After all of last weekend's excitement with the trial and my birthday, this week seemed kind of slow. The weather has been a little better - cold but no ice or snow. So I can run in my backyard and chase squirrels and birds and bark at my neighbors, etc. Nice for that to get back to normal after so much ice. We also have been able to do some backyard agility every day - nothing fancy - just some jumps and weaves.
We went to Wednesday morning practice and I did fine - nothing too difficult was set up and I am running with more confidence since my trial experience. Mom ran Makin - he is my trainer Deb's border collie. Mom had never tried agility with any dog except me! I didn't get to see her with Makin because I had to wait in the car. But she told me it was fun but very different. He is a much bigger dog than me - he jumps 24". And since he's a lot bigger, he moves around the course totally differently. Plus he is faster than me. (But he's not crazy-border-collie fast). I think mom wants to try it again - it's ok with me since she'll learn how to be a better handler and then I will benefit from that!
Thursday night we had our last advanced intermediate agility class. For the most part, it went great! We got to brag about our trial results right at the beginning of the class - the instructor always asks people who trialed over the weekend and what happened. Then we got to run some pretty challenging sequences. I was fast on my a-frame and dog walk - I think I surprised one of the instructors with my speed (now we're talking about fast for me, not necessarily fast for some other dogs)! Mom did a lot of lead outs with me - I am awesome at staying put, but then I start out real slow. So she is going to try to come up with ways to rev me up and just run with me (that's why she didn't try a lead out at the trial). Right now we don't have any clue as to how to get me all fired up at the start line. And we did some more complicated jumps with harder weave entries and I think I got them all. I like the more challenging stuff and I am really loving running long sequences and then getting a big payoff at the end (like lots and lots of chicken!).
Mom's not sure if we can take a class next session or not. She has too many conflicts with work in the evenings that classes are offered. There is a slight chance we'll do a Wednesday night class. Have to wait and see. We are going to take a Monday morning class at the club where we go for practice - we don't know much about the class or the instructor, but we're hoping to learn some new stuff and get some more good advice.
I almost forgot to tell you but mom has put me on a DIET! She actually started it on my birthday - of all days! A couple people - one of our agility instructors (who has Shelties herself) and a Sheltie breeder friend of our's - mentioned that I look FAT! I blame it on the time of the year - I mean nobody can get a lot of exercise in the dead of winter! - but mom had to admit that maybe I was getting a little chubby. 16.4 lbs. last time we checked. So she cut back on my food and is watching how many treats I get. This is all bad news for me - I was already hungry all the time! I keep telling her it's just all my fur that makes me look fat, but she doesn't believe me!
Gotta zoom!
Ricky
Too early?
6 hours ago
8 comments:
Gosh little dude....don't go loosing to much weight or you won't be able to get that teeter totter to go down!!! My vet told my mom that it should be 1.5 pounds to per inch. Mom thinks that is a bit much as put me on a diet too......and 4 times a day on the treadmill - gosh, a dogs life isn't meant to be this hard!!!
No, you don't look fat to me at all. It's just all the fur. The good thing is, I'm no longer on a diet coz I am preggers & I can all I want. How kool is that? I hope your Agility practice is going really well.
Butt sniffs,
Solid Gold Dancer
A diet? That doesn't sound right to me. BOL! I sure it just all fur and muscle on you. Sound like your agility stuff is going very good.
~lickies, Ludo
I think you look perfect Ricky, but I your Mommy knows best!
Luckily chicken is low in fat! So, hopefully you still get lots of that!
Oh dear. Diet is a word that my Shelties hate to hear too! Course, you have to stay nice and trim to do agility safely. Now if I could just watch my own diet as closely as I watch my dogs...we'd be set! LOL
Well, a pound or two can make a big difference. I think Miley is 13 3/4 inches and is 13 lbs. When she hits 14 lbs I can feel the extra fat on her ribs. Thats ususally how I judge her weight. I really dont weight her unless we are at the vet. Just take the weight loss slow and she shouldnt notice. Or add extra walking time, then you dont have to reduce food. ( I know, another thing to the already long list of things you have to do.) Diana
Sounds like you did great in class buddy! More confidence all the time, you'll get there :)
One of the things Mum did to get Gracie to bolt off the startline, was to put to jumps in a row, with a target/treat past the second jump, led out and then said OK! And then she led out past the first jump and threw Gracie's treat bag past the second jump. After just a few times, Gracie got the idea to go fast off the start. Just some ideas :)
Ahhhh,,,the dog agility diet. Know it well, my friend. Mum feels my ribs everyday before she feeds me, it's become routine now. I'm 15.75 and 16 lbs. I actually had to gain a lbs after last falls trials.
I had to loose weight after last winters injury, Mum just reduced my food by just a tad, and I lost the lbs in about three weeks. Wasn't so bad and I didn't have to be restricted on the normal treats for the day. Just more ideas :)
hmm...diets are so hard! Katie is now 19 pounds...the most she's weighed but I don't know how tall she is. I think this is as heavy as she should be, but tomorrow morning I'll check out the ole ribs. She's not going to like it if I have to pull back on the food, being the dinner pig that she is... :) Hope your diet goes well! And your classes too!
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