Extremem dog race game determines Otterpop's sore foot a thing of the past.

So it's my belief that if you have 3 dogs, you keep 4 dog bones around the house. A well stocked collection of bones insures that if I have important plans for the evening, say, falling asleep in the chair at 9pm before Project Runway even starts, that multiple bones means every dog should be able to at least find one and quietly go off to their own corner and gnaw away in blissful silence.

This plan hardly ever works. Someone squirrels away those bones. I crawl under Gustavo's secret lair under the daybed to look for the strays. Good god, the things I find there, except no bones. I look around outside. If they're out there, long hidden under the bushes. Ruby. Buried under couch cushions? That's the work of Otterpop, the sneaky little tart.

When the bones have dwindled away down to one, that's when the best dog sport happens. One dog a little limpy? PERFECT time for extreme sports. Don't want to hear shrill, monkey screaming? PERFECT time for extreme sports. The rules are really easy. One bone, and Otterpop and Gustavo both must have it. Ruby has no interest in this game and I usually try to sneak her back her own bone because while it's going on, nobody else notices a thing. The racers set up a race track between the living room couch and the day bed in the back bedroom. In my house, this isn't very far. 6 giant people steps. Once the track is set, and preferably set involves a body laying in the middle of it doing back surgery physical therapy exercises, dogs start flying.

I've never done any flyball, but I have a feeling it looks a little bit like this. Race, race, race, interrupted only by he or she who possesses the bone to stop, gnaw and gloat while the other one loudly plans his or her strategy to steal it. Stealing can either be via crafty, manipulative techniques, or a straightforward, blunt dash for the goods. Either way, the race, race, race portion of the game ensues right away again.

The game can last a long time. Sadly, I've learned to completely block it out. Except for when I don't and as the official umpire make the final determining call of bone removal if it's just getting too LOUD. Or there are complaints from those who may have been trying to use the racetrack for other activities. Or just wanted to actually hear the baseball on the tv. Really loud music on the stereo can usually blot out the louder portions of the game.

Otterpop thinks her foot is fine for racing, running, leaping and all other activities. I am skeptical, after how awful it looked earlier in the week. This weekend is the Really Big Dog show, 3 whole days of agility, with lots of out of town dogs coming in to make it more exciting and festive. Will Otterpop be joining in the fun? It's looking like there's a distinct possibility of this, we're not sure, and I might be wrong, but I think I may let her have a go at it and see what we got. She's entered in very few runs over the 3 days, and if she's sore, I pull her. But right now, looking good.

See everyone there! I always love meeting Team Small Dog friends who know me but I don't know you, so come say hi!