Wordless Wednesday: Ferocious Stump Kid Fight

Wordless Wednesday: My Teammate

Catching Up: PACH2 Dally

In continuing our "Catching Up Series" I'm excited to introduce PACH2 Frontiers Honkytonkbadonkadonk RN, AX, AXJ, NF, MXP5, MXPS, MJP6, MJPS, PAX2....aka PACH2 Dally PAX2!!

Through the summer, I was certain we were so close to finishing her PACH2. At my dad's Hoosier Kennel Club trial in June, we struggled to QQ for one strange reason or another each day (three days!). Then we just weren't running well to get those points. It wasn't until the first weekend of August that things came together...barely!

At the Queen City Dog Training Club's AKC Agility Trial August 2, I thought we needed 1 QQ and like 36 points going in. For some reason, Dally just wasn't running as fast as she had been. She earned her PAX2 on Saturday, which was a good day. We actually got a PAX title ribbon (those are rather rare these days)! 

I did the math, and I just didn't feel like we could make the time with the points we needed on Sunday. My friends who were with me knew that I was close, but I didn't make a big deal about it. We Qd in our first run, Jumpers, and then I felt like there was a minor chance. I can't remember now what I exactly needed, but it was something like 18 points going into Standard. I knew we would need to run 46 or under. I pushed her as hard as I could in our Standard run, and she ran with me and ran her little stumps off. She crossed the timer and I looked at the clock--we made it just by less than one second! I was so excited!

First, here's her PAX2 run:

And her PACH2 run:

I am so, so proud of this little Corgi. I never would have thought that we'd have two agility championships, have qualified for the AKC National Agility Championships three years in a row, and just had a blast. She's done everything I've ever asked her to do (well, to an extent...she still doesn't like herding or lure coursing), and she loves me no matter what. I've learned so much by working with her, and she's taught me so much more than I thought a dog ever could.

Our PACH2 celebration included a cookie cake with "POSH2 Dolly"--The SDP has a
tradition of having funky PACH2/MACH2 cookie cakes. Dally didn't care, as you can see.

Dally turned 9 in July, so I don't really know what's up for us in the future. She's getting slower, and she's had a few more physical issues (mostly shoulders) that has added some sped bumps for us in recent agility trials. I'm thinking of starting her in Barn Hunt, while slowing down her agility career to maybe just doing jumpers, so she doesn't have the issues of going down the A-frame or dog walk that has been bothering her shoulders like they have lately. She's not going into permanent retirement, but maybe it's just time to pass the torch to LaMesa and see if she can continue the Stump Kid legacy.

Dally's done everything I've asked, and more, and has nothing left to prove. I wasn't aiming to qualify for the 2015 AKC National Agility Championships in Reno, so that was no big deal this year. We're just going to enjoy the fun ride we've been on for the next few years.

Thanks, Dally-Doodle....the bestest little Corg in the world.

Catching Up: Gonna Be Big Sisters

It has been a long time since I've updated things on this blog. I have quite a bit to catch you up on the lives of the Stump Kids, so we'll do it in spurts.

First, and maybe most important, is that the girls have a big job ahead of them in a few months.

LaMesa's sign: "I'm gonna be a big sister!! (But I'm always your 'Baby Bitz'.)
Dally's sign: "Oh no, another one?? (I'm still #1)"

That's right...the Stump Kids will be adding a third to their posse...only this time, it won't be another Corgi or another Vallhund (and, yes, those were the first guesses by not only my husband, but my family)...

Stump Kid #3

We are expecting Baby A&W February 11, 2015. I think LaMesa's just concerned that it doesn't have a tail because, after all, we don't believe in tails in this house. ;-) 

They say pets can tell when something's different, like a pregnancy. I don't know if I can say that either Dally nor LaMesa have changed their temperaments or attitudes towards anything--they're both about the same. M's cat, Sean, though, has been extra cuddly with me, and sleeps right by my stomach at night in bed since I've found out. 

I found out in mid-June, so I have been continuing to train and compete in agility with the dogs (on top of running and doing CrossFit), however my last agility trial until after the baby comes is this coming weekend. It just worked out that way--we usually don't do any trials in December, and the only trial we hit in January is towards the end of the month, and I won't be allowed to travel very far from home just a couple weeks before I'm due.

I'm currently reading as many tips as possible on how to prepare the pups for the new addition. I know how to prepare for a new puppy, but this will be completely different. We already know about having someone bring a baby blanket from the hospital home before we come home so they can smell the baby. My main concern is Dally, because she's been my number one all her life. Plus the girls have been my life for a long time now, but the baby will take over a lot of our time and be a major part of our lives that I don't think they'll ever be prepared for. I'm not looking to "replace" the pups with the baby--I want them to be a big part of the baby's growth. 

I also worry about LaMesa and how she'll handle a baby/child in our house. She's usually pretty timid around little kids--a lot of the time it's because of their sudden, jerky movements and their rush to see her when we're on our walks. Dally loves little children, so that's not a worry. Though I've been told by those who know LaMesa that she'll probably surprise everyone and easily "adopt" the baby as her own and be very protective of it. 

For now, we'll see. It'll definitely be an adjustment and different life for the Stump Kids from here on out...

Any tips about introducing (spoiled) child-like dogs to a baby are greatly appreciated.