Sportsmanship, Welcome, and Attitude

During my recent Rally blitz with Aslan [see November 26 "Two out of Three ... so far"], 
I have had the opportunity to observe many other competitors.  

Today's blog post is a compilation of some recent experiences and some random musings that I need to keep in mind as we begin trialing again soon.


I will say that BY FAR, most Obedience and Rally exhibitors and judges are welcoming of newcomers and encouraging of their competitors.

At one Fall trial, one tough-scoring judge NQd a team, and many of the spectators were shocked!  The woman was in tears, and people rallied around her, encouraging her and giving her hugs.  She seemed somewhat buoyed by the support; I hope she was.

On an earlier Fall trial walk-through, a very successful competitor pointed out to others (including me) things they should watch out for on that day's Rally course.  He didn't have to do that.  I have also assisted others during the walk-through when I noticed that they were practicing the sign incorrectly.  I believe they were as grateful as I was for the assistance.

Children are not always welcomed with open arms at trials.  My eyes get wide when I see a young'un running around, but I know that today's children are tomorrow's competitors and that some folks could not trial if they weren't able to bring their children along.  

At one trial, a young child was helping steward by being the leash runner.  There were instances when she took that job title literally, which caused some consternation among the exhibitors.  She also was crawling around by the ring gate and, at one point, had some food near the ring.  

Aslan, like some other dogs at the trial, has not been around children very often, and little ones make us both nervous.  However, I made a dedicated effort to show Aslan that it was no big deal as, with a smile and a "thank you," I handed her my leash and set up at the start line.  She picked that moment to flop down and start crawling around.  Sigh.  I got Aslan's attention back on me, and all was well.  

After our run, I heard some complaints about the child.  Having decided that I was going to have fun that day -- no matter what -- and that nothing was going to ruin my upbeat attitude, I said, "She's just being a typical kid.  The only way she will learn is if someone helps her understand what is acceptable and what is not."  Not long after, I saw her getting some helpful guidance.  I was pleased.

A shot from Aslan's first Rally Trial

Let's talk about walk-throughs.  In general, most people are considerate.  But there are a few...  Please don't walk up my @$$ and run into me.  Go around me already--sheesh!  

Please know the signs or look them up before the walk-through.  Of course there are going to be times when someone gets confused and needs to stop and think or ask a question.  I get that!  But when, for more than half the signs on the course, you have to ask other people or need to stop and check the Rulebook/Rally app...  Yeah, no.  


As I become more familiar with the exhibitors in this area, I am learning who I don't want to follow and who I don't want following me on the walk-through <lol>.  A walk-through in big classes is kind of like working a drill team.  (I think being part of a canine drill team would be fun!)

Not drill team, but I recently saw a Rally Team event.  What FUN!!  There was cheering, encouragement, and heckling -- all in good fun.  I want to try this sometime!

When you appreciate someone or something at a trial, let the club know!  I recently e-mailed a club's Trial Secretary to pass along my admiration of the wonderful trial stewards, who handled their duties efficiently and, along with the judge, kept things moving quickly in spite of the large number of entries.  I also shared my gratitude for the fabulous new title ribbons offered by the club.  They seemed appreciative of the appreciation :-)

During one trial weekend, another competitor did a good job of messing with my head.  I was unsure whether this was a deliberate sabotage effort or not, and I did not discuss my feelings to anyone else.  My suspicion was confirmed when, without provocation, someone mentioned it to me.  It worked one weekend, but I will do my level best to make sure they never affect me again!  

The kindest episode I saw was late last fall after a young woman had an absolutely horrible run.  I witnessed her doing a couple signs incorrectly, and she was clearly nervous and upset, which seemed to cause her dog to shut down... which, of course, made her more nervous and upset.  It was a non-qualifying run.  

She was in tears, and she scratched from her next two runs.  As the steward talked to her about the situation, a few other people and I joined the conversation.  We all hugged her and told her that she was definitely not alone, and we shared about our own embarrassing moments.  More people joined in and gave her encouragement and advice.  The steward convinced the young woman to stay in the next two classes after all.  Though the runs were not the best, she did qualify and improved her score a little each time.  She was still disappointed but was smiling by the end of the day.  It was a beautiful thing to witness and be a small part of.

Some people would have written her off and said she wasn't ready for that level (and some would have been unkind or even mean).  I am grateful for each person that day who encouraged this girl and helped her so that she didn't give up and hopefully felt better about herself.

One piece of advice I gave to this exhibitor was to smile and laugh even if her dog messes up.  I had an example from my own run earlier in the day.  Aslan was goofing off, and my voice revealed my irritation with him.  I saw his normally happy attitude melt, and I mentally kicked myself, remembering my resolution to have fun no matter what!  So I started laughing at him instead, and he perked up again and got back on track.  

Some people act happy to see you ... until they are with "their" friends.  It's a little like cliques from high-school days.  If you are clearly not welcome in their group, move on.  You do not need those people in your life.

There are people who are not happy unless they are complaining.  It is amazingly easy to fall into the negativity trap, and I found myself doing so on more than one occasion.

Some people know it all about dogs (and everything else).  Smile and let them think they do. :-)  They'll never believe that anyone else could possibly know what they know, and you'll never convince them otherwise.  It would be a waste of time and energy to try.  Save your knowledge for those who truly want to learn.

At the beginning of one trial, a woman approached me, asking if I knew her sister-in-law.  While it's possible I might know her on sight, I did not know her by name.  This woman, who had come to watch her SIL compete, had never been to a Rally Trial before, and she had no idea what was going on.  

Before her SIL arrived, I spent several minutes explaining what would soon be happening in the ring.  She laughed when I told her about exhibitors taking their invisible dogs on the walk-through. Later, after cheering on her SIL's run, she came back over to me and asked if I would like for her to video one of our runs.  I was extremely grateful!  

Later in the day, the competitor thanked me for being so nice to her SIL that morning.  It was truly my pleasure!  I genuinely enjoyed welcoming someone new!  Maybe someday she will decide to give it a whirl with her own dog.

That concludes my attitude overview from the summer and fall Rally trials we attended.  I learned much.  As we soon begin a round of more trials, I plan to frequently remind myself to keep a positive outlook, do not fall into the negativity trap, and above all, have fun with my canine partner!   

Cherish your dogs!
MDW


Photos in this article by Dick Clark Photography.

I wonder what happened to...

I have often said that if I ever wrote my personal memoir, it would be entitled, "Slight Change of Plans."  Last night was a perfect example.

All week I had been looking forward to Friday night, when I had planned to feed me, feed the dogs, pay some bills while the dogs were eating, and then after the dogs had been taken care of, pop some popcorn and settle in to watch a rented movie.

Feed me - Check.
Feed the dogs - Check.
Pay bills - Check. 
And then, about five minutes after I had paid bills and was working on a little budgeting...

Almondine came upstairs SCREAMING.  She was hunched up in pain, and she looked terrified.  I tend to be a wait-and-see dog owner.  I don't rush to the vet for every little thing, and the Emergency Vet is definitely a last resort.  It was close to 7:00 p.m., and my vet had already closed.

I could not determine any cause for Almondine's agony, and though the initial distress had passed quickly, something felt very wrong to me.  I grabbed my coat, my shoes, her collar and leash, and we were on our way within minutes.  

We made it to the Emergency Vet by 7:00 p.m.  In the lobby were a man with a dog and a woman sitting alone.  The receptionist collected our information, and Almondine was taken to the back for triage.  Shortly thereafter, she was returned to me; her vitals were stable, so she could wait in the lobby with me.  

I talk to my dogs.  A lot.  And when we're in a stressful situation, a lot more.  So I was asking Almondine what was wrong with her and generally chit-chatting to her.  The other woman in the lobby caught my eye and smiled at me.  Laughing I said, "Yeah, I talk to my dogs." She laughed and said, "Oh yeah, I do too!"

She told me that her dog was in the back being stitched up and showed me a photo of her dog's face, which had swollen after being bitten by another dog.  It was nothing too serious, but something that needed immediate care.

One of the staff members came around asking everyone if they wanted water or coffee.  When we declined, he grinned, "Gin and tonic?"  The woman grinned back, "Now you tell me!"

The other dog in the lobby seemed to be in good shape except for sporting a bandage on his leg.  Apparently the bandage needed to come off, but the dog wanted to remove the owner's arm in the process.  Oh!

When we arrived, Almondine seemed almost normal except for some panting and that she wasn't walking normally.  The latter was something that most people probably wouldn't notice unless they were intimately familiar with her usual movement.

The longer we were there, the better she seemed.  I am no animal communicator, but there have been a few isolated instances when I am absolutely positive I have heard what my dog had to say as clearly as any human could communicate.  This was one of those special instances, when Almondine told me she wanted to go home.

She appeared normal to me, and I almost acquiesced.  Instead, I told her, "I do, too, but that we are here now, and we are going to see what the vet has to say, because you scared me, and I need to make sure you are okay."

A couple came in carrying a small dog.  He had been attacked by another dog a few days ago and had suddenly become lethargic, and his injury site was swollen.

A second couple came in with a big dog who had been to another vet several months ago after getting into rat poison in the barn.  The dog had not been "right" since, including a dramatic weight loss, and the people were unhappy with the lack of treatment from the other vet.  

The woman whose dog's face was being stitched smiled at me as she and her dog left.  With a twinkle in my eye, I told her, "Enjoy that gin and tonic."

Finally, we were called into a room.  After another long wait, during which Almondine again asked, "Home?" the vet appeared.  She apologized for the long wait.  I appreciated the apology, as I was getting antsy, though I completely understand that since my dog was stable (thank goodness!) that we were lower priority, and that is perfectly fine.

The vet asked lots of questions, and she complimented me on knowing my dog better than a lot of people do.  

Eventual diagnosis was a suspected neck injury.  Restricted activity and a bevy of meds prescribed.  Follow-up visit in a couple weeks with our vet advised.

As we were paying, one receptionist transferred a phone call, relating that the caller was asking if they should bring in their recently spayed dog whose stitches had all come out and whose "insides were coming out" -- or could they wait until Monday and take her to their regular vet?

Yikes.  

The other receptionist and I looked at each other and said, simultaneously, "Bring her in."

While we were checking out, someone was given instructions for checking out the patient whose dog had to be sedated for bandage removal.  So, it looks like that one is okay.

My last two Emergency Vet experiences have resulted in goodbyes, so I experienced immense relief as I pulled out of the parking lot at 9:15 p.m. with Almondine safely in the van.

But I wondered, what about the poor little lethargic dog-attack victim?  Or the tall, skinny, unwell dog?  Did the recently spayed dog's owner heed the recommendation to bring her in, or did they wait?  Is she going to be okay?  Are any of them going home with their owners this night?

Given the fact that I quickly bond with animals I don't even know, and that I tend to be empathic [empathic, not empathetic] in those situations, it is probably best that the other patients' outcomes remain a mystery to me.  

Still, I wonder what happened to...

Cherish your dogs,
MDW

PS - Almondine seems completely fine today.  She is cuddled up beside me as I finish up this post.  Maybe tonight will be movie night?

Two out of Three ... so far

Aslan with his favorite toy won at the November Rally Trial.

In 2018, Aslan competed at the AKC Rally National Championship, which was held in Ohio.  Originally scheduled for another location and moved to Ohio due to a conflict, I figured this was a once-in-a-lifetime event for us. [See May 26, "Time for Good News and Fun" for results.]

On July 16, I learned that the RNC was again scheduled for Ohio in 2020.  At first I was excited!  I thought that we could get out and compete in Excellent and Advanced and meet the eligibility requirements for the RAE class.  But then I was very disappointed to learn that the RAE class had been eliminated -- replaced with Master and Championship classes.  We had only dabbled in training the Master exercises, and Aslan was nowhere near ready to compete at that level!

Initially I was upset with myself for missing the location announcement that had been made back in March or April.  And honestly, I was a little upset with the AKC for eliminating "my" class, because now there was nothing for a dog with "just" an RAE.

The Master Class at the RNC requires the RM title and three scores of 93 or higher earned during the qualifying period; the Championship Class requires an RAE and three scores of 93 or higher in Advanced, and in Excellent, and in Master.  The qualifying period ends on November 30.

We had done a Rally Master run-thru a week before, and it was ugly. My plan was to start taking a Rally class at the dog club in August and hopefully be ready to compete late fall at the very earliest or next winter. However, the qualifying period would be over by then.  If I wanted Aslan to be eligible for the RNC, we had to significantly move up that timeline.  

I decided, "Oh, why not!" and set these three goals:  

1. Eligibility for the RNC Championship Class by November 30 -- three scores of 93 or higher in Advanced, Excellent, and Master;
2. Rally Master title, which requires 10 qualifying scores (70 or more points); 
3. Rally Champion title.  To achieve a RACH, a dog must: earn 20 Triple Qs; qualify in Rally Master (RM), Rally Excellent (RE), and Rally Advanced (RA), all at the same trial; and earn 300 points, at least 150 of which must come from the RM class. Points are earned based on scores of 91-100.  This one will take a while!

Knowing that it was going to be a training and trialing blitz, I began to mentally prepare myself for the challenge.

Justice died the next day.

There must have been a reason that the Rally challenge came up when it did.  I needed anything and everything to divert my focus from recent losses and stresses -- especially this loss.

I made a list of area trials and figured that I had enough chances without driving too terribly far.  I studied the signs, practiced with Aslan, and enrolled him in class.  Classes started less than a week before our first trial in mid-August.  

The trial morning began with our first ever attempt in RM, and I was nervous!  The send-to-cone exercise was on the course, and he has significantly struggled with that one, which made me even more nervous.  Aslan, I think in an effort to relieve my anxiety by making me laugh, was a bit of a wild boy. In spite of some what-the-heck-was-that? moments, he did some nice work, too, and ended up with a respectable 85.

Considering it had been only a month earlier that I made the decision to start trialing, and we weren't seriously training at that point, I was thrilled to have Qd with a score that was smack-dab in the middle between NQ and maximum possible.

At September's trials, he did a decent job, but I noticed that he was a little "off" his norm.  I noticed it in classes as well.  Then, following trials at the beginning of October, where he was clearly (to me) not himself, I decided to make a vet appointment for him.

Of course he was acting completely fine by the time he saw the vet.  His bloodwork came back great, and the vet was not concerned by other test findings.  I strongly suspect that there was something going on with him earlier and wish I had thought to take him to the vet sooner.  However, there were no physical signs that indicated "Vet, Now!"  The vet was supportive of listening to those instincts, and it was a relief to have found nothing wrong.   

At the mid-October trial, it was obvious that whatever problem there might have been had passed, and I had my dog back!  Aslan was having fun -- a little too much fun, as he cost us quite a few points over the weekend.  Despite being ecstatic about his back-to-normal attitude, I was aggravated at our inability to obtain the last good Master score we needed to be eligible for the RNC.  I did not post on Facebook about that weekend's trials because I was annoyed with my dog and very angry at myself for being annoyed with him.  Additionally, another competitor did a good job of messing with my head, which only made my emotional state worse than it already was.  

Discouraged about everything, when asked by a trainer/fellow club member about our weekend, I said, "We're running out of time to get that last good score, and it looks like we don't deserve to go to the RNC."  She wisely reminded me that we have been working at this level for only a short time and that Aslan is doing great!

That was my V-8 moment (for those who remember those commercials <lol>). Duh! I was expecting a lot from Aslan, and I needed to appreciate him waaaaay more for what he had accomplished so far! 

Based on some Facebook posts I had seen, I began to think we might be eligible for the Excellent class at the RNC and planned to contact AKC to ask.  I resigned myself to the fact that we weren’t going to make it to the Championship class, and that was okay.  Based on our scores we didn’t deserve to, and that was okay, too. *  If we could at least compete in the RE class, that would be enough.

With that in mind, I went into the next trial weekend with the goal of simply having a good time and the hope of finishing his RM & getting a few more Triple Qs in the process. Saturday morning, I was happy, he was happy, and we were going to have fun no matter what! While his exuberance cost us a few points for sloppiness <lol>, we came out of the first trial with a 94. That gave us the last score we needed to be eligible for the RNC – I was over the moon! And the afternoon trial was even better with a 97! That finished his RM, and we also picked up two more TQs, making a wonderful day even better. 

Sunday’s trial was not as good, but we were both tired from the long weekend (this was the farthest-from-home trial we had entered), and the dreaded send-to-cone sign was on that course, or else he would have scored in the 90s again.  He’s getting much better at it, but we need a lot more practice to become proficient at that exercise.

We finished the weekend with:

• Three Triple Qs and more RACH points, including some from the Master class. 
• Aslan's Rally Master title! 
• The last RM score he needed to be eligible for the 2020 RNC! 
• A perfect score in Excellent for a 4th place (there were four 100s, and Aslan had the slowest time of the four).
• A 2nd place in Excellent (there were two 98s, and again, Aslan had the slowest time of the two). 
• A 4th place in Advanced (there were three 98s; one took 3rd place, Aslan took 4th, and the other one did not receive a placement).

Pretty sweet for going in with the goal of only qualifying!

Teams who received placements won a toy. Aslan rarely plays with toys, so I picked one that I thought the dogs at home would like. When I showed it to Aslan for his approval, he took it out of my hand and squeaked it. Then he proudly and happily carried it all the way back to his crate and took it inside. LOL! 😍

At one point, I looked inside his crate and saw him asleep with his head resting on his toy that was tucked between his paws. 💖 Later, I had to take it away from him because he was squeaking it, and I didn't want to disturb the dogs still competing. I put it in his crate in the car and left it there Saturday night. He squeaked it several times on the trip home Sunday.

Sunday night before bed, I pulled out the toys that Aslan won for placements. Normally, he couldn't give two hoots about toys, but he did NOT want to share these with the other dogs <LOL>. Before too long, he went back to his favorite and hopped up on the bed to play and cuddle with it. He was playing with it the next morning, too. My sweet, funny boy.

Since we started this RM/RACH/RNC journey, we have had some ups and downs, but that November weekend was the most fun we have had thus far.  Aslan struggled with focus/distractions, but he sure had a good time! He had a little TOO much fun in some classes, but I'd rather have a happy dog lose some points than a perfect, perfectly miserable dog (at least, I think so 😉).  A fun, (mostly) successful weekend with my canine partner and pal. Who could ask for more? 💗💗

Results from the three goals I set in mid-July:

1. Eligibility for the RNC by November 30 -- ACHIEVED!
2. Rally Master title -- ACHIEVED (10 for 10)! 
3. Rally Champion title -- In process (more than half of our Triple Qs and total points achieved).

We are entered in one more trial this year, and then will take a short break from competition while we train more.  Next year will bring more Rally Trials and possibly Agility and Obedience Trials as well.  Looking forward to it all with my happy lad!

Cherish your dogs,

MDW

-----

* A post-script...  While looking up info on the AKC Rally National Facebook page, I came across some comments in which people were saying that the Championship Class requirement was too low.  If folks qualified with scores of "only" 93, there was no way they could win, and those folks could take away spots from more qualified teams.

Originally I was embarrassed, because we really struggled to get our Master scores.  

Then I began to doubt myself, thinking that maybe I shouldn't enter because we don't deserve to go.  

But then I got mad!  Aslan and I worked hard in a very short time span, and he received scores of 94, 96, 97, and 98 to earn his eligibility!  

The RNC is seven months from today.  We have a long time to train, practice, and improve.  When the entries open, I will proudly send ours in and hope that we are selected, because Aslan DOES deserve to compete!

Aslan with his new Rally Master title ribbon.

A (mostly) Non-Dog Adventure

Hello Friends,

Once again, there has been a too-long lag since my last post.  A lot has happened since then, much of it (of course) dog related. But I wanted to share about a 12-week adventure that came to a conclusion this past week.

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with anything mystery, crime, or law-enforcement related, and I always wanted to be a police officer or a private detective.  Other interests intervened, and I traveled different paths for a few years after high school and college.  

A family friend learned of my interest and encouraged me to apply with the Highway Patrol.  I passed the first round of testing, and then came the eye exam...  They told me I would need to see an eye doctor and have him fill out a form to return to them. Sometime later, I received the news I had dreaded:  my eyesight was not correctable to their standard.

After that devastating blow, I tried to explore a couple other avenues of law enforcement, but at the time, no one seemed interested in answering a young woman's questions, so I stopped asking and moved on, allowing that dream to die.

Several years ago, I learned of the Citizens Police Academy program, conducted by our police department.  My best friend and I attended.  It was an educational and enlightening look into the workings of local law enforcement.  Afterward, we both joined the alumni association, which allowed us to assist the department with tasks such as traffic control at special events, patrolling local parks, and other duties that, while not acting as official law enforcement, provided officers with extra sets of eyes and freed them to do more urgent and important police work.

After I moved away from my hometown, there were honestly only a few things I missed -- my best friend and the CPA topped the list!  About a year after I came to this area, I checked for a CPA opportunity here, but there was none.  

Recently, though, I learned about "scenario-based training" conducted by the local PD. Here is a partial description: "During the traffic stops and match house scenarios you will be playing the role of a police officer, armed with a gun that shoots secure blanks.  You will conduct a traffic stop with members from DPD as role players and you will complete a building search for an active shooter in our match house - which resembles a ranch style home."

This sounded interesting and intriguing!  But every time it was offered, I had a conflict.  I plan to do this in the future, though, so I signed up for their e-mail list.

Then, two days after Justice died, I received a message from the e-mail list:  "Citizens Police Academy - Enroll Now."  Given my decision to start serious Rally competition with Aslan [blog post with more info coming soon], the timing was terrible!

I told myself I should wait until the spring session was offered, but I needed anything and everything to take my focus off of all the losses and stresses of the prior few months, so I signed up.

The Citizen's Police Academy is a 12-week program, meeting one night a week for a 2-hour class each week.  We learned many aspects about the operation of the PD, from the K-9 Unit to the Bomb Squad, from SWAT to Traffic.  Most of the presenters did not sugarcoat the information they shared, and I think many of the students had an eye-opening experience.

Sadly, during our session, the PD lost one of its own in the line of duty.  Detective Del Rio's memorial service was one of the saddest, yet most amazing, events I have ever attended.  His murder was a great loss, not only to his family, but also to the entire country.  The presence of the great number of officers who came from all over told a story all its own of the law enforcement family.

During our CPA session, we are encouraged to go on a "Ride Along" with an officer.  It was also an opportunity back home, but I never took advantage.  I was determined to do it this time, but my schedule was so full that I couldn't fit it in during the session, which ended last week.  Knowing that I would be on vacation during the week of Thanksgiving, I decided to start my time off with my Ride Along, which I scheduled for last night/this morning (5:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m. shift).  

CPA, Scenario-Based Training, and Ride Alongs are all opportunities open to members of the public (must pass basic criminal background check). I believe many communities offer similar options.  There are certain rules that must be followed on the Ride Along, but I was surprised by the access we are allowed.  The Community Engagement Officer who runs the CPA program told us that people would think we were detectives, and that actually happened on one of the calls last night.

I was able to schedule my Ride Along with a K-9 Unit, and I had hoped to be able to see the dog in action, but the nasty weather apparently kept the bad guys inside, and it was a fairly quiet shift.  The officer did get a little training time in with his K-9, which I was able to watch.

One call was a domestic disturbance.  These are the most dangerous calls an officer can answer, so two cars are required to respond.  While another officer spoke to one party, the officer I was with spoke to the other party.  Even though I was not the one asking questions, that person directed most of their responses to me, and while the two officers were speaking to each other, the person asked me if I was a detective.  LOL.  

Another incident would have been amusing if it hadn't been so serious.  We were waiting at a red traffic light, when a car came through the green light in the direction of the gas station across from the intersection.  It took us both a second to realize that the driver didn't use the driveway; instead, the car had went up the curb, across the sidewalk, and stopped partway into the parking lot.  I said, "I don't think that's the entrance..."  The officer appeared as confused as I felt and said as he changed lanes, "We'd better check this out." 

He approached the car and discovered the driver unconscious from an apparent drug overdose.  Medics had to break the car window as the driver was unresponsive.  Later at the hospital, the driver admitted to relapsing after being clean for many years.  They shared some other history, which left me wondering that perpetual question, "Why?  Why would someone like that waste their life on drugs?"  So sad.

It was certainly true in this case that "timing is everything."  Because the officer was in the right place at the right time, that driver is alive today.

When our 10 hours was over, the officer laughingly apologized for the uneventful evening.  I laughed as well, but then told him wholeheartedly, "That's okay, because it means you and your K-9 partner are safe tonight."

After all these years, the dream still lives inside me.  Despite the hard work and the danger, if I had the chance, I would gladly take on this job.

Everyone be safe out there.

MDW

Justice

Justice, age 9, at the start line of an agility trial. 
One of my favorite photos as it captured the love in her eyes. 
And, oh, how much I love her, too.
(Photo by Columbus Sports Photography Network)

Back in 2005, I co-bred and whelped my first-ever litter.  Without going into details, it was not a good experience (other than the puppies themselves – puppy breath is awesome :-).  However, rather than making me want to never breed again, instead, I wanted to breed MY OWN litter.  I had three options: (1) breed my bitch again; (2) lease a bitch; (3) get a puppy, grow her out, and hope that she would prove to be breeding quality in a few years.  For multiple reasons, Option 1 was pretty much a “no,” and I figured Option 2 would be out for a newbie who didn’t know that many other people in the breed, so I thought Option 3 would be my only choice. 

I mentioned my dilemma to a friend, who told a mutual friend.  Imagine my surprise when I was offered a very nice bitch to lease!  Jo was not only beautiful, but she had a fabulous temperament!  I will never be able to adequately thank Kelley!!

We talked about possible sires, and Kelley suggested a dog named George.  I had met and fallen in love with one of George’s sons (Hero), and my dog, Sharcole, was a George daughter from another line.  However, due to George’s age, we would need to do an AI breeding, and Kelley felt that would be too expensive for my first litter, so we kept looking.

One thing I will never forget and always be grateful to Kelley for is the way she treated me during the sire search.  When she posited a dog, she never belittled my questions or concerns.  When I asked her about a dog, she never disparaged my suggestions, only told me what she knew of that dog—both good and bad points.

I learned that another George son (Hero’s littermate) would be at an agility trial fairly close to me, so I drove down to meet Merlin and his owner, Marti.  Marti is one of those genuinely nice, kind people that are rare in this world.  And I immediately fell in love with Merlin!  He was perfect!

Merlin and Hero were sons of George x Marissa; Jo was a Marissa daughter from a different sire.  So breeding George to Jo would hopefully produce similar offspring.  On the hour-and-a-half drive home from the agility trial that day, I was doing all sorts of calculations in my head.  When I got home, I opened up a spreadsheet to plug in the numbers and confirm my thoughts… Yes!  It would be tight, but I could make it work.  Mac & cheese would be in the budget for a while, but, hey, mac & cheese is one of my favorite dishes J

I e-mailed Kelley and asked her, “Do you still think George is the best choice if I could afford it?”  She said that if I could afford it, George would still be her first recommendation.  We discussed it and agreed to be co-breeders on the litter.  George’s owner, Kathy, agreed to let us use George as the sire.  I cannot say, “thank you” enough to these two ladies who helped and supported this newbie.

July 13, 2006, I called Kelley to let her know that puppies were imminent.  We lived two hours apart, and five of the puppies arrived before she did ;-)  Number six waited, and Kelley handled the delivery on the last one, who became Orange Girl, a.k.a. Little L’Orange, a.k.a. Brat Puppy.

When the pups were about five or six weeks old, I remember saying to Kelley that I didn’t know which of the girls I was keeping, but it probably wasn’t going to be that orange thing because she was such a brat.  You guessed it… that orange brat became my Justice.

We’ve been through a lot together, and she has always been my rock.

July 28, 2018 - age 12

There is so much more I could write about her.  But fast forward to a few weeks ago…  On a day off of work, I took Justice and Aslan to the dog club, and this is what I posted on Facebook:

Justice, who will be 13 in a couple weeks, did some fun agility. I set the jumps really low, as her movement isn't that smooth any more (I hate that she's getting older <sob>), but she did a great job, and she had SUCH FUN!She hasn't done obedience or rally for a long time (finished her CD in 2010 and her RE in 2013), but as a result of this outing, I think I will enter her in Beginner Novice this fall.

A couple years ago, I finished a BN title on my Belgian Sheepdog gal, Spirit, who was almost 13 at the time, and it was a journey I'll never forget. I'm looking forward to taking a similar journey with my Justie-bear ❤<3 “

Then, last week, on July 11, 2019, I made this Facebook post:

From my Facebook memories on July 11, 2010: "started working on obedience training with Justie. Step 1: RE-train the automatic sit that I UN-trained when we started working on conformation <LOL>."

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Funny that this should show up in today's Fb memories. I took Justice to the club's C-Match tonight to see how she would do on a Beginner Novice run-thru. It's been 9 years since she earned her Novice Obedience title and 6 years since she finished her Rally Excellent title, and we haven't practiced much since then. 

She didn't do too bad considering how long it's been, but she wasn't doing many automatic sits tonight -- partly due to lack of practice, but also in part, I think, because she was stiff. Despite the happy bounce in her step, her gait was definitely off. 😢  So, the jury is now out as to whether or not we will go for her BN title. 

I love this little girl so much, and it breaks my heart to see her aging. On the bright side, she really is in pretty good shape and good health, so hopefully we have much more time together ❤

In addition to possibly working on her Beginner Novice title, I had planned to do tracking with her.  I’ve worked with her off and on for years, but was never committed enough to follow through like I should have.

Yesterday, July 17, all of those dreams became impossible.

When I arrived home, she didn’t get up and run out the door with the other dogs.  While she has never scared me with “old dog sleep,” I figured this was the first time.  There was a bit of a ruckus at the door, which I figured would wake her, so I was surprised to turn around and see her still on the floor.  I said, “Hey, now you’re starting to scare me, sweetie.”  As soon as I touched her, I knew.  I kept thinking I was having a nightmare and that I would wake up any minute.  I’m still hoping to wake from this horrible reality.

She was far from my first Belgian, but she shared a lot of firsts with me: 

My first home-bred keeper dog.

My first Rally competition dog.

My first Agility partner.
My first dog to compete at the Terv National -- my first time to attend, too!

My first home-bred titled dog (CD, RE, NAP, NJP).

And my first dog to go to the Rainbow Bridge without me by her side. 

She appeared merely to be asleep, so I hope that is how she went... peacefully in her sleep.  I wish she had been able to wait for me.  When the time came, I wanted -- expected -- to be by her side, stroking her fur, and telling her over and over how much I love her.  But I believe that if it was within her power, she would have chosen to spare me the pain of having to make that final decision.  Maybe she did.

My heart and soul.

"Justice"

July 13, 2006 - July 17, 2019

January 2013 Rally Trial
(Photo by Dick Clark Photography)

January 2019

July 2016 with her agility ribbons

May 2011 with her daughters, Feather (left) and Mystery (right)

May 2014 with her son, Aslan

November 2016

October 2014