https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dazzle/168699929853175
I also like to have photos accompany the posts here and I just haven't taken many lately. Enough of the excuses and onto the updates!
Since the previous post, I have competed in a Glock Shooting Sports Federation (GSSF) competition and won the highest scoring female plaque! Also got a gun bag. I felt like I was having an off day so I was really surprized to have won! I guess the other women were having more of an off day than me :-)
We have been taking an Agility class based on the "Alphabet Drills" book. It's giving Dazzle more opportunity to work with the young woman I have running him in Agility. They are doing really well together and Dazzle loves working with her.Dazzle did great at the packed 1500 vendor gun show we went to near the end of October. His favorite vendors were the Jerky vendor that gave me some samples for him and the taxidermy booth, but that vendor wasn't as keen on Dazzle sampling his wares :-) I didn't let Dazzle reach any of them, but he really wanted to! He stood there and stared at them for nearly a minute. I think he was waiting for something to move :-)
We went to Toledo for a Denise Fenzi seminar and it was just as excellent as the first one I attended. The first one was problem solving for obedience competition and this one was "Building Drive and Motivation" for all dog sports. I LOVE her seminars and her creativity. She is a positive, no compulsion dog trainer and is a really nice and knowledgeable person as well. As before, I took a LOT of notes and Dazzle seemed to enjoy the working spot. Sorry, no photos :-( I didn't think there would be enough light for my little point and shoot to take decent photos.
Halloween was uneventful for us as we don't get any trick or treaters here. So it was just another night here.
On the 2nd of November I went to Posidog in Columbus and had a really great training session. Did some work on Dazzle's release of favorite objects on cue, stand for exam and heeling with attention. Wish Posidog was closer!
On Sunday afternoon, I was building some jumps in the basement for obedience competition practice and Dazzle was running up and down the concrete steps. I didn't think much of it because he does that quite often. But he apparently over did it and bruised his feet. By evening, he didn't want to walk and when he needed to (to go outside to potty) he was trying to walk without his feet touching the ground. It would have been comical if it wasn't so painful to watch.
I spent some time on the floor with him on his back (feet elevated) while I held an ice pack on his feet. I wasn't sure if it would do anything, but by this morning, he was walking MUCH better! I had some errands to run that didn't involve much walking so I took him with me, but it was clear his feet were still sensitive so I skipped a few places and had him wait in the van while I went in to get dinner.
I have been restricting him to the office with me, an x-pen area near the kitchen or on-leash for walks outside to potty so he can only walk. And he is sleeping in his crate again to prevent any running or trotting in the morning excitement (or late night cat chasing).
So far, I think it's helping a great deal and he's dealing with the restrictions surprizingly well. I haven't gotten him any pain meds because his feet don't seem to bother him if he stays off them (my goal) so he is self-regulating. We'll see how long that lasts.
If he's sound (fingers crossed), we have entered a 3-day Agility trial this weekend. I'm hoping his recovery continues to be as fast and dramatic as the difference between last night and today. Why do injuries always happen right before trials?
On Sunday, Dazzle decided his Kong bone would be better as TWO toys.
As you can see, he got about half way through in two other places before making it all the way through this solid rubber bone. I guess there's a reason they are known as Maligators!
So that gets this blog up to date again. I'll post more after the trial that he will hopefully be recovered for (and not too "cranked up" to think from the restricted activity this week). Hopefully I can post about some new titles!
