Danger, Danger Will Robinson!

Well, we are officially at the 2 week mark, OK 2 weeks post op tonight at around 10:00 p.m.! Danger has officially had enough, or is it me who has had enough??

I thought this was going to be Hell but I was wrong, it is WORSE!!!! I will freely admit that it is probably harder on me than on Danger but it is excruciating none the less.

He is so bored and I am so guilt ridden that the stress level is in the red zone. It has been so awesome to have a whole week off, actually when all is said and done I will have been home for a whopping 10 days straight and what a joy, except for the incessant barking of Danger and intense desire that I have to just let him out to run free and be the wonderful puppy that he is!

I have resisted the urge, I will do this whole rehab thing perfectly and to the letter as prescribed by the surgeon and PT vet but it may turn me into a very old lady very prematurely!!!!

As I write this he is going back and forth between manically squeeking his toys and barking at me, trying desperately to make me understand that 23.75 hours a day in an X-pen is no life for a puppy. If only I could make him understand that I am in full and total agreement and that if he is just patient he will heal and soon be able to enjoy life again!

We will get through this, we will get through this, we will get through this....

In the meantime, I have been quite diligent in training my dogs, SoBe especially of course :-) Nationals are right around the corner and I fully intend to be on top of my game for the big event. The dogs are looking and feeling great! I am working Maze and Wally very minimally as they are at the age and point in their career that they truly know what to do we just need to refine the teamwork every now and again.

We have been doing a lot of swimming, I find that swimming is amazing for low impact strengthening and has done wonders for keeping my dogs fit! They are not all interested in going in the pool but the "agility" dogs all seem to love it.

SoBe, Wally and Maze will pretty much chew their way through the door to get to the pool if they think anyone has entered the area, I also think swimming has helped to keep Rumor young!

Danger will be seeing a lot of pool action when we are rehabbing that is for sure!

SoBe and I keep plugging away at the contacts and although I have been frightfully awful at sharing any videos of the process, OK I have been pitiful at actually videoing period!

I am going to debut her new and improved contacts in October at the ACAT USDAA trial in Fountain. I am very excited to see how it has all come together. I will go so far as to say that her overall performance in the ring has really come together, we are a team! SoBe might be small but she is mighty! She is crazy fast and her efficiency will more than compensate for her small size competing against so many much bigger 22" jumping dogs.

I have been working quite a bit on collection cues and she is really excelling in this department. SoBe and I have been doing more sequence work and "my" confidence level with the little dervish is growing by leaps and bounds! SoBe has never, ever been lacking in confidence and her take no prisoners attitude can be a little scary when we are both running full out!

I have been pushing her weave poles and expanding her world regarding crazy entries, etc... I also have to mention that at the last trial the Sobester did 2 teeters and they were both perfect 2on/2off performances! Moral of the story, training does pay off! Have a good one everybody!