Friday, December 4, 2009

Tyssen: Future Dock Diving Dog? Or Swan-Lover?

Fine....OKAY, I said FINE! I understand! I get to go first since MY show was 2 weekends ago. That's all I wanted to do in the first place before Miss Bossy tried to shove me aside! phttft!

I got lots and lots to report now that I've got keyboard control here!

First.....As much as I love being a Champion Show Dog and Up and Coming Agility Star, I've found a few other careers I think I'm interested in checking into. After all, I do have alot of time to fill!

I've considered lots of options....as much as I like tracking scents and chasing squirrels, I don't think the life of a hunting dog is what I'm quite thinking of. I suspect it's not really what I want to do for very long. It seems like it'd be rather tiresome to chase down those running piles of fluff - and whatever would I do with it when I got them? Unless someone will play tug-of-war with me with it there's really no purpose to catching it. I've asked around, and so far no one is quite willing to be on the other end of this tugging game with me. And then there's the poor squirrel...I don't want to KILL it, and I just don't think a screaching screaming squirrel is quite the same as a squeaky toy. So scratch that idea.

Herding? Puh-lease. I am DEFINITELY not one of those crazy dogs! No offense to any of those simple minded herding critters, of course, but I'd just go nuts trying to keep sheep or ducks together in one place. It sounds much more fun if they're scattered all over the place and then all the "real" herding dogs would grow to hate me. So nope...that won't happen.

So after lots of thought I've decided that maybe dock diving is the new sport for me! I'd never really thought of it until I was out at Judy's dock recently. WHOA! Check out all that great water! And the birds in it are awesome! Jada's told me about this place and it's NOTHING like she described! It's an amazing place! The only bad thing is that they kept my leash on. !@#$% Somehow they just knew I'd take a running dive into the pond if they didn't!

First, I met Swanson, the Swan. Cool dude! He came right out to meet me and made me feel right at home. He's a bit hurt that Jada won't give him a chance, though. I tried telling him that Jada was just....well, Jada, and once she gets something in her head there's no changing her mind.

Here's a photo of Swanson and me meeting for the first time.
Jada wouldn't come close to the pond and Swanson again. Her loss.....

It was when I was on the dock that it hit me - DOCK DIVING! Now I can't think of anything more fun! Flying down a dock and jumping into the cool fresh water and playing with the swans and ducks! But apparently in the real world of dock diving there are no swans....perhaps this is something they might want to consider, though. I can be pretty persuasive!

Here's some photo's of me trying to jump off the dock. There was some discussion if I was trying to jump off the dock just to get in the water, or to play with Swanson. You know...I'm not even sure of the answer to that myself. I think it was a little of both!




I did manage to jump into the water a bit on the shore before I was pulled back. I don't know what the big deal with me getting wet was - I was getting a bath the next day anyway!

I did get my bath the next day. Joni left me there with Judy for a few days to get a bath and for her to practice with me for the UKC show the next week. I had a great time, but I sure missed my nice warm bed at night! I had to stay out in the kennel for a few nights. It's a nice little bachelor pad....I can be inside where it's warm, or outside. We did lots of practicing for the show since it'd been awhile since I've done this. I don't know why they think I need practice - I never forget what to do in the ring!

A week later, just before the show, I came back for my "BLT" bath (Britches, Legs and Tail bath). I also got my nails done. I'm sort of a big baby for this. I'll let Judy clip up my feet, but boy oh boy, pull out the grinding thing and I start to become a baby. But I can't escape...notice how Judy has me pinned down.

Now I'm getting my BLT bath. Yeah...I know I look pretty goofy.

This is my mom, Lucy, on the left, with Jada, watching me get a bath. Sheesh.....how fascinating can this be? I think they're just worried THEY will be next!
Bath time is over. Now I'm ready for the big show!

No comments: