Did you ever dream that you were a dog agility super champ except then it switched and you were at some germy, grungy, derelict seaside park in the dark and the carnies were actually drug addled zombies that were shambling after you with hammers and their big teeth? And then as you're trying to escape your way out from under their oily, horrible claws by clambering up a rat infested palm tree, you're all, this is about dog agility like, how?
07 January 2013
Hola lord dudes and lady sunshines, for today we have righteously performed the teeter totter from the upstairs to the downstairs.
Among the stuff we haven't done at all, in quite a long time, would be cleaning the house, dog agility, and watching the show called Downton Abbey. How did us here at team small dog miss the boat on that? Apparently it's been all the rage for a long time and we didn't even know about it.
This could be surmised as being Out of It. I heard these peeps and glimmers of it and then all of a sudden it was the Everything Everywhere. We have watched it, as of last night. Dig the situation at hand. A bunch of super rich aristo-cats living in a castle on a righteous dog agility lawn. In our fair England, mothership of the invention of dog agility!
The rich people live upstairs in fancy costumes, and they own a bunch of poor people that work in the castle and live in the basement. You got your heiresses, you got your serfs, and a whole show about social communication amongst themselves. No spies. No zombies. Just a lot of stiff upper lip.
There was exactly the same kind of drama and gossip in peoples' lives in 1920, as there is now, in the Future! And similar earrings and necklaces. If you ever followed a soap opera along the lines of General Hospital, you can pick up right away where they left off. The valet, where you do pronounce the "t" and who is a guy that helps other guys get dressed, is in jail, and our dear Daisy the kitchen maid's husband of 30 minutes is dead in the war. Although you probably already know this. Due to you were watching Downton Abbey for 2 years. Because I am apparently the only person who didn't.
Epic lords and ladies and witty repartee. Weddings! A yellow lab who gets to come in the house and golden retrievers who don't are featured for shooting sporty birds from the castle bushes. If you are a dog agility lady, you will like this show. If you are a gentleman who does not own a morning coat, you are going to prefer the basketball channel. Where there is a little bit more action.
In the interest of action, we had no agility last month, hardly at all. Rain and a holiday season of iced frosting cookies, tamales and wine has left me bechubbled and out of shape, and running the dogs this morning left me horribly out of breath and behind, behind, behind. Out of shape doesn't begin to describe the horror of our practice this morning.
For me. The dogs were brilliant and aced our fast running international skills drills with grace and dignity and super fast running. With me shambling along behind, wheezing. And for a bonus, over our little break, with only some fiddling about on our work teeter totter out in the pasture, Gustavo's teeter totter glory of the past seems to be re-emerging from the ashes. I suspect it is still broken at dog shows. For now. It will be back. Some day.
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6 comments:
Laura,
You give me reason to hope that Gracie and I will sometime achieve teeter mastering. We are 3 years into agility training and are trial ready except for teeter paranoia. We are at the poing of creeping up teeter and waiting in the middle while I lower teeter with baloney or hot dog. You and Gustavo are fierce. Thanks for the inspiration.
Lisa and Gracie
P.S. I have watched Downton Abbey and it's no Walking Dead. Team Grimes.
Hoping that Gustavo and teeters have made a new year resolution to come to a mutually beneficial understanding.
You are not the only one who'd never paid any attention to Downton Abbey. I'd kinda probably seen the name in a few places but not paid any attention until yesterday when 2 friends on facebook from very different states (literally and figuratively) both posted about it, and it wasn't until today that I realised it isn't DownTOWN Abbey, and on the radio this morning in the car there happened to be an interesting discussion with the ... screenwriter?... of the show, with various recorded snippets from the show, all of which made it sound very interesting, and now this afternoon I read your post that mentions it. Four notable mentions in less than 24 hours, I'm thinking that maybe I'll have to learn how to turn on my TV to the appropriate channel and watch some.
He has bounced back much quicker this time, than the first time this happened. That time, it was a long time before he would even walk anywhere near a teeter, let alone get up on it.
I have MANY resources and ideas of how to fix teeter totters, if you need any, let me know. It definitely has to be the right kind of fix for each dog, no one size fits all for fixing teeter totters. For him, it has to be reduced to a fast moving game that has no wrong answers with food as part of the game.
Trial and error. Once it's fixed, we will not premier in competition for a while longer. Inconvenient, but just how it goes.
Ellen, it's on Sunday Nights on the PBS. Probably why I never saw it, because Walking Dead night!
I loooove Downtown Abbey, but I also lived in the UK for quite a while....just imagine having all those massive rooms to practice agility in on rainy days! Hyde Park in London should also be converted (surely the Brits will go for it, being the insane dog-lovers that they are).
I don't even have a full teeter yet with Zanzi.. or an A-Frame or a dogwalk. Or more than 4 weaves (we're still at the green dog stage). Did I mention my whole falling over doing front crosses issue? Loving the fixing the teeter video, all fun and waggy tails --that's my goal for agility in the long run.
Have never seen Walking Dead but thinking I'm deprived.
Our household just showed up to the Downton Abbey party as wel, within the last week or so. Only thru episode 2 of the first season, but I can already see why people are hooked.
Teeters now... whole 'nother ball of wax. I am lucky to have one teeter-tolerant dog and one who for some reason thinks its fun. Just did teeter work with my beginning/intermediate students last night, as you said, different strategy for every single dog. Every single one had a different vibe on the whole thing..
Gustavo looks great! I knew he'd become friends with Teeter again.
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