Pre and doing Agility
Have to leave a day before because it trial sites are usually 4-6 hours away. So, trailer it is! So, the day before:
1. Start two days before getting the trailer ready
Propane
sheets for my bed and my mom's bed (dinette conversion)
Make sure refrigator is cold, start stocking it.
Start stocking food
Did we really leave the trailer this dirty last time? Shit, sweep up, wipe down counters again
(I thought I did this already, dammit!)
2. Morning of leaving:
Go teach at the University, have meetings, feel stressed
Go home, or have mom pick me up at University if we've already hooked up the truck to the trailer
Get stressed because as soon as mom arrives she is pushing us to GO GOGOGOGO - why aren't I
ready? What have I been doing? Sigh.
Double check I have clothes in the trailer
Do I need my rain boots for early morning walking around?
How many coats should I bring?
Did I bring the right food?
Are all the dogs going to ride okay? Stress over dog configuration in the vehicle...
3. Get to trial site almost always right at, or after dark...
Did anyone save me a set up site? Will there be trailer sites available with hookups?
Why do I do this? Is there anyone here who is going to be nice to me?
Is this a shark show? Who will be here that I can hang out with? (If going north - YEAH!!!! I get to see Oregon and Washington peeps who are supportive and lovely and great handlers!!!)
Drag equipment to trial site, set up so I don't freak out in the morning.
Figure out what to feed mom and I for the evening
Go to Trader Joes/Fred Meyer and get food for weekend that I didn't have at home.
4. Day of trial
up at 6:00am - potty the dogs, be drug around by Flyte who lunges and barks at people and dogs she doesn't know, or dogs she does know, why discriminate?
Feed dogs, potty them again
Drink that coffee!
Head up to trial site...
Walking already?!!! Shit, I thought I was in time....
Walk the course, check in on the board... figure out conflicts with Bogie and Teague.
Take up a cooler that has three containers of my mom's drink and not enough room for my food, that's okay, I'll go to the trailer for lunch (which I never actually do...)
5. Pre-run - Teague
Get him out, he is JACKED UP!!! WEEEEEEE!
Do my Teague warm up ritual developed in Bobbie Lyon's conditioning class.
Try not to get near gate more than 5 dogs out.
Play tug up to 3-4 dogs out. Put toy away and switch to treats
Obedience!!!
Tricks!
Reminding Teague I still exist as he really. wants. in. the. ring. NOW.
Try to breathe, oh fuck, oh fuck oh fuck.
Reach down and stroke Teague's head, say a mantra.
Do what Tammy does and not let Teague knock down the gate on his way in.
6. Run - Teague
Get to the line in a swirling matter. This boy wants to go!
Put him in a down, walk out.
Look back, he's crouching dammit. If he comes forward, we're done.
Tell him to down, he does, and then pops up again.
Get in position, take a breath and release him.
"Whoa, he took a great turn there!" "whoa, what was that?" Oh, yeah, TURN Jennifer TURN,
Here comes the frickin Teeter - Stick it you beast! - okay, no? guess we have to be done, dammit. "Oh, yeah, he sort of stopped, keep going!"
Breathe and run! No thinking, stoopid brain!
Yeah, we made it over the last jump
Teague runs and gets his leash, knocking down the chair/thing it's set on. Drags the chair across the ring to me, people laugh. Yeah! Love this dog.
7. After the Run
Ignore people who say, "too bad," say "great run, Teague!" regardless of what happens (unless we left because he blew his contact)
Tug tug tug.
Let him drag me out the door full tilt to play throw the toy.
Marvel in my wonderful boy.
Wish I was a better handler.
Make sure Teague doesn't leap in someone's lap on the way back inside. (Cuddle slut).
Look for good people to chat with.
See when I am running Bogie (who is so fun to run and much easier :)
8. After the trial
Try and start packing up the trailer earlier in the day so it's not so big a deal when we are actually done.
Wish that I had someone there who was getting everything ready to go.
Spend an hour or more after the trail getting everything put away and trailer ready to roll.
Drive 4+ hours home.... try to stay awake.
Get home, unload mom's stuff from the trailer so she can go home.
Get inside and collapse.
1. Start two days before getting the trailer ready
Propane
sheets for my bed and my mom's bed (dinette conversion)
Make sure refrigator is cold, start stocking it.
Start stocking food
Did we really leave the trailer this dirty last time? Shit, sweep up, wipe down counters again
(I thought I did this already, dammit!)
2. Morning of leaving:
Go teach at the University, have meetings, feel stressed
Go home, or have mom pick me up at University if we've already hooked up the truck to the trailer
Get stressed because as soon as mom arrives she is pushing us to GO GOGOGOGO - why aren't I
ready? What have I been doing? Sigh.
Double check I have clothes in the trailer
Do I need my rain boots for early morning walking around?
How many coats should I bring?
Did I bring the right food?
Are all the dogs going to ride okay? Stress over dog configuration in the vehicle...
3. Get to trial site almost always right at, or after dark...
Did anyone save me a set up site? Will there be trailer sites available with hookups?
Why do I do this? Is there anyone here who is going to be nice to me?
Is this a shark show? Who will be here that I can hang out with? (If going north - YEAH!!!! I get to see Oregon and Washington peeps who are supportive and lovely and great handlers!!!)
Drag equipment to trial site, set up so I don't freak out in the morning.
Figure out what to feed mom and I for the evening
Go to Trader Joes/Fred Meyer and get food for weekend that I didn't have at home.
4. Day of trial
up at 6:00am - potty the dogs, be drug around by Flyte who lunges and barks at people and dogs she doesn't know, or dogs she does know, why discriminate?
Feed dogs, potty them again
Drink that coffee!
Head up to trial site...
Walking already?!!! Shit, I thought I was in time....
Walk the course, check in on the board... figure out conflicts with Bogie and Teague.
Take up a cooler that has three containers of my mom's drink and not enough room for my food, that's okay, I'll go to the trailer for lunch (which I never actually do...)
5. Pre-run - Teague
Get him out, he is JACKED UP!!! WEEEEEEE!
Do my Teague warm up ritual developed in Bobbie Lyon's conditioning class.
Try not to get near gate more than 5 dogs out.
Play tug up to 3-4 dogs out. Put toy away and switch to treats
Obedience!!!
Tricks!
Reminding Teague I still exist as he really. wants. in. the. ring. NOW.
Try to breathe, oh fuck, oh fuck oh fuck.
Reach down and stroke Teague's head, say a mantra.
Do what Tammy does and not let Teague knock down the gate on his way in.
6. Run - Teague
Get to the line in a swirling matter. This boy wants to go!
Put him in a down, walk out.
Look back, he's crouching dammit. If he comes forward, we're done.
Tell him to down, he does, and then pops up again.
Get in position, take a breath and release him.
"Whoa, he took a great turn there!" "whoa, what was that?" Oh, yeah, TURN Jennifer TURN,
Here comes the frickin Teeter - Stick it you beast! - okay, no? guess we have to be done, dammit. "Oh, yeah, he sort of stopped, keep going!"
Breathe and run! No thinking, stoopid brain!
Yeah, we made it over the last jump
Teague runs and gets his leash, knocking down the chair/thing it's set on. Drags the chair across the ring to me, people laugh. Yeah! Love this dog.
7. After the Run
Ignore people who say, "too bad," say "great run, Teague!" regardless of what happens (unless we left because he blew his contact)
Tug tug tug.
Let him drag me out the door full tilt to play throw the toy.
Marvel in my wonderful boy.
Wish I was a better handler.
Make sure Teague doesn't leap in someone's lap on the way back inside. (Cuddle slut).
Look for good people to chat with.
See when I am running Bogie (who is so fun to run and much easier :)
8. After the trial
Try and start packing up the trailer earlier in the day so it's not so big a deal when we are actually done.
Wish that I had someone there who was getting everything ready to go.
Spend an hour or more after the trail getting everything put away and trailer ready to roll.
Drive 4+ hours home.... try to stay awake.
Get home, unload mom's stuff from the trailer so she can go home.
Get inside and collapse.