I can't call this an idiot post, but Spur's groove? Ain't so groovy right now.

We seriously celebrated getting his groove back at the last couple trials!! The month and a half off seemed to really help us. Maybe we need more time off. Unfortunately, I we are signed up for quite a few trials coming up. Two are team events which I would not bag out of, and a bunch of other trials. Maybe we can get groovy again?

Yesterday at the run-throughs my heart was stabbed deep. HE LEFT THE FUCKING RING!!!???? That's how bad it was. Seriously sucky, sucking anti-groovy. I don't know what happened. He seemed nervous, but he is always nervous, his nervous energy sometimes fuels him. Was it the clicker I dropped on his head Thursday night, still bothering him? Maybe. Was it too quiet? Maybe, but it wasn't THAT quiet. There were a ton of pee spots in the ring. Several tunnels had been peed on (I saw it during the walk through, so it happened earlier perhaps by the folks setting up if they let their dogs wander while they set up?) and I spotted poo along the side of the ring. People were trying to clean up areas they found. Dogs were sniffing the tunnels. Roscoe wasn't that happy, he was really pokey and slow, but he DIDN'T LEAVE THE FUCKING RING!!!!!

I mean, seriously, Muffin Heads, that's like the worst feeling in the world. He recovered, I grabbed him and made him come back and try a tunnel and a bunch of jumps, another tunnel and RAN the dog walk and out. He seemed to recover and we did end on a good note, so that's all well and good, but seriously I drove home wondering why I do this. Does he hate it THAT much??? I had to come home and watch a bunch of his really good videos to remind me he likes it and has it in him. I just hope we can pull it together for next weekend's trial. It should be really busy and loud and crowded and those are the best trials for him, but if he leaves the ring at the trial that could be REALLY bad. There are sometimes not so nice dogs at these trials. CPE is very lenient about allowing aggressive dogs at trials. OI!

I don't know why this happens to us. We have such highs and such lows. I know, it's Spur, he is that way. He spent his first months with me walking directly behind me on our outings, never leaving me to explore his new found world. I know, he is Spur. He melts and the world dissolves around him at times, but goodness it's time for the Big Boy Pants, dude!!!! Your life doesn't suck! I came home and thanked Colby for all those years of easy, stress free, uncomplicated agility. She was SO easy. We were such a good team.

We will have a 2-3 hour beach walk today and hope it clears our heads some. I need to clear the fog.