Some things I learned and maybe learned a long time ago, but maybe didn't want to learn?

#1 - Must stop squeaking at my dogs. It's SO bad that I am irritating myself to NO end. It's a family thing. At our reunion the aunts (there are four) do this squeaky giggly high pitched strange noise that the cousins (there are many) tease them about. Unfortunately, I got the squeaky gene. DAMN IT! When things start to go bad or we have some little bobble on the agility course, my voice starts to get higher and higher. The poor dogs! Doesn't do them any good. Surely doesn't make them go faster or try harder. They just think...."Oh boy, here she goes again, must have done something wrong".... and they manage to pull it together as best they can. The squeaking isn't productive. Why do I DO it???? I am determined and will start a pre-run mantra....."No squeaking, No squeaking, No squeaking!!!". Nice, soft encouraging voice. Yeah, like that, like Karen Gorman. She has a nice soft voice all the time.

I told my instructor we could maybe put a citronella collar on my and she could spritz me every time I squeak. She said she didn't think there was enough citronella. :O

#2 - Roscoe will not be doing ANY more outdoor trials. I know, I said this before, but after that decision was made I decided to try one or two runs. Last weekend, he ran OK. Just OK. Yesterday? He was off. Way off. I scratched his second run and am now going to stick to NO outdoor trials.

#3 - Running two 12" Performance dogs in USDAA is WAY hard. Yesterday there were only two dogs between Spur and Roscoe. That meant I had to have someone hold them while I ran the other. That's limiting as there are only so many people who can hold Roscoe. And for both dogs it really isn't fair. The first one gets maybe 60 seconds of reward, then the second dog gets NO warm up? It's too hard and they run so differently I have trouble adjusting and trouble dealing, it's just trouble. I have both boys entered in many runs at BARK the end of the month, but hopefully that will be a bigger trial and there will be more dogs between us. But, that may be one of the last trials I run the two dogs together. Sucks, but it's just too hard. Or I can put them in seperate classes. I'll have to make plans and think hard about how I enter the two together.

It was/is easier in AKC only because the 12" class is WAY bigger. Sometimes it is even the biggest class!!! It's just the way it goes. USDAA doesn't favor little dogs, plain and simple, it's just the way it goes. The 12" class is small in USDAA.

Roscoe is 11, so even though he is in great shape, mentally he just struggles and we may have to settle with a slightly lesser agility schedule to let young Spur dominate. I wish I had more time so I could focus on Rally with Roscoe. It's his absolute favorite thing to do. We will get back into it come winter, but right now agility is my first love, so with Spur coming along so nicely that's what we are doing.

Spur found a team for the first weekend in October. Spur and Jace will be "Jace Gets Spurred On". LOL!! YAY!! Spur's first team! I hope we can pull our weight. Jace is seasoned, Spur is not. Sheila seemed OK about that.

Stop squeaking, stop squeaking, stop squeaking...............