This is one of those "idiot" posts.

I don't know if I have categorized "idiot" posts, but I guess I should. I am going to start with this one and label it idiot. I am an idiot. Well, it isn't my fault, my muscles are tired from trying to pick up poop with big fat mittens on all week and gripping leashes and scooping frozen shit out of the ice in the dog yard and carrying buckets of hot water for the horses and.........wow......this week was hard. Not sure why, we didn't even have any storms. But, it was cold. Windy, cold. And I was busy. Not one single cancellation, so all dogs needed walks, me bundles in my warm clothes, but I am getting weary. The dogs are weary. The roads are covered with grit and ice and the conditions are just plain challenging. So, my excuse for being an idiot is my muscles are fatigued.

Is that an OK excuse? I dropped the clicker on Spur's nose last night at rally class. Oh, please world, don't crash in on him AGAIN. There was no stopping it. The world crashed in on him. I tried to recover him, I glued cookies to his nose, shoving one after another into his mouth. He gobbled them down, he likes his cookies, but that's about it. I finally put him away. He doesn't learn anything in that state. I felt bad. It just seems that with Spur something like that is always happening. I know, we DO have really good stretches where nothing melts him down, but then there are times like this. He is such a weenie. Last night he didn't have his monkey pants on.

Then Rockin' Roscoe was SO high. I know everyone loves to watch his enthusiasm, but I really need some more self control. He gets NUTTY high and all I hear are my fellow students saying......."Well, he is still in heel position". Um......really? When is heel position pogo sticking along my side. He goes from heel position for a chihuahua, to heel position for a great dane. Boing, boing, boing, leaping up and down and being NUTTY. It's not really good behavior and when he does that I just don't know what to do with him. I love that he loves to work, but GOOD GRIEF dude!!!! DUDE!!!! Calm down and FOCUS!!!!! And the worst thing is I end up starting to giggle and that just fuels his fire. Sigh...........he CAN be the nicest working dog in obedience. His stand is phenomenal, his heeling freakin' adorable with his high stepping hackney pony action, his self adjustments when he messes up are really cute, he is sharp and on and fun to watch, he loves it, but then he can get OUT OF CONTROL!!!!

It wasn't the best class last night. I was grumpy, too, because of the cold. It is getting to me. I am weary of ice, cold, snow and fat mittens and bulky jackets. I am tired of hauling three dog crates into the room so my dogs can stay warm and back out again at the end of class, nagivating the ever shrinking parking lot and slippery ice under foot. And, yet, we have a fair amount of winter left to endure................