I Smell a Rat

When Vicky was one she participated in some FastCAT competitions and earned her first ranking of B-CAT. FastCAT is a lure chasing event managed by AKC. A plastic bag lure is pulled in front of a dog leading them on a 100 yard dash as fast as they can go. Vicky ran 19.6 mph in her last race. Kaitlyn was two days too young to participate the first time, but she was able to take an introductory class and seemed to love it. During one of the fun runs she pulled or tore her CCL. We decided that perhaps racing our dogs as fast as they could go was not such a great idea!

However, while we were at the events holding FastCAT there were other competitions going on, including Dock Diving, Agility, Obedience and Barn Hunt, to name a few. Both the Mister and I were intrigued by Barn Hunt. In this competition dogs must find one or more hidden rats (housed in sturdy PVC containers with air holes) hidden in, on, or around hay bales. I thought Kaitlyn would love this task. 

Wednesday we took both dogs to an introductory session at a training facility about an hour from us . The trainer showed each dog (individually) a rat in a cage and I was to praise the dog for 'engaging' with the rat. The trainer moved the caged along the floor and encouraged the dog to follow, again earning lots of praise and pats and scritches from me. Then the trainer draped a little straw over the cage, having me ask the dog to find it, praising and showing great joy when she stopped and sniffed, or pawed at the cage or assumed 'play' position in front of the cage. The trainer had each dog do this a few times, then gave them a break to 'think about it'. 

Each dog had two other opportunities to find rats. The second and third time there were two rats; one in the cage and one in a tube. On the third experience for each dog, one of the rat cages was placed up on a hay bale. It had already been suggested that I encourage the dogs to go through tunnels formed by the hay bales, and to climb on them. Both dogs are familiar with tunnels as we have played with some agility equipment before, and jumping up on the hay bales was not an obstacle for either of them. I think Kaitlyn actually enjoyed going through the various tunnels. 

There's a rat in the tube below Vicky's nose.

You can make out the PVC plug at the bottom of the picture, on the left.

Nope! No rat here!

I didn't see either dog demonstrate much enthusiasm for this 'sport', but they are still trying to figure out what it was I was asking of them. I'll continue taking them to some more training sessions and see how it goes. The "Mister" is ready to get a rat, make a tube for it and make some mazes with hay bales in our barn! I think the tail may be wagging the dog....but wait, our dogs don't have tails, so that wouldn't work!!

My Bonnie Lies Over the Long Arm

 I finally completed the 'flimsy' of Lupine and Laughter, Bonnie Hunter's 2025-26 Mystery Quilt. 

Ta daaaaa!

And, of course, no quilt is acceptable until it gets the 

Two Corgi seal of approval!

(and is thus blessed with Corgi glitter)

It was all fun and games until the Vet Tech came and took us to the back! 

No, no, no! Don't make us go!

We're done. Let us go! 

Faster!

We want OUT!

Hurry up! Get us out of here!

Kaitlyn and Vickie needed a Bordatella vaccination. Even though they love people, and seeing other dogs, they much preferred to be anywhere but at the Vet's!

 

Florida Gulf Coast Classic Dog Show

One of our neighbors has Giant Schnauzers. She has a handler who shows the dogs. This week her dogs did not compete in the classes, but she invited me to go with her to watch the Schnauzers and the Corgis.

I have never really been a fan of shows where dogs are judged on their confirmation and adherence to standards for the breed, and on their movement. I would much rather have my dog's compete in a skill of some sort; FastCAT, Obedience or Agility, for example. 

I really want to have Kaitlyn try "Barn Hunt". This is a competition where the dogs must find a rat (safe in a plastic tube) hidden among hay bales. The dogs are judged on their speed and accuracy. I think Kaitlyn would love the challenge!

I did like getting to know our neighbor a bit better. She has lived here for over 20 years. It was also fun to see many of the different dogs. 

Relaxing on the grooming table/kennel

Grooming is an art.

It was approaching the 80's. Some dogs wore cooling blankets,

others sat in front of battery powered fans. 

The working dog group was about to be called into the ring. 

Winners from each of the working dog breed classes came together to compete for the best working dog. 

This guy is affectionately called, "The Beast". He weighs over 200 pounds, eats 12 cups of dry food, and a can of canned food daily! He is a sweetheart. He is truly a gentle giant! 

The Pembroke Welsh Corgis were darling. 

This Corgi trotted alongside his handler with total confidence. 

I couldn't pick favorites. They all looked great to me!

Show Corgis are not much different than our pups...

they love people and easily show their affection! 

 

PT - (Not the Cruiser!)

I was enamored with the PT Cruiser when it first came out. After the kids went off to college I traded in our mom-mobile for a used PT Cruiser - I loved it! It was my "Gangsta Car"!

But this post is about the real PT thing. 

I've struggled with back pain for years. My PCP (primary care physician) recently referred me to PT for my back. The therapist asked how long I've had back pain....and to be honest, I can't remember when it first started!

• There was the time I fell off Doc, and landed flat on my back, having the wind knocked out of me. That was around 2017. However, I don't think that was the start of it all. (But, x-rays show some vertebral cracks that may have happened with this fall.)
• When my son was first born, I guess I stooped to pick him up and evidently made the wrong move. That was in 1986...was that the beginning?
• I rode in fox hunts and in cross country events even before that, around 1968. Did all that pounding cause the problem?
• I skied competitively as a kid, and had plenty of wipe-outs,  that was before 1968 - did I damage my back then?

I think the answer to all questions might be that my activities possibly, and or probably,  contributed to chronic back pain.

Anyway, back to the point,  this isn't my first go-round with PT for my back. After Covid I worked with a therapist for a few weeks. The pain didn't seem to improve, in fact, in some ways it was worse. However, I decided to try it again in a new location with a different therapist. I like how this new gal listens to me, and within minutes of her evaluation she found a few areas that could benefit from strengthening. She sent me off, until our next appointment, with some exercises to do.

The corgis love it! 

Mom....the mat is down, are you ever gonna get down and do your PT?

Pleeeeze!

Hooray - You are doing your exercises! 

Can I help?

Since you don't want help,

will you at least pet me?

Wait, wait....I wanna help, too!

Let me see if you are taking deep breaths, down to the bottom of your lungs!

It's always good to smile and laugh.

This might be as good a therapy as the exercises! 

Are They Following Us?

We arrived at Apple Valley Motorcoach Resort for the annual Octoberfest rally. Once we had the RV settled on the site I took the girls for a walk. When we arrived at the dog park, this is what we saw. What you don't get is the audio portion of the story!

Sound effect: Vickie barking

Sound effect: Vickie uttering a low, grumble (growl and rumble combined)

As the creatures hadn't responded to her threats, Vickie takes a step closer to 

learn more using her olfactory senses,

Kaitlyn finally approaches. She decides the scarecrows aren't a threat....

but what about that orange thing?!

We walk down the road a bit. The dogs stop and take a look back to make sure nothing is following! 

 

It's a Tough Life

Meet Queen Victoria....the Vixen (aka Vickie), in some of her contortions!

...and only a bit of attitude!

Does this position make my floofy butt look big?

Do you mind?

I'm trying to get some sleep!

 

Corgi Glitter

My little Corgi must thinks it's grand,

To accost this monster invading her land.

The beaters beat on the vinyl floor,

As I grudgingly perform my daily chore. 

There's a bit of dirt and lots of Corgi fluff,

But the vacuum's brain concludes there's enough

To signal it's a carpeted surface, wall to wall,

When it's simply Corgi glitter, that's all!

Lots of Corgi glitter, that's all!

 

The Farm Dog vs the Queen

Recall the theme song of classic TV show, "Green Acres" with Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor.

This is Kaitlyn and Vickie's take on the theme song.

Farm livin’ is the life for me,

Outdoors is where I wanna be.

Land spreadin’ out so far and wide

I don't like cities just give me that countryside.

I prefer to live my life inside,

Under the bed is where I like to hide.

On the couch is where I like to sleep

I'm the queen, and the countryside you can keep!

...the critters.

...give me the jitters.

...space to run.

...that's no fun.

Too bad for you,

This is what we're gonna do.

Life at the new place is surely a lot of fun!

Come Walk With Me

 Our community, Pine Ridge Estates, has over 28 miles of equestrian trails. 

The trails are marked by the bold lines.

 Our house is the pink star.

Trail entrances are marked with the board fences, and cautionary notices

Trails are marked with color coded paint marks

Walking with the corgis can be a challenge. This one likes to be ahead of me,

the other lags behind. If we are walking on the edge of the road, one wants to be on the grass, and the other on the pavement. 

Yes, it's a pained look. It's hot, I'm sweating...

but the good news is we have only the rare mosquito. 

This is a sand ridge. We have no standing water, and rarely a puddle.

"Two roads diverged in the yellow wood...."

Cute & Durable - Hah!

Cute!

"Pawsome" it says....

"Layered Durability" it says....

"Double the durability and lasts twice as long" it says.....

Two hours later:

Maybe not! says me! 

Definitely not, say Kaitlyn & Vicky.

If I'd simply thrown $15 in the trash, I wouldn't have had to clean up the mess and throw the remains in the trash!

If you'd done that, say Kaitlyn & Vicky, we wouldn't have had as much fun!

If I had thrown it away, says me, I wouldn't have to pick up poop adorned with pieces of "durable" green rubber!