Blog Action Day - "Attitude"

This post is part of a quarterly Blog Action Day initiative started by Steve Schwarz.  You can read other agility bloggers' posts on "Attitude" here.

A large majority of agility enthusiasts express the same positive attitude that "as long as you are having fun, you're doing good."  It's so obvious, they never question it.  And I totally agree -- NOW.  But it hasn't always been so.  So I thought I'd share the bad attitude I had to overcome to get to the "fun" part.

Long before I could begin to grapple with a good attitude towards agility training, I had to overcome my father's strong opinion that pleasurable pursuits are frivolous.  A product of the Great Depression and WWII, he was so afraid his children might starve, I suppose, that all he approved of was educational excellence and good jobs.  Our focus must first be on self-sufficiency, and then on improving society.  Perhaps without quite meaning to, he convinced his children that hobbies are superfluous.  Even though he played golf avidly, he always told us it was "strictly for business".

He thought that doing things for "personal relevance" is pure self indulgence (biblically, a waste of one's talents), and the fastest road to hell. He was not an appreciater of art or literature, either, unless it was the classics. I can still hear him say, "if you can't paint like Michaelangelo, don't waste the canvas. If you can't write like Shakespeare, don't clutter the world with your drivel. If you're not prima ballerina material, I won't throw away money on ballet lessons." Extrapolating from that, he might say "If you can't be Susan Garrett, don't train dogs". Of agility, he once asked "are you making money at it yet". That was his criteria. Never, ever, "are you having fun".

I bet most of the rest of you didn't have this impediment to overcome!


I've had to learn to pursue my hobbies guilt free.  Getting rid of his parental influence in this area has been a life's work, and from my success at it, I can attest that:

1. If you let other people's opinions shape you, you can not live your own life.
2. If you dwell in the past, you're future becomes so weighted down with old issues it can't take flight.
3. If you set your sights too high, you may never start your journey.
4. If you don't cultivate gratitude for the many good things around you, the negatives can swamp you.

I was well into adulthood, almost 40 in fact, before realizing that Dad's opinions weren't binding on me, that hobbies are healthy, that progressive learning is unavoidable, that skill-building takes time, that there is plenty of room for people in the middle.  We can't all be super-stars.  I learned to take responsibility for my own personal happiness, to value myself as worthy of such happiness, and to reach for and be content with "my own personal best".  Not to compare myself to the brightest stars in the sky, but just shine as brightly as I can.  To take pride in my progress. But it took me many years to quit carrying around that big bag of guilt for doing things I naturally love to do, even if they don't make money or win me high recognition.  I've had to learn to take care of my own inner child, to be my own parent, to praise and encourage myself the way I see other parents praising their kids (and dogs) for every little thing they do.  My blog helps me do that. Every now and then I notice another "guilt" boulder I'm carrying around, and heave it. Yeah!

I expressed my hard won mindset in a poem to my son in 1990, as I struggled to learn to live a joyful life, free from unnecessary struggles and needless grief!  It's called "Mamma's Last Request", and imagines the final piece of advice I would give to anyone about "attitude".

With that mountain mostly climbed, it frees me to work towards a winning attitude in agility.  Of course, more mountains to overcome there.  I'm absolutely no athelete.  I've had to learn and relearn to get up early (I'm a total night person).  I've had to spend money on coaching, developing a precompetition routine, a thicker skin, and get comfortable with the fact that I'll never be a Susan Garrett.  Setting realistic personal goals, not comparing myself to others, are all important tools in my "agility attitude" tool kit.

Counting my blessings is another big tool.  It's the tool kit itself.  This often takes the form of putting positive spin on what seems like a constant stream of negatives.  Here's a poster I used to keep on my wall which, to me, exemplifies the "spin" trick.

     The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.

     While to others I may seem more confused than ever,
     and to myself as well,

     I believe I am confused on a higher level

     and about more important things.

Perhaps I'm not over the guilt yet because I'm still motivated to justify my hobbies.  But here's my spin on having 5 dogs and spending so much time and money on training them.  First and foremost, my dogs are heap good therapy. They pay their way 100 times over. They add structure to my retirement.  I wake up every morning full of motivation (a priceless treasure), and agility is simultaneously my social life, my physical therapy and my antecdote to alzheimers! No telling how much money I save not needing a psychotherapist or anti-depressants to get through life's confusing, sometimes discouraging, jungle. Far from being "superfluous" or even "optional", I consider my dogs and their training essential to me living "the good life".

Pepper guarding his rock, age 7 months.

My dogs, unlike any humans I know, inspire me to stretch beyond my current abilities, then pay me back immediately with acceptance, affection and devotion. They exude confidence in themselves and in me, thus are ideal companions!  They keep me laughing -- heap good medicine!  It's exhilerating to love and be loved so intensely. Maxie, Willow and Lucky Lucy are my therapy, and now Pepper, so full of cocky Papillon attitude and enthusiasm, with his future all ahead of him and totally trusting that I keep him safe and teach him all I can, is another motivator.

Expressions of gratitude for all my blessings, effusively and frequently offered throughout my blog and elsewhere, keeps me rich and mostly upbeat, too!  Money can't buy that.  My cup overfloweth, and I know it.  Hopefully I carry that into the arena.

My dogs are what is motivating me now to heal my aching hip, fix my cataract surgery gone wrong, both of which have about stopped me in my agility tracks, so I can get back to training and trialing with them -- perfecting those well-timed front crosses, serpentines, running contacts, and reliable start-line stays, and giving everything all the intensity I've got.

Thanks for letting me share,

 

RV Improvements and Observations

Here's the floorplan of my new RV, a 1999 Four Winds 5000, 28A, which hasn't changed much in 13 years. Even without slideouts, it's roomy and feels spacious:

There is so much I like about this unit.  For one, the layout is attractive, and convenient in every way -- very well thought out.  The woodwork is beautiful.  The cabinets close securely. The color scheme throughout is attractive, with nappy gray/brown fabric on the couches and seats that will wear well and won't show dirt.  I like that it's carpeted, and the carpet is clean.  The couches are comfortable.  The couch bed flips open with one flick of the wrist, and there's still room to walk around.

I love my kitchen, complete with vented stove, oven, microwave, double sink, and window blinds, and there is plenty of storage.  Both the hot water heater and refrigerator operate on both AC and LP gas, and the fridge gets plenty cold.  And it's plenty roomy.

The windows have screens which are all in perfect shape, and they all have these very cool pleated fabric blinds that pull up and down, one for shade, the other for privacy.

L to R, Willow, Maxie, Lucky Lucy, Pepper

The bedroom delights me so much, I've taken several naps out there.  Not much walking space, but the queen mattress is  7" of memory foam, extremely comfortable. I need a soft bed.   There's plenty of storage in that room, and a form fitting bedspread and throw pillow, in colors that won't show dirt!  My dogs have already claimed this space!  They know it's all for them.

There's a side table by the bed, which many RV's don't have (even the fancy ones), with convenient electric plug placement for a reading lamp and fan, and I bought myself a little radio, casette/CD player so I can listen to radio, music or Books On Tape.  I keep it going even more than the TV. Very cozy.  After a hard day of trialing, I'm looking forward to kicking back in my plush bed surrounded by snoring dogs, and being read to sleep.  My friend Joy donated me several Books-On-Tape casettes that she buys from the Library for $1 each, then passes along to friends.

It's hard to find things small enough to fit in tight spaces, but soon after I got home I found a little wooden medicine cabinet at Lowes, for the bathroom.  It looks like a built in, a perfect color match, and was on sale for $24. I installed it immediately. It's a bit tricky finding wooden beams behind the thin interior walls, but I did. Also installed a paper towel rack inside the door of the cabinet under the kitchen sink.

I noticed right off that the shower takes up a lot of space, which goes un-used most of the time. So I measured the cavity and went searching for some stackable Sterlite drawers in which to store everything from dish towels to paperwork to small tools (stuff that clutters up the surfaces if there is no place to put it).  I found these drawers at Wal-Mart, and they turn the space into a useful dresser/closet/counter. I can remove the drawers to the bedroom whenever I want to take a shower, then stack them back in. When travelling, I secure the drawers in place with bungie cords. Along the sides I have room to store my Hokey, broom, window sun screens, etc.

I also purchased a one-piece unit for the outside compartment, very convenient for storing the myriad items of hardware one carries -- from small tools to bungie cords, duct tape, wasp spray and other things that would otherwise rattle around and make a mess.  This unit is easily removed as well when loading and unloading the rear compartment with all the porch furniture.  It fits in snuggly enough that it can't tump over, and I hope is sturdy enough that it won't break apart on the road.



You can see straight through to the other side, and the
back of the Sterlite drawers from the previous photo.

All my chairs, table, coolers, barbeque pit, fans, rugs, wagon and such forth fit in the two outside compartments. The back compartment is 2' wide x 9' across, a near perfect size for the bigger stuff, but there is absolutely NO wiggle room for our 2'x4' folding table, our 2' x 4' Xpen segments, and Lucky's large crate. These RV manufacturers need to get hip to the fact that many items that need storing are exactly 2' wide.  We need at least an extra 2-4 inches for clearance.

Most of the equipment I had purchased for the pop up camper (table, chairs, lamps, extension cords, clamps, pots, pans, dishes, etc.), work perfect in the RV.

I purchased 32' (two 16' units) of 48" high xpen to make a yard for my dogs. Ebay had a great price on these. I also built 15' of plastic lattice skirting along the bottom edge of the RV, to keep the dogs from escaping under the vehicle.  I was pleased to discover that the same edge pieces designed to cap off and strengthen the lattice, also slid on top of the x-pen segments to keep them more stable.  X-pens segments are, I've found, pretty flimsy unless you set up an octagon.  I still need to rig up, or invent, some sort of stabilizers at ground level.

Some would consider it a minus that my RV has no built in entertainment center.  Instead, there is an empty overhead bed.   However, for about $400, I designed my own.  With luck, I scored a $200 22" flat screen 1080 HDTV from Best Buy for $119 (their last unit), and a $79 BlueRay player on sale for $49, $80 for a swivel arm wall mount, and a Surround Sound Sound Bar from Target for $79, which looks/sounds great. (The regular TV speakers could barely be heard over the full blast air conditioner.) John already had a box to convert analog antenna signals to digital, and we plan to upgrade the antenna to receive signals from over 50 miles away. Of course, we expect mostly to use TV for local news, and to play DVD's and training videos. We also investigated Direct TV for our whole house with a portable box included to take on trips, but that option collapsed when they came out and told us we have too many trees on our property to receive clear satellite signals 24/7.  So we're stuck with cable. Bummer!

John and I spent all day yesterday, tearing out false walls and bottoms in the pictured overhead cabinet, to mount the TV on a swivel arm.  What a job, and we still have to hide all the wires!  But it looks great and I'm satisfied with my little "entertainment center".  And I still have all that overhead storage at my disposal.

I've repaired a bunch of little things too numerous to mention like a small tear in the drivers seat upholstery, a loose doorknob with stripped screws, etc, and added several little features like a 12 volt plug, an outside thermometer, a wall clock, driver and passenger window sun blockers, rugs on the steps, and so forth.  I love my little engineering projects, and am pretty good at problem solving.  It's heap good therapy, and I ain't finished.

When I am finished, I plan to make a list for RV developers to consider that would make their product just a wee bit better. 

I'm also getting the pop-up camper ready to sell, leaving in it all the improvements I've made. I'll be real proud if someone comes along who appreciates all the work I've done on that unit, especially claiming the vertical spaces with removable shelving.  To tell the truth, it's about as comfortable as the RV once it's set up. No kidding. Setting it up just takes too much time and energy when I have to run my dogs the same day.

So, I'm keeping busy.  Even though my vision is skewed and my Mom's health has me worried and my hip hurts so I'm not practicing agility and have yet to sign up for my next trial, at least I'm dreaming about competing again and preparing for it in what ways I can.

Upwards and onward!

My New RV

My new RV, parked at my house

I've been looking for 3 years, so my new RV is a dream come true, a 1999 Four Winds 5000, 28A, with 55,000 miles on her, new tires, and looking almost brand new.  Found her in Florida when I went to spend a week with Mom at my Dad's bedside, taking off one night to visit Cousin Lois in Bradenton and celebrate her 75th birthday.  We went back to Dream RV to see if the 32' Jayco I fell in love with last January had been sold.  It had, but they showed me this one and I loved it even more!  They wanted $21,900 for it.  I said I'd think about it, then went to McDonalds (where they have wi-fi) and cruized the internet looking for more info about it.  I found the identical unit "for sale by owner" in Mobile, AL, with twice the miles, for $15,500.  I emailed the link to the salesman at Dream RV and asked if he could match that price, he agreed, and I bought her.   With the reduced fee, I was able to afford the 4 year/30,000 mile warranty that covers all the major items (engine, transmission, heat, air, oven, fridge, road service, etc.), which will be transferrable to any new owner should I decide to sell within a few years.  1999 is the cutoff year for this warranty.

Without slideouts, power windows or power mirrors, there is less to break. I like that.

Instead of flying home, I drove her home in 2 days.  It took a bit of getting used to and there is a blind spot to be wary of, but she had absolutely no problems, drives like a dream (for a bouncy motor home), and I am thrilled.  Comfortable speed 70 mph.  John and friends lined the driveway, banging pots and pans with wooden spoons to welcome her home, and John cooked at lovely sesame/ginger stir fry for us all.

I've been packing her and making minor improvements every day since I got her home (more on that later). I also took her to the Tanya's agility seminar just after I brought her home, and several friends got to climb in and take a look.  I was proud to show her off. 

Of course, the gas mileage sucks - about 8-9 mpg.  OUCH!  But I've heard that if I hold my speed down to 60 mph, it will improve my gas mileage by 30-40%. In any case, I had already made up my mind that this RV isn't about saving money on lodging at agility trials or on trips.  It's all about convenience, comfort and enjoyment.  This is my sailboat.   My sports car.  My airplane.  It's my luxury item.

I drove 6.5 hours the first day, pulled into the LaQuinta Inn Tallahassee where we usually stay and asked the manager if I could just park there overnight.  He said sure, truckers do it all the time.  So, for free, I found a safe spot right in their parking lot and hit the bed!  Saved about $60 on hotel fees, which put another 15 gallons of gas in my tank, which got me another 125 miles down the road.
I got my dream RV, appropriately, from Dream RV in Bradenton, FL.  They could not have been nicer about getting the unit ready for me, fixing the few cosmetic problems it had.  No razzle dazzle salesmen.  I feel like I've made some good friends there, and recommend them to everyone.  But I would only visit in person.  The prices on the website are far jacked up from what you can get in person.

I'll show more photos and give more details as time permits.

Upwards and onward,

Pepper Goes To School



Pepper, Pepper Tu, Pepperoni at 6 months,
in his natural stack.

Pepper attended his first formal class last night - my dog club's Intro To Agility.  He is 7 months and 5 days old.  I had to beg to get him in, as there were already 7 other dogs enrolled, but if not now he'd be almost 11 months before he started, and that would be way late. 

Kay Watson was his teacher, there were 8 dogs in the class and we all had to promise to be organized and stay in line.  It was shades of Maxie's first class 4.5 years ago, all over again.  Same instructor.  Same excitement.  Same results -- Pepper did fabulous.  100% enthusiastic, gung ho, attentive, no fear of the other dogs though he was by far the smallest canine on the line.  His "loose leash" behavior needs some work -- he's more like a "marlin on a line" keeping maximum tension on the leash and running too and fro trying to visit everybody, but that's because I haven't had him on a leash for a few months and he's never been in a class.

With my hip bothering me and unable to, or at least afraid to run, plus the other "components" I'm dealing with (cataract surgery gone awry, death in the family, mother emotionally unstable) I'm sitting out of the advanced classes with Lucky and Maxie for a few weeks more at least, but I felt I could handle an Intro class where we're just introducing one obstacle at a time, I don't have to concentrate much, and there's no running involved.

Several classmates commented that Pepper was a beautiful Papillon, in a "My, what big ears you have" sort of way.  More than that, though, he has completely lost his fat, pudgy, big boned, marshmellow appearance, becoming very long legged, lean and dainty looking, with a fantastic natural stance, his flat headed border collie puppy face which used to make me call him "so ugly he's cute", is transforming into a more high domed head with the deeper stop that Paps are supposed to have, and his coat and feathers are coming in longer and lusher every day.

Pepper (left), Maxie (right)

He's already taller than Maxie, heavier and longer.  I'm crossing my fingers he doesn't exceed 11".  Right now he's about 10.5", and weighs 8 lbs.  My cousin, Lois, tells me Paps quit growing at about 7 months, and that they actually lose 1/4 inch of their height by 1 year of age.  But Maxie grew an extra 2.5 inches tall from 6 months to 1 year of age. But then I was feeding him 1 tablespoon of cows milk twice daily for about 3 months to get him taller than 7.5".  It worked (as well it should since cows milk has growth hormones in it enough to grow a calf to 1200 lbs!)

Hey, I'm blogging!  Ain't that something!  What I've noticed about myself of such easy-flowing words, is that some things are too deep, too confusing, to blog about.  There is, like, a blockage in the brain that won't let you go there. It's a "seeing thru a glass darkly" phenomenon, "running at half mast" in sailing terms, I remember asking a club mate once about a dog of hers that had been run over several years back, and she responded "Oh, I can't talk about that."  When I expressed condolences, she snapped "I WILL NOT talk about this."  Some things are just too painful to process, I suspect this is when we are, or feel we are, utterly helpless to change the outcome of something that is totally unacceptable to us.

Puppy training is one thing it appears I can now wrap my mind around.  I've also been making improvements to my new motor home, and getting my pop up camper ready to sell.  These things are keeping me engaged, and I'll probably blog about them soon!

Upwards and onward!

Cataract Surgery - Part 2

It's been a few months since my Cataract Surgery - Part I post, and life has gotten in the way of me completing this post, the intention of which is to inform people of what can happen instead of the perfect vision one expects.  Here is my story, too long for some I'm sure, but not long enough for those considering this surgery.  It ain't always what it's cracked up to be, so BEWARE!

From perfect calm going into surgery to near panic afterwards, I dared not wait for my one week appointment to see what had gone wrong. While my near vision is vastly improved (I can read without glasses with the left eye), I am seeing a shadow behind each letter, and everything at a distance looks foggy. Distant tree tops look like big green blobs. There's a haze over everything. The clinic was closed on Monday so I got in Tuesday afternoon. I was put thru a bunch of tests, and the Doc says my surgery is healing perfectly, I've got 20/20 vision in that eye, and "What are you, just a big cry baby?" I was taken aback but didn't say anything more than "No, I just don't know if what I'm experiencing is normal. Ya'll don't tell us what to expect."  After the doc left the room, his nurse explained that my eye may be staying dilated longer than some people's. Everything will be fine as soon as the pupil closes back up and muscles re-trained (therapy to come) to flex the flexibile Crystaline lens I opted for (and paid $2500 extra for since insurance only covers the static lens). Apparently, my old lens was stiff so the muscles have gotten weak. It could take up to 3 months for maximal vision to be realized, the tech explained.

So I'm going into a trial this weekend, not distraught, but miffed that there are so many things the doctors don't bother to tell you beforehand. It would only take them a few minutes to allay a patient's concerns. But since they don't, I'm sharing my experience here for anyone else out there who might benefit.

The incisions nowadays are very small, because the lens comes folded over "like a taco", they said. They slip it in then flatten it, so no stitches are required. You're not allowed to bend over for about 3 days, I guess so it doesn't fall out. HA! You have to sleep with your head propped up, or on the side away from the surgical eye for a few days, too, so it doesn't dislodge. HA! HA! Can you just see yourself waking up on the wrong side and your lens is lying on your pillow! OOPS!

Oh, I could say more. Like, a lens is nothing more than a thing. A replacable thing. They make an incision in the lens pouch, suck out the old one like, they tell me, "sucking a grape out of its skin", insert the new. The lens insurance pays for are inflexible lens, set for either close up or distance, your choice. You still need glasses for one or the other. The Crystaline Lens is flexible but not covered by insurance, though they aren't much more expensive. Go figure.

Then there are what they call the "hinges". "The muscles of the eye have to re-attach to the hinges", they say, "then the muscles have to learn to bend and contract the lens according to what you are focusing on". All the years of going blind, the muscles have weakened. They require rehab. They don't tell you that ahead of time!

Then there are the eye drops. An antibiotic, 1 drop 4 times a day. An anti-inflamatory, 1 drop 2 times a day. Both of these begin 3 days before surgery, both sting, and my insurance co-pay was $120. After surgery, another anti-inflamatory is added, 4 times a day, for . . . . . they didn't say how long. I'm still dropping them in. Guess that's right.

For those considering this surgery, here are even more details:

The surgery is painless. The first round of drops sting a bit for a few seconds; there's a stick when they put in the IV drip in your hand, and you have to fast from midnight to the following morning after surgery, but that's all. Recovery takes only a few days before you're good to run and play, however it takes up to 3 months and several checkups, and maybe a lasic correction, before you're done. They don't tell you that until afterwards.

Starting from scratch, you have to get an eye exam to see if you qualify, and if so, you must schedule the surgery within 3 months. Then, you have to get a signed permission from your Family Doctor attesting to the Eye Surgery Center that you are in good enough health. Since I have no family doctor, I had to get a physical! Fortunately, I've been in process of getting thoroughly checked out as I turn 65, with an assigned doctor sending me here and there for lab tests, and explaining the results to me. She signed the form.

You have to decide whether to have the standard lens put in (that insurance covers), or the Crystalin lens, which costs $2650 per eye, out of pocket. In any case, you have to begin a regimen of eye drops 4 times a day for 3 days prior to the surgery -- one an anti-inflammatory, the other an antibiotoc. Even with insurance, these drops cost $125! OUCH! And doing anything 4 times a day, on schedule, without fail, is a strain. Thank god for my I-phone's wonderful alarm system.

You are required to have someone come with you to drive you home. They have to stay in the waiting room the whole time -- can't leave. No problem, as John was with me and brought his book. With surgery scheduled for 7 a.m., you are told to fast after midnight. I was told I could have black coffee, water, or unsweetened tea over at the eye center a few weeks earlier, so I made myself up a big cup and walked into the surgery center with it. They asked me if I had been drinking it, I said yes, and they had a fit, saying "Who told you that?", I was NOT allowed coffee or anything but water. I would have to reschedule, or I could wait until 9 a.m. and could NOT leave the waiting room in the meantime.

I had received a letter in the mail a few days prior to surgery saying they were going "paperless in compliance with new laws" and would I please go online and fill out my forms there. I did that, then saw no need to bring my folder of papers along, then they couldn't pull up my online papers and I had to fill them all out by hand anyway. Good thing the surgery was pushed back!

It all worked out. About 8 they began putting drops in my eyes to dilate my pupils, and moved me and John into a dark TV room, where we sat back in recliners and watched an I Love Lucy DVD. Every so often someone would come in and add more drops to my left eye. I've never found Lucille Ball funny, just loud, obnoxious and silly, but there must have been a sedative in those drops or I was more nervous than I thought, because I found both her and Desi hilarious! I was sorry they came to get us at 9.

John stayed behind. They laid me on a gurney, fully clothed, shoes on, with a hair net over my head and footies over my shoes. The anesthesialogist stuck an IV in my hand, nurses added more drops to my eye, I told jokes, and we all chatted and laughed for about 15 minutes, It felt like a party. Then the anesthesialogist said he was beginning the drip but I'd remain awake and aware, they wheeled me what seemed like a few yards out of the room into another one. When I got in there I asked "How long before the surgery", and they said it was all over! HUH! I don't remember a thing.

They sent me home with dark sunglasses for outside, an eye patch to wear at night, and instructions not to bend over or lift anything heavy for 48 hours, not to cook, to sleep on my back, and keep up with my eyedrops as before, plus a new one, for a week. No computer work for 24 hours.

I was to come in the next morning for a checkup, which I passed. That's when they explained that it could take up to 3 months for complete healing to take place and I might need to schedule a lasic correction at some point. I passed the test with flying colors, though. All seems perfect at the moment.

There was some sensation of gravel in my eye the first few days. Also a sense of eye strain. My eyelid wanted to stay shut the first day so I let it. It was like looking thru vaseline, with a violet haze. The next day the world looked blue instead of the yellow tint I'm used to. Like those new blue headlights I despise, or those white light lightbulbs that make everything, including people, look garrish. My depth perception is a bit off. I reach for something but it's still half an inch away.

So, here I am 2 months later and the left eye has made NO IMPROVEMENT. I am extremely sad, disappointed, and angry. I had scheduled the second eye for 3 weeks after the first, but I cancelled that until the left eye started feeling like my own. It still doesn't. While I'm not in any sort of pain, after 11 days I am still a tad disoriented and have slight headaches behind both eyes. My reading glasses don't work any more. The left eye doesn't need them, the right eye can't see without them. So I read with one eye shut depending on which one is tired. For distance, I use mostly the right eye. The new eye has horrible distance vision.

Just for the hell of it, I Googled "cataract surgery"+Alternatives, and the first page that popped up said "Cataract Surgery Obsolete" and goes on to describe what cataracts actually are, how they form, and drops that dissolve them within 6 months. That made me feel like crap. So shitty, in fact, I can't finish this post. I feel like a fool for not checking out alternatives to begin with. Me, the gal who has preached "alternative medicine" for years. What a fool I am.

Sorry, I can't write any more on this topic right now. I'll try later when my thoughts aren't so scattered and I'm not so upset. . . . . . . . . see Cataract Surgery - Part 3, finally written in March 2013.

Components Training

Going through a rough patch these past 2 months, I haven't been blogging much.  Then Susan Garrett's Components Training blog post came along, and suddenly I feel I have a better handle on how to get through all of this.  Agility Training is like that.  It offers many lessons that can be applied to life.  Here's a short synopsis of what's going on with me:

• My cataract surgery did not go well last month and I'm dealing with vertigo, fear and  disappointment. I had such high hopes to get improved vision, but it is worse.  I feel sad deep down inside, always on the verge of tears, like our disabled veterans must feel.
• My right hip started hurting last month and I'm having trouble running and going up stairs. Anti-inflammatories and ice packs have done nothing to heal it. What's up with this? I need to see a doctor but don't have the time.
• My Dad died yesterday after a long painful illness.  I spent a week with my Mother at his bedside in Florida, watching him grow weaker and saying goodbye, and that was sad.
• His funeral arrangements, and moving my Mom into an assisted living situation closer to home, are all up in the air, especially with the long distances we live apart.  She's very independent, too, so is making all the decisions, but my activities are on hold until all this is settled.
• With me out of town for a whole week, the yard and house have gone to the dogs, and I'm not at all ready to receive the company that's coming in for Dad's funeral.
• I came home to learn that my husband's young son in law was killed in a car crash while I was in Florida tending to Dad, leaving behind a widow and 7 young children. Inconceivably sad, far sadder than what I'm going through. 
• My new RV needs some minor work before I take it to a trial, and I don't have time for that with all the other stuff going on.
• My new puppy needs training and I have neither time nor concentration for that.
• I brought home some mangos from Florida, and along with them came fruit flies, which are now all over my kitchen.  The fly catcher strips I've hung up are no where near as desirable to these pests as a banana peel, so I interwove one of those into the strip last night.  This morning there were 100 or more flies on the strip!  One small victory!  But at least 500 more flies are still on the loose.
• The stinging caterpillars all last month have my dogs so afraid to go outside, they are peeing and pooping in the house.  They've been stung several times, and despite my diligent efforts to clean up after them, the house is getting "that odor".  With company coming for the funeral, that makes me frantic. 
• My grieving mother has been on an emotional roller coaster regarding my Dad's illness and now his death, making us all fear for her health as well.

And I am getting impatient. With everything.  My mind is a jumble of thoughts about unfinished business and disappointing outcomes.  I go through the motions as best I can but the pile doesn't seem to be going down.  Sheesh, I can't even blog lately -- very weird for me.

Then yesterday I read a blurb on Susan Garret's blog about Components Training, breaking it up into little tiny pieces and just doing one step at a time to get the desired result.  Not trying to teach nor expect the final behavior all at once.  Back chaining as necessary to build a solid foundation.  Just as I've done teaching Montessori pre-schoolers throughout my professional career.  Break complicated skills down into tiny components, then put them together, and ordinary kids perform what seem like extraordinary feats.  Everyone is gifted with the right training.

The article gave me just the advice I needed to tackle this mountain of details facing me.  Start somewhere, doing one little thing at a time, whittling down the pile bit by bit.  Of course I already know all that, but the reminder came in at the right moment, and suddenly I don't feel so overwhelmed.  I must feel better.  Looky here, I'm blogging!

I have Tanya Lee's agility seminar to blog about, what I learned recently about how to tug properly, my new RV, my puppy's progress, and my cataract surgery.  The little post I put up earlier entitled 'CATARACT SURGERY - Part I' received more hits than most others I've posted, so this must be a very hot search topic.  I promise to give it it's due, when I get time.  It will keep.  I have to prioritize.  Baby steps.  Baby steps. Baby steps WILL get me back on top of the pile eventually.

As well as, always, the 3 P's:

1. Patience,
2. Persistence, and
3. Prayer

If not upwards and onward for the moment, at least maybe I'll not be going downward and backwards.

Motivating Lucky's Weave Performance

Lucky weaves at home, me with her Chuck-It in my hand.

Lucky's performance at the Port Allen Trial is perplexing.  Almost embarassing.  0 Q's, and all way over course time.  She was lethargic and would barely run all weekend. I couldn't get her attention in or out of the ring. She even ignored her favorite treats (shrimp and hot dogs). She wouldn't tug much. There were flies about, which she was focused on and snapped at.  She only had 1 clean run out of 6, but all of them were way over course time and once she missed so many obstacles I excused us from the ring. She knocked a bar, very rare for her. Tracey, who has run her successfully before, ran her Saturday afternoon as my hip was hurting, but Lucky would not focus. Kept looking for me. That was a disaster. Another run she saw Daddy videoing her from the sidelines and ran over to him. The rest of the weekend I got someone else to do Lucky's videos.

I was so miffed, I got home Sunday evening, took her in the back yard to see if maybe she was injured.  But no, she ran her weaves and sailed over jumps like a champion and didn't want to quit. Of course, I had her Chuck-It in my hand.  I am disappointed other competitors can't see her at her best, so full of enthusiasm and focus.

Next day, I videoed her doing her weaves the way she does them at home and in class, and post it here to PROVE that she can do them.  I want others to know I wouldn't DARE bring a dog into the competition ring that couldn't do all the obstacles, run and follow directions well, or didn't enjoy the activity.  She wouldn't have earned her AX and AXJ titles in a year if she was as incompetent as she was this weekend.



By comparison, here is the Port Allen Trial composite video below.



Very discouraging, but three different people came up and said they enjoyed watching her run and not to give up. I needed to hear that. I was most impressed at the applause Tracey got for not giving up on Lucky.  The big cheer was for her, not Lucky.  See, it's not just about the dog!

Lucky's speed is what concerns me. Yesterday I ran her at our training field through the same standard course that Tracey ran her at the trial, and she flew through it with only one mistake - knocked bars at the tripple.  SCT 64 seconds, she ran it in 53 seconds.  Plenty of time. 1st place winner ran it in 48.24, only 5 seconds faster!  And, since it wasn't a real trial run, I left her on the table an extra 6 seconds to catch my breath.  Subtracting that wasted time, her time would have been 47 seconds!  Here is that run:



I will continue to try to figure out how to motivate her in the ring.  SHE CAN DO THIS!

Upwards and onward!

Port Allen Agility Trial 2012

Maxie: 6 runs, 3 Q's, 1 QQ, 26 MACH points, 1 1st place, 1 2nd place, 1 3rd place
Lucky Lucy: 6 runs, no Q's

L to R.  John, John R, Ken

This was our club's annual agility trial.  It fell on Easter weekend so was a bit more sparsely attended than usual, but it was the best I've been to in terms of comradery and team spirit.  Lots of new club competitors in novice - Jerri, Sandy, Robbie, Nicole, Kimberly, a few Q's among them, and they were all really good sports!  We had lots of volunteers, even from club members who don't do agility. The atmosphere was jovial and helpful.  John took 2 days vacation to serve as chief truck packer/driver and first assistant to our chief course builder.  He left home at 5:45 every morning and never stopped until bed time. Lots of other people helped load and move the equipment around where it was needed, but John and John R. were always there with the judge's maps in hand, pacing out yardage and figuring out where to put each obstacle.  It was a major job and he learned a lot. Ken Lively, a new member whose dog doesn't even compete yet, was by their side every minute.  While one ring was running they were setting the other one.  All 3 worked their butts off. Our club could use about twice as many members to lighten this load. It is really too much to ask of one volunteer course building crew to keep up this pace for 3 days.

I worked mostly behind the scenes, setting up a publicity table with AKC info and easter candy, and several people learned about our club and picked up brochures.  That was satisfying, though with a bit more planning I could have put out flyers on our upcoming Obedience Trial and Match.  DUH!  Less satisfying that no reporters came out and only a brief mention in the Advocate, though I had submitted articles to both the Baton Rouge and Port Allen papers.  Our club was short a 15' tunnel so I brought mine, helped  repair equipment, load and unload the truck, and understudied the Trial Secretary job.  I tried to keep trash and poop picked up, and the bathrooms clean.  Enough little unnoticed things that kept me busy.

Maxie's weekend started out great.  First 3 runs were solid Q's, with placement each run, although he always walked his weaves and only once ran as fast as usual.  The 4th run was a nearly Q with a pop-out at the weaves, but the last 2 runs on Sunday were disappointing, not even nearly Q's, and both over course time - a first for him.  I don't know what happened.  There were lots of burrs in the grass.  Maybe he had a sore foot.  Only other things I can figure is that my right hip was hurting so I was slower myself.  Also I brought the new puppy to the trial, and Saturay and Sunday I left Willow at home, figuring the puppy would give Maxie enough company in the X-pen.  Maybe not having his usual crate mate with him, not being confined in his crate, threw his game. Composite video, with commentary, is below.



Lucky Lucy is a different story.  Her performance was so awful all weekend, I won't bog down this page talking about it.  Suffice it to say, it was her worst trial yet, and will get a separate post.  Will she EVER be a good agility dog?

My crate space, Portia and Laura,
Willow (far left, crated) Pepper, Maxie (in X-pen), Lucky

Visitors: My friend Laura and her daughter Portia came Friday, which ended in disaster when Portia fell in love with a frail little rescue dachshund puppy after holding it 5 minutes, someone told her "this puppy could be yours" without consulting the mom, and she cried unconsollably for over an hour when her mom said no.  Such is the mysterious effect of puppies.  Mom is holding out til summer for an agility dog.  Audrey came late Sunday to wish me Happy Easter.  I felt bad I didn't have more time to visit with her, and she witnessed Lucky's terrible last run.  Trials, taking videos, take up all my concentration.  I've about concluded it's best not to have visitors at trials.

This was Winnie's first visit to a trial venue, all 3 days.  He did great, travelled well in the car, didn't seem the least tense or upset at the noise or busy-ness, not the least intimidated by the big dogs, happy in the X-pen whether I was around or not, had little trouble on leash, and didn't mind various people holding/petting him.  I forgot to take pictures of him there with me, but got one of Laura and Portia in our crate space (above), and one with John holding him at the party, below.  It felt odd telling people his name was Winnie.  Honey Bear did't feel right either.  Someone suggested "Pistol Pete" and he answered to that.  I got home and toyed with Petie, then remembered Pepper, my first Papillon heartthrob. 

I decided to name him Pepper in memory of "the one that got away".  They look a lot alike, and the original Pepper was attacked by a big dog and subsequently died.  So it's possible we have a forever name for this puppy at last -- Pepper, Pepper Tu, Peter Pepper, Pepperoni. Lots of fun baby-talk variations to play with.  He answers to them all, if I can remember to say them.  More training now required, I'm so used to calling him Winnie Pooch, etc.

I took videos of over 200 runs.  Now that so many of our club members run each dog in Time2Beat as well as FAST, Standard and Jumpers, and some run 3 or more dogs, and we have so many newbies, that adds up to a lot.  It will take me about 2 weeks to upload them all to Picasa Web Albums, 5 at a time, sort and label them all.  I won't be able to keep up this pace. Not sure how I'll cut down the number, but I must.

Memorabelia:  Swamp Dog Agility (New Orleans Club) had a party at lunch time on Saturday to celebrate Julie Hill and Smartie's recent win at AKC Nationals, 24" category.  A video of her "speech" is posted on my YouTube channel.

The table was beautifully decorated, with an alligator cake, and a red velvet layer cake, champagne, OJ, gifts and speeches..  Both cakes were delicious.  New Orleans folk know how to throw a party. 

We had a party of our own Saturday evening for our club's 3 recent MACH champions -- Noel/Flash, Cheryl/Emily, and Loralie/Jenny.  3 cakes, jambalya, fruit salad.  No decorations, but so many people showed up that the food ran out too fast for all to get some.  Another club mate was taking pictures, so I didn't take any.  Still haven't seen them, though.  That's why I like to take the pictures, so I know they'll make it into our club's Photo Album.

Upwards and onward,

Cataract Surgery - Part 1

I didn't want to say anything about my recent cataract surgery until I knew the outcome.  I went in calm and optimistic two weeks ago tomorrow, but it's been a scary and disappointing couple of weeks and I still don't know the outcome.  Meanwhile, I've missed all my classes, haven't practiced a bit, haven't trained the puppy, haven't exercised, couldn't teach my classes, and am just crossing my fingers that my depth perception will be back on track by this weekend for our club's annual Agility Trial.  I see 20/20 with the new eye (says the doctor), but it feels like someone else's eye in my body, there is considerable eye strain, and the ground swells up and the background spins when I try to run or turn fast.

I scheduled this surgery 3 weeks before our trial, on assurances that I'd be up and running within 3 days!  But I didn't even dare drive for the first week, and still don't go down stairs without holding on to the railing. I drive with extreme caution, checking and rechecking my spacing. I hope I can run my courses and help with the trial.  Far from hoping for Q's for Maxie and Lucky, I'm just hoping to complete my runs and not trip, fall, injure or embarass myself.

It's been a disorienting two weeks.  I'm jotting down a whirlwind of thoughts and tips but am not ready to share.  Meanwhile, I'm keeping busy doing things I can.  Like right now -- laundry and planning meals for the weekend when I'll be too tired to cook.  And I've probably killed 1,000 stinging caterpillars.

Upwards and onward!

The 180 Flip

I Googled "dog agility flip" before teaching my class yesterday, and was disappointed that my blog post from last August was the first entry and there wasn't much else out there.  It was a confusing read.  I had not remembered writing about it.  I didn't know much about it when I wrote it.  I'm leaving it up there, not as an April Fool's joke though I felt like a fool re-reading it, but because it has a sense of history.  It shows I'm making progress, and progress comes dropping slowly. It also has a very interesting course map I'd like to set up again.

Now I know more about flatwork, teach it to my dogs much better, and have more to share.  The main thing is that a 180 Flip is a PUSH away from you, and your paths are like 2 candy canes, both curving in the same direction.  It's more than a straight push -- your arm describes a big circle in the air, away from you.

FLATWORK (SHADOW HANDLING):
Even puppies love this work and catch on quickly if your motions are precise and treats delicious.  You can do this in your kitchen or living room.  Not much space required.

On the flat, (i.e., no equipment), put 3 treats in each hand.  Stand your dog to your right.  Lead their nose out and away from you, enscribing a big circle, so they make a 180 right turn.  Just after they commit to their turn, you also turn tightly, 180 degrees right.  Do NOT cross the dog's path.  When you are both turned and your dog is now on your left, treat from the left hand.  Walk a few steps forward, luring the dog with the second treat in your left hand.  Lead their nose out and away from you so they make a 180 left turn.  As they turn, you also turn tightly,180 left. When you are both turned and your dog is now on your right, treat from your right hand. 

Repeat this sequence, left turn, right turn, until all your treats are gone.  Praise, tug, play.

Repeat this sequence every day (maybe 2 minutes), increasing the walking distance between turns, walking faster, running.  Lure/treat intermittantly, then quit luring.   Treat intermittantly from your pocket, after 3 or 4 turns.

Intersperse flip flatwork with post turn and pull through flatwork.  This teaches D to watch your body moves carefully.  3-5 minutes a day of this is all you ever need do.  They think it is so much fun.  It's also a great warm-up at trials, something more than just putting D over a jump a few times, and can be used to signal that "the game is on".

COURSE WORK:
When the dog can flip out perfectly 90% of the time, take the skill to the agility equipment.

The most common "on course" flip is shown in the diagram above.  D has to turn away from you to make the tunnel entrance off the dog walk or A-frame.  The treat comes after they complete the tunnel.  First, teach the flip alongside the tunnel (see diagram), both sides.  Then increase the difficulty by adding a contact obstacle.

The 180 flip is also used in other ways by a few distance handlers.  Jane Simmons-Moake can send D ahead 2 jumps, flip them over a 3rd jump and get them coming back in her direction with confidence (see diagram).  Her flips are wild to watch.  She flings her arm out so hard it just about lifts her feet off the ground!  Her forward motion is minimal.

Some bloggers say the flip doesn't work for them.  Instead they cross the arm nearest the dog over across their chest, turn towards the turn. roll their shoulder, decelerate.  Others say this results in pulling the dog in towards them rather than a push away.  I suspect it depends on how the dog is trained to read your signals.

I believe a unique signal for a "flip" is important.  It should not look like anything else.

My dogs do the flatwork flip quite well, and today I taught the move in my Handling Fundamentals class.  All teams seemed to catch onto the flatwork fairly fast.  Taking it to the tunnel worked well.  Taking it to the equipment was quite a bit harder, but I was only demonstrating when the flip could be used on a competition course.  They hadn't practiced it for long enough to master it at a greater distance than a few inches.

The trick is getting the dog's head turning away from you.  The body follows.  The other trick is convincing students to do their flatwork at home.

P.S. Some people call the 180 Flip a rear cross, and use the above described flatwork to teach the rear cross. I do not. To me, a rear cross is NOT when the dog propels his backside from the handlers right to left, nor when the dog ends up on the other side of the handler, but when the handler crosses over the dog's path, behind the dog. Looking at the candy canes above, you can see the handler never crosses the dog's path. Likewise, some call a pull through a front cross. I do not. To my mind, to be a "cross", the dog's path must be crossed, and the cross must be made by the handler. A fine but important distinction, and it may look otherwise, but it should be firmly implanted that dogs are NEVER allowed to make crosses.  All crosses are made by the handler.  What might look like D crossing over in front of H, had better always be H crossing behind D! 

P.P.S.  There are other ways to get to the dog's other side besides crosses, most notably, the "180 flip", and the "pull through" (also a 180 turn).  I call each of these a "change of sides" rather than a "cross", and I hope this clears up a lot of confusion for my students, as it has for me.

P.P. S.  There is also a straight line flip over a jump (without a 180 turn and without any change of sides), but I'm not covering that here.

Upwards and onward!