Flyball Weekend

We attended a flyball tournament this past weekend. We went down to sunny and warm Saint George.


I had to pull Jake Sunday on the last run. Instead of one stride between jumps, he was doing 2-3. I noticed it on his last run the heat before. He had a good hour sleep between the next heat. Plus, we needed him for Lucie's TFP title. First run good - second run - again 2-3 strides. It scared me. Thank goodness Ross had Tripp on the side line and she came in for Jake. Took him immediatly over to Anita. She palpated his muscles pretty good - and he didn't wince. And as of today, no swelling anywhere. So I am thinking he just ran out of gas. And that is my fault. He isn't in the greatest shape after the winter.

I have also noticed something else in my handsome boy. His vision is starting to go. Last few months when we play chuck it - he misses on catches he use to catch all the time.
Then this weekend, anytime my hands may have flown in front of his face, he flintched. Those of you that know me, know I would NEVER hit Jake, on purpose. In talking with a friend about it, she said maybe his vision is going and he is flinching because of shadows.

So I am a little worried. Going to keep my eye on his vision. I am not going to try and run him this week until at least Thursday. Give his body time to recover. I'll take him out to run and make sure he is ok. We won't be having practice for a few weeks. So, if there is something going on, rest will help.

On a "oh.my.gosh." note - I actually got a .001 start with Jake in singles. It wasn't anything I did - as I think Jake pulled off. Still it was cool for me!

Jake received his Top Flight Premier-Level I. So now only about 8000 more points until Top Flight Expert; which would be a plaque to recognize his flyball career. That is my plan for him.

I know I know...Some of you are thinking - who cares about titles! Well, I do. And this poem explains my feeling about titles;

What Is A Title Really?
Not just a brag, not just a stepping stone to a higher Title, not just an adjunct to competitive scores.
A Title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a way to honour the dog, an ultimate memorial. It will remain in the record and in the memory for about as long as anything in this world can remain. Few humans will do as well or better in that regard.
And though the dog himself doesn't know or care that his achievements have been noted, a Title says many things in the world of humans, where such things count.
A Title says your dog was intelligent, and adaptable, and good-natured.
It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that please you, however crazy they may have sometimes seemed.
And a Title says that you loved your dog, that you loved to spend time with him because he was a good dog, and that you believed in him enough to give him yet another chance when he failed, and that in the end your faith was justified.
A Title proves that your dog inspired you to have the special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in a world of disposable creatures, this dog with a Title was greatly loved, and loved greatly in return.
And when that dear short life is over, the Title remains as a memorial of the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend, volumes of praise in one small set of initials before or after the name.
A Title is nothing less than love and respect, given and received permanently.
Author Sandy Mowrey