Molly got to join us for her first full-day trial back and it was glorious. I felt so happy to have my girl back with me! Even when she did a bodyslam leap and crunched into my nose so hard it made my eyes water and nose bleed, I was happy. That's my Molly!
We did FAST first and I was really happy with Molly's self control and engagement level. She faulted the send (wrong end of the tunnel) but I was happy with her work in the ring.
Perri was up next in Excellent Standard. As soon as we entered the ring and I unclipped the leash, I didn't have the usual amount of dog that I usually do. Perri was just not engaged. She put in a decent enough run, and she did weave even despite a ton of pressure that I put on her. But she just was not herself. Sigh. I bounced back quicker from this - Perri was having a Perri moment and that was that. I can't beat myself up.
Molly got a shot at the same course pretty soon after, and I guess she decided that a year and a half was a long enough Exc Standard dry spell, because she Q'd! I'm also really excited about the weaves. It was a good approach for her since I could reconnect with her and we could go to the weaves together - but I let her get her entry, made her "keep going signal" sound and then said "Go, Go!" which she likes as well as jogged. She rewarded my by speeding up and weaving well! I think I have figured out the absolute no-no for Molly in the weaves is my clapping. I think that is her ultimate stressor. I do it without thinking and it is very hard for me to not do that. I am very "handsy" in general, a hand talker and a "flailer" so it's hard for me to keep track of that clapping when I'm already concentrating on everything in an agility run. No matter, for my Moo I will try my best to actively avoid the clapping.
Both girls had to do Excellent JWW next. No videos. Molly had a beautiful run but was slowing down and was quite warm. Right at the end I did a rear cross that I pushed too hard and she faltered for a second and dropped the bar. A real heart breaker for me since Molly rarely drops bars and we had already gotten through all but two jumps of the course including the weaves. Regardless, I was thrilled with how well she had run - especially her doing two sets of weave poles with no faults all in one day!
Perri actually ran before Molly. It was very sad. She took four jumps and got slower and slower until she was doing a slow trot and then walked around a jump. This is not my girl. I excused us and told her we were "all done" and we left the ring. I did not want to be aversive but I could see that Perri's heart was not in that run and I was not going to make her continue. That's not why we play agility.
It was very fortunate enough that there was a very good PT vet at the trial, seeing dogs and evaluating them and adjusting them. I signed us up for an afternoon slot. Perri did take a very hard hit from Molly, coming inside from the yard. Only one dog could fit through the doorway to get in but Molly decided that she should be that dog. She slammed Perri's back end pretty hard squeezing through and Perri stepped inside and stopped walking and yawned. And would not eat her breakfast. She moved well enough after that and enjoyed a three hour hike/swim outing at a local preserve afterwards. But I was suspicious. Sure enough the vet worked a long time on Perri, working and working on her pelvis until it finally eased back to comfort. He said that it was "stuck". Nothing glaring but the pelvis was definitely not right. I hope she feels better!
I felt overall great about today. Molly really had an awesome day, at a trial venue she has historically struggled at with overarousal stress. She weaved. Perri weaved. Perri had a rough day and I am definitely so worried she is still Not Okay. But I'm doing what I can. It's Perri. I had her checked and adjusted and I'm trying my very best. We will see what this week and next weekend brings.
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