Private lesson July 7th

My private lesson went pretty well, all in all.  I started off practicing the weave poles.  We had to break them down to sets of two because gosh I just can't remember.  I can't practice these things at home so I am sure that Marty gets frustrated with me, but she stays upbeat and cheers when I do it right.  Then I get my yummy treats.

Then we went on to work on some "courses" in that training area.  Here is some of what I did:

Marty says that I am so fast that the cell phone has trouble keeping up with me so many times I am just a blur.

I had so much fun!  I got to do the teeter, A-Frame, weaves, tunnels and lots of jumps.  I am learning new directional words too like "behind" which means go to the back side of the jump and jump toward Marty not away from her like I usually do when she says "jump" or "out".

Novice Class today

 Whispy and I nearly didn't go to class today.  There was a big storm last night and we lost power.  Rainy was very upset and panted and panted.  That stress is not good for her with her being so sick with cancer. Having the house silent and dark wasn't a problem to us Chihuahuas.  Marty went and got some flash lights, she had to drive through the storm to get them and came home drenched to her skin.  She got the lights working, put new batteries into some motion sensor lights and all of this helped Rainy calm down and eventually go to sleep.  The house had gotten hot so Marty opened the window by her bed and I sat looking out at the changing colors of the sky and the drips of water running down the window screen.  The storm was over, at least for that night.  Marty was very very tired this morning, there were big branches down in the back yard - she would find the big lamp post in the front yard had fallen over and broken but that was after we'd gotten home.

Marty's neighbor Ron was out gathering fallen branches from his yard and placing them on his driveway when Marty suggested that because his city boulevard tree had split and the city was going to have to come to cut and haul it away, that he might as well add his other downed limbs to that tree.  He agreed.  Marty asked him if he would take her fallen branches to his boulevard and he did.  We then headed out for class.  I was happy we were finally heading to class.

WOW!  I had a blast at agility today.  Marty runs Whispy in the class before mine and gets to see and run the various courses.  They looked like they were having a lot of fun.  Marty's teacher had her try some different moves to get into a better position to "pick up" Whispy from the previous jump.  "Pick up" isn't literal, Marty has to get into a position to reach back or to the side to help direct Whispy from the previous jump or obstacle.

When it was my turn I couldn't wait, but I had to because they started with the tallest to smallest dogs.  We sat and sat.  Then eventually it was my turn and I did everything that Marty asked of me and I ran fast and happy.  We worked in 3 different training areas and except for the weaves in the one training area I did everything beautifully.  I even gave Marty the opportunity to "run" fast so I could do some jumps after the tunnel that the other dogs never got to.  I know Marty is very proud of me.

On the way home we stopped at Dairy Queen, that was a first, and Marty shared her triple berry Julius with Whispy and me.  It was cold, sweet and tasted so good.  We got as much as we wanted...I was even shivering before Marty closed our crate door for us to settle down and sleep on the long trip home.

In the different courses I ran today I did: jumps, A-Frame, teeter, tire, table, and many tunnels.  Tomorrow in my private class I will again work on my self confidence doing the weaves.  I know I know how to do them in the small training area but I have trouble out in the big training area.  I know I will work past that, I know Marty hopes it is soon.

It was a wonderful day!

June 4-5 Bittersweet

I don't think I've taken the time to explain June 4-5.  Saturday began like any other day.  We all had breakfast: Rainy, Whispy, Twig, Pinny and me .... oh and the two parrots ate too.  Marty did some chores then she set up two chutes that she made by using child size tunnels with 6' of rip stop nylon attached to one end of each tunnel forming a chute like we use in agility only much smaller.  Marty had made a chute for me like that earlier in the week only the nylon instead of forming a long tubular tunnel was just a flap over one of the ends I had to push though.  I got really good at that.

That Saturday Marty made two chutes, one to go into the bird room where Marty sits at her computer and the 2nd chute to go back into Marty's bedroom.  Marty called all us Chihuahuas and one by one we each ran through the first chute to get to Marty.  We each got a piece of kibble.  I was the last one through because I was worried.

Marty sent us out of the room through the other chute tossing us each a piece of kibble.  Then we turned around and ran back through the first chute to get more kibble.  It was so much fun!  I'd never seen Pinny have so much fun before, usually she was bossing someone around. We ran thru one chute then back thru the other so fast chasing each other.  Marty said that she could hear us giggling with joy.

When Marty ran out of the 1/8 cup of kibble she used for treats we had to stop running through the chutes.  Boy was it fun though.

Then the day continued like normal.  We ate dinner and watched some TV.  Marty went to bed at 10p and that is when Pin did something odd.  She got up on the top of the phone book steps next to Marty's bed and lay down, she didn't ask Rainy's permission and Rainy didn't growl at her.  That was very unusual. Marty asked Pinny if she was alright and Pinny wagged her tail then put her head down as if to sleep. This was very strange.  Then without asking Pinny got up on the bed and lay down on Rainy's comforter next to Rainy, Rainy didn't growl at her for doing that.  Marty covered Pinny with the comforter then lay back and fell asleep.  Later Marty would say that Pinny felt cold to the touch although she wasn't shivering. Because of Rainy's cancer Rainy needs the house colder with the A/C on and a fan blowing on her....it's a bit chilly for the rest of us but we have blankets with which we can cover ourselves.

After a bit Pinny snuggled in next to Marty and was covered with a down quilt tucked in close to Marty's side.  A while went by when Marty suddenly woke complaining about a terrible smell.  She got out of bed, got some paper towel and wiped up the liquid Pinny left in the bed.  It was clear but light pink.  Marty thought it was a UTI and told Pinny she would take her to the hospital in the morning.  Marty left the room and Pinny got off the bed.

Oh the next part was horrible.  Pinny had two large "accidents" of all blood, then she vomited clear and frothy stuff with bubbles,had another large blood accident then went to the couch and had still another blood accident.  Marty called the emergency clinic to let them know she was bringing Pinny in telling them quickly of the large blood puddles and Pinny being in shock.  Then Marty scooped Pinny up into some blankets and left the house in a hurry.  About 2 hours later Marty came home without Pinny and Marty sobbed and sobbed.  Pinny had died shortly after getting to the hospital.  She had bled to death.

Pinny was 8 years old, she lived here 6 years.  She ran agility until just before she beat up Cally, Rainy's mom.  Cally died 5 months after Pin hurt her.

Marty said that Pinny arrived with no socialization at the age of 2 years, wasn't housebroken and attacked Rainy and Cally.  Pinny was sassy to Marty.  If Marty caught Pinny doing something wrong she would tell Pinny to go to her house (crate).  Pinny would lower her body posture, raise her hackles and turn her head growling at Marty all the way to her house.  Pinny also bossed us other Chihuahuas around.  Rainy would have none of it and made Pin ask to get up on the bed. If Pin got on the bed without Rain's permission, Rainy would "roar" at her....that is real scary looking and sounding when Rain "roars".  Marty thinks that Rainy probably saved Cally when Pinny hurt her so badly because Pinny was more afraid when Rainy growled at her for trying to get on the bed before asking permission.

It is very sad that Pin is gone but us dogs and even Marty are happier and more relaxed.  We don't have to worry about who Pin would target next and Marty doesn't have to protect any of us any more from Pinny's sudden attacks.  Marty caught Pinny one time running after Rainy and actually biting Rainy's heels as Rainy walked down the hallway to get a drink of water.

Rainy had to go to our regular vet two days later for blood work and Marty talked to our vet about Pinny.  He'd gotten the medical report from the emergency clinic.  He thought that because Pinny had always eaten dog poo, had had intestinal problems since she arrived, that Marty helped Pinny with using TellingtonTTouch, most probably Pinny developed a severe infection of her small intestine which caused the bleeding and her sudden death. 

That last Saturday when we ran in and out through the chutes, all us Chihuahuas having so much fun, is my most favorite time and memory of Pinny.  I am glad that we had such a fun day.

Where does the time go

Well it's been a while since I last wrote.  I've been going to my novice agility classes and also had some private lessons.

One morning during class I did my first "fly off".  I started the course just fine, paying close attention to Marty and her directions but I didn't listen when she said "Teeter".  I just ran up the thing thinking .....well who knows what I was thinking...I was running full tilt when suddenly I was flying through the air.  I wasn't on the dog walk which has a plank that goes down to the ground.  I landed on the training floor, thank heavens it is totally covered with a mat but I landed hard.  I squeaked out of sheer surprise and jumped back up on my feet.  I limped a few steps as I checked myself over.  Marty was very encouraging, she didn't baby me with "Oh my!  My poor baby"...you know that kind of stuff that would make anyone afraid they were hurt.  Marty just started me at the beginning of the course and this time when she said "teeter" I ran out to the end and STOPPED! I rode the teeter to the ground like I should have done.  I got lots and lots of treats and that made me very happy.

This is a picture of me on the teeter

the other end of the teeter is off the floor as I am riding the teeter down to the ground.  Even at this point, nearly horizontal to the ground, I am still way up in the air.

At my next private lesson I decided that I didn't want to do the teeter any more and we had to work on it until I felt brave enough to go running out to the end.  The treats I get are wonderful.

I love doing the weave poles and I am very fast....in the smaller training room that is.

On my first private lesson out in the big training area I had no problems doing the weaves, finding the opening (the proper way to start the weaves) and worked at a distance from Marty.  But that was the last time because in class the weaves were set up next to the lattice divider between the area we were working in and the next training area where another class was being held.  Directly on the other side of the lattice divider, parallel with the weaves I was doing was a tunnel and I got scared when it began to move because a big dog was running through the tunnel as I was trying to weave.  It scared me a lot.

Marty is working with me during the private lessons to get me to be more confident about doing all 12 weave poles.  Last private lesson I did 10 before stopping.  I know I will be able to weave all 12 poles again, I just need more practice.

I love the dog walk

I love the A-Frame

I even love tunnels now