12 January 2009

The perfect hybrid, which is a little like the perfect storm but not as wet.

I figured out Gustavo's perfect thing. We all should be so lucky to have so perfect of a thing. Forest Agility.

We went to an agility party at the beautiful agility house in the forest the other day. Thanks Kathleen and Stan! We only made it for a few minutes of the actual agility part, since I had to go to actual work that day too. But we got to run around a little bit. When the jumps out on the field went down to 12", took each member of Team Small Dog out for a spin. Had been a doozy of a work day. Just wanted to run around and have some fun, and so did the dogs. They were so happy to hang out, tied to a log, for a few minutes of barking and agility.

When it was Gustavo's turn, was a little nervous. All the agility people are there with their super trained dogs, and one of my agility friends who is also an agility super star. With her 12" dog. Who always beats Otterpop. She's never seen Gustavo yet. And you never know what Gustavo is going to do, especially in a forest. I guess being publicly humbled always good for personal growth if you are happy to be growing into something that lives under a rock. I want to be fancy and make a good impression. Not shameful and not worthy. Ha, HA look out Jack! Maybe someday, we could beat you! Or maybe not!

Put him at the startline, led out a couple jumps, and he was OFF. He has this funny go kart takeoff where he rears his head back and then blasts forward. It's like someone behind him powers up his tiny little motor with a string, and lets it loose in perhaps a somewhat unsafe manner that could take someone's eye out with that thing. KABLOOEY and YER OFF!

Holy moly, he loves to run. However, we are faced with a pardox, my friends. It is agility, yet it is forest. Forest is where there is no dog training and is for running amuck. So he sees a-frames, yet he also sees forest. The good dog trainers, their dogs just see the agility. The lazy dog trainers, their dogs also see forest. So his course sort of went like jump, jump, run around towards the forest. Jump, a-frame, run around towards the forest. Jump, jump, try to get him in the weave poles but instead run around in the forest.

Everyone is watching. I am mortified beyond belief by my bad training skills displayed in front of the world team coach and other accomplished and important members of the agility community yet also totally cracking up and also almost hyperventilating from having to run so fast. I KNOW Silvia Trkman says her secret weapon is forest running with the dogs but I think my forest running just creates forest running dogs. The Goo Show just keeps going on and I'm doing some laps around the field. HOWEVER, was basically a perfect hybrid of agility and insane forest running. So I believe this adds style points. As agility goes, let's just say really super wide turns if a quick jaunt towards the treeline between jumps counts as a turn and never did get through those weave poles. As forest running goes, fine job, Gustavo and thanks for not diving into any creeks.

I dunno. Was pretty fun. What can I say. I'm easily amused. Remember that Susan Garrett question, what separates you from World Class Competitors? Yeah.


Kathleen said...

Well, Laura, you KNOW how I feel about the Goo! He can do no wrong. Everything he does is just so darn CUTE! I don't think anyone thought badly of him and his forest agility run. He's still just a baby. He'll out grow all that stuff and will always be the cutest (small dog) agility dog on the planet!

(Hey, Ruby and Otterpop I love you, too!)

Double S said...

Sounds to me like this perfect paradox was the ultimate Goo training opp-- nice A-frame, GO RUN IN THE FOREST!!!! Smokin' weaves, GO RUN IN THE FOREST!!!! Hey, I'd take it as a compliment that he came back from the forest (place of the most dog-fun ever) once in a while to do agility. No worries Captain, he's a kick-ass Small Dog, and will be even more kick-ass in the future because you haven't squashed the forest joy out of him.