Rowan is on an extended break from agility and just needs some rest. I have been recommended some supplements and additives for her diet that may help heal the tissue and give the joint support an athlete needs. While supplements are not new to me - hippy family - getting the correct balance for her is important. So I made a mix of seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, and flax with Super Seed (helps with hydration), KyoGreen and Coconut oil. Gluclosmine is added to food as well. I have stopped giving the Body Sore (chinese) and salmon oil to switch it up. I gave each dog 1 T... which may have been a bit much - they are all very full :) i will scale that back for am feeding but they seem to like it. I will begin the vivozio complete as soon as it gets here for Rowan. it's a detox and joint supporrt sup - recommended by Dr. Cindy. I will lso checkto see what Blynn has her dogs on. IN the meantime I get to work Banjo in class which will be good to build our team and for my handling - I truly have to move correctly with him.

So I watched the AKC nationals for a while today. I was writing down some impressions and started tallying the types of contact performances that I saw. This is in no way scientific nor complete but interesting.
                       Running               2O2O               Quick Release             4 on floor          Broken
Frame                 10                      6                            5                                                             2
Dog Walk           3                         11                         8                                     1                      3
Teeter                 7                          3                           6                                                             1


I wasn't surprised to see so many running A-frames due to more recent thoughts on the affect of the angle on dogs, physically. But I was surprised to see a lot of not so good contacts! Lots of hops and down right jumps over the yellow! Not to say my contacts are perfect by any means.

I will be up early  tomorrow to get some more in. I have surprised myself that I am this into AKC Nationals. I think that it is more that I am into watching talented teams work together - to be an observer.. and at trials I am busy thinking about my own runs - here I get to watch  - and I learn so much by watching. I will miss the finals due to classes on Sunday, but I will be anxious to see the video later.

I am not one for resolutions.... I pretty much hate the idea of failure so I am sure to set fairly attainable goals for myself. But I don't look at the Fitness Challenge as "the new diet this year". I really appreciate the self-management and results that the Fitness Challenge offers. It is still a challenge but after a break - I am looking forward to getting back to it. I would also say that it has made lifestyle affects for me. I am still 20+ pounds lighter than I was 1 year ago when I started the first fitness challenge. And I feel really good about the way I feel and look- even if my wii still plumps my mii up every time I do a body test ;) !

This time I have also added to the challenge. I would like to work to get Rowan more fit as well! So she does ball work after I do my 100 sit ups! (That gives me the 1 pt) and I am walking her three days a week at lunch to get my 1000k steps in. I have found walking the dogs to be a real challenge in the winter so working it into this is one way to make myself accountable for the training.

Also - fitday.com has a new look since I was there last! I am looking forward to setting some goals and tracking measurements and activities there.

Maybe I'm still pumped from the am workout and reduction in calories.... but I don't think so. 

Woot!

We count today as Banjo's birthday... what a funny dog he is.

• Dog Agility Masters Three-Dog Team/Performance Versatility Pairs Championships - 11/02/2008 09:00 AM
• Grand Prix of Dog Agility World Championship Finals - 11/02/2008 12:30 PM

yeah! streaming live video  - second only to being there... which I am trying not to think too much about and get bummed...... I better get all my house chores done and warn Dave now that I will be glued to my computer.

Name a CD you own that no one else on your friends list does:
Critters Buggin' Guest - great album to clean the house to!

Selma, Indiana... and why would you have?

wow I have some weird stuff in this office!

TV Show:  The Banana Splits! (I'll be safe unless someone grew up around western WA, too)

.... this will be the last week that I work in retail. That means back to my original job... to a single job... and back to the old pay but I don't care right now. I don't feel like I have the time to do much with my dogs, with baking or for myself - let alone my boyfriend! I want more time to think about training - especially more AP handling stuff and train foundation skills. I need to get back to the gym and into a good routine for winter. Banjo needs weave-poles. This is my commitment to myself. You all see it right here - in writing.

Off to CAT this weekend - it sounds as though this will be a well attended event and Rowan will be by herself - just the two of us (insert music) - so she will like that. No Banjo pip-squeek showing up as the loudest instrument in the band and stealing her show.

I have to say that this was the best weekend that i have had in a while. The worst part about it was busting my butt on Friday to get my house clean... I even took the mini-blinds  down and washed them! I have not washed the kitchen floor on my hands and knees for some time either. I would love to find some way to get a house cleaner ... It would be so worth my sanity on a regular basis - I would probably run one less agility trial a month just to make that happen!  I knew that I would not be able to do the 5K and survive another clutter and grungie weekend in my house. There was the matter at sanity at hand and I was way to close. (Some could argue  way to lose and not just when my house needs cleaning!)
But I go to spend some time with UandI, Edi & Elinda- YEA! They met Dave and approved - I think. I knew they would - dave is pretty easy to get along with. I never worry about that like I have with past boyfriends. Edi gave me some sage business advise as I was leaving and UandI shared some insight in some jumping stuff with Rowan - I hope to get some work done with her this week. It will not conflict with the AP system and it will hep her collect off her back feet.  I really hope that they move out to OR soon - It will be wonderful to see them more frequently... I even missed the feeling of being Edi's little sister for all the sh*t he sends my way. Funny that he is the youngest and I am the oldest in our families.. I guess we just merged families and kept the traditional dynamics up.
Dave's family was in own this weekend as well. that was nice but too many meals out..... I was ready for the salad I ate tonight. I saw a lot of the "White" characteristics in his uncle this weekend - and dave had those as well... It was interesting but not too scary - so that's good! I really like Dave's dad and he fixed the "horn of ringwood"  in our plumbing which has been "sounding" for almost two years! HOoRAH!
So even though the weekend was packed to the gills and I got only a tiny bit of downtime - It was wonderful. I even baked bread! YUM!! I move into this week with a better outlook and happier demeanor than I have in some time. I just hope it doesn't all fall apart in he first two hours tomorrow. <sigh> I hope everyone has a great week.

Well... now that I have come down off the adrenaline rush... 

Rowan was out in the back yard about a 1/2 hour ago after something in the back corner of the yard. I called her into the house once already tonight and I thought she had gone to bed. I continued to pack but didn't see Rowan when I went into the bedroom. I went back outside and heard a  ruckus. low growls and some hard breathing. I start yelling for Rowan and running to the back corner... thinking.... I don't know what she could be in it with....... a neighborhood cat..... the shepherd from the neighborhood... the neighbors pug.... I rush into the brush (yes that area is really overgrown and REALLY dark!) with no light and start yelling for Dave - who is asleep - to go get a light. In the meantime, I get Rowan to come to me and I run her back to the house. She seems OK - no blood- at least that I can see right away.  Dave gets me the light and I head back out to see what it was. I knew it was something fuzzy because I had felt something when I was trying to stomp through to the noise and my dog.

With Light! Oh yes a HUGE Raccoon scales the fence. It is bigger than Rowan for sure! I have no idea if it was injured or not. I don't think so because Rowan was unscratched or bitten. If she had been close enough to get it she would have been scratched at least.

Wow - I feel lucky... or something. Rowan should feel REALLY lucky and all she wants to do it go back outside and finish what she started.

And me... just goes to show what happens when my dog is in danger and adrenaline kicks in nothing will stop me. All reasoning leaves my mind. That has happened before when one of my dogs has been in a scuffle, gotten something in the backyard (which Wyl was famous for) or had an accident and lost a foot. I hate that feeling but have no ability to stop myself to dive right in... hmm maybe that's why I like the Staffords so much. I don't want that to happen again anytime soon. And I hope Rowan is still OK in the morning. She seems unscathed.

I posted to the AP list about bullie type dogs and collection issues... no one has answered... out of 400 some odd people on that list you can't tell me that everyone has a herding type dog... really??? Oh well...  I asked the same question to the Bull Agility List and have gotten some good comments and I will pick Daisy's brain, too. She is a wonderful resource.

On that note - I hope to be able to go to class tomorrow - but with stuff happening at work - I may need to go to the Retail Meeting tomorrow... they need to know who I am so that I can help make some changes in our stores. Joy - I thought my retail days were behind me. Why did I take this new position in March or so???

We started back today with banjo's weave pole training.... here is the video - I'm sorry about the music - I did not intend to add that. I am still trying to figure out this video editing thing. Alright.... now how do I get the video to post????????? geesch.


This was two spaced out sessions this am. I will do some more today My timing was off and in the second set he is waiting for the treat to be thrown. I felt like that got better. next time I will try to get myself in the image so that i can see what I may be doing incorrectly.
I feel like the angle of the pole is off and that I need to be moving the poles further offset - moving towards the line of weaves NOT  further apart and off-set.

I am looking for feedback from those of you who know this method! Thanks.

Well - The seminar with Linda Mecklenburg is now over... but I feel as though it has just begun! I really needed to see it in action... see the recalls demonstrated and learn to see and do the cues. I was not getting it from the book, the list or clean run. To  be honest, I didn't spend the time to learn it. I know that I learn best when I can combine the visual and auditory instruction with the ability to take notes... reading doesn't play in there too well. I need to now go back and re-type my notes and make some plans to start the jumping with Rowan and Banjo. I know they will both benefit from that.

The seminar confirmed what I have been feeling about this system. That it is just so natural for the dog! And even though some people may feel like it is the next handling fad... and that everyone wants to be LM..... I don't buy that. I have never seen something that works so quickly for a dog, be so intuitive, and that supports any and all breeds.

I appreciated how open, direct  and honest LM is/was. I also very much appreciated that she wasn't afraid to tell you when she wasn't sure or if that aspect of the system wasn't quite proven -not that there is much of that! This has been in the works for many years and it shows. The fact that she trusts other people who she knows understands the system to demonstrate and carry this forward is amazing. And that it is a work in progress... it is developing... not set in stone. These are all things that I really relate to in life... why not include it in agility!

What an amazing opportunity. Thank you, Daisy, for making this possible for us. 

This is the extendo agility weekend - my favorite! We had USDAA regionals which was way too hot for a muscled black dog... and now I am auditing the Linda Mecklenburg Foundation Seminar. There are lots of outstanding questions that are now forming answers in my little pea brain! I'm sure that I will have some more questions... but I have known in my gut that this system is logical and a smart way to handle and train a dog now I am understanding WHY. I am looking forward to working Rowan through some of these things and starting Banjo... I don't think I have put too much training on him (HA!) that I will need to un-do anything... much......

I am on vacation this week... I need to look at which trials will be coming up for me. Banjo's first trial is in July. And I would like to go to Fleet Feet. I am feeling uncertain about things at work... and think about it briefly , get an upset stomach, and try to put it out of my mind and stay on vacation. I will have to deal with it all full force when I get back after the 4th. But it is making me look at what it is that I really want to be doing with my life. deep thoughts................

 Hello from Atlanta! I have a few moments to myself this am before the rest of my trip gets really busy. Is spending it on the computer the best use of my time.... probably not. But I am warm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so pleased! It's sunny - I sat outside the cafe all afternoon - on the phone in meetings - mind you - but it was beautiful! Today my co-worker and I are going to tour some accounts OTP... Outside the Perimiter... which to folks from ITP is like going to Eastern WA... HA! Tomorrow and Saturday- two days of meeting in a hotel meeting room..... what a waste of the good weather. I miss my dogs ... but I did get a chance to stock up on our single barrel bourbons  - a trip I always have to make when I travel from a state run liquor system. 

I had grits and a biscuit yesterday.... but no butter or cheese - I am trying to be good! the rest of the day was fruit ;) But you have to have grits where you are here! I am going to avoid Java Jive where they have THE BEST BISCUITS I have ever had. And the Highland bakery - just down stairs - has the best grits... but I know that they are butter infused. I will stick to fruit and a bagel today. 

Have a great class tonight ladies - i will miss you but I look forward to the videos! (Many Many thanks for doing that Daisy! It is exceptionaly helpful to see our runs after class...) 

I hope to bring some sun home with me.

Today is Rowan's birthday! I remembered in the middle of a very important work meeting today.... we were talking about financials and I was day dreaming about hanging out with my dogs... when I remembered what the date was! I wrote more here... my blog.  Cute photos there!!! ;)