Great Weekend Report!

I'm happy to write that our weekend goals were achieved! Hooray! And we had some blue ribbons to boot - icing on the cake!
Moto was up and happy in Graduate Novice, which was my goal. He was a bit distracted at times but overall I was completely thrilled with his performance. The only thing holding us back from Open is that dratted awful lag on the fast, which has haunted us from day one. I need to get creative on this one now and I am not very creative. I almost sense it's a stubbornness issue with him. We'll begin working on it and see if I can get to the root of the problem. But everything else was just great and I couldn't be happier!
Pinch got his Rally Novice Title! He would've gotten a 100 both days except for me, his silly handler, denied him his blue ribbons. Saturday, I simply got lost and had to redo a sign. Still got 2nd place. Today, literally running into the ring after showing Moto cost us big-time. No time to walk the course and rushing in, I saw the "halt" but not the "down". We were to walk around our dog, and I did it with him in a sit. A big fat 10-point hit got us out of the ribbons. That was his only deduction, dangit. But the good thing is Pinch is really showing nicely and has no stress at all in the ring. If anything, he is too overzealous, which is a problem I will take.
Lastly, in typical form, Shiloh made his presence clearly known. On Saturday first place for Grad Novice was a beautiful set of bowls. They are the same pattern as the HIT dipping bowl set Shiloh won five years ago from this same show site. Today was the kicker, though. All Grad Novice qualifiers got a stuffed animal. By the time our class was done the only thing left were Teddy Bears - the exact same kind Shiloh won many years ago and was with him when he passed.
Even though it was for Moto, Shiloh's son, I just couldn't bring myself to see any other dog with his beloved Teddy bear. We gratefully received a beautiful tote bag and towel as first prize, and that was plenty good for us.
It was a wonderful weekend and a good time was had by me and the boys. And I took great comfort in knowing my beautiful Shiloh was smiling down from the Bridge on us.

Teamwork

We're just a few days away from our show now. Training has been done as if we were in the actual ring, including warm-ups and then "showing". It seems Moto is extremely literal (just like me) and is more confident when he knows EXACTLY what is going to happen in the ring. The only occasional variance that I do is weird heelwork "doodling" (I like my dogs to pay attention and think about maintaining position).
One thing of note with Moto - since we're doing Graduate Novice, he does a Drop On Recall. In all my other dogs and in all the classes I've taken, this exercise has been trained with either a straight recall or adding in the occasional drop. The purpose of this is to keep the dog coming in rapidly and not anticipating the down. But in Moto's case, alternating it makes him confused. So, every single recall has had a drop command. This makes him happy, which makes ME happy. Every dog is so different!
Overall I'm pretty happy with Moto's heeling. We're lucky to have a fun match the day before we go in the ring. We'll see if it translates over to the show site. If it does, I will be extremely happy.
Pinch is a very enthusiastic worker. He is an absolute blast to train and show. But his immaturity still shows so it will be at least another year before I bring him out. I'd so rather have this problem - too much happiness - than a dog who does not like to work. So, this weekend it's Rally and then we'll do Beginner Novice and after that the Wild Card classes until I feel he can handle being in the ring without any silliness. It's hard not to giggle when he's clicking his jaws and grinning while performing his exercises.
Most exciting of note is both dogs appear to realize we are a team. Moto is actually putting forth effort and Pinch is working on his accuracy. It's a wonderful thing.
I hope Shiloh will make his presence known from the Bridge. He so loved to show. I can only wait and hope for a visit, which cannot come soon enough.

Maybe?

Pinch, Moto and I are training for the upcoming obedience trial next weekend. I'm glad it's not regular classes as we haven't trained much. Between the heat and losing Shiloh it's been hard to get my training mojo back but we are working on it. Moto will be in Graduate Novice. I have absolutely no expectation for Moto, it will be used as a benchmark to see if we move forward into Open or just hang up our Obedience hat (at least for awhile) and try herding and possibly agility.
I DO have expectations for Pinch but I'll have to take the fall if we don't do well due to our lack of training. I just want an up, happy dog to finish his Rally Novice title.
But here's where things take an interesting twist: I received a premium for another local show in October. They are only doing regular Obedience classes and Rally. There is absolutely no way Moto will be ready for Open by then. I HATE to miss showing at a local show!
Blitz is still on a tear in terms of his health. He attended a rally fun day and had no side effects from that. I'm thinking having him thoroughly checked by our vet and if she deems him healthy, we will enter one day of Novice with Blitz. I know he would love it. It would be wonderful to have him back in the ring with me. I looked at some of his pictures and it appears in addition to the regrowth of hair on his legs, some is coming back on his face also. It's a wonderful kind of crazy.
So that is what I am toying with. Let's see what the future brings!

,,,and a New Pack Emerges

Cesar Millan is someone I've faithfully watched since his show came on the air years ago. He frequently deals with grieving dog owners whose dogs have become aggressive or soffered some sort of dysfunction after the loss of one of their pack.
It's been quite interesting watching my pack make adjustments. Shiloh liked to keep things stirred up and was the leader when it came to sounding the alarm or initiating play.
The biggest change has been in Moto. He's not so soft and sweet any longer. He's standing up for himself and actually vying for the role as top dog. At this writing it could be between he and Blitz. The fact that it's either of them is simply amazing.
We went to our Obedience class on Wednesday. Pinch was his zippy, fun self as always but Moto drew a lot of comments, such as "wow he is really UP today!" or "what a gorgeous performance!" He forged on his heeling and, for the very first time, needed absolutely no cheerleading.
Thursday it was herding. Pinch is pulling some teen-ager stunts "if I can't run and bust sheep, I'll just sit here thank you" which is typical, but once again, Moto did some lovely work. When I put him up to work Pinch, he barked angrily and was clearly jealous. Again, another first. In the past he was content to just rest and let everyone else do something.
Blitz is still doing great and I think I'll start him up training again. If that goes well, we'll try fun matches. If THAT goes well, we'll try entering the Beginner Novice class next year. Who knew?
Pinch and Moto are entered in our local show in a few weeks, Pinch to finish his Rally Novice title and we will try Moto in Graduate Novice. My goal with Moto in this non-regular class is to see if he is any perkier doing something other than heeling, but that being said, he turned in some pretty nice heeling at obedience class Wednesday.
Dogs just continue to amaze me with all they are capable of. Moto, Shiloh's legacy, seems to be stepping into his very large shoes. He doesn't need to and I didn't expect him to, but there he is doing it. Meanwhile everyone is still sorting the New World Order. In spite of my loss, there seems to be some exciting new adventures to look forward to with my boys.

Aftermath

It's been a very long time since I lost a dog. My childhood dog, Sunny, passed when I was 26. I am now 55. And this was the first time I had to make a decision about WHEN it was time. Anyone who has walked down this path knows it is one of the hardest things we can ever do.
It's been a full day without my Shiloh now. I tear up just writing that. But, on reflecting on his 11 short years here, I realize Shiloh was gone long before his actual passing. First it was the deafness. Then the Myasthenia Gravis. Then Cushing's Disease. Then the awful tumors. His life and his ability to enjoy it was slowly being stolen from him.
He was so very strong and brave and he fought so hard. I was always told I'd know when it was Time and yes, he did tell me. He'd struggled to get up the deck stairs and couldn't do it. I helped him up and he sank to the ground and looked up at me. He needed my help, and I needed to be strong. Finally that Monday morning it was enough.
Coming back home that early evening, I went into the basement to let the dogs out. They all were taken aback by my energy and wide-eyed and quietly, they all backed away from the gate to be let out. Typically when I come down to let them out they rush the gate, barking and tails wagging. Not this time. To my amazement, Daisy was clearly stricken by my grief. She was the first one who came forward and simply laid her head in my lap. I was deeply moved by her act of compassion. The other dogs gave me my space for awhile and I let them sort out the new emotions and energy running through our home.
This morning I learned a lot from watching the pack: they were RELIEVED. I didn't realize how much stress Shiloh's illness had been placed squarely on their shoulders. The little things they used to do are coming back: Pinch loves to roll on his back and watch me prepare the morning meals; the younger dogs running and playing in the yard. All of this had been quietly evaporating away as I attended to Shiloh's many afflictions.
But today was a good day. Tears will come frequently as I deal with my loss but dogs are so in the moment. I love sitting down and having all of them cover me with kisses. Moto is a rubber stamp, albeit much larger, version of Shiloh. It is wonderful to have his legacy right here. And in all the sadness there is a small miracle - Blitz appears to be in remission. It could be temporary but he is gaining weight, his coat has some luster to it and there is some regrowth of hair on his legs. Dusty seems to have had a full recovery from the blood clot on his spine and also is doing very well for a 16.5 year old Sheltie. There is so much here to enjoy.
I hope the passage of time will fade the memories of his long illness and be replaced by all the adventures and special times we had together. When I remember my Dad I don't remember the cancer any longer and I hope the same will be said of Shiloh.
He was just too special to be remembered any other way.

Farewell Shiloh

Yesterday was Shiloh's last day here on Earth. In the early morning hours I was emailing my friend Kathy, sharing with her that the tide had turned and that I felt Shiloh was just living for me. When I got off the computer I saw Shiloh had chewed on the tumor growing between his toes and it was open and bloody. Now, in addition to losing control of his rear he was limping. Reduced to tears I called my vet and she agreed it was Time. We made an end-of-day appointment.
The remainder of his time at home revolved just around he and I and Dusty, his very best friend. We did a little Obedience, played with his Teddy bear and just hung out together. When it was time to go we took one last walk around our property.
My hubby took time off work and met us so he could say good-bye to Shiloh. My vet and the animal clinic was just wonderful and Shiloh's transition to the Bridge was peaceful. His ashes will come home to me in a few days.
I could write about his achievements but they already are well-documented. I'd rather write about what he meant to me.
Along with being a wonderful, beloved pet, he was also my partner and teammate. All those who compete in any venue understand that special bond that develops as you train and show together. Shiloh could ready\ my body language perfectly and I learned to read every flick of his ear or twitch of his whiskers to understand how best to perform. Obedience, as Melinda has said, is like dressage with a dog. In our best moments Shiloh and I were a beautiful team.
He was a workaholic. I had to use a timer during our training sessions as we'd have so much fun training it could go on for several hours if I wasn't careful. In spite of how well we did in Obedience, Shiloh loved Agility best. After our OTCH and competition at the NOI I promised him since he'd done so much for me we would spend the remainder of his career competing in Agility. He would have had a MACH if I could only remember the courses.
Shiloh taught me not to be so serious about competition. Along with exciting, spectacular wins Shiloh could NQ in amazing and sometimes embarassing ways. No matter the win or an NQ, he always gave me his very best. My favorite NQ memory is when we were at the NOI. All the "top dogs" had failed an exercise and Shiloh was turning in some pretty good performances. We were in the running for the finals. You compete in six rings on day #1, the scores are tallied and the top 32 go on to compete the next day in the finals. Ring 1-4 had gone really well for us. We were now in ring #5. All was going just fine until the Drop on Recall. The judge signaled for me to call my dog. I did, and in ran Shiloh, nice and straight. Then the judge gave the down signal. I gave him the Down command. Instead of a Down, Shiloh gave me a play bow. There he was, butt in the air, tail wagging, me looking at him and the judge kindly waiting to see if he would lower his silly rear end. Nope, not gonna happen. Our shot at the finals was over, but how could you get mad at that?
In agility Shiloh was known as the "butt biter". As he zoomed around the course he'd get more and more excited. I learned to run full out at the finish line as the applause would send him over the edge and he'd nip my rear. No contact is allowed in the ring so I needed to cross the finish line before, um "contact" was made with my behind.
Shiloh had the heart of a lion and an ego of a rock star. He showed me that dreams really can come true and gave so much of himself. He was the true essence of all the platitudes written about the heart of a dog. I still cannot believe that I will no longer hold him, see his expressive brown eyes or hear his silly talking noises. Time just went by too fast. I take great comfort in his beautiful son Moto. His name will live on forever in the AKC records for all his obedience achievements. But most importantly, I had 11 wonderful years with a silly, funny, headstrong, frustrating, amazing and wonderful dog. He is the true meaning of the saying, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."