Finally we had a dog event again! This weekend there was an agility trial the FRAAD scheduled since there were so few things on the calendar. Also scheduled on the same grounds already was a scent work trial by the Mile Hi Golden Retriever Club. We had entered the SW trial with Cheeky, but only got in on Sunday, so we entered Karma both days and Cheeky on Saturday in agility! We also found out the Byron and Catherine were able to get Maggie into the agility trial both days!
With much anticipation, we prepared for this weekend. However, the last week or so, Karma has had diarrhea that we initially chalked up to a new bag of dog food. After it didn’t resolve, we took her to our vet for a work up. After x-rays and ultrasound, we think she has developed IBS or lymphangiectasia. A definitive diagnosis would require a very invasive surgery for several biopsies of her intestines, which we aren’t going to put our 11.5 year old dog through. Hopefully, if we treat it like lymphangiectasia and keep her fat intake super super low, we will see some improvement and go from there. But obviously with her fighting off some sort of funk, we didn’t bring her for agility this weekend.
Maggie and Cheeky, however, had a fantastic weekend getting out of the house and getting to use their brains! Saturday, Jenny was able to steer Cheeky towards a qualifying run in Advanced Buried, Exterior, and Container! We almost had a qualify in Interior, but Jenny didn’t call Cheeky’s alert because there was a treat on the ground that Cheeky snarfed down after sniffing around. Assuming that was what Cheeky was smelling, Jenny didn’t call “alert,” but it must have been a remnant treat on the ground from the dog before us — so even though Jenny missed the alert, Cheeky found her own reward for finding the odor! In between odors, we were able to run over to the main arena and watch Maggie with Catherine Sayers wrap up their Open Jumpers title! We can’t believe that she already is on to Excellent at just over 2 years old AND so few opportunities to trial with CoViD! This makes Maggie’s registered name, Kizmar 5280 Magnolia Halo JH NA OAJ NF TKN.
After our last scent work run, we went over to the arena to run our Novice Jumpers and Standard runs. In Standard, Cheeky had some moments of brilliance! She enthusiastically did the teeter (she scared herself on it back in August at Vizsla Nationals) and she cleared the broad jump instead of walking through it! Both big victories for us. Maggie had an awesome run, but she and Cheeky both missed the down contact on their Aframe, the little stinkers! In Jumpers, Cheeky missed a jump or two going wide, which Jenny didn’t fix because we are working on keeping a happy momentum. Most excitedly, she attempted to take the weaves at full speed. Without a formal class to attend since March when CoViD shut everything down, we are super impressed with her performances yesterday!
Rounding out the weekend, Maggie and Catherine were very close to an Excellent Jumpers Q, but didn’t stick around for Novice Standard as it would have kept them at the trial grounds ALL day (Novice was last.) Not entered in agility on Sunday, Cheeky only competed in Scent Work today. She had another spectacular day qualifying in Exterior, Buried, Interior, and Handler Discrimination! That means for the weekend (at the Advanced level) she picked up 7 qualifies! She never finished worse than 6th place in huge classes of over 20, and managed 3 placements! With today’s qualifies she wrapped up her Advanced Handler Discrimination, Buried, and Exterior element titles. She is now CH Kizmar 5280 Someone’s Halo Slipped JH ACT1 SBA SEA SWN SHDA RATN TKA NA-Pz1.
We are so thankful to FRAAD & The Mile Hi Golden Retriever Club for putting on safe and fun trials for us!!
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