Healing and Heeling

Here is Gyppie heeling from last weekends Rally Fun Match, she scored a 98.

It has been 3 weeks since the "knee incident" and let me tell you this has not been easy, this past week being the worst as I have had to come to some brutal realizations: probably not running in yet another Agility seminar this weekend (well I'll do as much as I can), I pulled from an Agility Trial I was REALLY looking forward too, another week of not walking my dogs, I could go on, but it is too depressing. I am an active person: Gym 3-4 times a week, running and walking with the dogs, training with dogs, and it has all been turned upside down. A major part of my life involves running ... more so than I thought it did!!

But on a good note I've been able to train more Obedience because it is all I can do really, well that and feel sorry for myself and mope. We've worked on some proofing in Agility and I can play agility from a distance, but I much prefer to handle and run my dogs, it's what I do, the distance work gets boring, and my guys are pretty good at it anyway, considering that is all we have done for 3 weeks, there is only so much you can work on.

We had another Fun Match this weekend, and the practice is REALLY paying of. Gyp scored 194 in Novice, and a 194 last weekend!!!! She is confident and attentive and most of all she has fun, her sweet smiling face and wagging tail say it all.

K scored a 196.5 in Novice - a warm up for Open. I was confident in the ring this weekend, and once again it showed in K's performance, I had to intervene at the high jump again, as his gawking caused him to almost miss it so we got a bog fat "0'. Though we didn't get a passing score because of it, his marks were great, at would have been a 195 if he had perfect marks on his high jump. He barked a couple times in each out of sight stay. I'll take it, it is progress. My ring etiquette is getting better, I really need real ring experience, like these past 2 weekend matches. I'm a even talking about putting him the ring this spring .... exciting and scary :P

6 years!

This post is 90% non dog related, so it might bore you to death. just sayin'.

6 years ago I left the Advertising Agency I worked for (for 5 years), to start my own Design business sarahnovakdesign, I jumped in head first and went for it, me, my mac and a second-hand desk. I work at home, I have the best employees who work for cheap (3 dogs), and great guy who does my books :) and I love my freedom, no 9-5 for me thank you very much - sure I work late hours, early hours and weekends when need be, but if I want to play with my dogs, you can't stop me. It's 6 years later and I can still hold my head up above water and I haven't gone bankrupt. From Graphic Design, to Illustration and Photography I am proud to say 6 years! 6 years! 6 years! 6 years! 6 years! 6 years!

I have some big changes and goals this year - work and personal, so I am looking forward to some new adventures.

I had a website done for the first 3 years, but I let it lapse as I got so busy with work and never updated it, and so much of what I do is word of mouth. I let the domain expire and that was that.

Funny thing, I went to purchase a domain again, and guess what someone else owns sarahnovak.com!! WTF!

So I purchased sarahnovak.ca, and a few months later I finally have my crap together and my new website is almost complete.

I've been using the watermark the past 9 months (and of course my muse Jane is the icon). I've had the front page up for a while ... just wanted to have it done before I told anyone about it. Did I mention that sometimes I'm not a patient person?

Check out the front page if you would like, it'll give a taste of what is to come!

sarahnovak.ca

Another one bites the dust.

Poor Jane broke another front tooth this week ... it was hanging by a thread, so the Vet yanked it and she hardly noticed. There is just a wee bit of root, but it should close over and heal just fine. Good news considering putting her under again is a big risk. But, I just can't let her go through life looking like a hillbilly. She deserves so much more.

This bitch, needs bling, and the more diamonds the better.

How embarrassing ... look at her big gummy, grammy gap.

So, when the going gets tough, the tough get GRILLZ ... diamond GRILLZ biatches! Only the best ICE for my girl.

Just like T-pain, Jane sports the ICE.

hmmm what would her rapper name be?

Despite the tooth loss, the Queen B is doing just fine ... as you can clearly see.

She's a strange animal.

Yes, Gyp is a strange animal.

She LOVES to sit on her dad's lap as you can see, she just loves him in general, really. She licks his hands and sometimes forgets her tongue is stuck out mid-lick ...

She has a freaky-long silly putty tongue, abnormally big feet for her body, and sometimes she looks a little cross-eyed, but who's keeping tabs.

(yes, that tongue is real, freaky, but real)

... such endearling qualities, wouldn't you say?

oh Gyppie, we love every weird, freaky and unproportioned thing about you.

Where's the caviar?

What a great way to spend a Sunday.

SAWHDA hosted Obedience/Rally Fun Mach today, and Jane would like everyone to know that she's still got it at almost 11 years young. She won 2 High in Classes ... a 197 in Novice Obedience (hence the PINK Champagne prize!!!) and a 99 in Advanced Rally ... Jane just loves Obedience, she is happiest doing anything with me (well, for the cookies that I have). It was great to get her out in the ring today. I just loved every second of it. I hope to finsih her Rally Level II title with APDT this year, there is only 2 or 3 trials in Alberta a year which sucks.

Gyp did great for her first time with a 193.5 in Novice Obedience, and in Novice Rally with a 98. I entered her in Advanced just for fun, and wow she was great! She scored an 88 Advanced Rally (10 points off for handler error, i moved my feet calling her to front - duh). Her heeling and attention was really good, amazing what practicing does ...

K-man did great too, he was pumped in Open Obedience, I was so pleased with his effort and heeling and attention. We NQ'd though (gawking on the way back over the high jump - and missed it LOL), his stays were good - only a couple barks in each (it is improvement), his score would have been 190. He also earned a 96 in Advanced Rally. I am more confident with him the ring now, and I was not nervous at all today, and it showed, as he was happy ... he was maybe a little too high - he was vibrating almost the whole time ... but I'll take it!

It was a great day to spend with friends and hangout in between runs, and thanks to SAWHDA for the awesome prizes and well organized event!

- - - - -

We have lots to work on ... I have been stepping into my dogs on halts, without even realizing it most of the time, I got some good hints to help with MY handling this way.

With K, I STILL need to work distractions intensely in all situations, so Gawky McGee pays attention to me and not the adoring crowd ... especially over the high jump - where he will gawk and forget what he is doing - missing the jump on the way back!! At this point, it is our weakest exercise in Open.

I also REALLY REALLY need to brush up on ring etiquette and rules, more practice ... more practice ...

thanks to Maureen for the great pics!!!

it's the little things...

Today was the first day in 13 days I've been able to take the dogs for a run, I still can't take them for leash walks as I have to be in charge of what my leg is doing at all times, and with the slippery roads and sidewalks, it would be too risky for a slip.

Pete has been running and walking them daily ... it looks something like this ...

He has been great about getting the guys out for their regular exercise. He has been doing it by himself for almost 2 weeks, and probably another week to go.

It's been the first time I've taken my camera out in about the same period of time ...

Gyppie is thrilled too! Especially since she left Kaleb in the dust.

"HAHA Sucker" woofs Gyppie

Kaleb was excited too, "walks with mama bring the clicky thing and then we get treats."

then there is Jane ... her head is usually in a hole, looking for critters

"Here mousy, mousy, come out, come out where ever you are"

Well my weekend just got better, it's the simple, little things, you know? aaahhhh, I feel much better now :)

if you go out in the woods today ....

If you go out in the woods today
You're sure of a big surprise.

If you go out in the woods today

You'd better go in disguise.

If you go out in the woods today,
You'd better not go alone.

It's lovely out in the woods today,

But safer to stay at home.

Stats-a-skew

So the interesting thing about Statistics is you can make them look how you want, depending on the information you want to release with the final result.

The 2009 Stats from AAC are pretty much final now and ...

Gyp ended her year with 46 Qs. Gyp only ran 64 runs at trials in 2009, for a Q rate of 71% - pretty good in my mind. Those 64 runs are made up of 7 full trials, and three one day trials. In the whole scheme of things, that is not alot of trialing. Would it seem like a lot if I said she had 300 runs to get those 46 Qs, that would be a pretty low Q rate wouldn't it.

What the AAC site does not show is the actual Q rate of a dog. There are dogs on the AAC site that have over 200 Q's in one year - we only ran 64!!!! Sort of hard to get 100 Qs when you only have entered in 64 classes. Gyp is around the 23rd Border Collie in AAC based on the "Q" stat, again is that good or not? There are more than 200 Border Collies listed on the page.

Kaleb had a wonderful year too!! He ran 69 runs, and ended with 49 Qs!!!! His Q rate is 73%. With that he is also the #1 Flat-coated Retriever in Canada for the 3rd year in a row!!! Go K-man!! There are 5 FCR's listed on the page, but again, if you earn fewer than 9 Q's AAC doesn't list you on the Stats page, so I do more there are a few more than 5 FCRs competing!

What I was most proud of in '09 was both dogs winning their Regional Divisions and placing so well at Nationals too, again the stats don't show that :)

To me, this confirms, while the all-mighty Q is important as a measure of sort of success as it shows on the stats page, and you need Qs to move up and get titles. I think setting your own personal best, and individual goals are still more important - Q or no Q ... and that is what statistics don't show.

Where's Gyppie?

look closer .... she is there .... unlike Waldo, she is not wearing a red striped hat or glasses.

getting closer ...

there isn't a whole lot that brightens my day more than a Gyppie Hug...

I would like to thank the Academy!

Thanks for who ever nominated me for a "Brodie" for "Best Pet Photography Blog", I had never seen this site until today!

I'm in some serious good company, how cool is that?

Best Pet Photography

3 Woofs and a Woo
Charlotte Reeves Photography
DigIt-FetchIt-HerdIt
Leesia Teh Photography
Photography by Erin Vey
Shine Pet Photos

Videos!

Here is a little montage of 4 of Gyp's runs from the weekend. Before the "KNEE incident that silenced a Nation" - or at least silenced an Arena (yes I can laugh about it now).

The first run is Challenge - we had an off course tire on the way to the dogwalk, but she still managed to pull off the fastest time of the event. The other 3 runs are 3 Masters Standards she Q'd in (I think 2 1sts and a 2nd) I was super happy with her efforts - always 110%, and I was happy to see improvement in our contacts so quickly too. You see, she wasn't the problem ... it was me, now I have backed off, and let her do her job, trust my training, and the creeping is less and her speed had increased, go figure. If I didn't have Amanda and others in my group riding my ass about it, I shudder to think how it might look.

Limp for Joy!

Well I am learning to look on the brightside with my knee injury ... I can walk ... I wish I could run, but hey, I don't need my crutches. The knee is still swollen, but I can bend it now about 90 degrees, whereas 2 days ago it as 45 degrees. My other leg bends 120 just to give you an idea. It still throbs and aches and walking up and down stairs is FUN!

I got my knees X-rayed today and I was fitted for 2 knee braces today and custom foot Orthotics for my near non-existent arches. My current (old) knee brace was so worn and stretched and the support was compressed, and compared to the new shiny one I have now and the actual piece needed to keep my knee from going right, well lets just say, it was no longer secure to the actually brace and flopping around like my knee was on Sunday ... I had no idea, and well that is a big, costly and painful realization.

The custom arch supports were made from my foot and will help keep my knees aligned, as well as my non-existent right ankle ligament from giving away too and rolling as it sometimes does, which then causes the knee to be what hold me up - and if that gives way, well we all know what happens .... (previous ankle sprains did that ligament in, I had no idea either!)

I talked to my trainer and I have a few things I can do in the meantime, until the swelling goes down, but I can't even begin physio until the swelling is 100% gone, which could be even a couple more weeks ... as it is still pretty much what it was 3 days ago.

I'll have the results of the X-rays in a couple days, and the MRI ... well I have my appointment booked ... for June. I guess my injury isn't life threatening, just F'ING annoying!

The day I can walk my dogs again, will be an exciting one. The day I can run, let's just say I might not stop, you know like when Forrest Gump ran across the country when he realized he could run.

RUN FORREST RUN!!!