A Short Chapter

Agility; it is not going to be a dream come true with Stetson.  He has had soft tissue problem after soft tissue problem this spring.  After backing off training and then restarting with a complete do over on jump training, from reintroduction of cavaletti and bars on the ground to jump chutes, I was still battling shoulder heat and soreness with alarming repetition. We had XRays done a week ago Friday, hopefully ruling out anything majorly structural.  Thankfully, there isn't anything horribly wrong.  However, there is some arthritis in the last cervical disk before the thoraic begin.  Additionally, he has early arthritic changes in both elbows.  Both of our Vets and an Orthopedic Surgeon came to the conclusion that agility is not going to be his future.  The constant pounding demands of jumps, weaves, brakes on the pause table, brakes on the AFrame...aren't in his best interest.

I remember looking into his eyes the night we met and realizing that my heart and his were both open books.  We could chose to write whatever chapter and story we wanted.  I decided that I wanted to earn a Versatility title in AKC with him.  We would need a Companion Dog title from Obedience, a Tracking Dog title from Tracking and a Novice Agility plus Novice Agility Jumper title from Agility.

It isn't going to happen.  My soul dared my heart to dream again after six years away from dog sports.  His eyes drew me in and I embraced the opportunity to learn new sports and to teach him one that I used to know.  Thankfully, our lifestyle is actually what he needs to help keep his body strong and active.  He needs the endurance training, skills training, strength training, stretching and core strengthening routine ,that we have developed.  I already see a huge difference in his comfort level since I've stopped weaves and jumps.

We will pick jump training back up with bars on the ground soon.  Then we'll go to low bars, jump chutes with low bars...  I am going to continue to teach him how to jump properly so we can continue his obedience career in health.  He will learn a very specific and wide path to take on the obedience broad jump that will serve him well.  I'm looking forward to swimming and tracking and some nosework too.  There are many other chapters to write together.

When I dropped him off for the XRays, I promised myself that I would be okay with whatever was discovered as long as it wasn't horrible, like cancer.  Honestly, I was far more disappointed and sad to learn this news than I anticipated I would be.  I really wanted to sail, to fly, to not feel the ground under my feet again on the agility course.

If you don't challenge yourself and your heart, you aren't in the game.  If you have anything left when you cross the finish line you didn't give it all you had to give.  There are lots of games out there to be played together, he doesn't have to be an agility dog.