I hate that sound, the sound we all know as doggy parents. No, not the sound of puking about to happen but that cough, the one you know is kennel cough. Woke up on thursday morning to that sound. This was suppose to be my last show running deuce and I was really sad that he probably wouldn't be able to run. Called the vet as soon as they opened and got him an appointment for that afternoon knowing I probably knew the diagnosis. Started him on tussin tablets and hoped for the best. Well after a whole night of him harking as I call it, and puking phelgm all over mom and I in the bed, I called the vet back first thing wanting stronger meds and antibiotics. Got the stronger meds but not the antibiotics as he has no other symptoms. After a great night of sleep and then a whole another day of being woozy from the meds, he finally has stopped coughing. I am very glad he is feeling better and we have slowly weaned him down off of the cough meds. He still needs the lowest dose but only the lowest dose. I also found out that there were several vaccinated dogs that also came down with it but were kenneled at the other end of the building. I did walk out that way to let him potty so if the infected dog was down there, I guess we walked in their airborne wake. Most of the dogs that got sick came down with it last monday so it was weird that he didn't come down with it till thursday but oh well, different incubation times for different dogs I guess. I hadn't had him in any classes or out really as I have been SO busy lately trying to get all of my teaching done before this baby comes and have been working my first job till time to go teach and not coming home. Good for all of my students I guess. Bad for the puppy class that I used him in on wednesday night though. He wasn't coughing then but he might have been contagious and they were puppies. I would hate to miss the wichita show as I enjoy it and the vendors but it seems my dogs always come away from that show with something, thanks to the hundreds of dogs that are there for conformation, agility, lure coursing, obedience and herding.
The good news is that mom and I got to go to the baby shower anyway on saturday as the vet said we couldn't pass it on us to other dogs. Had so much fun, got so much great puppy and star themed stuff and had the most awesome cake ever! Will have to upload a pic, took a bunch on my phone. It was babies doing dog agility and it was AMAZING!!!! My dog friends are so amazing!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
The almost first double Q:)
We almost did it! I almost got our first double Q and I am so proud. This weekend was long, had a four day and my body was NOT happy by the fourth day. My back was hurting, was uncomfortable and just didn't feel good at all but I almost got our first double q on that day. Funny how that works out! Not feeling like my normal play by play so here are the overall highs and lows of the four days.
Lows: Deuce missed a few weave pole entries this weekend. He had been doing so well for so long but we had some challenges I guess I just haven't practiced. We had several triple to weaves scenarios. One I totally thought I cued him to collect over the triple and he just ignored my cues and then was past the entry (it was a 90 degree turn into them and he just turned into the second pole). The other wasn't as hard as a 90 but he had knocked a bar a couple of jumps before and was running in stressy mode. Sucked because on the 90 degree to the weaves from the triple was the only mistake we made on that tough course. Deuce had a couple of knocked bars but not too hung up on that. One was the first bar but I think it was where I set him and not totally 100% his fault. I set him up wrong and too close to the first jump in a very soft spot. Bad me. Had one course where I was reactive and I hate that. He felt it too and didn't run very well. Blew my double Q by holding my breath and not handling the end of the course because I was oh shit mode. He had made it through ALL the tough parts and I let him jump a jump super extended which made getting back to the a-frame impossible so he ran around it. Totally my fault, not his at all, I gave him NO information about what was coming up and how to jump. Three obstacles from the end. BOOOOO!!!!!
Highs: Got three Qs this weekend, one in standard on a very icky course that only four dogs in 20 inch qualified on and got a second to a big lab that has blazing running contacts. Got a Q on a fun and fast JWW course that only had about 5 dogs qualify on (lots of bars) and got his first first place in EX B. He listened and I handled. Why can't I get this through my head to handle proactively and he will run like I know he will. The best run I had all weekend was on a very icky standard course that literally made me mad. It was super, super trappy and I just hated it so I attacked it and guess what, beautiful run. I need to get mad at more courses apparently. Got a Q in T2B which was a fun course in which I pushed him, he kept his head and so did I.
Hope to have at least one video of the weekend. My travel partner tried to video me some as she could since she was only a few dogs ahead of me. Two more shows before baby unless baby decides to come early. I am so ready to have my body back, although running felt good this weekend and other than being out of breath after the runs, I felt good.
Lows: Deuce missed a few weave pole entries this weekend. He had been doing so well for so long but we had some challenges I guess I just haven't practiced. We had several triple to weaves scenarios. One I totally thought I cued him to collect over the triple and he just ignored my cues and then was past the entry (it was a 90 degree turn into them and he just turned into the second pole). The other wasn't as hard as a 90 but he had knocked a bar a couple of jumps before and was running in stressy mode. Sucked because on the 90 degree to the weaves from the triple was the only mistake we made on that tough course. Deuce had a couple of knocked bars but not too hung up on that. One was the first bar but I think it was where I set him and not totally 100% his fault. I set him up wrong and too close to the first jump in a very soft spot. Bad me. Had one course where I was reactive and I hate that. He felt it too and didn't run very well. Blew my double Q by holding my breath and not handling the end of the course because I was oh shit mode. He had made it through ALL the tough parts and I let him jump a jump super extended which made getting back to the a-frame impossible so he ran around it. Totally my fault, not his at all, I gave him NO information about what was coming up and how to jump. Three obstacles from the end. BOOOOO!!!!!
Highs: Got three Qs this weekend, one in standard on a very icky course that only four dogs in 20 inch qualified on and got a second to a big lab that has blazing running contacts. Got a Q on a fun and fast JWW course that only had about 5 dogs qualify on (lots of bars) and got his first first place in EX B. He listened and I handled. Why can't I get this through my head to handle proactively and he will run like I know he will. The best run I had all weekend was on a very icky standard course that literally made me mad. It was super, super trappy and I just hated it so I attacked it and guess what, beautiful run. I need to get mad at more courses apparently. Got a Q in T2B which was a fun course in which I pushed him, he kept his head and so did I.
Hope to have at least one video of the weekend. My travel partner tried to video me some as she could since she was only a few dogs ahead of me. Two more shows before baby unless baby decides to come early. I am so ready to have my body back, although running felt good this weekend and other than being out of breath after the runs, I felt good.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
plank work
I have been trying to get in as much plank work as my schedule and body allow. I am going to have to start doing work in the mornings to get in daily reps. Two days a week I go straight from work to teach so I am not getting anything done on those days. Today it was super hot as it was yesterday so she was kind of pokey. We have worked really hard on getting her to run from target to target to get her to build drive. I have stopped using toys but need to get back to them. Food seems to get her going the best so have been relying on that more. I felt like she was finally driving back and forth nicely no matter what position I was in. Initially if I was standing in the middle and clicking, she would stop and check in with me to get the cookie instead of driving ahead. We seemed to have eliminated that behavior which is a huge step ahead for her. She really likes it when I race her to the target the best but I will not always be right there with her, and of course being preggers, I can't really keep up with her anyway. We reintroduced the plank with her this week, a wider plank to help her. She still isn't 100% on staying on it, in fact prefers to run beside it. In her defense, the plank is still not painted or sanded so it is a little slick. We are having to use cones to help her visually but really want to fade them quicker than she wants them faded LOL. Will continue this week and hoping to get video of her running.
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