Thursday, June 4, 2009

Rabies day at the Raccoon Farm

Might be more fun than running Spur in agility class? OK, again I stole that from the funny chick in CA. (see post below) Is it still plagiarism if I give her credit? How about, cleaning the chicken coop on a 95 degree day because Mom said we had to do that before we could go swim at the cove. Might be more fun than running Spur in agility class? Cleaning the foot ball sized abscess from the 110lbs Newfoundland. Might be more fun than running Spur in agility class? I didn't steal those, I claim those as all mine!

Honestly, though, he seems to be getting more and more in a funk and it isn't fun to watch or be a part of. He is so great at home, has a really nice foundation, but just gets way stressed in class. It all stems from his tail getting slammed under the teeter and now the teeter, me - cuz I was there, and any other associated obstacles have generalized to being a bummer for him. Agility people have a saying........"If it ain't fun, we don't run",............and seriously I don't think it is much fun for little Spur right now. At least, away from home it isn't and I just don't know what to do about it. With Roscoe I could break him out of any funk with food. Spur just doesn't get as excited about food.

Next week I will set things up a little differently. Crate him or tie him to the fence and have him watch me run Roscoe. That might make him jealous? So he wants to do it too? Right now the other dogs are crated in the truck when he is working. I just don't know what to do. Take privates only so we can really spend the time needed? Will that be any better? I don't know.

1 comment:

  1. I know that saying, but, as several people have noted, if you had applied that to Roscoe, he would not now be KING OF AGILITY! Do you think Spur is suffering? I watch Stella suffer with her anxiety, I just don't see that in Spur. He's worried, and he's distracted, and he's not in drive (yet), but he's not miserable beyond functioning. He can do what you ask him to do. He can take food. He can play with his toys. And he has fun the other 99% of his day! Sometimes I think we dog obsessed people feel we are failing if the dogs are not happy 100% of the day. I know that's what I want for mine! Like, a farm walk that never ends and never gets too hot or too cold but is always just right--just enough goose poop to eat, just the right amount of clear water to wade in, just enough rodents to scent. And no ticks ever!

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