Oh Yeah, You Blend

Our first trial in MANY months. And we’ve had very little training/practice either. So I felt rusty as hell on Friday, somewhat better Saturday. The dogs are in generally good shape and stayed pretty fit during the puppy hiatus. Yours truly, on the other hand? Well…I have some work to do.

Zhora went 3/4, picking up QQ #18 towards MACH7 (2 more to go, then I think I will move her to Preferred, she’ll turn 10 this year), Alice went 0/5 but had some gorgeous runs.

Friday Zhora Jumpers (NQ, she was sniffing a lot at the start and I wasn’t connected when we got going so she missed the weave entry):

Friday Alice Jumpers (NQ but really nice run, I got in her way a bit at the double so got a bar):

Friday Alice FAST (NQ):

Friday Zhora Standard (Q):

Alice Friday Standard (rabies mode, and her only rabies mode at this trial, and a perfect example of why I need to stay connected to her!):

Zhora Saturday Standard (QQ, you will notice that she knocked a bar near the end, it wasn’t set to the correct height so she got a pass for it):

Alice Saturday Standard (NQ):

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (QQ):

Alice Saturday Jumpers (NQ but really nice run, she misstepped in the weaves):

12 and a half years ago, my first litter was born. Among those seven puppies was a little stub-tailed girl. A few months earlier a nice man I saw at agility trials had asked about possibly getting a puppy. He played agility with his Australian Shepherd, who was getting older, and he was looking for his next dog.

That man was Ron, and that puppy was Demi (Alkemi Adrenaline Murtaya ST AXP AJP). All my puppies are special, but the Ninababies have an extra special place in my heart.

In September 2020, Demi collapsed after chasing a squirrel. Ron got her to the vet, where she was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy. A diet change and medications helped a lot and she did well until February of this year.

Ron and his wife Linda lost Demi in late February. She was just over 12 years old.

Ron says “She was my joyful companion, playmate, social butterfly, agility team mate, food tester and more. She was not my whole life, but she sure made my life whole. She will be missed”.

Ron and Linda gave her an amazing life, she played agility, she traveled, she found a deer carcass and brought it back to Ron piece by piece, showing a true Vallhund sense of humor. She was loved.

Rest well Demi, you will be missed.