The Preferred Agility Champion (PACH) title: My journey

Selene’s diary: Since I got my Champion Tracker title in March, mom said I needed to go back to agility competition and get my 4 double Qs. We went to Belton in April and I did not get any double Qs. I had quite a few drop bars and I felt I was out of sync. Three of my four paw pads took turns cracking in the winter and it hurt when I land after jumping. I just need more time to go back in shape. By then the weather was fairly warm and mom said we have to find places to go so we can leave Sophie in the car. In the mean time I did a lot of jumping drills in the back yard and mom taught me how to stretch and warm up.

Me coming out of the weaves

So our next stop was Alabama. Mom found a show site there with a big cover parking area where we can crate out of the car. So we had to leave Spencer behind again. We stopped in Mississippi Wednesday night and headed towards Alabama on Thursday. We got to Alabama Thursday afternoon, and we went to check out the show site and so I could pee. Then we went to the hotel. Sophie was happy with her freshly prepared meal. Friday we woke up early and mom walked Sophie in the parking lot so she could exercise in her wheelchair. Then we went to the show site and found a good spot under the cover. It got warm during the day but not hot. I got a double Q Friday and mom bought me a steak from Texas roadhouse. She ate all the mushrooms though. 

Saturday my runs were not until later in the day and it was warm. I qualified in jumpers but went into the wrong side of the tunnel so no double Q. Mom said I did well but I need double Qs. So no steak for me.

Sunday it was cooler in the morning and mom said it was my last chance to get another double Q, and I did. We finished by midday and mom got me and Sophie lunch, which was Sophie’s favorite can food. We started heading back home and mom said she will buy me something special when we get to the hotel in Mississippi. Sophie started screaming at 4 pm cos she was hungry and I began to worry when my special treat is coming. We got to the hotel at 5:30pm and mom said she got to cook and feed Sophie first. I got my dinner but I had not forgotten about my treat. Mom said she ordered it and she got to go pick it up. 

Sophie waiting on the couch for dinner

Mom came back from Cracker Barrel with 2 hamburger sliders and yummy carrots. She gave me some of her chicken strips and fried apples too. I was so full I fell asleep right away.

So now I was at 18 double Qs, 2 more to go. It was already the end of May and there was no where to go where we can crate out of the car. Mom could not carry Sophie very far so mom said I had to have more jumping drills so I would not have any drop bars.

Mom decided we are going to San Antonio next. 

Me with my Cracker Barrel treat 

We left on a Friday morning in June with Spencer and Sophie. Spencer whined a lot in the car and so did Sophie. We got to the hotel and mom cooked dinner and we all went to bed. We woke up Saturday morning and mom cooked us breakfast, then we started to doze off when the door suddenly opened. I jumped up and barked and realized it was Dad! I was very surprised and mom said we needed to go and Dad was going to stay with Spencer and Sophie. I got my double Q #19 that day, so one more to go!

Sunday morning came. Mom and I left to go to the agility trial while Dad stayed with Spencer and Sophie. I qualified my standard run and mom called Dad that he would have to check out the hotel because we had to stay for my jumpers run. Mom told me we were going to run slower so no bars would drop. It was hot that day and the air condition was not very cold so I could not move very fast anyways. 

Me on the A frame

Finally the moment came. I finished running and mom went to grab one of the jump bars and I thought she was going to hit me on the head. But we went over to the judge and she congratulated us. Mom said I will have steak as reward. She put me in the car and we drove to meet Dad and got Sophie and Spencer out of Dad’s car. Both of them were very upset. Spencer was so upset he had diarrhea on our drive home.

Mom promised Sophie that we would not be travelling in the summer and she said I would be taking a break from competitions. I really do not mind going to agility trials if there is food involved. 

My PACH picture

The AKC Champion Tracker title: My journey

Selene’s diary: Since I got my Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX) title in November 2019, I had been training for the Variable Surface title (VST). My training stopped during the COVID pandemic and then pretty soon it was summer. I hate the heat and the concrete surface burns my nose, so I do not like to track in the summer. When fall of 2020 came, mom said it was time to get my act together. So mom started to go lay me practice tracks and we would go to Braum’s to get my very favorite vanilla yogurt in a waffle cone after. Not all cones are the same, crispy waffle cones makes me salivate, and sometimes all I can think of is the cone when I track. 

Me tracking in a VST test in Kansas

I was not very good at sniffing on asphalt and mom would take me to this church parking lot. The ladies who work there always come watch me from the window and they all wanted to pet me, but mom told me that I have to ignore distractions. Sometimes they even come out and watch me!

Soon after mom retired from her job and we went tracking 3-4 times a week. My second favorite treat is McDonald’s french fries. I love it when mom and I would split a french fries. Mom always give me the long ones cos she did not want me to bite her fingers off. Hahaha!

My older sister Sophie who has degenerative myelopathy could not walk by that time. And mom said I have to be very confident in passing because we will have to take Sophie with us and she does not like to travel. We practiced a lot during the winter and March 2021 came, I think I am ready for show time.

My first test was in Overland Park, Kansas. Spencer had to stay home because mom said he is too needy and she could not take care of Sophie and him on the road. We got to Kansas a day early so mom could visit with her aunt and cousin. Sophie was very upset and she refused to eat Saturday. Mom was very upset and worried. Me? I wanted to eat her food since she was not going to eat anyways. Test day came, and it was very windy, 27 miles hour wind. I head out strong, and I made the first turn on grass to the spot very effortlessly. I was heading to the parking lot and missed the MOT (Moment of truth turn: turn on non-vegetated surface) and went to the other side. I started sniffing and realized that that was not it. So I turned back to go to the parking lot. Then I started to pick up the scent and was heading towards the article when the judge blew the whistle. Mom was disappointed but I thought I did a good job. We stopped by McDonald’s and mom got Sophie some chicken nuggets, and she was like “Now we are talking”! She said she wants her food freshly prepared. We spent the night in Oklahoma before we made it back home Monday.

Mom said we needed to practice a couple more times before we leave Saturday for Tulsa, Oklahoma. I think there is nothing wrong with my nose. Mom was worried about Sophie so she bought a pot to cook for her in the hotel. We got to Tulsa Saturday afternoon with Sophie and mom said I need to have a good night’s sleep cos we got to get up early. 

My Champion Tracker picture with the judges 
And tracklayer

We got up at 5 am and mom cooked us breakfast and we got to the test site at 7 am. It was a sunny day and almost no wind. Mom said I better pass because Sophie does not like to travel. Sophie said both she and Spencer has a Champion Tracker title and I, coming from 5 generations of IPO parents and grandparents and so on, should be able to do it. 

The test was held at 3 different sites. We stayed at Site #1 until about 11 am and mom gave us lunch, and I did my potty and mom said it is almost time so we headed towards site #3 where my track was.

I drew the last track, we got to the site and waited and waited. I fell asleep since I had been sitting in the car for 5 hours. Mom finally woke me up and said it was my turn. We had to leave Sophie in the car and she was not happy. She screamed at us when we left.

So here I was, the first turn was on grass then onto asphalt. Bingo! We had been practicing on asphalt and it was easy peasy. I got to the 1st interim article very effortlessly. Then 2nd interim article came. I continued to sniff but then I think I sniffed a rabbit, or maybe a cat? I just went all over cos I needed to find it. I was pulling mom and she kept telling me “Selene! Are you out of your mind?”. She knows that when I pulled her crazy like that I am not tracking. I needed to find out what that smell is. Finally I heard her said “Selene, where is it?” Oh then I realized that I am tracking, need to work for my treat, so I pulled her and headed towards the track. I pulled her so hard that she needed to run, but she knows that when I do that it is the right way. 

So I headed towards the street and made a turn and I found the steel box, so I told her “This is it!” She could not pick it up, then she said. “Selene, that’s not it”, I touched it with my nose and said “This is it!”. So I started to sniff out rabbits. I kept going towards the parking lot, and mom said “Selene, where is it?” What! So I went back and told her a second time, that steel box is it! She could not pick it up. So I went back to looking for rabbits. Then one of the judges called mom’s name and we walked towards the judges. Mom said “Selene I cannot believe you failed!” One of the judges said “Congratulations” and mom said good girl to me and I was so excited that I jumped up and pushed mom to the ground and licked her. It turned out that the steel box was buried into the ground so the judges had to dig it up. If I could speak, I would have told them “I told you so twice!”.

I was so excited I pushed mom to the ground
At the end of the track.

Spencer’s birthday and the BIG Snowstorm

Spencer and mom

Selene’s diary: My brother Spencer turned 8 years old on February 8. We all got to go to Sonics for ice cream for celebration. Mom also made a beef roast with potatoes and carrots for us. It was a great day.

A week later, the BIG snowstorm came. I had seen snow one time at an agility trial In Cleburne, Texas, but I did not get to run off leash, I was dragging mom along and it was fun to see snow the first time.

The morning of February 13th, the weather started to go bad. It was icy outside and Sophie had to go to the vet. Spencer and I stayed home and it was very cold. We woke up the morning of Valentine’s Day and our yard was covered in snow. Mom took Sophie for a walk and dad took Spencer. I stayed home, still wearing my bootie because of my cracked paw. 

By morning of the 15th, more snow had fallen, and it was dad’s birthday. Mom could not pull Sophie’s wheelchair through the thick snow, so she came back into the house and got me. I had to walk with the one bootie on and there was ice in some spots and I even slipped once. It was fun walking in the snow.

Sophie all bundle up for her walk 

Spencer and I got to play in the snow for 4 days before it started to melt. It was fun although it was cold. We did not lose power so at least it was warm inside the house. We lost water one day but I got plenty to eat. It sure was a fun filled few days. No classes, no training, just playing in the snow. 

Mom walking me and dad walking Spencer

Fall/Winter 2020/2021

 

December 31, 2020

Selene’s diary: Mom had retired, and our lives changed forever for good. Lunch is promptly served, and we always have a cooked breakfast with multiple menu items. Then Spencer and I would sit next to mom while she eats, and we will get toast or sausage too. I love eggs too.

Our days are fun-filled. We have agility class twice and week, and I generally get to go tracking twice a week and one or 2 days of obedience practice. I am usually tired on Sundays, so all I so is go outside and bark. Since mom is home all the time, she is downstairs all the time with us. Storm sometimes come down and I will “snuggle” with him. He is a really cool cat.

Me and Storm

As the weather got cooler, we sit outside with Sophie a lot in the afternoons, while mom knits. She also spend a lot of time walking Sophie. I am really scared of Sophie in her wheelchair and I do not know why she cannot run around like us anymore. But she still barks like one of us. 

Spencer, Sophie and I on a sunny cold day

Thanksgiving, Christmas came and gone. We had lots of good food. The weather was getting colder. I competed in 2 agility trials, and both of my hind legs had a crack on my foot. It hurts when I have to walk or run. So I rested a lot at home. Sophie also had an infection and did not feel well. She lost her appetite which was good for me and Spencer. We got lots of leftovers. Mom would cook something else or Sophie and if she does not finish, we got to clean it up. But that was short-lived. Sophie went to the vet and a couple weeks later, her appetite came back. 

Then in the beginning of February I had another crack on my paw, this time my front leg. This time it really hurts, I limp a lot and mom put ointment on and made me wear a bottle during the day. I tried to take it off but it actually feels pretty good when I had it on. My foot did not hurt that bad. So I was on house rest again. Sigh.

My cracked front paw

Our life during COVID

Selene’s diary: Life during COVID was very good for us. Mom started to work from home. We did not have to go to class. Every day we went on walks. We went on so many walks that mom got Spencer and I sunglasses. Since mom worked from home, we also got lunch every day. We stopped going to shows and I missed my trips to McDonald’s.

Spencer and I wearing our new sunglasses

Our sister Sophie also got to the advanced stage of Degenerative Myelopathy. Mom got her a wheelchair so she could get around. She could no longer get up and play with us anymore, but she still barks like a lunatic if she hears someone at the front door. I had to step up working in security. 

Sophie in her wheelchair

We were on vacation for about 4 months, and part of the time we were on lock down. Mom was worried that she could not buy us food. Spencer loves pork butt roast and she was not able to get it, but she got pork loin instead. I am not very picky as long as I have food but Spencer is very demanding. In July we went back to classes and we went to a few shows. I got 2 more double Qs but I was really out of practice. I got a lot of drop bars. Spencer decided that he is not going to compete anymore by sitting on the start line. He got very comfortable during the pandemic and he decided to retire. All he wants is to go on walks. He still wants to come with me to agility because of the treats. 

Sophie’s situation got worse and she was leaking pee every where. She also had a hard time walking without the wheelchair. Mom could not carry her so we stopped going to shows in September. Mom started working obedience with me since my obedience class had been cancelled since February. I got a new obedience teacher and I love running in the field after I do something right and I got to chase the ball. Where have the squeaky ball been all my life?

Me, Sophie and Spencer sitting outside on a sunny day

Mom retired from work the beginning of September. She does not have to work anymore. We are so happy. We started going to more tracking sessions. I love tracking but have not been practicing a lot during COVID. And I love going to Braum’s getting my frozen yogurt after practice. Our lunch continued, and our menu includes grilled chicken feet and grilled sweet potatoes since Spencer loves anything from the grill. Mom said he should be enjoying his retirement too. I sure enjoy my frozen yogurt.