In the days preceding our trip to Michigan I had Diva in to see the chiro. She had been having some on again off again mystery stiffness upon rising and I was worried she was experiencing a flare up of Lyme. We decided to run a blood test but upon palpation of her lower back it was discovered that her pelvis and sacrum were out and the muscles surrounding the loin were inflamed. After doing an adjustment and cold laser treatment the area was much more free and the Dr. and I discussed that her issue is likely related to our tile floors and slipping as she chases the kids around the house. I was relieved that it wasn't her Psoas or cruciate and that the blood test revealed she was negative for any tick born diseases. We headed home with Diva looking better than she had in weeks and I was optimistic about a great weekend ahead. Not only were we closing in on her WTCH but for the first time ever Scott was going with me to a stock trial! Even more significant was that he was willing doing so on our 11 year anniversary :-).
Due to work commitments we weren't able to leave until Saturday which meant that I only entered Sunday and Monday's trials on sheep and cattle. This gave me 4 runs per type of stock and the best chance possible to get that one cattle Q and 2 sheep. We made the trip uneventfully, got settled into our hotel, and had a our anniversary dinner at Red Lobster in Adrian, MI. Scott was impressed with Diva's hotel behavior but not so much with our plan to start early the next morning at 6am ;-). On Sunday morning I was nervous but excited to get started. One of the best things about stock trials are the people and the Michigan club was no exception. The facility was very nice (loved the mowed arena!!) and the people were very welcoming. The trial was set to start with cattle and Diva and I were the 7th advanced dog to go. I sat down eager to watch the cows and see if I could gain some insight into their behavior. They had been challenging on Saturday with no advanced dogs able to get anything into the center pen and many dogs struggling to get them to work at all. Sunday quickly proved that they were going to be difficult again but what I was noticing was that it seemed the less a dog gripped and got into it with them the better they were. The difficulty was first in getting them started going up the fence line and then of course setting up the center and preventing them from running back towards the re-pen. These were pretty young calves and from what I was told they had never been separated and penned like this before. Without prior exposure to dogs to teach them to give to a bite what we started seeing was a few calves that just got frustrated and would run over, or past, a dog no matter what. Despite this there were a few dogs who worked really nice and did the best they could under the circumstances. When it came time for Diva and I to go I was nervous but also resigned to the fact that they likely weren't going in the center so what the heck! Diva started out strong and the cows were definitely moving off of her. I was excited to see her enthusiasm but that quickly changed when she made a bad choice and straight lined into the shoulder of a calf that had broken away from the group. The calf kicked out and when he came down he landed directly on her back effectively stomping her to the ground. You know that moment when your heart stops and you feel like everything has slowed down? I watched as Diva got up and noticed that she immediately looked for me. In turn I evaluated (through a glance) that she was walking on all 4 legs evenly and started encouraging her to get that calf and turn him around while I moved in to help her if needed. As it turns out she was likely in the throws of a big adrenalin rush and needed very little help to get back in there and make that calf move. All of this happened within seconds but it felt like forever. We continued our run and got all the cows through obstacles 1 and 2. The set up to the center pen was less than stellar and I used my two attempts without success. We re-penned as quickly as possible and I left the arena knowing that Diva was hurt and just not feeling it yet. My heart was in knots thinking about how he had landed directly on the part of her back that we had just treated. Already you could feel the heat so bless Scott's heart he headed out to the gas station for ice so that I could make ice packs. The AM and PM trials were set to run concurrently which meant we had about 6 dogs before we went again. It gave me enough time to ice her once and do some gentle massage.
Below are the videos of those cattle runs on Sunday. When we went back in for our second cattle run I knew right away that Diva was not going to be the same. She was not moving freely, eating poop, urinating (despite being pottied before), and going so slow. I was having to cheerlead her all the way. Her confidence level had taken a hit but it was her body that really held her back. It made me so proud when she continued to try despite everything. Dana McKenzie was our judge and she wrote on our score sheet, "Nice Pup. She is trying her heart out to please you." What you will see on the video is NOT how Diva normally works stock. I have some reservations about sharing because the world is a judgmental place but in the end I think it is more important to recognize that stock work is dangerous and there are consequences for our choices. I agonized all afternoon as I continued to ice her back about pulling her altogether and heading home. She was never lame but you could see a stiffness to her back when she first stood up and then she would stretch and look a little better.
Sunday Cattle AM
This is a short clip taken before the camera battery died. Diva gets stepped on and we have to work hard to getting them started going up the fence.
This is a short clip taken before the camera battery died. Diva gets stepped on and we have to work hard to getting them started going up the fence.
This is the second part of that first run. Scott has to switch to his phone (love my cheerleading husband!). At this point Diva isn't acting hurt but I can tell that she is going to feel it once the adrenalin wears off. My attempt at the center panel was not all that great and in watching it back I should have flanked her on the away side to head them off and stop motion. She was not fast enough getting around on the go bye to be effective with the speed they were moving at.
Sunday Cattle PM
Something about her demeanor told me that going on as planned with sheep was ok. I could see that she didn't really want to quit. Sheep in general are much less dangerous and she always works them calmly so I thought the movement might be better for her than getting stiff in the car. The sheep were working very nicely which also helped my decision ;-). Diva went out and turned in some very nice runs with scores of 99 and 113 respectively. It was obvious that she was not her normal enthusiastic self, especially to those who know her, and with that in mind I am certain that had she felt better our scores would have been even more impressive. Ultimately that matters very little since I am not chasing finals points. What mattered was that she earned two qualifying scores and her ATDs title! We decided to take her back to the hotel to rest and continue the ice therapy with the intent to pull our sheep runs the next day and see how she looked before deciding on cattle. Below are the videos from our sheep runs on Sunday.
Sunday AM Sheep (99)
Sunday PM sheep (113)
When Monday morning came I was surprised to see that Diva was looking much better than the evening before. She still had heat on her back but the stiffness was less and if you didn't know her you wouldn't see it. We headed back out to the trial anticipating doing our 2 cattle runs and calling it a day. You know what they say about Assuming right? I assumed that cattle would run first but the course director and judges decided to run sheep which left me with a choice to make. Pull her or let her go in and test her body? I must emphasis how nicely the sheep were working which is what helped my decision yet again. We did our 2 sheep runs on course A and Diva again pulled in two qualifying scores with a 94 and a 110. Her mannerisms while working (urinating despite being pottied before and the sniffing) still let me know that she was not 100% but honestly I didn't expect her to be. I was happy to just have her out there with me!
Sheep AM Monday (94)
Sheep PM Monday (110)
As luck would have it Michigan decided that we needed some rain to make our cattle runs more fun. This made day 3 for the cows and they were noticeably less cooperative than the day before. By now they were used to doing course B so getting them going up the fence for course A was a challenge. And then of course we still had the problem that so far no cows had been put through the center obstacle all weekend long. Diva and I were the 4th advanced dog in the first trial and while we worked hard the center obstacle was as elusive as the Q, which we missed by 3 points! In hind sight I could have settled the cattle longer and used my second attempt but I was being careful not to over tax Diva. When it came time for our last cattle run my heart was in my throat. This was our last chance to get our WTCH this weekend and I was also determined to make the center obstacle. The commentary on the video is hilarious :-). I made some handling choices that likely cost me the Q and the audience was pretty vocal about it ;-). Their plan and mine were vastly different. What did happen though was that Diva and I were the first and only advanced team to get any cattle through the center obstacle. That alone was a triumph and worth the weekend. Diva gave me 110% and got it done. We didn't get our WTCH but I am not worried. The WTCH will come. I learn so much each time we trial on cattle. I have learned that might doesn't always make right when it comes to livestock. That when you think you have settled the stock you should probably take another 30 seconds to *really* settle them ;-). That a good dog is the one who goes home with you at the end of day. That there will always be another trial and that the only person you are truly competing against is yourself.
Cattle Monday AM
Cattle Monday PM
If you are lucky like I am you have a good dog laying beside you. A dog who will give you that little bit more when you ask. A dog that lets you know you are their whole world when you look into their eyes. I have often wished that Diva had more of this or less of that, but what I didn't appreciate fully was that she has heart in abundance. We will be taking the next 6 weeks mostly off as I set about getting my partner back to 100% by whatever means necessary. I have spent hours since the trial massaging, stretching, applying heat, and just being there for Diva. It's time well spent in my opinion and I look forward to making our return at the next trial and getting that WTCH!
*Photos below take by Liz Wise*
Of all of the photos taken this weekend this one is by far my favorite. Just a girl and her dog but the bond is obvious!
*Photos Below taken by Amanda Farnsworth*
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