Autumn is here. With rain, wind and darkness but also beautiful colors and sun gleam from time to time.
Tough time for me. Freezing hands, pain in all joints. And spring so far away!
Good time for dog training though, perfect temperature for explosive movement and soft surface.
The trio enjoys our daily routines. Walks in the forest, obedience training and helping with the last activities in the hibernating garden.
The trial season has not ended yet. I have had no success I hoped for in competing with Ruda. I went for it 3 times and it has always been something we missed that deprived us of getting an excellent result. A lack of focus that made her miss a box, a dog yelling at her under the exercise that made her turn back to me and , last time, a hesitation from my side that made her uncertain of which dumbbell she has to retrieve. That she is in the middle of pseudopregnancy doesn´t make the situation easier. She stopped eating and is generally low.
Hard time for me as her trainer as I really believe she is well prepared. I feel I am loosing my motivation and feel sometimes I just want to quit. Every trial is such a traumatic experience for me that I really don´t know how I even manage to appear at the start point. Yet it gives me such a satisfaction afterwards when I win over my fear and act as supportive and confident handler. It would be very difficult to explain if somebody asked me why I am doing it. One judge said once it was just a game. For me it is much more serious than that. I cannot pretend. Maybe I lost a child in me and forgot how to play? I am so bloody serious about everything…
The most important thing though is that Ruda enjoys her training a lot and seems to be in good mood even during the trials. And despite her bad appetite she still enjoys her treats which gives me inspiration to carry on. I have some trials ahead. I will continue to fight. I know myself. I do not give up so easily.
Little donkey, Brita, is still a funny, lovable and cosy puppy. She has grown a lot, it seems to me she is taller than her mother already. Training her is such a joy! She enjoys both food and toys as rewards and has lots of energy. Yet staying focused for longer time is not a problem either. I really think she will be able to compete in the lowest class in spring
I’m also very pleased with Primas training. I have managed to improve her heeling significantly so actually it would be much easier to achieve the goal ( which is a champion title) with her than with Ruda. But she is younger and what´s more she has decided to go into season right now. We have to wait then. Probably until spring. The trial season is almost over. There is a couple of competitions in a training hall, far away, that I could try but it was such a long time ago I trained them in such a limited space that I do not feel they are prepared for that. But we still have time.
It could be a very frightening but useful experience for me. Partly because one is more exposed in a hall and partly that the judge is a very known person in the obedience world, a kind of obedience guru.
Well, we will see if I have the courage. And if I will be fit physically. My spine is in a very bad condition now. Next surgery is needed but I will do it after the trial season is over so I have time to recover before spring.
Well, this is the irony of life. When I was healthy I did not have the time, now when I have time I’m limited by bad health…
Let’s hope the surgery will make me fit again!