Birthday: July 6th 2008 Likes: Resting outside on a cool day and enjoying the view Pet-Peeves: Eating the same food - he likes variety (a bit picky!) Favorite Toy: Balls and squeeky toys Favorite Food: Beef marrow bones and yummy snacks (liver, cheese, hot dogs) Favorite Walk: In the mountains, swimming in a pond Best Tricks: Treat on nose - hold until allowed to get it Arrival Story: Koda's name was Rolly on record at the county pound and I saw him on his second day. He went through the four day "stray" waiting period waiting to be claimed by his owner. I put my name on his record and returned October 10, 2008, only to find that he had to wait to get neutered (another 4 long days over a Holiday weekend). I thought I'd come to play with him every day until he could come home, but the policies at the pound didn't allow a dog tagged for adoption to leave his pen. I brought a chew toy and held it through the wire fence for him to nibble on. He lost weight, looking emaciated with ribs and hip bones showing, and was later released with a bad case of kennel cough. It's possible that there is only morning feeding times at the pound. Shortly afterwards, he had diarrhea and was treated for it. Koda arrived weighing about 15.5 pounds at ~ 3 months of age and in 2-1/2 weeks gained 6 pounds. Koda continued to gain about 3 pounds a week until he was about 5-1/2 months old and has slowed his growth considerably. Bio: I snore! It sounds like soft, little, snorts when I sleep.
I have puppy dreams and if I bark, I wake myself up. Forums Motto: I\\\\\\\'m all about love. The Groups I'm In: ♥English Springer Spaniels♥, ..:: Herding Breeds Association ::.., ♥All Fur Fun♥, Agility Addiction, Bernese Mountain Dog Clubhouse, Dogs in Danger, ~~~*♥Dog Park USA♥*~~~ The Last Forum I Posted In: The Big Weekend!
Oh my, oh my, oh my.... I loved it!! Every single second of it, I loved it. Mom entered me in my first agility trial for a single run. It was a NADAC trial and a Novice Tunnelers run. It was definitely on par with Course-a-Lure. All that speeding around and running with mom on a perfectly cool morning was pure bliss. I'll be a good boy, when's the next run?
Mom's diary entry:
The best way I can describe the run and how I felt was absolute glee after Koda's Tunnelers run. I was scared that he would run off to greet a person or a dog or the judge, knowing full well that Koda is still puppy-minded at 19 months. He is not jumping or weaving on any repetitive basis because of his age and size, so I choose a run that was solely tunnels. They are laid out intentionally to be a race course for dogs and the handlers are left to navigate and communicate to the dog turns and direction.
I had it planned out. I asked people on each side of the ring to help me and watch for Koda, just in case. This trial used a one inch orange ribbon at about 2-3 foot high to mark the edges of the ring (no netting or fencing) and there was traffic within a 1/4 mile from the rings. Of course I fretted, wondering if it was too early, although I knew the first run jitters would need to be faced sometime.
Koda stood up to start before I even moved and I asked him to down and then we raced together through the course. Tunnels had 10-15 between exits and entraces for him to zip away and explore. He was fast and furiously fun. He stayed with me every moment and looked at me for direction. I didn't expect it. I had prepared for the worst. I off-coursed him with my forward motion to an outer tunnel. Koda responded to my redirection and we sped to the finish.
My friends laughed at the finish line, because I apparently blurted out "Holy Crap!"
That was the best non-qualifying agility run I've had. Thank you for trusting me my dear boy. I love you.
This last week I've been test driving lifting my leg to do business instead of squatting. I've been trying to figure out how the dogs are getting their smells on rocks and bushes. Sometimes I'd get closer to hitting the target if there was a gust of wind. Too difficult to time it, though.
Then, as I was sniffing a bush, I had this urge to raise my right leg. Unfortnately, I got poked in a soft spot and bounced back on the trail. It was awkward to stand in that position with my balance a bit unsteady too. Back to squatting to pee.
Ah, but then a couple days later, there it was. A rogue low-lying lamp that had all kinds of smells from dogs nestled in the corner of the path. So I just mosied up, walked slowly over it, lifted my left leg and then.... ahh. Nothing quite like it.
I've tried raising my leg on walks in the last two days. I'm learning how to steady myself on three legs. Haven't decided if I'm right legged or left legged yet. Need to do some more experiments.
Just think of all the places I can drizzle on. When's my next walk?
* Power supply cords - (BUT, they were not plugged in). One massage chair power supply cord (check!); one solar (powered) light cord line (check!)
* Cell phones - not yummy and made mommie very unhappy
* Shoes - still like those rubber clog slip-ons and tennis shoes. If they are by the backdoor, why aren't I supposed to take them with me?
* Sweater sleeves (make that on or off my humom's body)
* Clean laundry on the drying rack
Where's the fun? My gums are SORE. Please let me have chewies that make my mouth feel better... please (BIG puppy eyes!).
And the list continues:
* Mom's shoes, Grandma's shoes - actually chewing them, not carrying them
* Plastic bags
* Tent zip-up windows (still try to zip it up, but it's shredded)
* Plastic mat
* Harnesses. These are ones I was wearing at the time. Make that 2 harnesses and one cool coat
Mom's job: Make sure I'm well exercised, I have a chew toy or treat that I value, and temptations are removed to the extent possible (Mom's human after all).
Dogster Obsessions: The Starter Kit for Dogs by Wildebeest
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