Day in the Country

I located a fancy training facility that was advertising Lure Coursing, so of course we had to check it out.  Upon arrival we discovered we had access to the entire property and were welcome to hike, try dock diving, and use the agility course. 

I thought this would be a great opportunity to practice agility in a new location with different equipment.  We normally practice on turf and sand was a fun change.  We focused on Jumps and tunnels, Marley had a fabulous time.  There were a lot of distractions and Marley really impressed me with her focus and concentration.  (I've included some photos taken with my phone.)

Marley waiting to be released; she looks so earnest. 

Flying!

I simply love the expression on her face when she jumps.  She is always so excited and pleased with herself.

After playing in the agility field we hiked around some empty fields where sheep are normally kept.  I tried to entice Marley into some dock diving; she declined.  I also spent some time watching the sheep being worked by some awesome border collies and shelties.

While I was watching the sheep; Marley made a wonderful discovery; rabbits kept in cages where they can't run away!  Yes, my little dog started "harassing" the livestock. As soon as I noticed her standing in front of the rabbit pen pawing at the fencing, I realized it was time to leash her up and head back to city living.

"What?  It wasn't the snack bar?"

Agility friends are simply the best!

Marley and I are starting weave training at the beginning again.  Yep, we are back to 2 poles.

During our training there seems to be a moment when Marley understands and I'll move forward to train a new component and Marley "forgets."  I find I need to go back and review before going forward in many other aspects of training.  I can't believe I thought weaving would be any different.

Everybody has been so kind and helpful, I am simply overwhelmed by the support I've received. 

Thank You!

Brand New Equipment

Today we went to the park to practice some weaving. According to Marley, these weave poles are new and she has no idea what I want.

Last week she was weaving 6-poles just fine. She was taking jumps and then weaving, without any problems.

I simply don't know what is causing such inconsistency.

Everybody keeps advising me to just enjoy the journey; of course, their dogs weave just fine.

After putting my weave poles away, I decided to ensure we ended our training session on a positive note. I unpacked our new frisbee and Marley had a great time!

Maybe, we need to find a new activity.

When Marley Met Mac

The adoption of a new pet is exciting and cause for celebration. As excited as I was to hear my friends adopted a Yellow Lab from rescue, I waited for him to become used to his new home before we met him.  His name is Mac and he is simply gorgeous; very tall and lean.  He is very much aware his purpose in life is to retrieve and he has a ton of energy.

Marley meeting Mac.

"You are so tall and handsome"

Reagan was delighted to see her BFF, until Marley met Mac.

 Reagan was not pleased to discover Marley preferred the company of Mac. 

She was right there ready to separate them every time Marley initiated play.

"Mac you are so handsome, do you want to play with me?"

Bark for Life Adventures

I felt really good about our plans for the weekend. We were going to attend the American Cancer Society Bark for Life event and after doing our part we were going to play in the park  Somehow our weekend didn't quite work out the way I planned.  I learned two things this weekend. First, it turns out a car will not make it to your destination if directions are provided by two different mapping systems.  Second, the Curse of the Black Dog was upon me this weekend.

We arrived at our destination while they were still stetting up and we decided it was a great opportunity to explore the park.  It amused Marley to see the skate park was fenced in and kids had to go through some pretty heavy doors to be able to play. During our meandering we discovered a dog park, which meant we had to explore.

Tanzanite Community Park is about two acres around half of a small lake.  It contains a small developed area with benches and a drinking fountain.  The rest of the park is rather simple with a walking trail and native grass.  Dogs of all sizes are allowed inside; if your dog has issues with dogs who are smaller or larger you may not want to visit this park.

The view from one end of the park. 

Marley and Rose enjoyed exploring the park. 

 (Curse of the Black Dog:  can you find Marley?)

There was a lot of cool public art around the dog park.  

(Curse of the Black Dog:  can you find Marley?) 

After exploring Marley took a nap in the sun. 

We enjoyed the park quite a bit and after Marley's nap we meandered back to the Bark for Life event. It appeared rather empty and we were disappointed to have missed the event. 

Quick recap of the lessons I learned this weekend:  

1. Find one mapping system and use those directions.  
2. If early to an event, wait by the event.  Side trips while fun will cause you to miss the event.
3. Black dogs, while wonderful are susceptible to the Curse of the Black Dog.