The Rash

Some how Ive gotten into something that has caused a terrible rash on my body. I started itching Friday night but didn't think much about it. Saturday morning I woke up and my legs were itching. I finally looked at it. I had what looked like a bunch of bug bites all over my right thigh and a few on my left leg. It looked like I got bitten by fire ants. But I would have remembered that. Weird. It has spread and now on my ankles and both hips and a few on my stomach. Only one on one arm. I don't know where I got this from. Yesterday I wash my bed stuff, although my husband doesn't have a rash. Today I washed the dogs and some more blankets and towels. These are nasty red bumps that then become pustules and break open. The itching isn't crazy but slightly annoying. Today I went to the doctor to make sure it wasn't anything, which I didn't think it was. Of course I could have saved myself the trip because she thought it was just a contact rash. I just have to wait it out.

I did manage to work Miley a little tonight before the rain started. She did well on the weaves except twice she didn't get in. I do think if I'm behind her she gets in and if I'm ahead ( on certain types of sequences) she wont. When I watch the video from the other day , I noticed she is really looking at my feet or lower legs. I had the video camera down at the dogs height. It gave me a good view point. I always think she watching my upper body but I guess because she is little,its easier to see the legs and feet. I'm going to have to try and remember that when working her. Also when she is running fast, I have to make a more noticeable body movement if she has some distance from me , or she doesn't see what I'm doing. I wanted to go to the field today but I didn't make it. Hopefully I will get there this week.

I hit a button to fast and this got posted before I could check the spelling. I did get back in and fix it. I hope it didnt get to many people with all the spelling errors. Also, Guiness's foot is healed. At least it looks healed.

The walk

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Yesterday and today I took the dogs to the park for a long walk. Trying to wear them out. I only succeed in wearing myself out. Its still really hot outside but getting better. I think this week we finally will get down into the 80's. It hasn't rained in a while so the water is down. I was able to walk out onto the big rocks that are in the water. Usually its surrounded by water and you cant walk out there.

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This was Guiness after I soaked him down with water. Well he always has to roll when ever he is wet. This is the after picture.

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The beaver must have given up on this tree. Either to hot or not enough water to want to damn it up. I just can't imagine doing that with just your teeth. A lot of times we cant even do it with an ax or chain saw.

The weave pole article that Kathy was referring to was in Sept. 09 of Clean Run. Its under Trainer's Forum page 19.

To College

Well this morning we leave to take my son to college. I hope he likes it. I'm trying not to worry but I'm not being very successful. I worry because he isn't the type of kid to tell you when things aren't going well. He never told me lots of stuff that happened at school and how mean some of the kids were to him. I was so worried about him for a time. That's why I became a school nurse. It allowed me to be home by the time he got home from school. I didn't want him to be home by himself. He just seemed so unhappy. That was several years ago and he seems much better now. But college can be rough. The good thing is, he can come home every weekend if he wants to and the college is small (only 2500 students).

Weave poles

We have been having weave pole problems. It only seems to be when the jump is at an angle to the side and in front of the poles. Yesterday she missed the entry repeatedly. I finally had to open the first two poles to get her to be successful. Today I started with the poles open and then closed them after two successful weaves.

I think I have a tendency to run the same way each time. I noticed from watching these videos that I need to vary what I'm doing more. She defiantly did much better today then yesterday. I set the video camera up because I thought maybe I was blocking her view of the weaves and that is why she couldn't get in, but not so.

Maybe she just needed that little chihuahua there to get her into the weaves right. Lol

More Practice

Sorry I haven't blogged much. Its been so flipping hot out. Every time I walk the dogs, I sweat through all my clothes. Its been miserable. But things are looking up. The last two mornings its felt cool. Its still hot in the afternoon and evening but the morning has been nice. Not much else going on. Guiness's foot is starting to look better and he isn't licking it anymore. The sore is still there but not as red. He has only had 5 days of his antibiotics so hopefully it will gone by day 10.

I set this course up the other day. The first run she went off course into the tunnel after the a-frame. I thought I could get a front cross in there after the tunnel but I cut her off. Its kinda scary with your dog running straight at you. It doesn't look as bad on the video as it did in real life. The second time I ran it, she didn't go off course ,so I rear crossed that same section and that worked better ( at least I think it did). Then we had weave problems. It was kinda weird. If I was ahead of her, she didn't get in at the first pole. If I stayed back and sent her, she got in. Have I been practicing this way? I didn't think so. I didn't put all the video on here but repeatedly, if I hung back she got in. I'm going to have to work on that. Weird. She did have very nice teeters!!!

Practice

I set this course up yesterday at the field. I hope this judge doesn't mind me posting her course map. She has a blog called "Dog training, Dogs & Life". http://premierk9club.blogspot.com/ She post her courses and will talk about where dogs had problems.


Anyway, the first time we ran it ,I stopped after the weaves because she got in and weaved all the way down. I really wanted to reward that. Then we finished the course. Here is where the problem began. She took jump 16 but then would go off course to jump 4. I had to repeat this area several times, adding pulling laterally ( a lot) , calling her and pulling my shoulder to get her to run the correct line. I couldn't figure out why it took so much to get her to do that.

Some other things that happen on the course when I ran the whole thing. I started with her on my right and she went into the correct tunnel entrance but when I was driving home I started thinking that maybe I should have had her on my left. That way she didn't have 2 tunnel opening sto chose from. It worked the way I did it but maybe I was just lucky. The other problem was the second tunnel. She didn't have a problem getting the correct tunnel entrance the first time but after that it was 50-50 chance. I was rear crossing after 6. I tried front crossing after 5 which made her get the correct tunnel entrance ,the problem was me getting there. I was always late and was in her space. You don't want to cut your dog off because then you dog will start to slow down anticipating you cutting them off. Anyone see a better option for me getting her in the correct tunnel entrance?

Long week

Thank god its Friday. WhooHoo!! This has been the longest week. I haven't felt to good the last couple of days. I didn't do anything after getting off work yesterday. I just laid on the couch. I do remember Miley barking in my face while I was sleeping there. When I woke up, there were all these toys by me. (Balls, tug bait bags, that moo cow toy and stuffed animals). Poor Miley. She was probably thinking, "Maybe this toy will get her up, I know she likes this one" Lol. But today I feel better. Work has been stressful. I cant go into why but hopefully things will get better.
Guiness's foot is still having problems. It seemed better but then I noticed the last few days he started licking it. I kept looking at it and couldn't find anything until last night. He has been licking the front foot, top inner toe. I found a sore on the back side above the pad. I'm not sure if they are related. So I made an appt. to take him back to the vet. The vet thought his toe joint had fluid in it. He wasn't sure if the sore was related to the joint but it could be. He decided to put him on 10 days of antibiotics and more pain medication. Poor Guinn, but he isn't limping. Hopefully it goes away.

Miley was so happy that she got to run some agility tonight. I need to get on the ball if I want to make my goals and do well at the trails that I have entered in September. My daughter wanted to take some pictures durning our practice.

Doesnt this look painful? Its 24 inch weave pole spacing.
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Awww, thats better.

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This one is just cute.
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And this one is just funny.
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