And again

*sigh*

Again an injury.

After rehabbing and strengthening Bella's left leg, she injured her right paw sometime in the fall. After nursing her paw back to health, we were ready.

In February we started agility again. What a happy pup she was to do that. This dog loves her jump.

This month she started limping on her right side & yes, another ACL injury. Partially torn? Strained? Who knows. The good thing is it was not a complete tear as evidenced  by the fact that she put her foot on the ground. However she wasn't really using the leg very well as evidenced by a large loss of muscle in her right leg. And one middle of the night she walked into the back yard very peacefully and slowly. She came back with an exaggerated limp. So, she has done deeper damage.

Therefore, her re-entry into the agility world is now over. I so wish I had asked someone to videotape one or two of her runs. She was jumping 12", 8" lower than her original height. But that is not the point. When I say that she loves her jump, I mean this dog LOVES her jump. Not only was she happy to be back at jump class, but her whole demeanor at home changed too. The sport of agility seemed to give her meaning. Bella had her wag back.

And as a side note, if you live in northeast Ohio and are thinking of giving agility a go with your dog, I suggest checking out Rob Rachow's class at canine affair training center. He has great passion for the sport & endorses positive training methods. I highly recommend him.

We have decided to rest Bella for 6 weeks before deciding whether to have the surgery done. We have read and heard good things about the supplement cosequin and have started her on that. I have also been taking her to the vet every other day for laser therapy treatment. This is supposed to help increase the blood flow to the injured area & decrease inflammation. Because she is also taking 

anti-inflammatories I don't know if the treatment is helping or not. And of course she falls asleep while receiving reiki almost every night. Maybe she would be worse without all of this? 

We desire to keep Bella comfortable through all of this. I know it's a common injury, but this is my dog. & it's a big deal to me. What I most desire is to help Bella keep her wag. Her mopiness was not my imagination. And the spark in her eye, wag in her tail and strut in her step after getting back into the ring, is proof that she needs something that is all hers.  

We have tried Rally. She is very good at it. But it bores her. Too slow. We have done CFF musical freestyle. She just thought that was weird. 

So, if anyone reads this and has any suggestions as to how to keep an energetic dog happy while convalescing, I would love to hear them. 

Waiting her turn - Mar. 2013

Visit to Santa Paws 2012

Dumdadum - that time of year again.

Last year's Santa Paws visit was a bit hurried to say the least. And, while Bella felt quite important to be at the mall, she was not happy to see the beast man.  It is a bit to ask of our dogs - to sit next to a huge creature that looks like prey but smells like person. We are lucky they they love us so much.

This year, the humane society had pictures with Santa Paws. They do this every year.  The proceeds from the mall event went to the Humane Society.

Last year Bella was kind of scooped up and dropped into the big man's lap. This year, my goal was to have a calmer visit with Santa.

We went later in the afternoon so i had time to prep her. All that day she was handed treats accompanied by the words "Santa Paws!" said in a happy excited higher pitched voice. We played tug to the mantra of "Santa Paws! Santa Paws! Going to see Santa Paws," followed by more treats. Ear massages, belly rubs, butt scratches were all given while talking about visiting the big guy.

And then the time came. As i said, we went later in the day. In fact ours was the last visit. So, that helped to keep her nervousness down a bit. The visit was better than in the past. As we entered the room she got treats. Santa Paws gave her treats. She jumped up next to him when asked, and stoically sat until told she could leave. As you can see, she also let Santa cozy up a bit.  So..... all in all, not bad.

The biggest drama was the wait. There were cages holding cats on either side of the line. This caused quite a bit of tail tucking and bolting for the exit until i took a seat on a bench and had her sit between my feet. I can only assume that if dogs made horror movies, at least one would entail a room filled with cats in some way.

Whether Bella is just mellowing or whether my word association exercise worked, i don't really know. Next year i will remember to incorporate the words "cages of cats" into the treating, & will see what happens then.

Happy Howlidays everyone!

P.S - Remember that the United States Humane Society has absolutely nothing to do with your local humane society. Nor do they receive money from the USHS. If you want to donate, please donate locally.

Peace

doggy bootcamp

Here  is  a story about exercising with your dog.

People think that if you have a dog and you walk the dog, you are getting exercise, yes? However, while it's true that some walking is better than no walking, if you allow your dog to be a dog and enjoy her walk in a doggy way, then you are often agreeing to take many sniff breaks on your walk. Bella can find  the tip of 1 fallen leaf to be the most interesting thing in the universe - until she gets to the most interesting blade of grass just a mere 10 feet from the leaf. Often our walks are simply short bursts of movement in between reading very long pee-mails. But, this is how she explores her world. So, so be it.

But, the truth of the matter is, while i can rock the yoga and walk at a moderate pace for miles and miles, i need cardio. Not that i want it. But i do need it. & i am not the type to go to a gym or "out for a run." & i really do enjoy spending my limited free time with my 4-footed friend (honestly, Target would get so much more of my money if i were allowed to bring my dog shopping.). So, what's a lazy girl to do?

Hubby and i first learned about doggy boot camp on an episode of Cesar Millan (Yes, i watch Cesar. & i would watch all the other dog training shows too if they were available on Hulu). We looked at each other and said - "how cool. but it will never come to Cleveland."

But - Ta daaaa - it did. Right around the time that i promised myself to shape up and not become a old flabby fat woman, I met the boot camp ladies, Heidi and Lisa.

Really, i am a cardio wimp. Just don't like it. Never really have. When i run i kind of feel (& probably look) like a flopping fish desperately trying to get back to water. But, i must say the class is doable and participants are encouraged to go at their own pace. So, that's nice.

The class consists of cardio and resistance. About 10-15 minute intervals. So, my dog gets to rest while i "pump it up" with Heidi's instruction.

I say that my dog is resting. The fact of the matter is that she is working in a different way. She has to exercise self control and stay in one spot while i work the resistance. If the dog has a problem with this, then Lisa steps in to help give the dog and owner obedience training tips.

All in all, i am very happy that this type of class is available in my area.

Now, if someone wants to offer doga?

visit with the big guy.

This year you could take your dog to the mall for photos with Santa Paws. Of course the whole draw of this for me was taking my dog to the mall. & the dogs were allowed to enter from any entrance so a nice long walk around the mall was the plan.

Bella was the perfect mall dog. She somehow knew that she was in some strange part of people land that she is not normally privy to and was on her best behavior. As we walked through the mall's concourse, she politely sniffed at the entrances of the stores but made no attempt to enter.

While waiting in line for Santa, she waited patiently; quietly and curiously taking in the sights around her.








She was much more calm and open to the waiting experience than she has been in years past when we've gone to the Humane Society  for pictures with Santa. That just makes sense. The energy of a shelter is 1,000 x more intense.
& the yummy pizza treats that we purchased from the Golden Barkery helped keep the puppy nerves calm too.

Honestly my dog is a very very good dog. Stores would get a heck of a lot more of my business if they would allow my dog to come with me when I shop.

I mean, just look at how good and sweet she is. She knows how to act.

But then......... 

We met the Man in Red..........

She tried. She really tried to be polite. She sniffed his hand and his boots, gave a polite wag of her tail and was ready to leave. I tried to get her to sit at his feet using the "get in" command that she is pretty strong with. There was just something about those big black boots. 

 In her defense, Santa looked tired and a bit overwhelmed with his day. I got the feeling that he did not sign up to be Santa Paws and was really just waiting for the whole thing to be over so he could fly his magic sleigh to snooze-ville.

 Check out her body language. She could not be any further away from him.

 In the shot of her looking to the left - she is looking at me. I moved to the center behind the photographer. It took her a minute to figure out where I went. You can see her looking around.

& here she has just figured out where I am. (If I could've figured how to place the pictures in order. You would not have to figure out what the heck I am talking about)

And - in her defense - she could've bolted at any time. Not even Santa with all his holiday magic could've held on to her 80 pounds of muscle had she really wanted to leave. I had asked her to stay and she truly wants to be a good dog and listen well. 

She is certainly on the nice list. 

Road trip

So last weekend I decided to go to an agility trial. This was a last minute decision brought on by the February thaw. Warm weather always makes me yearn to go exploring. It had been a rough week to say the least. I just needed a day of something different. & I enjoy being with my dog. & since dogs aren't allowed in yoga classes or movies, we traveled an hour & a half to run through tunnels and jump over bars.

Bella & I started training in agility about 3 years ago. This was her choice not mine really. They say you don't always get the dog you want but you are given the dog you need. This may be true. My dog is a stellar creature - smart, friendly, gentle, hard working. She is a beautiful combination of working breeds that needs..... no craves exercise. She is happiest when working, walking, &/or playing until she simply can't go anymore. She will walk for hours & hours in most kinds of weather & then want to play in the back yard. I love my dog dearly and I am happy with a nice long daily walk. But honestly, a dog fond of napping on the couch until she goes to a therapy dog job that consists of napping while little kids read to her is probably more up my alley. But apparently the universe had different plans when it sent me my little hound of heaven (more on that in an upcoming post). Bella is very friendly and likes people- old, young and in between - as long as they don't touch her. She shows no aggression. There is just a lot of bobbing and weaving. And you know, elderly people in nursing homes.... their reflexes just aren't that good. Even when she does let herself get close enough for some kind of contact, it has to be on her terms & usually at arm's length.

close but not too close

So therapy dog work is really not for her.  But she does like to hang out at mommy's work sometimes.

My favorite assistant

We have only competed in maybe 5 or 6 trials. This is our first one.

Yep. We traveled over 2 hours to somewhere near Columbus, waited half the day to do one run. & took down half the course. But somehow we Q'd. I think it was a sympathy decision from the judge. 

We have competed in mainly CPE trials. Mainly due to the non-competative philosophy of the organization. CPE's philosophy is to "have fun with your dog". Works for me. I am most likely the most non-competative person you may ever meet. But I like to have fun with my dog.  Not that pretty ribbons aren't nice, and I would like to move up in the ranks. As of now Bella & I still run in novice. But the fact of the matter is - if my dog is not enjoying herself, what is the point. 

As I said before, my dog & I go to trials because she likes to be busy. She is not allowed at the mall. One can only take so many trips to Petsmart. I like to get away. She is a very good traveling companion. 

She spends little time in her crate at trials. She doesn't like it. & I don't like it. We are in a new town. There are new sights to see. New smells to sniff. How can I have fun with my dog if she is crated all day except for the 30 seconds or so it takes to run a course and bathroom breaks? In between runs we go exploring. That's what new towns are for.  The other competitors may not get it. That's o.k. I think sometimes they get annoyed because my well - behaved dog is not crated but sitting nicely next to me mooching for treats.  That's o.k. This is about having fun right? 

And I have found that by keeping to this philosophy, this idea of simply having fun, my mind stays more at ease. & we have better runs. I stay calm. My dog stays calm. We run well together. 

And that results in pretty ribbons & qualifying scores. 

the sleepy champion