Agility

Grace is not my middle name.  It would not enter into a list of potential middle names for me.  It would be about the very last name associated with me.  I trip over a speck of dust sometimes.  It should come as no surprise then, that I am fascinated by those with grace and agility.

You know, the tiny teenage gymnasts, hurdlers, pole vaulters, dancers, ice skaters, and dogs.  Yes, you read correctly.  Dogs.  Sure they can be goofy and clumsy, but have you seen the ones trained for the agility courses?  I only have 2 feet and I can't do what they do!

Today, the Gem City Dog Obedience Club held a Responsible Dog Owners' Day just a few miles from my house.  I planned to attend to take some pictures for one of the "vendors" - Support Military Working Dogs (they provide a whole package of items for the dogs when contacted by the K9 handlers:  a cooling vest, booties, eye goggles, a collapsible water dish, and a rot free leash (that comes in a variety of lengths)), and I did get some for them.  But I spent a couple of hours watching the agility arena (through the camera lens, of course).

This guy was so darn cute I had to get a pic of him - he just fit where he could look out at the agility arena while his handler was helping with the "line up" of participants.

This little lady was amazing.  I don't know what happened that she needed the extra help with her hind quarters, but she sure got around just fine.  No, she did not participate in any agility demonstrations (other than walking around).

This picture just makes me smile.

 So does this one!

  

This guy is just a puppy, but I like the goofy grin on  his face while he's looking back at his handler (this was the last jump).

 

I like how her front paws seem to be crossing, ears are flying up, and she's looking at the handler to see where she's supposed to go next.  She's also a very sweet dog named Phoebe; I got to meet her and feed her a treat.

It was wonderful seeing so many dogs and having opportunity to pet many of them.  There were booths about Therapy Dogs, Pet Crematoriums (Dayton actually has 3 locations with 2 different business entities that take care of that), Dog Grooming, Pet Portraits, SICSA, Support Military Working Dogs, as well as booths with information about all kind of breeds.  I probably could have spent all day there, but it only went until 3 and I needed to get the lawn mowed.

I love my beastie boys, and I wouldn't be without them.  But there ARE times I miss having a dog. I don't miss getting up at 5:30 to let them out, take them for several walks during the day, or cleaning up the backyard before mowing.  I miss their devotion and their companionship though.  I know my cats love me (the way they act when I'm gone too much surely isn't because they haven't received enough attention; it's because they miss me), but most of the time they don't want to join me on the couch when I want them to; it has to be on their terms.

Some of my friends are like my beastie boys (everything on their terms, or not at all; compromise is not a word in their vocabulary), and others are like the dogs I've known and loved (eager to please, loving, supportive, yet willing to protect when necessary).  There's room for both, always.