hour walk!

Tonight, close up and take Demi to parklands and get her to run for a while then we do a big walk returning in time for the lesson. Then walk again tomorrow morning--might drive down to the beach.

Getting Demi exercised is fucking gonna kill me! Oh well, next trial is Sunday, hope my sacrifice has been worth it! The Sunday after that we (my club) is competing for a perpetual shield--be nice if it was Demi that won it for us (various clubs field teams of four plus one reserve) as she is solid in the recall, stand for exam and change of position even is hopeless in the heel free bit (heel free=not on a lead.) The Sunday afternoons we will do serious walks, 4-5 hours!

[Jovial Monk]

Just sent in an entry form for the trial in Barmera last Sunday of August--SA Riverland. Will close shop a couple hours early on Sat then drive down and stay in motel overnight.

That plus this Sunday & the next--if she hasn't passed a couple then I won't enter any more for a while, try and overcome the running off problem. My club has a trial in October, be nice if she got her third leg and Companion Dog (CD) title then!

[Jovial Monk]

I don't think it is an underexercised dog anymore! Faaaaark, did 90 minute walk along Jetty Rd Glenelg then the Jetty & back last night. Last night was Thu so late night shopping was on and, somehow, I found myself leaving A&R bookshop with 3 books on dog training/behavior. How did that happen??

This morning up before 6.00, then a two hour fucking walk! Did I say this is killing me? Arthritic hip throbbing nicely as I type this. Sat am I get to the shop early to crush grain for Packs and grain orders so will plan to close sharp on 4.00, shoot home and take dog for 2-3 hour walk, maybe on the beach. Demi loves wild weather so the beach should suit her to a T but then I will have to give her a bath and dry her by the heater so maybe not.

However, while at the dog park this morning I let her run, then we did the obedience stuff with Demi still off lead--and even the fast pace she stayed nicely with me and that is where she has been bombing those trials where she made it that far. So, some hope!

Sun am I plan to be at the trial site in the Adelaide Parklands by 6.00am and take her for a 2-3 hour walk/run.

[Jovial Monk]

FUCK! but my hip hurts! All that fucking walking then today a long busy day starting WAY too early in the morning. Fuck it hurts and no joke--hip is the main weight-bearing joint and an arthritic hip joint is no joke!

It better be worth it: if dog fucks up tomorrow I will leave her in the fucking parklands!

Funny that I have had no more nightmares about trialling, guess they will come back when she actually does well in a couple Have allocated the rest of this year to get that Companion Dog title. At the start of this year just wanted that Community Companion Dog title, well, got that!

[Ethnic]

My dog has just successfully dragged her arse along the lawn for an entire 2 metres. I was so proud until I read Demi's achievements. Now I'm all depressed again. My dog will have to do 3 metres to make me smile again. Oh well, there's always my size 9 boots.

[Jovial Monk]

Hey ho, another trial another failure


Grrrrrrrr