Acceptance

I've pretty much accepted the fact that the babies and I won't be hitting any dog trials this summer.  It's looking like I'm still a good 3 weeks off being able to work them.  The irony that dad bought me sheep and they're sitting at the farm is not lost on me.  When I walk the "pinch" aka pain in my arse *back* is slowly lessening.  I'm able to walk a little farther on the gravel lease road and am sticking with the "short" loop (4+ish km) in the subdivision.  My back usually starts to scream at about the 1 mile mark.  Today I noticed I could walk around the yard without it hurting.

Basically, the dogs have been off stock for months.  4.5 months to be exact.  This means we're too far behind in our training goals to reach the point where we can enter a field trial.  This means the babies don't compete as nursery dogs.  If the timing works out the first trial I anticipate us being ready for is in November.  If I pushed Ryder really hard he could probably be ready end of July or August.  But I don't want to do that.  He basically just needs things to be stretched out and to gain some confidence on his flanks.  Diva doesn't even know her flanks so she's significantly further behind.

I've pondered sending one or both out for training.  Mostly Diva as she's the one who I think would benefit from regular work.  The control freak in me has trouble with this concept.  I suppose it won't kill the dogs to remain with me on lockdown.  We've been working on nitpicky things like waiting when a door is opened or stretching out the length of a sit command.