The Chiropractor, a "Hike," Training A Friend in Agility and My First Class for the Pet Store

Yes, a lot to catch up on.

I took Pie to the chiropractor. The first time he hardly felt her spine at all, just got right to work with a tool that seemed to operate on a spring. He pressed into each side of her spine and it would release and then he would reset it with a click and move to the next location. No idea what the tool is called. Pie did not appreciate it. I think it was painful for her. Then he was done and told us to come back next week. I expected more examination, and perhaps more hands on, and also examining the neck and ribs or sternum. The next week he at least felt her spine first, then used the same tool which she hated even more this time. Then he used a different tool that straddled her spine and seemed to be soothing. We were instructed to come back in 2 weeks. I think I will have our next appointment be our last, unless I feel like she needs to go back. I don't want to be taking her every 2 weeks for the rest of her life.

After the chiropractor I stopped at a local park that has a fenced dog park. It also allows dogs off leash in the rest of the park during weekday hours. Last time I went here I think I was working weaves with Bloom and wanted to do it legally. However, as expected, the other loose dogs foiled us. This time I thought I'd just look around and see if the park is as odd as I remembered.

It was. I say it is odd becasuse it is set up for group gatherings. It has several BBQ areas with covered seating. It has 2 play areas. It has 1 small grass area. Why is this a dog park? Where are the dogs supposed to hang out? Strange. I saw one person with a small dog in the grass area and I know my big dogs can be overwhelming so I wanted to leave the small dog alone. There was a picnic table in a dirt area in the middle of a valley. A small valley, of course. Just 2 hills with a parking lot at the top on one side and the grass area on the top of the other side. I sat at the picnic table and the dogs ran up and down the hills and put their noses in squirrel holes and sniffed the oak trees.

Then I thought it was time to go so we headed back to the car. The dogs saw a squirrel and chased it. I saw a sign and hoped it didn't say "No dogs" since the dogs had passed it. I investigated closer and saw it said "Trail" with an arrow. We found a trail! It was maybe 1/2 a mile but was fairly steep but and down the hills and had a couple different loops so we could make it longer. Neat! The dogs got a decent work out running around.

I haden't brought my hat since I was just going to investigate a sign, so I didn't want to stay out too long. Plus, I had to get home since K and her BSD were coming over to work agility again. I'm so glad I can offer her something in return for all the tracking help she gave me. Her dog is doing great. Her first show is next weekend and I think he is ready. It is true he might go run and jump in the jumpsetter's lap, or run around and take lots of extra stuff, but that is his personality and even if we trained for a year, his first time at a show might be "exciting." She's been working him on her own, at my house just a few times, and we rented a field with equipment once so far. A naturally talented dog, and a handler who can train a dog... a great combination! It is a little depressing that he is faster than Dottie.

My first obedience class for the local pet store was Wednesday. I had a class at 4:30 at 5:30. We had lots of people signed up, but the pet store owner had not collected any money. Therefore, people had signed up, but they were not 100% committed. Can you see where this is going? When I was in the Miata club there was an apparently inside joke that went, "What happens if you throw a party and no one shows up?" I'm not sure why people said that every time we had a get together, but that was the thought going through my mind when no one showed up for the 4:30 class! Bummer. I spent the hour working Dottie on directed jumping and go outs past the jumps. As with all my dogs trained in agility and obedience, she wanted to take the jumps instead of going between them, but we continued to work on it.

At the 5:30 class, I had 2 students. A sheltie who was too stressed to take any cookies and a Cotton de whatever who got full about 1/2 way through the class and stopped eating. Kind of hard to train dogs who don't want to eat. We'll see who shows up for the classes next week. I think I'll suggest we only have the 5:30 class next week.