After our trip to the AKC National Agility Championships, I figured Dally needed a break from agility. She's the kind of dog that you can't do too much of something, or else she'll get bored with it and won't do it. If I keep that something away from her (for instance, agility) she'll be very excited to run with me and do what I ask. It's the best strategy for her training--it might work with some dogs, and might not.
During this sabbatical, I've been working with LaMesa at our classes at Goose Creek. Dally comes along, but she waits until the end of class when I untether her from her post and we "play" with some of the setups I did with LaMesa, plus a few other things. We play tennie and just enjoy ourselves for just a few minutes (all the while LaMesa is barking her head off).
Last week, during a routine trip to the chiropractor, they noticed she was short striding with her left hind leg. Dr. Bruce diagnosed it as a heart condition--possibly a weak heart from all the stress she was under with the travel, separation, event, and separation and travel back to Lexington for Nationals.
This news disheartened me because it made me feel a little selfish that I put her through all that heartache just so I could say we ran at Nationals. I was reassured that it wasn't just Nationals, but it was the "feather that broke the camel's back" when it came to her heart. They suggested putting her on a supplement called CardioPlus, made by Standard Process, and coming in a few more times (in short succession) for adjustments.
This morning's session was trip #3 in less than a week to the chiropractor, and only five days on the supplement and she was deemed back to 100% in good health! In fact, she was in such good shape she was deemed in perfect balance and in-line, the best shape he had seen a dog in in a year! Go Corg!!
So I don't know if all the chiropractor mumbo-jumbo stuff was really something to worry about when it comes to Dally's heart condition, but it does point out the fact that Dally and I are very connected and she is sensitive to what's going on in her world. Some might even say the two of us share an uncommonly strong connection. I can see that--we've been through a lot together since I saw her cute "mouse face" September 2005 as an 8-week-old puppy. She's moved from Indiana to Texas to Oklahoma and then to Kentucky with me. Her fur soaked up my tears when I found out my special gelding, Nino, had died just days after I moved to Lexington. Plus who knows what all else...
So, while Dally's sabbatical from agility has been relaxing for her, it has been busy. Our next agility trial is in two weeks, so it's time to get back into gear with conditioning and skills. She has a clean bill of health and we're ready to tackle the summer trials to try to earn another trip to Nationals in 2013 (this time they're in Tulsa, so I'll be making the 12-hour drive with her--no stressful trip without momma there)!
