The appropriate gear for the job

We have started to notice that the sun is getting stronger during the week-end trainings. Throughout the week, we do things early or late in the day so the sun is less of a problem. As we tend to run quite a lot, having a flowing hat is a bit of a problem, so caps are the most appropriate (though not my preferred with my long hair). However, last time we saw a new shop at our local shopping centre and went straight in to buy a cap, no hesitation! How appropriate to have a pointing GSP as emblem! They also have a lot more gear that seem of pretty ok quality, so we might be back to check it out... 

The new cap!

Modelled with great enjoyment...

But still need to put sunscreen on the ears and neck, even if you think a walk around 8am is pretty safe... Got a patch of sunburn on my neck and it hurts!

Silly turkey

We got a new visitor at the front. A very stoopid bush turkey that somehow wandered around the front of the house, just when we came back from the walk with Mawson. That is the first time I see one of them round our way. I did see a few some streets away, but they usually stay around places where there is a bit of bush/trees etc, hence, their name... Maybe she heard that the place accross the road was going for sale? 

The monster quite likes bush turkeys and these big birds are really quite dumb. This one decided that climbing up the tree was the best option, though it then got hammered by magpies and mynahs. But to be fair to the turkey, that was the smartest move as I would take them against a very wound up Mawson...

turkey up the wrong tree..

CSI Sydney (with very little C!)

How to best investigate an interesting item:

Firstly, observe the strange item (the most meaningless item necessitates the longest stare, obviously!)

Secondly, poke the strange item. A couple of paw pokes should do the trick. In case of any change in the strange item, go back to step one, just to make sure....

If satisfied, proceed to stage three: shove nose on top of strange item and sniff. The most sniffs or piggy snorts, the best. Every good puppy should thoroughly investigate any strange item present.

Following thorough investigation. Trot away majestically after deciding that it was, indeed, just a piece of dirt...

Craziness

I told Mawson on sunday that I had some crazy ideas. As he knows me well, he looked a bit scared, wondering what I had invented now.

Just to keep mister entertained, I have decided to start/train for two more types of trials: Rally-Obedience and Endurance!

Rally-O training classes are in the evening during the week, so that in itself is a challenge, as 1) we work full time and mainly 2) mister pup settles for his evening nap quite early and demands his dinner before 8pm.

He was looking at me weirdly when I didn't take him for our usual evening outing. And really began to fear the worst when I started preparing the training bag and treats. However, we went there and he was a little angel. He worked so well, even considering that this first class was mostly a lot of explanation to get me to understand the different stations and what to do to minimise my messing up. The future classes will be more of actually doing the different courses, and I think that this will definitely become a regular thing.

From the web and one of the latest
club newsletter front cover

Now onto the Endurance trial.... Well that one is a real crazy idea.
That trial consists of a course of 20km divided into 3 legs of 8-6-6 kms with pauses of 15-20-15mins in between and vet checks. The pup has to run it obviously but the two footed minion can either ride a bike or run (no motor allowed!). Now, I'm ok with a bike but not fantastic and I'm actually a bit scared of ending up injuring one of us, or both... So I have decided that if we do it, that will be running together!!!!!
Also, 20 kms is a long way, I give you that, but feasible. What I didn't catch at first was that the event is actually timed. And you have to cover those 20 kms at a pace of 10km/h !!!!!!  I think that they will need to get a doctor and an ambulance next to the vet for me, and that won't be Mawson refusing to do the "willingness" test at each pause but me. But I guess it is only fair that I suffer a bit if I ask Mawson to run all that way. So that means a looooot of training. Mawson is nearly there, I'm so far off that I am wondering if one year is enough. Maybe it's best to make sure the pups are well grown so two years of training would be best, no?

One thing that amused me as well is that it says in the rules that you can be stopped if the dog continually lags behind. Basically you are not allowed to drag your poor dog over 20kms, which is fair enough and actually a pretty good common sense one to have. However, given the first real run we've just done together, I am wondering if they apply the same rule if the minion lags behind the whole way?....

Let's see how those different new things go, I really would like to get the title of "ET" for Mawson, just so he can phone home, ghehehehe.

Well, technically....

You see, I'm not allowed on mum and dad's bed. I have what they call "my dog beds" on the floor. They say I'm lucky, because they are very comfy, but I'm sure that their one is pretty good too. Though it's true that they come and sleep on my ones as well so maybe that's true that the big bed isn't comfy, mmmm.

Anyway, they were doing the bed dance this morning and they placed their bed blanket on the ground. And you see, that's where one of my bed is normally, in front of the window (it was outside in the sun at that time). So of course, I trotted in to help, but they didn't need my help for the bed dance apparently. I still needed to keep an eye on them (I never leave the minions unattended) and that blanky looked really comfy, and woahh it was! That's not my fault if I got "confused", that's the spot of my bed! And technically I wasn't on their bed either, so they couldn't say anything. Mwahaha!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh......