Fourth Agility Class and Shredding Paper

Man, never get two days behind in updating a blog -- your fans start sending e-mails complaining about the wait! I don't mind -- it's nice to know that Jake has groupies. I knew Jake would be cranked for agility class when he wouldn't sit down in the car and kept in guard stance the whole trip (for any of you confused, check out previous posts regarding his usual car narcolepsy). Running laps around the yard doesn't help. Allowing Jake to run in fast circles on his leash only makes me want to vomit from dizziness. One of Jake's obedience class teachers stayed after her dog's agility class to watch Jake's progress. Jake has known her since he was ten weeks old and has never forgotten that she has the GOOD TREATS. He launched into a zoomie display of energy and got us in trouble with the teacher. I mentioned that we're supposed to keep control of our dogs at all times because of the risk of all parties present possibly getting hurt. Jake wasn't but a few inches from me but one of his German Shepherd buddies was watching and wanting to get involved in the zooming. Two new items were introduced to the class this week -- the wobble board (in preparation for the teeter totter) and the chute. The wobble board didn't intimidate Jake in slightest since he loves to climb any mountain of trash at a construction site. The chute didn't seem to frighten Jake either. He flew at top speed into the three-foot long hard chute opening. I did my best imitation of an Olympic sprinter to beat him to the other side. Jake didn't come out. I have no idea how he went from his all-out run to a dead stop in such a small space. All I could see was a black nose peeking out from the bottom of the sheet imitating a chute. Once that talented nose picked up the smell of cheese on the other side, Jake hurtled out of the chute and pounced on that lid of treats. Jake stayed totally wired for the entire class. My husband treated me to a pizza after class. Jake sat like a statue on the bench next to us on the restaurant's outdoor patio. Everyone commented on how well-behaved Jake is (the faker). As I crammed pizza in my face, all I could picture was my little stinker during class. Jake got a celebratory cup of ice for his good behavior during dinner.

We've all heard tales of the damage some dogs can do when they are frustrated or bored. Once again I am reminded of my dog's intelligence level. Jake is selective in what he shreds to share his feelings with his human parents. We're currently working in a guarded community. A half sheet of paper sits in on the dashboard showing we checked in at the construction entrance that day. Jake had to sit in the van while we met with the owner/builder of the new house. A half hour later I returned to the van to bring Jake inside. Jake was sitting in a pool of tiny, itsy-bitsy pieces of our community pass and looking rather proud of himself. My husband's van is his office -- laptop, tools, paperwork, and various fast food containers and cups. Good luck finding a seat for all the paperwork. Jake only tore up the pass. Of course we had to get a new pass after lunch but Jake has stolen the heart of the guards so it wasn't an issue. Always willing to share any toy, Jake nosed pieces of the pass over to me throughout the rush hour drive home.

And, yes, I will explain the picture. My dad remarried and I have two new siblings, a 2-year-old brother and a 2-month-old sister. Jake wants to kiss them and share his toys. In this picture Jake is so generous that he's sharing my dad's Border Collie Ian's favorite toy, an antique Caveman Goofy Doll that got stolen off a bottom shelf 7 years ago. It's hard to make Jake understand that the baby can't take the doll from him and play tug-of-war yet.