It's a mess

We've been working hard (okay, the handyman has been working hard) getting our place in shape for a practice ring (obedience, agility, meet-ups, seminars, etc). We're at the part where everything is just a shambles and it looks like it'll never come together. Which means it's right on schedule and we should be seeing dogs in and out of here pretty soon. I can't wait for the ring to be up and going - I've been looking forward to having our very own puppy playpen!

Dax is feeling better...

Yesterday afternoon I was doing my hip and core exercises downstairs, as I always do, and Dax was helping me for the entire 20 minutes! Usually she curls up in a convenient bed and snoozes for the duration. So I thought, that's weird - maybe she didn't finish outside... But then later outside Dax initiated play with Ceilidh and Roc! Ceilidh kind of stood there with the whites of her eyes showing, like, "What do I do now?" while Dax was play-bowing and bouncing at her. Roc joined in and chased Dax around the yard! Too cute! I was afraid that all this unexpected activity would wear her out before Agility class, but Hope said that Dax was great! She must be feeling better!

Best agility weekend yet!

Absolutely thrilled to report that Dax and I had two (out of four) successful runs at an agility trial last weekend! We qualified in Standard on Saturday (2nd of three required for a title) and in Jumpers with Weaves on Sunday (1st time!).
I'm not going to try to explain the esoteric ins and outs of agility competition - suffice it to say Dax did great and I'm absolutely delighted that we're finally able to work as a team and have some fun and success out there!
We did have a couple moments of sniffing (our friend Julie was impressed that Dax can be running full-tilt and stop on a dime to check out a fuzzy), but Dax stayed with me (no visiting!) and completed every course.
The biggest surprise for me was that French Bulldogs can fly! That's actually not a good thing. For those who're familiar with agility - she missed her A-Frame contact, doing her imitation of Supergirl. We've got to work on those running contacts.
There have been times that I considered giving up competition - dollars and time spent with no sign of success can be discouraging. I'm glad I decided to stick with it - I really enjoy competing with my dog and I'm getting a bit better at it. We may not set the world on fire, but this weekend, we were smokin'!

Dax Loves Harry Potter Too!

I was getting ready for work this morning and Dax decided that my book looked especially enticing. Golly is also taking a nap on my bed. (If you're wondering why I'm so far behind in the series, I didn't want to read Deathly Hallows until I'd seen the movie Half-Blood Prince. Enjoyed the movie. Looking forward to the next.)

Roc's girlfriends

Roc loves television. Really, really loves watching television. He lies on the couch and stares at the screen. Sometimes he yaps his fool head off (at dogs and cats) but mostly he just stares at the screen. So we have a running joke that he's staring at his girlfriends. And we've noticed lately that many of Roc's girlfriends are strikingly similar:

I swear, they're all different women, different shows. But it makes a bit of a statement, doesn't it?

Big-time DUH!

Big news last week! Two separate studies have shown that dogs understand gestures! I wonder how much money was spent on this study? Most Obedience Trials have free admission......

Coming Together

Things are really coming together at the shop. We've managed to put away all our inventory on our new racks. We've put up shelves above our packing table. And yesterday the electricians installed lots of new outlets both in the office and the warehouse, and a couple of ceiling fans in the warehouse! We've ordered the under-mats for our practice ring (because they're on sale), and we're going to call the handyman to do other jobs for us! Exciting times here at Golly Gear!