Ruby wants a spa vacation.

I had a lesson from Jim yesterday. I got there early to walk Gustavo around which is his pre agility training-right now he just needs to run around on a leash on the field, playing with a toy and not peeing on equipment-we have a long way to go. Jim thinks he is a Border Collie Chihuahua, a Borderchi or Borderhuahua. We will see. I am skeptical, however, there were sheep out in the neighboring pasture when we got there. Ruby is completely blase over sheep-they don't even register on her radar. Otterpop will notice them, then ignore them if they are not causing problems. If they cause a problem, of course she would be ready to kick some sheep ass. Gustavo, though, was watching and staring at them with a steely eyed look which is, um, very Border Collie! Perhaps I have my real agilty border collie in a nice handy shrunken state!

Otterpop was the star of our lesson and aced every distance challenge Jim threw out, so I was vindicated from the humbling seminar a few weeks back. Maybe she has to take Ruby's place showing this year in Masters. No one can tell them apart. Ruby wasn't as up for the challenge and honestly seemed not that into running. She was fast but a little frenzied and unfocused and not sending out. With very slow weave poles. Uhoh. I talked to Jim about her soundness issues and what I can't figure out and he didn't really have any great ideas either. Just not sure what Ruby wants to do. Maybe this is the year she backs off a little and Otterpop gets to shine? We'll see. And if we have a true albeit shrunken border collie here, then maybe we see how he goes. Although he is at the "here is some equipment and just don't pee on it" stage of his career which is far, far away from competing.

Poor Ruby. I can't figure out what she needs to do. I've tried time off. I've tried a lower jump height. Some days she is super fast and on. Other days she seems sore. Other days she just knocks bars like crazy. She hasn't actually been limping and lame in quite a while, it mostly seems like a sore back. I haven't gone the regular chiro route, but if she still seems to not want to run at the beach much, and doesn't want to run on the trail or next to the bike (that's been her latest the last few months) something has to be up somewhere. She is first and foremost a beloved pet dog though, and I am not going to go to huge lengths to diagnose something subtle. If it comes to it, she can just do a little agility and be happy chasing sticks at the beach and laying in the sun at work. If Ruby wants, she can even lay on the clean and light colored new bathmat in the stunning new bathroom which is semi banned from all the black dog fur right now (I'm sure this will last all of a week) to keep it clean and stunning.