Catching Up

I've been AWOL for awhile.  Since I last posted life has been hectic.  We had a family trip to Peru where we hiked the Inca Trail, Both Computer Dude and Engineering Guy graduated university.  My parents came from B.C. to attend both graduations which was really nice.  We've moved both boys out of their places and into new ones - they both have jobs - YAY!

Max and I attended our very first regional event.  We didn't qualify but that wasn't my goal and wouldn't have really been a realistic goal for us.  Max had only barely got into Masters (and we are still in Advanced Gamblers) which means I have only barely gotten into Masters.  We didn't throw up, I didn't get lost, and Max ran fast and happy (except for the one jumpers run where he decided that he'd rather sniff the barn floor - so we still have work to do).  We actually placed third in the second standard run which was the last run of the weekend so I was pretty thrilled.

Rylie got his Starters Game Dog title at the last trial.  Probably long overdue but I had been terrified to put him in Snooker.  I had told my trainer I wouldn't do it until he was 6!  He's pretty confident on course and often thinks his decision making skills are better than mine (sometimes he's right)!

Max's running contacts have been getting more consistent but Rylie and I are struggling with his stopped contacts.  We are taking Susan Garret's contact course and although we are well behind - see all the other non dog related stuff above I am confident that we will reap the benefits in both the stopped and running contacts.

I have been working  on directionals with both dogs but forgetting to test them.  This week my trainer challenged me to test them in class and be darned if Max didn't do both the "left tunnel" and the "right tunnel" - today at the beach he was swimming for a stick and he couldn't find it.  I thought I was going to have to go in after him but instead I called out "left" - he turned left and located the stick.  Very cool.

We went camping this weekend and we got in a lot of swimming, biking and the dogs had their very first canoe ride.   They are both flaked out on the couch right now.