By Chase and Jan Tomlinson
So, my mom told me the other day that we were going to enter the Incredible Dog Challenge. I didn’t know what that meant, but I already knew that I am an incredible dog!
It was being planned by our agility people, and there were going to be lots of fun agility events to do. I love agility, so this was right up my alley. Since my mom is president of the Verde Valley Dog Agility Club, she got to have a preview of the events. Oh, Boy! That means I get to practice and get a head start on everyone! I just know that I will be the Incredible Dog!
The events that they were planning to have were: flyball, tunnelers, pairs, FAST, and hoopers. Now, I have to explain to you what each of these mean. Flyball doesn’t really exist in agility, but they made up this funny game. I got to practice for this one. I had to run as fast as I could going over these funny little jumps that were low enough for a Chihuahua to do!
For some reason, my Lotus ball was laying on the ground at the end of these jumps. After going as fast as I could over all of these jumps, I had to pick up my Lotus ball and run back over the jumps as fast as I could. If you have a Lotus ball, then you know that it has a treat in it, and my mom takes it apart and lets me have the treat. I was really good at this one in practice.
Then there was the tunnelers. There were all of these tunnels, and you had to follow the numbers on the tunnels. I am really fast at going through the tunnels because I can read the numbers and know exactly where to go. Since my mom doesn’t see very well now, I have to lead her around the course! Maybe she should do the tunnels and I do the directing.
Pairs is like a relay race where you run half the course and your partner runs the other half. The humans have to pass a baton from one human to another. So, they have to practice this so they don’t drop it and cause me to wait for them to retrieve it. That would prevent me from being the Incredible Dog in this event! I noticed that my mom was running around the house passing the baton to the other human who lives there. I guess she was practicing so I don’t have to wait when she drops it.
FAST. Now, that is something that I am! The name has nothing to do with what goes on in the event, but you know our humans. This is like a free-for-all. All of the obstacles are worth points, and you have 45 seconds to run around like a wild man and collect as many points as you can. I think my mom is too slow for this event. FAST. No! I am the fast one, but I don’t know what obstacles are worth the most points.
Hoopers. That is something I can do because I am really good with a hula hoop! Then she told me that’s not how it works. Oh, Darn! I was really psyched about doing this one. I can keep the hula hoop going on my hips for a long time.
“No” she said. “There are lots of hoops with numbers on them (not again!), and you just run through them following the numbers. Whoever heard of doing a hula hoop that way?
I decided I was going to do flyball, tunnelers, and pairs with my Sheltie friend, Blue. It was now practice time. I practiced my flyball over higher jumps so I would be really fast over the low ones. I got really good at snatching my Lotus ball. Practicing for tunnelers was really easy as I got my GPS out and flew through them. I couldn’t really practice pairs, because my partner lives in Sedona. But Blue and I had it all planned on our computers.
Three days before the challenge, I was practicing my flyball and that darn neck pinch happened again. I was really limping. And, something was happening to my little foot, and it kept curling up. My foot is supposed to be straight! So, I spent the day at the vet’s locked up on R & R until I got better at the end of the day. But, my mom said no challenge for you!
So, I had to go and watch all of my friends run and have fun. I just know I was going to be the Incredible Dog and win the grand prize. The prize was a beautiful elevated dog food and water bowl holder. I know it would have been too tall for me anyway. I would have had to get on a stepladder to eat my dinner and drink my water!
Everyone had a great time, and it’s fun to do different things and challenge yourself. Meanwhile, I am pursuing a new line of work called nose work. It’s a calm activity using my nose, but lots of fun. I will be writing about it in a future Chase’s Corner. So, keep on sniffing….
~Sir Chase
