Partnership responsbilities

Poor Baker, he has a toothache thanks to a slab fracture of his molar and he can't get in to the veterinary dentist until the 11th of February.  We were supposed to go and play agility this weekend in Lawrence starting with Excellent Jumpers on Friday and then Jumpers, Fast and Standard classes on Saturday and Sunday and it was to have been our first chance to compete in the new year.  

Baker has been making great progress working with me and having fun in the agility ring and I was looking forward to our getting the chance to play together.  This morning, though, when we got up his third eyelid was covering most of his eye and his hawes were down and he looked miserable.  An acupuncture treatment helped to relieve the immediate symptoms and he is now on antibiotics but I knew when he laid his head on my lap before the day started that we will not be going to Lawrence.  

Am I disappointed? Yes. 

Is it the smart thing to do? Yes.

How so?  Obviously, if he is hurting he can not be expected to focus on the game.  And while he was credited as being a "stoic" with respect to not responding to pain, I know that he is not in top form - we all saw it in Jump 4 Class on Tuesday evening when he would not move quickly, did not want to jump, but we all gave it different excuses.  We saw it again on Wednesday after Foundations when he started out well and then pulled up.  Just think of how your head feels with a tooth ache - dull, unrelenting and the dogs can't tell us to leave off.  Apart from the fact that the venue in Lawrence is a dirt arena and Baker's eyes are already inflamed it is my job to be the responsible human partner and not let him hurt, become worse, or, more seriously, equate pain with training and competing.  So we will stay home, keep working on the dog room, let Baker sleep and be cuddled, let Ailsa practice tracking, have JJ as a guest so that he won't freeze in Lawrence with the Border Terriers, and help out with the 4-H Jamboree.  Actually, none of that sounds so bad (might even sleep in on Sunday morning....).

Time that the troops got healthier!

Ginger