Good News for Jammie!

I've been taking Jam to see "Dr. Todd" for her structural issues. Dr. Todd specializes in canine acupuncture, chiropractic care and herboligy. He came highly recommended to me by many local agility folks. His office is a 2 hour drive from my house, but given the kudos he's received from so many, I decided to give him a try.

My first visit was in December. He evaluated Jam and discovered that her left pelvic bone was locked and the cause was an issue in her mid-back. He noted a few other issues as well. We originally went because of her diagnosis of elbow dysplasia in November. He evaluated her elbows, though he wasn't as concerned about them as he was about her hind-end issues. His initial assessment was grim. He was shocked that a pup of her age (she's a young 2) would have so many issues. I came away from that first appointment concerned, and with an armful of herbs.

The second visit was 3 weeks later. He noted some improvement and administered a treatment to her (chiropractic and acupuncture). He added another herb to increase her "Yin." I was encouraged, though guarded.

We had our 3rd appointment yesterday. He was AMAZED at her progress!! He could not believe how well she's doing! The mid-back issue is wayyy better and the elbow dysplasia is just about non-existent (it'll always be there, but the degree of severity is minimal). The only tightness she had was in her left hip. He was thrilled that she came around so quickly. Of course, I was pleased as punch! :)

I am continuing with the herbs, but won't have to see him again for another 6 weeks, and then most likely we'll fall into "maintenance mode" in which we'll see him once every 3 months or so.

I am so relieved!!! Jam is an awesome little girl. She has everything and more that I was looking for in a pup. She's energetic, got attitude, is smart and is so darn cute! If I could've crafted the perfect dog, Jam would be it. I am so lucky to have her in my life! :)

What a Weekend!!

I need to start off by saying...I am SO PROUD of Jam!!!

We had a USDAA show in Tucson this past weekend. Jam and I went into the weekend needing 1 Masters Standard Q and 1 Masters Gamblers Q to earn her MAD (Master Agility Dog title). We also needed 1 more GP Q for Nationals.

And guess what...WE DID IT!!! Jam is now a MAD dog and got a couple extra legs towards her championship! She also got the last Grand Prix leg and can now compete at the Nationals...WooHoo!!! She turned 2 Nov. 2, so she's still a baby dog in my eyes. Not to mention that this was only her 10th ever USDAA show. Did I say how proud I am of her yet?

We also won another award that completely caught me by surprise. People who have been in agility since the "old" days (early 1990's) will remember Ray Weick and his Schnauzer, Meaghan Deer Chaser. Meaghan and Ray were awesome. They were the first Arizona dog/handler team to attain the highest titles USDAA has to offer. Meaghan was tragically killed in a run-in with a coyote a few years ago. Since then, the Meaghan Deer Chaser award has been given in her honor to the highest scoring Masters dog...and Jam was that dog!!!! Ray has always been an inspiration to me and has always been there for me in the "old" days when I was running my stubborn Beagle, NEA. He encouraged me to NOT give up...NEA and I went on to be 1 of only 2 Beagles who have their ADCH.

To say this weekend was a success is an understatement. It was fabulous. Jam is my hero! :)

Reflections on a show weekend

My club hosted a USDAA show this weekend. I, unfortunately, was quite sick. I came down with a wicked cold and by Saturday, it was pretty bad. I did show Jam, but took a few naps in between classes. By Sunday, I felt better and was actually able to work!

The rain held off, thank goodness! We had a brief shower Saturday afternoon and some misty rain early Sunday, but it had all tapered off by the time we started running.

Jam did great! We had our issues, but she did great nonetheless. She got her first Grand Prix qualifier! :) She needs one more to participate in the USDAA Nationals. We have a few more chances to get one so I'm hoping we'll be able to do so before the cut-off. She also earned a Master Jumpers Q, a Master Pairs Q and another Snooker Q. She is only 2 legs shy of her MAD (Masters Agility Dog) title! I'm so incredibly proud of her!!

She did have some weave pole issues though, so we'll be working on that in the next few weeks. She also got really silly on me during a Masters Standard run...all I could do was laugh at her!

Given all of Jam's structural issues, I cherish every single show I get to compete with her. She has elbow dysplasia and issues with a locked sacrum (pelvis) which stems from a very tight mid-back. I've been taking her to a holistic vet who specializes in chiropractic and acupunture therapy. He also has Jam on some herbs to help with her "Yin" whatever that is! She still runs with glee, but I am very careful with her and don't overdo.

All in all a good show. We really had fun, even though I couldn't breath through my nose the entire time!

A month's worth of updates...

We've been a bit busy the past month. It's still hot, so that hasn't changed, but we've been getting creative on figuring out ways to get out of the heat!

We spent a weekend up at the lake last weekend. That was very nice. They have hotels with kitchenette's so we stayed in one, played in the water and had a great time! The girls are true "lake rats" and love the jet ski and tubing behind the boat!

Jeff spent a week diving in Belize with his brother at the beginning of August. The girls and I did some shopping, got our pictures taken in a photo booth and did a lot of crafts and painting.

Jam and I have been to a couple shows and we did GREAT! She is now one qualifying leg shy of being in Masters! :) She did earn enough Jumpers legs to compete in Masters Jumpers at the next show (not until October) so she's getting there. Cool thing is she's only 21 months old! She's truly one special little dog!

September is a little less busy, though we are planning another trip to Legoland since the girls (and us!) truly enjoyed themselves. I'll also start sending pleas to every agility person I know to volunteer to work at the USDAA Nationals. I'm the volunteer coordinator again (4th time) this year and need all the help I can get! :)

School daze

I took Dani for her KIST test this morning. It's a test to determine her readiness for a Kindergarten envirnonment. She'll be starting school in 1.5 weeks...she'll be in Kindersteps. This is a program geared towards children who are 4, but who will turn 5 between September and December. It's a half-day program that follows the Kindergarten curriculum. At the end of the year, we sit down with the teacher to decide whether Dani will go to K the next year, or to 1st grade.

I asked Dani how the test went when she was finished, and she gave me some specifics, but overall, she said she had fun...which to me is really good to hear. The tester just said she did great, though with other parents sitting in the office, I didn't expect to get too many specifics. I'm so excited for her to start school!! I'm hoping to volunteer (as much as a working parent can) and encourage her as much as possible.

Meanwhile, Jam and I went to an open practice last night. It was hot and somewhat sticky, but she performed like a champ! They had a jumpers course set up, which several of us improvised on. The contacts were set up around the outer edge of the field, so we moved them a bit to incorporate them into the course. Jam's nemesis is the down dogwalk contact, so we worked hard on that and she did great! I also did some gambles in the course and she sent out nicely. She also pulled a few bars, which was a result of me giving her poor signals. I have to get better with that.

All in all, a great night and fun morning with Dani! :-)

Gonna start a practice journal

OK, so I've been slacking lately...really slacking. Class ended last week and Jam hasn't been on a single piece of equipment since. It could be because it's over 110 degrees here, or it could be because I'm too lazy to set up the equipment!

Starting tonight, I'm going to start us on a path to practice a lot more than we do. I'm going to set up the equipment and start working on our weak spot...gambles. We also need to tighten our turns and work on some accuracy! :) My challenge...I have only the following pieces of equipment:

1 teeter
5 jumps
2 sets of 6 weaves
1 tunnel
1 chute tunnel (that's falling apart)
1 tire (sorta...I need to fix it)

I need to be creative to come up with some sets to work on the items I mentioned above. I'm also hoping to go to a couple fun runs to fill in the gaps.

Our next show is in two weeks. There'll be a lot of classes each day (Adv. has a couple double games, plus the GP and Steeplechase) so I need to also build up Jam's stamina in the heat...I'm sure it'll be 90+ degrees. We play ball in the heat almost every day, then when she's hot, she goes in the pool and we play some more ball in the pool. I'm hoping that will help to keep her muscled.

That'll be our last show for quite a while. Our show season in AZ doesn't start until October, so traveling to California is my only option. BUT, it's really hot everywhere and I'm not too keen on sitting outside in the intense heat all day. Sucks cuz now that I've finally got a dog to compete with, the show season has come to a screeching halt. Oh well...I'll pout for a while but I'll get over it! :)

I'm not a natural mother

This is my second marriage. I was married to my first husband for 9 years. We discovered the wonderful sport of dog agility together and acquired 4 dogs together. We always thought we "might" have kids, but it just never came to fruition. And to be honest, I was perfectly happy NOT having kids. I had my dogs...what more could I hope/ask for?

Shortly after our 9th wedding anniversary, my then husband said he wanted to move out. And there was nothing I could do. A friend once told me about a book called "Uncoupling." In this book, it mentions how the person who wants to leave has been thinking about leaving for a while and there is nothing the person left behind can really do about it. The Leaver has come to terms with it while the Leavee feels blindsided. I, as the Leavee, was most certainly blindsided. Course, the fact that he was interested in another woman (a woman I had considered a friend) was the final blow.

Regardless, a few years later I met my current husband. I met him on the internet. There...I said it out loud...I met him on the internet. We met in person at a lake with our dogs. He has a big, goofy Golden (Calvin) and I brought my then dog, Rysa (she has since gone to the Rainbow Bridge). We hit it off and started dating. During our talks and time together, he mentioned that family was important to him and that he would like kids some day. I had resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't have kids since I was pretty darned old (36 at the time) and set in my ways. Besides, I really enjoyed my life of heading to agility trials whenever I wanted and judging any trial I felt like. BUT, I hadn't completely closed the door.

We were married in August, 2001 and a few months later, we thought we'd give it a go. We got "lucky" the first time we tried and Dani came along 9 months later (I was 38). We decided she needed a sibling and before you know it, Erin was born when Dani was just 17.5 months (I was 39...I was determined not to give birth after 40!).

I had a hard time adjusting to my new life. I now found that I couldn't just head off to any and every agility trial...that I had to consider my family first. This became a balancing act to which I was unaccustomed. I muddled through, but today realize that I'm not doing so hot. Maybe it's because dog agility is a world in which 85% - 90% of the people are either childless or their children are grown and out of the house. I always find myself envying them...because after a show they can go home, prop up their feet and revel in a good day. I go home, sort out what went on throughout the day, then take over from a tired and weary husband.

I find that with my girls, I reach a boiling point much quicker than with the dogs. With the girls, I am impatient and can't stand it when they cry. With Jam, I have endless patience and encourage her to bark (I taught her "talk to me" and she does...with wild abandon!). I am not the type of mom who can think up fun, cute or craftsy-type things to do with them on a dime. I have to force myself to play with them since I truly find it quite boring. I love them and would fight anyone to the death for their rights, but I always feel awkward and unnatural when I do anything with them. It's not a good feeling and I'm trying so hard to work through it.

I seriously doubt I'd ever win any Mother of the Year contests, but for me...I'm doing the best I can. I can only hope that I'm not permanently damaging my girls.

Expectations and dog agility

I competed in a USDAA agility trial with Jam this past weekend. It was our first weekend in Advanced. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. We breezed through Starters rather quickly, so I knew she could "do" agility, but once you get to Advanced, it gets a little harder. The courses are less forgiving and the rules are somewhat stricter. So, Jam and I drove the 7 hours to Moorpark, CA (thank goodness for audio books!!) and had a whole lot of fun!!

Going into this trial, I basically had no expectations other than having fun with Jam and perfecting our on-course skills. The first class was Steeplechase. I had hoped to qualify, but instead we crashed and burned. BUT, her tail and ears were up, she was happy and so was I. The next course was Advanced Standard. We had flashes of brilliance, followed by flashes of silliness...in other words, another non-Q. Again, since I had no expectations, I wasn't disappointed, rather I came away realizing that we have some things to work on and she is a completely different dog than any other dog I've ever run before! Not to mention that she's still considered a baby dog...she's only 19 months after all!

Next came Jumpers. Jam was fast, happy and we were even accurate! :) She pulled the 3rd to last bar so we didn't Q, but her time was fast enough so had she not pulled that bar, we would've won the class. A HUGE positive in my opinion!!

The next class was Pairs. We had a draw partner who turned out to be a very nice Sheltie. We each had a nice run and came away with a Q...Woohoo!!! Our first Q in Advanced. A great way to end the day!

Sunday dawned chilly and misty. I had goosebumps on my goosebumps!! The first class of the day was Gamblers. Jam and I had a fabulous opening, earning more than enough points. The gamble was a jump to the teeter to a jump...you had to push the dog out for the last jump. We did great until the push out...I didn't give her a clear signal so instead, she came into me and barked as if to say..."mom...what do you want? why are you waving your arms??"...oh well!!

Next was Standard. The course was a nice course, very "doable." We ran it, and were clean and 20 seconds under time!! Another Q! :) In fact, we were the only team to Q in Championship on that course. How cool is that?! :)

The final course of the day was Snooker. By then the air had thickened with humidity and the temps were in the low 80's. I had a headache and my tummy was queasy...probably from the trail mix I couldn't keep myself from eating! I plotted a course, then found out I could do 4 reds instead of 3, so I re-plotted the course! Then I watched a few others go before me and changed my mind mid-stream. This can be dangerous, but I look at it as a challenge! When it was our turn, we went in, ran fast and came away with 58 (out of a possible 59) points and another Q!! What a rush! :) We even had 12 seconds to spare!

All in all, we ended up with 3 Q's in Advanced!! How cool is that?! BUT, the most important part is that we had fun in the process. I am competitive, but have learned over the years that if you get tense and put unrealistic expecatations on you and your dog, you will come away disappointed...and so will your dog. Why put that much pressure on when this is supposed to be fun?

I firmly believe that in agility, attitude is everything!

The Once-in-a-Lifetime dog...

Yup...I've found her...and I'm one lucky human!

This past weekend, Jam and I competed in our second USDAA trial. She completed all the requirements at the Starters level and earned her first-ever title! Her official name is now Jam, AD! :) (AD = Agility Dog)

This little dog gives it her all with enthusiasm and joy. She bounds through the course with a smile on her snout and her little ears flying behind her! The ONLY thing inhibiting her would be me...the handler. You see, when an error is made on course, 99.9% of the time it is the handler's fault. And knowing this I rarely, if ever, blame my dog for a run gone sour. It's just not fair to the dog who is on the course with you giving it their all.

I have some things to fine-tune with Jam and we will, but in the meantime, we're moving on up to Advanced-level classes! I know Jam's ready...but am I? We shall soon see as her next trial is in two weeks!!

Bermuda, agility and life in general...

Simply put...Bermuda is one of THE most beautiful places on this Earth! When you fly in, you see the white-roofed houses all painted in different colors of pastels. It is so pretty! The water is turquoise blue and oh so inviting. And to think I was headed there with my husband and my dog!! We stayed with friends I had made on a previous trip...Frank and Kathy. They have a 200 year old house with an incredible view of the ocean off their back patio. It was spectacular!

We arrived on a Wednesday and within 3 hours of touch down, my husband was off diving and I was off with my friends practicing agility on their beautiful agility field. Oh, and we had already had a dark 'n stormy or two! :) Five of us traveled from the states to show our dogs, so we enjoyed a lazy afternoon with our dogs and our Bermuda buddies. At night, we had dinner at one of the Bermudian's houses.

Thursday I went shopping in Hamilton and at the Dockyards with agility friends, Darlene and Jane. We had fun "power shopping." We ended up missing two ferry's because my watch was 5 minutes too slow! :) My husband went diving with Frank again, though the water was a bit choppy. That night we had dinner at the Bermuda aquarium. I got to pet a grouper (!) and dance with a skeleton (long story). Many rum swizzles and dark 'n stormies were available.

Friday we woke up to a pancake breakfast cooked by Frank and Kathy. We then headed to the show site (the Botanical Gardens) for the first day of the show! The first day was the Team event. I was on a team with Jane and her dog Tizzy and Rose and her dog Kelly (Rose is from San Diego but has been living in Bermuda with her husband for the past 8 years). After the first two classes (there are 5 total) our team (Two Tollers in a Tizzy) was in last place. By the end of 4 classes, our team was in 1st place!! The last class is Relay in which all three members of the team are running at the same time. All of our dogs ran clean and we ended up winning the gold and qualifying to run in the National competition in Phoenix, AZ!! :) I was elated! :) Friday night we went to Rose and Jonathan's for a wonderful dinner and swizzles!

Saturday we woke up to rain...LOTS and LOTS of rain. It rained all day. Despite that, Jam and I ended up earning 3 of the 7 qualiying scores towards our first USDAA title! She Q'd in Snooker, Jumpers and Pairs. We crashed and burned in the Grand Prix, but that's OK. She is a baby dog after all! Saturday night we were supposed to have a beach party, but the rain prevented us from doing so. We ended up at a Bermudian's house for BBQ chicken, burger and dogs...and more swizzle! :)

Sunday it was misting in the morning, but then cleared up by afternoon. Jam and I earned 2 more Q's towards our title!! We Q'd in Gamblers and Standard. She needs only 2 more Standard legs at the Starters level to earn her Agility Dog (AD) title! :) I couldn't be more proud of my baby dog. She is awesome!! After the show, Jane and I walked the dogs down to a small beach and let them play in the water. Jam barked and bit at the water and had a blast! Sunday night was the big farewell party. More swizzle, stormies, good food and dancing with the skeleton! :)

Throughout the weekend, my husband was diving and eventually earned his Advanced Open Water Scuba certification!! He was thrilled to be able to do so...especially since his cert. card will say he did it in Bermuda! :)

We left, grudgingly, on Monday. We had a nice leisurely morning of sitting on the back patio and taking in the view before departure. Leaving was so hard, but I also missed my girls and was anxious to get back home to them.

We came home (to Wisconsin) when they were asleep. The next morning, Dani opened our bedroom door and her face just lit up! :) Erin was right behind her. It was Erin's 3rd birthday so we had a small celebration with cake and presents. We flew back to Phoenix in the afternoon. My parents were thrilled to be able to spend a birthday with one of their granddaughter's!

All in all, the trip was a HUGE success for everyone. I got to show Jam in her first USDAA show and qualify for Nationals, my husband earned his scuba cert., my girls had a ball in Wisconsin, and my parents got some much-needed/wanted bonding with the girls. We didn't get to go for that romantic walk on the beach, but that's OK...it'll give us another reason to go back!

Holy Smokes!

I went to the vet last night to get Jam's International Health Certificate. I had called on Monday to be sure they had it. After some searching, they assured me that all was well and they did have it.

I got there last night and the first thing we noticed was that Jam's microchip may be of the wrong type. On the instructions I had, the microchips listed did not include Home Again, which is Jam's microchip. We had maybe a little panic, but I was pretty sure it would be OK.

The vet then brought in the health cert. and said that this was a state cert., that they didn't have the International certs. I FREAKED! I told her that I had called before coming in and was assured that they did indeed have the cert. I needed. She said she'd go look for it, but I didn't have a high degree of confidence. I called another vet that I had frequented before and they told me they did have what I needed and I could walk in last night...to a tune of $132 JUST to walk through the door!

Meanwhile, my vet came through the door and said "we found it!" Thank goodness! We got it all filled out and faxed to the Bermuda government. They sent me on my way 1.5 hours later. I called Bermuda this morning to be sure all was in order, and thankfully, everything is good and I should have my import cert. to get Jam into the country by today! :)

But wow...talk about a rollercoaster!!!

Ponderings...

As I am set to embark on an agility adventure with my new dog, I cannot help but remember how it was with my old, now departed dogs.

I used to own 4 wonderful, absolutely fabulous "fur kids." They were each special in their own way...

First there was NEA. She was my Beagle and had attitude to burn. She was once nicknamed "Her Beagleness" by a friend in New Mexico, and it stuck. I unwittingly got her from a pet store. I started her in agility in 1993 and she went on to earn her Championship in USDAA-style agility. She was only the 2nd Beagle to attain that title.

Next came Fred. He was my rescue dog. I rescued him from Italian Greyhound rescue. He had personality plus! I "tried him out" for a week and during that week, everyone I saw said they would take him if I didn't. Needless to say, I kept him! He started agility in 1994, and quit in 1996. He had a degenerative eye disease that left him blind in his left eye.

Then there was Chakotay. He was my second Italian Greyhound. I saw him as a puppy while I was in San Antonio at the USDAA Nationals. He was so CUTE!! I wanted to take him home right there, but I didn't have the means nor the $$. Turns out that he was still available several months later and at a reduced price. He broke his leg 3 times, but these breaks never broke his spirit. He was and always will be my buddy. He competed successfully in agility, falling short of his USDAA championship by 4 Gamblers legs.

Finally there was Rysa. She was my big Toller girl. I loved her with all my might. She was sensitive, but would do any and every thing for me. She was my princess and went just about everywhere with me. She did agility, though she always seemed to have a "hitch in her giddyup." I had many specialists and vets look at her, but no one could figure it out. She ended up 3 legs shy of her Championship.

In 2003/2004, each of my dogs died one by one...

First Fred. He had osteosarcoma. He died in my arms at the age of 11 in May of 2003.
Next was NEA. She stopped eating and walking. We let her go gracefully at the age of 14.5 in Sept. of 2003.
Then, Chakotay. He also had cancer, myeloma. We were treating it, but it spread to his kidneys. He died at the age of 8 in Nov. 2003.
Finally, Rysa. She collapsed one night and never regained conciousness. She had Addison's...that's what was wrong with her the entire time, but no one knew. She was only 7...she died on June 23, 2004.

Just before and in between this timeframe, I was giving birth to my two daughters. My hormones were off the map. I wanted to die. I felt as if I had betrayed my dogs by having these human kids. Thankfully, a good therapist made me realize that that was not the case and that these animals were a huge part of my life and always will be in my heart. I just hadn't allowed myself to grieve properly. Luckily she helped me through that and I am in a much better place right now.

I last competed with Rysa in April of 2004. Now I am starting with Jam, my young Toller. I thought I'd feel more emotional when I stepped to the line with her the first time, but I didn't. I think mostly I felt numb, but happy to finally have my own dog to compete with again! The show in Bermuda will be my first USDAA show with her. USDAA is my preferred venue, so perhaps the emotions will show themselves then!

Regardless, I am looking very forward to the years ahead of fun, silliness and agility with Jam!

Prepping for our Bermuda trip!

Getting a dog into Bermuda is no easy task! Humans need only a passport...dogs need:

• an import certificate
• an international health certificate
• a rebies vaccine given more than 30 days ago, but within a year
• a microchip
• a tick/flea treatment from the vet (not from the owner)

It's crazy!! Luckily a friend of mine has been through this process a couple times and gave me all the information I need to safely transport Jam into the country!

Now...I've got to get Jam ready for competition! Today she "comes of age" for USDAA-style agility. Dogs have to be 18 months old in order to compete...Jam's 18 month birthday is today! Our training is sporadic at best. I have limited equipment to train on in my backyard and I have 2 kids to work around! We head to class once a week, but as any agility enthusiast knows, you need more than once a week practices before competing so you won't be laughed off the course! :) She's competed successfully in a few trials now, so there is hope!

The girls are anxiously awaiting their airplane trip to Wisconsin. Every day they ask if it's time to go on the plane...and when they're going to Build-a-Bear with Grandma and Grandpa! They've already packed their backpacks (Dani has a Dora pack, Erin has a Hello Kitty pack) with breakfast bars and raisins for Grandma and Grandpa...oh, and a few toys too! They can't wait to get on the plane and have it go fast, fast, FAST into the sky!

Jeff is researching dive sites in Bermuda and I'm looking forward to simply having fun! As a friend said, this is the ultimate vacation...agility, kid-free, beaches, tropical drinks...all in a romantic setting...couldn't ask for any better!

Jam's First Show!

I entered Jam in a DOCNA-style agility show yesterday. I put her in only two classes...Jumpers and Strategic Gamblers. I didn't have any expectations other than to have fun.

Not only did we have fun, but Jam did GREAT! She won her division in the Jumpers class and qualified, and she also qualified in Strategic Gamblers (not sure if she won...I left before the results were out)!

I am so PROUD of her! I cannot train nearly as much as I'd like due to full-time job and full-time Mom responsibilities, but I am blessed in that Jam has a lot of natural talent. She is truly an amazing little girl and I am lucky that she came into my life!

Her next show is in 2 weeks. It's an AKC-style show. Again...we won't set any expectations other than to have fun! :)