TDAA

Wow, although I have stopped competing for the summer, and because I am working now, I did volunteer to be Trial Chair a TDAA show.  TDAA is a small dog agility competition.  It is very relaxed and friendly.  My Boo has almost completed her TACh - which is a champion title.  She is very good at what she does, but she is unreliable - you never know what you are going to get when you take her out onto the course... she could be fast as lightning or she could sit and scratch her ears.  Its all dependent on her mood and she is a bitch, after all. 

This time, however, instead of just concentrating on my dogs, I was in charge of the whole show.  I had to find a date to hold it, find a judge, pick the games and how many we would run, get the food and volunteers, and organize everything.  A lot more work goes into these things than I ever thought.  Luckily, I have a great family and great club members that pitched in to make a wonderful show.   I learned a lot and I hope to be able to have another one in the spring.  Boo and Kodi both ran very well in the show and some of my students showed as well.  It is so great to have a sport that lets you work as a team with your dog.  I feel that after every show, my dogs and I bond even more. 

Bikes and Poodles

This has been a good summer for the Amour Agility dogs.  They got to try a whole variety of new things.  Their favorites have been boating on Lake Cumberland and mountain biking.  I tried mountain biking last year with my fiancee, it is one of his passions in life.  I didnt like it at first.  Too many bugs, trees and spikey plants.  However, with practice I have adopted it as one of my hobbies.  Tulla and Steele just started learning to chase my bike while I ride through the woods.  Both dogs, used to agility, are very "pack oriented" and stay with me when I walk or ride away from them.  They follow me as their alpha.  At Hueston Woods state park there is a lake and several streams.  My dogs run for 15 minutes behind my bike and then I take them for a cool down in the steams.  It is great muscle and endurance building and lots of fun for us all.  I only wish that my little dogs could go too. 

At Lake Cumberland, we swim, run on the shore, take boat rides, and play games involving jumping off boats and treats. 

I love summer with my dogs.  At the bike trails yesterday I noticed the leaves are starting to fall off the trees.  This makes me sad.  I hope this fall has plenty of nice weather before the winter hits.