Because me and my little sister get very bored in the winter of being inside, my Mom does stuff with us in the house like we practice our Rally-O moves – which I am getting VERY good at on three legs, the hardest thing for me is sitting but my Mom says “you can do it Maggie”, so I try harder and don’t ya’ know I can do it 🙂
Tonite, my Mom pulled out the cavaletti jumps from the barn and brought them in the house. They can be changed to various heights, the highest is below my hock height. My Mom was trying to think of things I could do easily…she wasn’t going to do the cavaletti’s with me but I was sassing her on the sidelines waiting my turn while little sister Haley was having so much fun with them, so she decided to flip them to the lowest height – bar on the ground…I totally amazed her with my grace thru them! She told me I can STILL do them better than little sister Haley! 😉 He-he! So she turned them up to the next height and don’t ya’ know, I could do them even better than lower! I didn’t have a problem in the least! My Mom was so happy to see me being able to do them! She and I used to love working thru the cavaletti’s…she always like to watch me moving thru them…always saying I looked so graceful, like a small horse trotting thru them…well, now I hop…but I do so gracefully still!
We were all done our play session and my Mom went to get the computer and what was playing on there but a screensaver movie of her and I running in agility …. it made my Mom cry… to see me running thru the course with her…this was the first time really that it really “hit” Mom that nope, we would not be doing agility like that again…. But that’s OK she says…as long as I’m still here with my Mom is all that matters she says…we’ll have fun doing the cavaletti’s in the livingroom on a cold winter’s night……….. 🙂
Aw, that Maggie is something else! I think her “canine hunger” certainly keeps her going and trying all the things she used to do….;-)
Can’t wait to see her in Rally-o this summer!
Wanna bet? Just check out this topic where Jerry posted his three legged dog agility movies playlist!
You never know Maggie, tell your Mom don’t give up just yet. We would LOVE to see your movies, then and now!
I’ll bet Maggie could still do it! Sounds like she enjoys the practice!
My Mag doesn’t understand you guys- living rooms are for snugball beds, and sitting on laps on the couch.
Is your Mag’g sitting issue that she isn’t comfortable sitting at all, or that she doesn’t sit up straight?
It seemed like it was a few months for my Mag before she would sit on her amp side, now that is her prefered side.
Other than being careful not to strain the remining limbs you should wait to see what Mag can do as she gets stronger. You can make some accomodations for her so she can still practice- maybe not compete (but I wouldn’t rule it out). Maybe you can train the first para-agility dog!
Karen and the (probably sleeping) pug girls
Hey Jerry…I’ll post an old clip of me and Maggie doing agility together once I figure out how to do it! 😉 Then I need to make one of up her doing some of her Rally-obedience moves and other stuff that amazes me that she can do! She and I will probably start competing in Rally-obedience(no running) and they allow disabled dogs! 🙂
Karen and the Mag-Pug, my Maggie wants to sit sit up straight…the way she’s always sat..but she sometimes looses her balance and really hates to loose her balance…so then she either just stands up or lays down.. Interesting your Maggie was a few months…guess my Maggie isn’t doing too badly then.
Your point of not straining her remaining limb is one of the reasons I wouldn’t do agility with her again…I am soooo scared of her getting hurt! She could actually compete in agility still as a 3 legged dog in some classes I think…but not sure I want to chance it… Just me being Miss Protective Mom again! My friend says I’m too protective…but it’s what I’m comfortable with at the moment 😉
Tracy, Maggie’s Protective Mother
FYI: Video embedding is easy on Supporter blogs. Otherwise, here’s instructions for sharing videos in the forums.
I think you couls play hoopers with her at the very least… I am pretty sure NADAC allows 3 legged dogs to do flat games…you should check! WHo cares if she goes slow or not….I would love to be ringside in Dummerston bawling my eyes out watching and cheering for MAgs!
Hey Maureen!
Silly girl….great minds think alike again 🙂 I was thinking of bringing her to Dummerston…her FAVORITE trialing place and maybe entering her in Hoopers….you won’t be the only one crying!!!!! Me too while I try to get her thru a crazy hoopers course! 😉
Another thing I thought of on the balance while sitting- my Mag learned to shake hands with her left paw- and she is a left rear amp. After the surgery she couldn’t shake hands because she would tip over (really- I NEVER laughed, ok maybe a giggle)- and of course she wouldn’t do it with her right paw. At some point she figured it out- because she now will ‘shake’ with her left paw and not tip over (still no giggling…).
Don’t forget the videos!!
Karen
Yes Karen! I have found same thing…Maggie has had a heck of a time trying to figure out how to stay in a sit and not fall down if I ask her to “shake”…I’ve tried one paw or the other trying to figure out which side is better for her balance…but haven’t seen either side to be better yet? I don’t try it much with her as she hates to go off balance…