Novel Intentions

I'm going to start a novel soon, she said, but not now. 
I'm too tired to hear myself write, she added. -StoryPeople 


First, most importantly, or less trivially, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to BAYER!!! He turned 8 exactly a week ago. Wow. Time flies. I still need to get around to telling you all the story of how we got into dogs, that has a lot to do with Bayer. He celebrated his birthday like most other days. Which isn’t too bad. This past weekend he got to train some kids how to throw discs, quite a special job. He’s a good boy. 





Java and I did a USDAA show in Orlando. She was mostly awesome though missed her dog walk in GP (again) and in Masters STD. We did get a Pairs Q, Snooker Super Q and a Gamblers Q. That gamble was awesomeeee! I really didn’t think she would get that one. She was on and off again and I’m not sure what to make of that, but we’ll keep plugging along until I figure her out. Definitely the heat on Sunday got to her, she wobbled out of the ring. Poor thing. I am taking the Bean to Reno officially though and we’ll do our best. Looking forward to my first solo trip with her! The Aussie people at Nationals will LOVE her! LOL 





(By Kaimen Miller) 

(By Vince Maidens)


Trin. Oh Trin. I wavered so strongly on my retirement plan for her that I almost, as in, completely filled out registering her for AKC Nationals. I mean, she could go. She’s in good shape, it’s only two months from now. But that needs to be about Java. Then what? I’d like to avoid aframes and weaves, so USDAA jumpers? P3? Yes. Well, no. $10? Yeah, I can just drag her along to training days and run her around. She’ll like that. 





Retirement is harder than I thought. And I knew it would be hard. For real this time. Maybe? Sigh. I know Trin does agility because I’ve trained her to like it. I trained it like I’ve never trained anything in my entire life. With focus so strong that possibly at times, no, definitely, it has negatively affected my quality of life. It was worth every bit of effort, every temporary set back and even the permanent ones, though I do regret that. So when we leave for a show, Trin is sad. She wants to come. She wants to sleep on the couch, but she wants her treats too. So I’ve been dragging her around and she seems confused right now, but I know she’ll adjust. 


Me? Well, that’s different. 





Running Trin got to be so easy, like breathing. I could plan exactly and execute easily. By the time I started training Kate I thought I was a great handler! Ha! Trin made me look good, and she taught me everything I knew. Not only is running her MY ego boost but it feels so natural, I’ve never done agility without her in the equation. I know there is something not right about trialing her in agility until she can no longer do it, because I WANT HER. Can’t do that. She could run now though, and there’s the rub. She would be the best she ever was. Right now. When that day comes that she’s not better, like I was seeing a bit last fall… I can’t, I won’t watch that. At some point, Trin will slow down. She might start knocking bars, or crawling down contacts, or hey, avoiding things. I don't want to wait to see that day, even though I see glimpses now. While cherished, I can't stand to look at these Invitational photos of her, I might buy the one in the tunnel and the one of us in the finals heading to the weaves. She looks so grayed, so mature. :(

And what is there left for her to prove? She's made the finals at every national event she's been to. She's earned a C-ATCH, MACH and ADCH. She's even qualified for nationals a few times... There's a couple lingering goals, like High in Trial at DACOF and running clean in a finals but maybe setting some new goals will be just as fulfilling. An obedience CD? tracking? 


 And besides, I can’t afford to trial 3 dogs. 


It still stings though. I’m still wavering every day on that decision.