Last week would have been the last of our 7 week beginning agility class. But the club had an obedience fun match that night, so no class. Instead we went this week. So Katie had a two week span of no agility (though we did fit the rally match in during this lull) and I was worried that she had forgotten how much she loved to run and jump. I was pretty much right.
We started out with teeter, the one obstacle she hates. Of course the instructors were very careful with her, but still she didn’t want to walk up on that teeter, and that feeling transferred to the A-frame and the dogwalk for awhile. Once I helped her up the other two she got over the fear, but she never did want to approach the teeter.
The other problem was in the other two rings. It was week one of puppy socialization and obedience. There were 10 puppies in the ring just across from us and 10 or more large dogs in the obedience ring separated from us only by a low fence. The barking and whining and growling was really loud. Once we did teeter we were trying to do a pinwheel jump set that was set up right next to the fence. Just as it was our turn a bloodhound inches away across the low fence decided he didn’t like the dog next to him and lunched, growled and barked. And kept barking and barking and howling as only a bloodhound can. At the top of his lungs. His owner didn’t try to control him at all, and Katie, sitting pressed up against my leg was freaked out. She’s very sound sensitive as it is, and this sound had everyone in the building stopped. Finally the obedience instructor got the bloodhound under control. But Katie was inconsolable. I took her over to the other side of our ring, and the rest of the class did the pinwheel jumps.
The whole evening was like that. When we tried to do teeter again, a rottweiler was sitting just outside the ring, staring at us and growling. Katie didn’t like that either and jumped off the teeter and ran around the ring. I didn’t appreciate that that dog’s owner didn’t try to control their dog either. What’s up with people watching other classes that allow their dog to interfere? If my dog didn’t behave himself while I was waiting for my class to start my dog and I would go outside and have a heart-to-heart. I wouldn’t just stand there. Anyway, Katie was totally overwhelmed.
Finally the instructor set up a couple of relay courses, jump, tunnel, jump, table. We split up into two teams, 3 on each, and were supposed to run this course, sit or down on the table then run it back. Katie wouldn’t jump over the last jump, because people (our teammates) were standing nearby. On another time she wouldn’t come off the table after she sat successfully for the count of 5. Nothing was getting her off the table! NOTHING. Two instructors finally came over and sat on the table and leaned her way, and then she came off of it and did the rest just fine.
At one time she decided she wasn’t participating anymore and ran across the room and up the dogwalk. Once she even accidentally ran up the teeter when she was trying to get away from me. I think she thought it was the dogwalk. I spent most of the evening trying to get her to come back. I finally put her on the leash so that I had some control, but even so she wasn’t going to do anything. At all.
So this was a disappointing last class. She was totally freaked and I’m not sure all the work we did getting her happy on most of the obstacles will stick. In a couple weeks I’m going north to house sit for a few weeks and so I haven’t registered Katie for any doggie school this semester. We’ll go to drop in obedience classes while I’m home, and the semester after next we’ll try again.
It’s frustrating, isn’t it Katie-girl!
I have to politely and respectfully disagree with those of you that say you aren’t artists, can’t draw, and leave the art to other members of your family or friends. You say you’re just “not artistic,” or “can’t draw a straight line.” My mother used to teach art, to members of Girl Scout troops, or people that came into her ceramic store to work on projects. Most of these people didn’t think they had any talent. She’d show them that they all had talent, each in their own unique way. There aren’t very many straight lines in nature, or for that matter, anywhere. And art isn’t about straight lines anyway.
We woke to sunshine today! It’s amazing how a little sun can change an attitude almost instantly!
Today was Katie’s first ever Rally trial…Novice A, which means we don’t know what we’re doing! Seriously! This morning started out with snow, and it was still snowing when we left for the one hour trip down to the trial venue. We left early because we figured the roads would slow us up, but we arrived right around 11:00 when the trial began. They were doing Excellent A & B, then Advanced A & B and finally Novice A & B. So getting there at 11 when they were just starting Excellent wasn’t such a good idea. It meant LOTS of waiting for Katie and me. Lucky thing I bought her a little crate, so we didn’t have to walk around for the entire 5 hours!
There’s a mall nearby that is closing. All the interior stores have closed and only a couple of the big stores on the ends remain open. There has been talk for years about what could be done to make the property more viable but it’s always seemed inevitable to me that the mall would fail. Three or four years ago I did all my Christmas shopping there because it was never crowded. Not even just before the holiday.
But for me the saddest things were in the basement where they were selling fixtures; shelving, file cabinets, decorations, mirrors, tables and manikins. The naked manikins, standing in groups, lined up or hanging in rows were somehow disheartening. Like children not picked to play on a team in middle school gym class, they seem lonely. And a little bit embarrassed at being unclothed. Yet the symmetry of their body parts was intriguing as well. The way they were grouped together, either as members of a marching army, or guests at a cocktail party seemed to inspire a story. One without a happy ending.
Change Is Hard 