tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63923291283846892432024-02-19T23:00:51.893-08:00Hiking HoundsHiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-73354380557818304392015-12-10T16:57:00.002-08:002015-12-10T17:02:01.659-08:00Oh, The Places You Will Go, Astro!<div style="text-align: center;">
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I came home from work one day in August and checked the mail. There was a letter from AKC. I thought it was an advertisement at first. But then at the bottom of the envelope I noticed it said something about the #8 Greyhound and somewhere else on the envelope I noticed it said something about the AKC Agility Invitational. I didn't really think it could be, but I rushed and opened it right there at the mailbox. Yes! Holy crap, Astro was invited to the AKC Agility Invitational! </div>
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It's in Orlando, Florida, so at first I thought, I don't think I can go to Florida. And then I thought about it and talked to a few other people who had gone. They all said it was an awesome experience.</div>
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And then, I thought, I think Astro and I are going to Orlando, Florida!</div>
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And we are here! My Dad was super sweet and volunteered to drive with me on the way out so I wouldn't be so exhausted when I got here. We made without any troubles and Astro did great with the drive. I'm so excited to be able to meet others who do agility with their greyhounds!</div>
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Today we went to a local agility site and practiced a little and then we went to check out the show site (one of the rings above). This is a huge show with agility, conformation, obedience, dock diving, etc. going on. The show doesn't get into full swing until the weekend, but I wanted to have Astro get used to the site and practice on the turf.</div>
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Astro did great! He wasn't too bothered by all the activity going on. Best of all his focus was pretty good on the practice jump and he was happy, playing with me, giving kisses, and eating treats! Sometimes in new areas he gets distracted and a little nervous and won't do those things easily. He can also get a little zoomy and distracted in the agility ring when were in new places. When the show starts on Friday it will be even louder and busy, but we will do our best.<br />
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My sweet love Zephyr is doing great! He doesn't compete in agility, but he often comes to practice and does a little agility, but mostly he loves to run and chase his ball or play chase with me. </div>
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He couldn't come to the show, which is probably best for him anyway, and is staying with my parents. I will be so happy to see him when we get home!</div>
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Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-23759023176774529292015-11-30T12:14:00.000-08:002015-11-30T12:14:07.458-08:00He's an Excellent Boy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On October 25 Astro and I finally got our Excellent Standard title! It was exactly 2 years to the day after we got our Open Standard Title and started competing in Excellent. <br />
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It took us so long because Astro had a few toe injuries, and he also suffers from having a team mate who was/is still learning how to be a good handler. ;-)<br />
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But, Astro doesn't really care what happens as long as he can share kisses afterward. Here is the run that we qualified on. Despite the overcast sky and judge's sweater making it look cool, it was actually almost 90.<br />
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<br />Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-35313829178994480382015-04-16T11:36:00.001-07:002015-10-29T19:08:28.673-07:00Astro's Excellent Adventure<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7tLXmm6QZcUymGpMjcNcnpErN9nJXY1cl26vanf4sG5qfz05prMpeKb_X4ZwRPPMMYv2qyAoeLpvOj_LvNqsfWrqRYJ489_ESMTVSlb9iJa6WnQ5TSjiQVryrZNmLwfaT1D6wqho3Y-v/s1600/11138153_782708558464329_6218049953629784225_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7tLXmm6QZcUymGpMjcNcnpErN9nJXY1cl26vanf4sG5qfz05prMpeKb_X4ZwRPPMMYv2qyAoeLpvOj_LvNqsfWrqRYJ489_ESMTVSlb9iJa6WnQ5TSjiQVryrZNmLwfaT1D6wqho3Y-v/s1600/11138153_782708558464329_6218049953629784225_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally got our Excellent Jumpers Title, 10-25-14</td></tr>
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Astro and I have been working on our Excellent level Standard and Jumpers with Weaves titles for over a year. We were sidelined last May when he hurt a front toe while running like a crazy greyhound with Zephyr. So we missed a few trials. Things looked good in October, 2014, so we entered a trial. Astro did a great job and we got our Excellent Jumpers title along with our first Masters level Jumpers Q. I was, of course, super proud of my boy!<br />
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This is our Excellent Jumpers title run.</div>
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And, this is our first Master Jumpers qualifying run the next day.</div>
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Getting our last Excellent Standard Q has been rather difficult. We've had a lot of good fun runs where we came really close. But, it hasn't happened as of writing this post and we've been in a few trials since these videos were taken. I thought he did really well on these standard runs, but I'm always making a mistake. </div>
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Saturday's Standard run</div>
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Sunday's Standard run</div>
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Hopefully I'll be able to get my act together one of these days and get this boy his Excellent Standard title. In the mean time we will have lots of fun and he will get lots of treats. </div>
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<br />Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-35713751004259288762015-04-08T16:50:00.000-07:002015-10-29T19:08:52.092-07:00Imogene Pass Run<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the start of the race</td></tr>
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I don't usually post about things I do, and this is long overdue, but it was pretty cool and I wanted to put it on the blog. Last summer a group of friends and I trained for and did the <a href="http://www.imogenerun.com/">Imogene Pass Run</a>. It's a race that goes from Ouray, CO to Telluride, CO. The race is 17.1 miles long, goes up 10 miles and climbs about 5,300 ft
to the pass, and then down 7.1 miles into Telluride. Imogene Pass is at 13,114ft. It's in a
beautiful area, although I spent most of the time looking down at the
ground so don't remember most of it. :-) <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pass is the at the reddish brown area to the left of center at the ridge top. This picture was about mile 8.5.</td></tr>
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We spent the whole summer training by doing a ton of hiking/trail running that had a lot of hard climbing at high elevation. Luckily living at about 7,000 ft in Flagstaff makes the elevation training somewhat easier. Yes, I was in some sort of pain the entire summer and after the race. :-) I had never done a race like this before. The really good people run the whole thing, but most people including my friends and I, do a combination of fast hiking and running when you can on the way up, and then run down. It was one of the hardest and funnest things I've ever done. </div>
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We all made it and in good time. I hoped I would come in around 4 hours and I did at about 4 hrs 3 min, which turned out to be 17th in my age group. So, I was super happy. Post race celebration included a large lunch with drink, large ice creams, cookies, hot tub, and a large dinner with drink. I'm hoping to do it again this year.<br />
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Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-40399807526792770692015-01-20T17:40:00.002-08:002015-01-20T17:40:22.282-08:00Zephyr Turns 8!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zephyr received this birthday card from a friend and now he wants me to buy him another car. I had to buy them a new Toyota Sienna this summer so as to insure that he and Astro ride comfortably with all their stuff. But, he says the next one is for the babes.</td></tr>
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My sweet Zephyr turned 8 years old on January 6. It's hard to believe that he's that old, but in some ways it seems like he's been with me forever. I still feel so grateful to have him with me everyday. He has been super healthy and has even managed to not injure himself in the past year. </div>
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To celebrate the passing of his eighth year I cooked some bison burger to add to his meal. He loves it and bison seems to sit better with his belly than beef. The bowl was licked clean. Zephyr has become even more sweet and loving as he has aged. He loves to just push up against me and others for some serious love and rubs.<br />
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Astro greatly appreciated Zephyr's birthday celebration too. It's also hard to accept that this boy will be 6 this summer.<br />
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Our winter has been fairly mild again this year. We've had a couple snow storms but then it warms up into the 40s and even 50s. So, we've been heading out to the agility field in Cottonwood to enjoy the nice weather. Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-29427901438988988912015-01-06T14:40:00.001-08:002015-04-16T11:36:47.499-07:00Happy New Year, 2015!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy New Year to all our blog friends! Once again, I'm sorry to not be keeping the blog updated. But, things have been going well for the most part. Pablo did pass away in August, eleven years didn't seem long enough for him. With the exception of Astro trying to recover from a toe injury that happened in early May, everyone has been happy and healthy. The boys had a great run at the agility field the other day. I hope everyone out there is doing great!Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-64593693084534925952014-04-29T21:39:00.001-07:002014-04-29T21:39:04.764-07:00Pablo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pablo (left) and Riley, January 2014</td></tr>
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In the last couple months Pablo has had some trouble and last week I found out he likely has gastrointestinal cancer. In February I noticed that he was shedding a lot, even for the mild winter that we had. He usually has a super thick coat with a full undercoat. Over a month or so he lost most of his undercoat and a lot of his regular coat. Soon after he started to lose weight. He wasn't overweight to start with and went from about 10.5 lbs to 8.5 lbs. He suffers from allergies and takes cyclosporine (generic Atopica) which sometimes makes his stomach upset, so at first I thought the weight loss was related to that. But, he was actually super hungry and eating more than normal and still losing weight. <br />
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Last week I took him to the vet for blood work, etc. She suspected a thyroid problem because his symptoms matched hyperthyroidism, or possibly renal failure. All of his blood work and urinalysis came back normal. We then ran the more specific thyroid test and that came back normal too. Thinking this might be a side effect of his medicine we decided to try taking him off it. Within 24 hours of no pill he didn't want to eat, so I thought I try giving the pill every other day and gave him one that night. In the morning he felt better and ate all his meals that day. Skipped the pill that night and by the morning he was throwing up. I could also tell he was starting to itch. <br />
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This was Friday, so back to the vet we went because she said to bring him in for a shot if he was itching. I also wanted to talk about what could be going on. She was feeling his belly when I mentioned that since our last visit I wondered if he might have a tumor. She said she was now wondering the same thing, or inflammatory bowel disease. She thought his GI tract felt thickened. An x-ray showed that most of his GI tract was thickened. An ultrasound showed that it didn't look like inflammatory bowel disease, but more like a gastrointestinal cancer.<br />
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After shedding some tears, Palbo and I went home. He's back on daily cyclosporine because he does better on it, and she said it could be helping because it's an immune suppressant like chemotherapy and steroids. We're waiting to hear from an oncologist about other possible medications. Although he might not do well with other treatments because he already struggles with his allergies/immune system. Surgery is not an option because it's not really a tumor, it's spread throughout.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pablo hanging out in his heated bed this weekend.</td></tr>
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Pablo is eating, drinking, and cleaning himself, but he can't eat as large of portions so I'm feeding him more often. His energy is low, but he's still getting around and very happy for lovin' and extra yummy food. I'm giving him about 100 ml of subcutaneous fluids a day to make sure he's hydrated and I think it helps him feel better. He's not in pain. He's only 10 years old, which seems too young for something like this.<br />
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Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-16201108317738419202014-04-26T22:08:00.002-07:002014-04-26T22:08:45.324-07:00Brothers II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today was a snowy spring Saturday. The brothers of the house were very cuddly today.<br />
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And a sister, who was cuddly with me. :-)</div>
Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-45014063493640928282014-04-19T22:02:00.000-07:002015-10-29T19:09:05.919-07:00Astro's Open Standard and Jumpers Titles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been awhile since this happened, but it was a pretty big deal so I thought I should share it. The last weekend in October 2013 Astro earned his Open Standard and Jumpers with Weaves titles. I was super happy and proud of him. Astro and I are learning agility together and I couldn't ask for a better partner.<br />
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Astro was also very happy about getting his picture taken with the judge for his Open Standard title. We finished our Open Standard title Saturday morning with a really nice run.<br />
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He wanted to make sure that Judge Dan Butcher knew how much we appreciated him. :-)<br />
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This is our Jumpers run from Saturday. It was our second qualifying Open Jumpers run. Pardon my shrill voice, I was a little nervous.<br />
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On Sunday we had our third qualifying run and finished our Open Jumpers with Weaves title. It was a great run with lots of turns that he nailed. I thought it was smoother that our run on Saturday.</div>
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We are working on on our Excellent titles now and have also started entering Time 2 Beat and FAST. Astro loves Time 2 Beat because the courses are designed to be open and fast. When I decided to try agility I didn't really know how it would turn out because Zephyr and Astro are my first dogs, so of course I was/am learning along the way. I'm so happy that we've made it this far. The Excellent level courses have been really challenging. The courses are harder and there is much less room for error. But, it's a lot of fun. So far Astro has one Excellent Standard qualifying run and two Excellent Jumpers with Weaves qualifying runs. </div>
Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-50497036063850329542014-04-16T10:29:00.000-07:002014-04-16T10:30:29.265-07:00Firepups<br />
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Spring has been here for awhile now. In fact, unlike many other parts of North America, we barely even had a winter. It was one of our driest winters, less that 2 ft of snow fell at our elevation of about 7,000 ft and there has been hardly any spring rain. A normal winter has around 100 inches of snow followed by some rain. So, now we are very dry and windy and have extreme fire danger. To top it off, in the past week or so it seems that there is an arsonist around Flagstaff that has been lighting forest fires.<br />
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One day in March, a time that usually still has snow cover, the boys and I went out for a hike. The forest roads were still closed at this time, so people can't drive into the forest. It was a Red Flag Warning day, which means it was super windy and dry with high fire danger.<br />
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This is what we came up on in the middle of the forest. Someone must have come out and made this fire and then left it very hot with lots of coals and embers. Within a minute of me taking this picture flames came up from the wind blowing on the embers. I had about 3 cups of water that I poured on it that put them out, but then I dialed 911. In Arizona we've had devastating forest fires start from things like this.<br />
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It was quite a hassle getting the fire department out there. I actually don't have a smart phone, so wasn't able to give them coordinates. However, I knew where I was and I'm really good with maps, roads, and directions (former geologist), but I'll make a long story short and just say that the people I was stuck talking to were not. Very frustrating, I hope I'm never hurt in the middle of the forest and have to give directions to be saved. I do have a GPS and have started carrying it more. As I was walking along a small road toward the main road to try and meet the fire truck I met a man who was also walking his dog. He helped get them the coordinates and came back to the fire with me.<br />
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When we walked up to the fire it was in flames again. At this point we had been told to just cover it with rocks, so we kicked in the pit walls to cover it.<br />
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Finally the local fire department came and they uncovered it, dug it up and dowsed it. This was about a mile from houses. This week our national forests, county, and city put fire restrictions in place. Yesterday I was so happy to see that a forest road that people camp along and that comes within 1/4 mile of my neighborhood, but has technically been closed for a few years, finally has signs saying it's closed. Just need to block the road now. It can be scary living next to the forest, but it's hard for me to imagine living somewhere that I can't step out and be in nature with the dogs.Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-8210530894682294182014-03-03T17:16:00.000-08:002014-03-03T17:16:17.286-08:00Sedona Hike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Zephyr, Astro, and I went on a nice hike in Sedona. We took the Brins Mesa - Soldier Pass - Cibola Pass loop which is about six miles. The weather was beautiful in the 60s. <br />
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This month is the 3 year anniversary of Zephyr getting encephalitis and it's been a little over 2 years since he finished his chemotherapy treatments. Everyday I remember how lucky I am to have him. He's a super healthy boy.</div>
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Zephyr and Astro met lots of people on the trail and received some nice comments on how sweet they are. They were on leash for the hike. I just took their leashes off for the pictures. They would have loved a run around, but there are cactus and it's a pretty public trail.</div>
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A beautiful day.</div>
Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-76177074713350475682014-03-02T14:51:00.001-08:002014-03-02T14:51:40.631-08:00Happiness is .....running in the forest with a deer leg in your mouth.<br />
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Not the best pictures because they were taken with my phone. But, they were so happy with their find. <br />
<br />Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-35032959423907837392014-02-04T20:50:00.002-08:002014-02-06T15:49:20.778-08:00Dog WorkerZephyr and Astro got the Dog Worker puzzle by Nina Ottosson today. I've wanted to get it for them for a long time, but it's a little pricey. But, I finally just did it and I'm glad I did. I think it will be a lot of fun.<br />
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This is Zephyr's first time seeing it. I was really happy with how he went right at it. He likes to use his paws and nose.<br />
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Astro was game from the start too. My click was late and then he didn't find his treat, but he continued. I first saw this puzzle done by the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dQYDiEHplc">Greyhound Carly</a>, with Joan Malak. Astro is related to Carly and I think it's neat that Astro used his mouth to lift the blocks like Carly.Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-23278783367454949862014-01-22T12:15:00.002-08:002015-09-26T09:47:02.862-07:00Arizona Highways<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last March Astro and I were asked to be part of a filming of the agility club in Cottonwood, AZ for the Arizona Highways Magazine television show. It was a lot of fun and it was part of a show that aired in late May. Here is the clip from the show.<br />
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<a href="http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/water_cooler/arizona-highways-canines-compete-for-title-of-top-dog-on-obstacle-course-video">Astro on Arizona Highways Magazine television show</a>Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-17492733970212321802014-01-21T21:24:00.000-08:002014-01-21T21:24:15.364-08:00All is Well<br />
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Just wanted to do a quick post to say that we are all doing well. Just haven't been able to update the blog in a long time. Sorry I haven't been around to visit my blog friends in so long. I've just been busy with work and basically just everyday things. Astro is doing great in agility. We are working on our Excellent titles in Standard and Jumpers with Weaves.<br />
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Zephyr turned seven on January 6. We celebrated with Surf and Turf, beef bones and salmon.<br />
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We celebrated Christmas in Phoenix with my parents.<br />
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The weather was lovely and the boys always enjoy the grass.<br />
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Both Zephyr and Astro have been super healthy.<br />
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All of the fun left everyone feeling like this. Hope everyone is doing well!Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-19882390650546147452013-05-16T21:52:00.003-07:002013-05-16T21:54:17.916-07:00Spring Has Sprung<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since it's finally starting to warm up everyone has been able to spend more time outside. The cats tend to get on each others nerves so it's nice to be able to let them go outside and relax.<br />
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Zephyr and Astro have been enjoying basking in the sun with some bones.<br />
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Out of all my cats Annie is the one who likes to go out and explore the most. She will jump the fence and I often have to go find her. Usually when I find her, she insists that I not carry her and that she is quite capable of walking back to the house on her own. In the past I've lost a couple cats to the outdoor dangers, so I don't let mine wonder much.<br />
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Astro thought he would just hang out in the sun for awhile and thaw out.<br />
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<br />Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-31985513074792736982013-05-15T13:42:00.000-07:002013-05-15T13:42:30.725-07:00Don't Bug Me!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is what I woke up to on April 1, and it was not a joke. Poor Zephyr had been bitten by something and had hives all over his head and face, and lesser amounts on his neck, chest, and front and even back legs. For some reason there weren't many on his torso. I'm not sure what got him, but I suspect that it could have been a spider in the night, which really freaked me out and pissed me off. If you look on his right cheek, left side of the picture, you can probably see it looks more swollen than the other side. That is where I suspect the bite was. The skin in that area was also more dark red and bruised looking. Luckily the only reaction he seemed to have was the hives and they didn't seem to bother him too much. He ate breakfast and seemed happy as normal.<br />
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I came home to check on him at lunch and it all seemed about the same. We had an appointment with the vet that afternoon and she asked me to give him Benadryl in the mean time. I always have Benadryl because sometimes I take it and I know it's good to have it on hand for the animals. Of course this time I open the bottle and there is only one left and he needed four 25mg tabs. When I got home in the afternoon he was a little better, but with his funny immune system we went in to the vet's to be safe. With the excitement at the office the hives flared up again. He received a shot of Benadryl and a steroid shot. We also checked his blood platelets (or was it the red blood cell count?) to make sure they weren't too high from the allergic reaction, because that can cause dehydration. He was at about 60. That is high for a normal dog, but Greyhounds are always high plus we live at 7,000 ft elevation which makes it higher. So, he was fine in that regard. By the next morning the hives were pretty much gone, but he got another dose of Benadryl to be safe.<br />
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I was really upset at the thought of a spider crawling around the bedroom at night and munching on my boy! It was early spring and I had notice they were starting to come out and had seen a few in the house. But, I don't think there are an abnormally high number of spiders in the house. I suppose it could have been something outside, but there weren't many wasps or bees out at that time. I often find myself asking why do all these unfortunate things happen to Zephyr? It just doesn't seem fair! All I can say is thankfully he also has an amazing ability heal and recover.Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-38947439496125923992013-05-14T14:36:00.000-07:002013-05-14T14:36:04.258-07:00School Boys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In an attempt to prevent Zephyr and Astro from getting cuts on their feet and legs I've taken them to some different areas to run lately. One place that we've gone is the school field.<br />
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I've always wanted to take them there, but because there was an open section of the fence by the road I hesitated.<br />
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Recently they put a full gate in that area so we went and tried it out. They had a great time running through the field.</div>
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We had the whole place to ourselves for over an hour and not a drop of blood was shed. Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-77864553421865371302013-03-16T22:21:00.001-07:002013-03-17T07:56:15.854-07:00The Luckiest Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Six years ago on March 17, St. Patrick's Day, this little guy came into my life. He was 10 weeks old. Definitely one of the luckiest and happiest days of my life. To celebrate I thought I would share some pictures from Zephyr's puppyhood. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYTcgZ0zO7TAI1guJqGmXrFFhrPFAg0pS_HDDU8OLTJefQT66rTEj3_Y4qSY1FlUVjD-ZPT5LNOqwfpiySwd0d9_O0Zz4TAnF_RRrHXd1GtmaVQkhL0bhld9tlPMEo9F9fQqlmAeLSTcQ/s1600/DSCN2771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYTcgZ0zO7TAI1guJqGmXrFFhrPFAg0pS_HDDU8OLTJefQT66rTEj3_Y4qSY1FlUVjD-ZPT5LNOqwfpiySwd0d9_O0Zz4TAnF_RRrHXd1GtmaVQkhL0bhld9tlPMEo9F9fQqlmAeLSTcQ/s400/DSCN2771.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Zephyr was the happiest puppy from the first day. It's really hard to believe that he has been with me for six years. Time goes by too fast.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMwTyrnZWxbqBZTMBb7H99H0S-PWMeJhYjOcE23Cm0wwvdlD1DEJ8ppmgLS7MikjipOEt2MAvxsWSSk00X0yF1kg13voW-Vh8EvaeHFYHQ3lMMIwYUj14yKeNM0Kdn1gwi0zijlbYV2l7/s1600/zeph+tennis+ball.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMwTyrnZWxbqBZTMBb7H99H0S-PWMeJhYjOcE23Cm0wwvdlD1DEJ8ppmgLS7MikjipOEt2MAvxsWSSk00X0yF1kg13voW-Vh8EvaeHFYHQ3lMMIwYUj14yKeNM0Kdn1gwi0zijlbYV2l7/s400/zeph+tennis+ball.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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He still loves his tennis balls.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKA5qyHUZ3Bp5Anz7yYF8CQSfXOehyDHeNKY0OWKG7WaJtWMKdeO7Kd40T2CEA5ejKSGtlFREaW3ptvDI7LRf8ZVu3-5ON_dW5TuCDOEZAaDV0fXJG-7N_lkb5w_KyPYcBt_Zj1u04dMp/s1600/zephyr+w-giraffe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKA5qyHUZ3Bp5Anz7yYF8CQSfXOehyDHeNKY0OWKG7WaJtWMKdeO7Kd40T2CEA5ejKSGtlFREaW3ptvDI7LRf8ZVu3-5ON_dW5TuCDOEZAaDV0fXJG-7N_lkb5w_KyPYcBt_Zj1u04dMp/s400/zephyr+w-giraffe.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
Zephyr was my first puppy and my first dog in over 20 years. Oh the mistakes I made when raising him that I wish I could go back and redo. That's how all first time parents feel, right? ;-) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlskbu-pj50mdcFZ7TsbjKIfDgQuyFLpodEFzusngo6aBGhYuPCd_IuyNn6dwaghARxbu7iq1p9Mha1sL7X2vxto2aTUBzuJL72DWnbDSPfFYONB_woIwPhRB1b07nLzD7xCo77aq7fq1H/s1600/DSCN2852.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlskbu-pj50mdcFZ7TsbjKIfDgQuyFLpodEFzusngo6aBGhYuPCd_IuyNn6dwaghARxbu7iq1p9Mha1sL7X2vxto2aTUBzuJL72DWnbDSPfFYONB_woIwPhRB1b07nLzD7xCo77aq7fq1H/s400/DSCN2852.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div>
But, he made it through. Zephyr was a really good puppy. I hear that some people think greyhound puppies are a handful. I guess I don't have anything to compare to, but I don't really agree. Zephyr never destroyed anything that wasn't paper. He was, and is, well read. I do remember being very tired with midnight outings and making sure he got plenty of exercise and play, but it seems like all puppies need that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VSan9OVYfmg0DjfmA66sKKMRb07cGXLvDJClwtnf5rheTWb7t0r6kAlr-oWRFOuU0lBPvEjbmmMoqgkIO5_3lZxNSqK6hPhaOmj-qjvt_mXuKbpIfZr-WhMdkssGlY-OcZLHnr3FIYG4/s1600/DSCN2867.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VSan9OVYfmg0DjfmA66sKKMRb07cGXLvDJClwtnf5rheTWb7t0r6kAlr-oWRFOuU0lBPvEjbmmMoqgkIO5_3lZxNSqK6hPhaOmj-qjvt_mXuKbpIfZr-WhMdkssGlY-OcZLHnr3FIYG4/s400/DSCN2867.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div>
Right now this big puppy is sleeping upside down on the couch leaning on me. I'm so lucky!<br />
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Two years ago on March 17, St. Patrick's Day, I checked Zephyr into the Veterinary Neurology Center in Phoenix and found out he had immune mediated encephalitis. It was not a happy day at all and what transpired after that was horrible. But, I do consider it a very lucky day because if I wouldn't have got him to the Neurology Center he wouldn't be here today. It kind of feels like it was his second gotcha day and like somebody was saying, "Oh wait, this is a mistake, it's not this one's time yet."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_XdboAo1BbZ6W4_TQTRfCPD7PQWAwGefF4huOpvLE-HwEzxdDVBrk_fvc74xWx49YvdX7IVULjCClHlMGcA1Ifeav9XkcxDWuFfANeaT2NjRMu-LNpKoQfkQnmZFdk8lB5QyDCNx_47w/s1600/DSC_0047.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_XdboAo1BbZ6W4_TQTRfCPD7PQWAwGefF4huOpvLE-HwEzxdDVBrk_fvc74xWx49YvdX7IVULjCClHlMGcA1Ifeav9XkcxDWuFfANeaT2NjRMu-LNpKoQfkQnmZFdk8lB5QyDCNx_47w/s400/DSC_0047.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div>
Zephyr finished his chemotherapy treatment for the encephalitis last January and stopped taking prednisone last summer. I don't know what caused the encephalitis, his neurologist once said that she thought he probably came in contact with something, but who knows what. I still worry about it just about every day, but luckily he's shown no signs of the encephalitis and is super healthy. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaJF82VEOwhgWfZsdSyKT_xpmyckuZzMvb9skBDFg83CaRpxsKasbLH4XUZ58oxr-mvvMoTz4ZYG7G7A1DWWMGvlHHsJfmpJp44Mc4X9cR4vcVHlJQV78tgNZSEy0oBnSoH_xlAVG9gip/s1600/DSC_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaJF82VEOwhgWfZsdSyKT_xpmyckuZzMvb9skBDFg83CaRpxsKasbLH4XUZ58oxr-mvvMoTz4ZYG7G7A1DWWMGvlHHsJfmpJp44Mc4X9cR4vcVHlJQV78tgNZSEy0oBnSoH_xlAVG9gip/s400/DSC_0045.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Since our big snow storm one week ago we've had above normal temperatures and most of the snow has melted. This has made for some nice hikes in the forest. To prevent more injuries I've been keeping Zephyr and Astro mostly on leash.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXCv328IyrDqikVZrHAOczEaJksD5NCQsz_ovLxhewqhYR9c1jzx7QCVk8CofeHo1UZeE2jbf4uMBnV7ADZVpLOe6id7NGvuY7BhxpML4A9poodhDHgndLq68boKHV2zbcRJyPYE4Ltpn/s1600/DSC_0086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXCv328IyrDqikVZrHAOczEaJksD5NCQsz_ovLxhewqhYR9c1jzx7QCVk8CofeHo1UZeE2jbf4uMBnV7ADZVpLOe6id7NGvuY7BhxpML4A9poodhDHgndLq68boKHV2zbcRJyPYE4Ltpn/s400/DSC_0086.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Yesterday I let them off leash one at a time so they could stretch their legs without running completely full out and crazy together.<br />
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They ended up very happy muddy puppies.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-hUbU9s7ruUc7woZ7l7f0rz9NtlUcNJjNIUCF6-31eGWHU6jHkjWAz93847rGemVO2mSpPLcO-k7DKi050JUTZNX4YvI0L119JnOB0OaT4DyTfvX5VBfNXLfR2-sMQOenU4MXVgpxXe5/s1600/DSC_0103.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-hUbU9s7ruUc7woZ7l7f0rz9NtlUcNJjNIUCF6-31eGWHU6jHkjWAz93847rGemVO2mSpPLcO-k7DKi050JUTZNX4YvI0L119JnOB0OaT4DyTfvX5VBfNXLfR2-sMQOenU4MXVgpxXe5/s400/DSC_0103.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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After three rounds each of being off leash I was brave enough to let them off at the same time. We had a nice calm wander through the forest on the way home. Once again I was feeling very lucky. Wishing you all lots of luck and happiness this St. Patrick's Day!</div>
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Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-43334981863196248522013-03-12T22:09:00.000-07:002015-10-29T19:09:39.612-07:00Astro's Been Busy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWo4c8nYBLsyDB79W9ednyVy_4IRwEum-GVj3y6TlXmcTTHp0vPaf5TaHyppwNxhPp9-UmVfrK6s6Faik8twEe_xx9VKQCynLZlHFxIfZAfo4DkZADirHt2YfkvrUhzv6UuqoWBYwzZGg/s1600/883417_2958349133619_1707159746_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWo4c8nYBLsyDB79W9ednyVy_4IRwEum-GVj3y6TlXmcTTHp0vPaf5TaHyppwNxhPp9-UmVfrK6s6Faik8twEe_xx9VKQCynLZlHFxIfZAfo4DkZADirHt2YfkvrUhzv6UuqoWBYwzZGg/s400/883417_2958349133619_1707159746_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love his tail and ears in this picture. Fiesta Cluster, March 2 &3, 2013. Thanks to Denise Titzler for this picture.</td></tr>
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Astro and I have been having fun entering some agility trials in Phoenix this winter. In December and January we entered some USDAA trials and did well with a couple qualifying runs. We were entered in an AKC trial in late January, but it was rained out. In late February we went to the USDAA Southwest Regional trial and were part of a young dog team and tried out the Master Agility Dog challenge courses. Our last trial was the Fiesta Cluster where we were also entered in Rally Advanced for the first time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBc32tHVYsaD4oD2QhgqGu4fwmXf7FUpcVSXL43GplelbjgmI0uKORu1fRzetAuanANd1PK_Ofe8Wzrh5Zpds9aPpUzo_1-TClSmqgltZl4JhhgedA0VcSERyhRw9bz96DwgxwCgjAK4Eo/s1600/astro_+vsdgr+oct+2012+2+web.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBc32tHVYsaD4oD2QhgqGu4fwmXf7FUpcVSXL43GplelbjgmI0uKORu1fRzetAuanANd1PK_Ofe8Wzrh5Zpds9aPpUzo_1-TClSmqgltZl4JhhgedA0VcSERyhRw9bz96DwgxwCgjAK4Eo/s400/astro_+vsdgr+oct+2012+2+web.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
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This collage is actually from our <a href="http://hikinghounds.blogspot.com/2012/11/astros-first-akc-agility-trial.html">first AKC trial</a> , Valle Del Sol Golden Retriever Club trial, back in October. I was so happy to be able to get lots of pictures from our first trial. Again I really love his beautiful long tail and how he uses it when jumping and turning. The shot of him going through the tire jump was the last obstacle on our first Standard run, which was our first AKC qualifying run. :-)<br />
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This picture is from the same trial and is the last jump of our last run. We were also the last team to run at the trial. We didn't qualify on this run, but I thought it was one of our best Jumpers runs. I love this picture because I remember the moment exactly and we both look relaxed and happy. I was watching Astro jump and thinking of how much I love him and how happy I was that we had entered our first AKC trail and made it through with happiness and success. Hard to believe that Karen DeLong caught it on film.<br />
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This collage is from the Good Dog Agility USDAA trial, January 5 & 6. We had a great trial and qualified on both runs, Standard and Gamblers, on Saturday. I was really happy with how well Astro did at a brand new location. We were both a little tired on Sunday, but it was still a good day. I have to say that I love Astro's weaves. Sometimes he really rocks it through the weaves, and that weekend he definitely was.</div>
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The USDAA Southwest regional was lots of fun and very challenging. On Friday we ran the Master's Challenge courses. We were part of a novice dog team and entered just to have fun and try out the courses. I was really happy with how well Astro did on these curvy tight courses that aren't really designed for dogs of his size. We were able to try and do some handling that we'd only done in practice. Another big thing for me was that we ran in rings that were not fenced, only posts with a ribbon around the ring, and not once did Astro think of leaving the ring. I had always worried about this because, well, he's a Greyhound who likes to kick it out and zoom occasionally.</div>
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Here is our Team Jumpers and Standard runs. Please remember these were super hard courses, some top agility people were there running them, so we were far from smooth. Also, please ignore my high pitched voice, I was a bit nervous. :-) </div>
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USDAA Team Jumpers (Sorry, I can't get this to center on the page.)</div>
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USDAA Team Standard</div>
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Our last trial was the Fiesta Cluster AKC trial. This is a really big trial with confirmation, Obedience, Rally, and Agility. So lots of action and things for pups who need to pay attention to get distracted by. :-) We entered Rally Advanced which was a challenge with Astro being off leash at this level. I had to work really hard to keep him close to me and in general heal position. We didn't qualify on Saturday, I don't think any of the Advanced A teams that day. On Sunday, again with a lot of work and patience, we were the only Advanced A team to qualify. Our score was 84. At the end both the judge and I started laughing. I laughed because I was so relieved to have made it through and I think she did because she knew we had worked hard and could probably feel my relief. I actually didn't think we had qualified, you need a score of 70, and was really surprised to see we had. I think we are going to get out and practice in some different locations before entering another Rally trial. The main thing we need to improve is just keeping Astro closer to me and in position for doing the exercises. </div>
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Our Saturday Novice Jumpers run.</div>
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Agility went well too. We had a qualifying Jumpers run on Saturday. We did have a refusal when Astro missed a jump. Jumpers has been harder for us and I really want to improve my handling when I need to turn him.</div>
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Our Saturday Open Standard run.</div>
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I was really happy with our first Open Standard run. With one exception, Astro has decided he wants a running contact (does not stop at the bottom of the A-Frame, Dogwalk, Teeter) most of the time in trials. Because of this I pulled us from a trial we were entered in this month to give us more time to proof contacts. I'm sure the problem has to do with not getting a lot of practice because of winter weather and probably some ring adrenaline and nerves on both of our parts. Winter is dog show/trial season in Arizona, which is great if you live in most of AZ. But, when you live in the small area of Arizona that actually has a real winter and gets a lot of snow it makes it really hard to practice and stay ready for trials. Astro actually makes the contacts most of the time even if he doesn't stop, but being a big dog I think it's likely that he would miss a lot of the contacts if we switched to a running contact because his stride is longer than the yellow contact area. </div>
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I think we are mostly caught up with the events of the past few months. I'm really looking forward to spring and getting out for some fun hikes and agility.</div>
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Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-82319867518054921092013-03-10T22:58:00.000-07:002013-03-10T22:58:22.240-07:00Ouch!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zephyr recovering from his forest accident and trip to the veterinarian.</td></tr>
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On January 31 I took Zephyr and Astro out for a forest hike after work. At that time the forest was mostly covered in snow, but had some areas that were clear of snow. When we reached an open area I let them off leash to have a run. It's area that the boys have run in many times. They had a grand time zooming through the forest and playing in the snow. After a few minutes Zephyr came up and I looked down to see a huge laceration on the front of his hock. I immediately knew that we were headed to the vet's office and called them right then to tell them we were coming. However we were about a mile into the forest and had to walk home.<br />
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I quickly looked at the gash and saw that it was down to the muscle and tendon with a flap of skin and pocket below the open part of the laceration. I'm sure he hit the front of his hock on a log or rock when he was running. Luckily it wasn't really hurting Zephyr and he could walk with no problems, so we booked it home. At first the goofball still wanted to run and play on leash. As we got closer to home he did start to limp. We made it to the vet's in 45 minutes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a really nice wrap job you've got there Zephyr. His foot was bandaged for two weeks, with changes in between. He didn't have any trouble with rubbing of toes or skin.</td></tr>
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After the Dr. looked at it she really thought he needed to go under anesthesia so she could clean it out and check the muscle and tendons thoroughly. This really freaked me out because Zephyr hasn't been under since his last MRI and spinal tap for the encephalitis. I worry about everything with him. After I expressed all my concerns I did agree to let her put him under. She was nice enough to let him come home that night, which, believe me, was better for them because Zephyr needed his seizure pill at midnight and he has a tad of separation anxiety.<br />
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Zephyr had no problems with the anesthesia and ended up with eleven stitches and a drain. Luckily there was no damage to the muscle or tendons. When I picked him up he was still very drowsy and needed a little help walking and climbing into the car. They had given him a bag of fluids so he really needed to potty when we got home. Then he fell asleep for few hours. When he woke up his foot was a bit tender, and the next morning too. But, he wanted to eat before going back to sleep. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ya, that's right, I messed the bed up and look how cute I am. Don't you like my duct tape?</td></tr>
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Thankfully, his foot was not painful after a day or so, and healed really well. I did have to put a plastic bag or bootie on it to protect it from snow every time he went out, but that worked out okay. The worst for Zephyr was that the antibiotic, clindamycin, gave the poor boy very loose stool. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All healed up and ready to go.</td></tr>
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After the stitches were removed he still had to wear a bootie to prevent him from licking it as the area continued to heal. As usual Zephyr handled everything and healed really well. I just wish we could avoid these episodes. It could have been worse though, a friend's dog broke a toe doing the exact same thing just a week later. Needless to say there are a few less dogs flying through the snowy forest in our area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, I just need to roll around and kick it out in this fresh new snow.</td></tr>
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But, that does not include the snowy back yard. This weekend we got over a foot of new snow and Zephyr had a great time romping.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look Mom, I'm a Pharaoh Hound!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WEEE!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm done Zephyr!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geez, he can be a pest when he's feeling good.</td></tr>
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Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-75836077429657884712013-03-05T14:35:00.003-08:002013-03-05T14:35:45.658-08:00Very Happy Belated Birthday, Zephyr!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well I must be the worst mom ever. Months have gone by since Zephyr's 6th birthday, two to be exact, and I have not properly celebrated it with our blog friends. Obviously I've been a little out of touch.<br />
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January 6 was Zephyr's birthday. It's hard to believe he is 6 years old. Zephyr says six is the new three and he wanted his birthday post to show him in all his glory. So, he's giving you a peak at his new layout that will be in next month's issue of PlayGrey. ;-)<br />
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Cute and Coy.</div>
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What a tease!</div>
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Seriously handsome. (We'll explain the bandage later)</div>
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Playful too.</div>
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Enjoying a tasty birthday treat.</div>
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Cares about others and shares.</div>
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How is Zephyr such a sweet hottie at 6 years old? Lots of beauty rest. Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-62951890530816086472012-12-25T20:50:00.000-08:002012-12-25T20:50:46.125-08:00Merry Christmas<br />
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I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. I haven't blogged lately, but everything is going well and everyone is happy and healthy. We had a late start to winter this year. Our first snow came about a week and a half ago and it seems like it's been snowing off and on ever since. <br />
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It was a big storm and we got at least a foot and a half of snow. At the start of the storm I saw a few birds searching around my empty feeder. I filled it up and the next thing I knew all the neighborhood birds were at the feeder. They are really pretty in the snow.<br />
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Zephyr and Astro had a blast romping in the snow as usual. About two months ago Zephyr did pull a muscle in his left rear leg. So, I guess we've had a small health issue. It happened while he was behaving like a crazy pup flying through the house, spinning 360s, jumping and spinning on my bed, and ruffing it up with Astro. It's actually a reoccurring injury, but this is the first time it's happened in almost two years, before his encephalitis.<br />
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Luckily, it hasn't been quite as bad as before. I've been taking him for cold laser therapy to help it heal. I'm not sure if it is helping. He still gets sore some times. Obviously it's not keeping him down much. Actually I should try to keep him down a bit more.<br />
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But, it's hard to keep a good dog down. It was so great to see them so happy playing in the snow again. </div>
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A short video of them zooming around. Sorry for the annoying focus motor noise. I tried shooting the video on a motion tracking setting and it caused the focus to constantly adjust.<br />
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After a busy day of watching birds on the deck, dogs playing, and Mom clear snow Pablo needs to rest. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!<br />
<br />Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-64046397085810703582012-11-27T21:21:00.000-08:002012-11-27T21:21:02.754-08:00Cozy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbWCQI8GjstZjg1jmxInfMxYIrUzWcR3ieAf_TXm0YfApeFh7FPGdJqkCWNaHyzupAv_8MJxCIUFZKEDhIYXxmhGTojQHXMXyQ1Gg4aKqXWRJYKr1deRLZmXVw9GeaMyb2mnxytKt56BS/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbWCQI8GjstZjg1jmxInfMxYIrUzWcR3ieAf_TXm0YfApeFh7FPGdJqkCWNaHyzupAv_8MJxCIUFZKEDhIYXxmhGTojQHXMXyQ1Gg4aKqXWRJYKr1deRLZmXVw9GeaMyb2mnxytKt56BS/s400/DSC_0001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392329128384689243.post-201078388693597322012-11-23T20:47:00.000-08:002015-10-29T19:09:53.956-07:00Astro's Second AKC Agility Trial<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wRU_uQJk2eX_Yq5IhxDHSUYWeNss3g33f9vlSRqyd9NCunuE8qckfaxoNxrwHoD9J_AJUex5LLttOw1Sjp4vFNC_3dkVS86i5bL_F-tQT5ZckWMdv_2FuPhuEc9HqMbekw6Ov7ct1koO/s1600/DSC_0026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wRU_uQJk2eX_Yq5IhxDHSUYWeNss3g33f9vlSRqyd9NCunuE8qckfaxoNxrwHoD9J_AJUex5LLttOw1Sjp4vFNC_3dkVS86i5bL_F-tQT5ZckWMdv_2FuPhuEc9HqMbekw6Ov7ct1koO/s400/DSC_0026.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Astro's Novice Standard Agility title ribbon. Our first AKC agility title. He's such a cutie.</td></tr>
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Astro and I went to the Superstition Kennel Club agility trial the weekend of November 10 and 11. We were entered in Standard and Jumpers both days. The trial was in Tempe, AZ. The weather was cool that weekend and I actually had to wear a sweatshirt all day. This made for a spunky puppy for our early morning runs. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from the trial. Astro did a great job though and it was a really fun weekend. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOldtVJj6cCCDd1XUu5D1Xri7_kt1gcG6B0wuPkEfoIRNSfiP26ECyM9K_OA5juUt9N1aRvFDeIRkdvoxu3orhk_A9wLFEufkItnWMCdcMJDfY16R5DlQ8S_RZWwnnvRWT1cFGBopDX8m/s1600/DSC_0020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOldtVJj6cCCDd1XUu5D1Xri7_kt1gcG6B0wuPkEfoIRNSfiP26ECyM9K_OA5juUt9N1aRvFDeIRkdvoxu3orhk_A9wLFEufkItnWMCdcMJDfY16R5DlQ8S_RZWwnnvRWT1cFGBopDX8m/s400/DSC_0020.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always givin' kisses.</td></tr>
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On Sunday we had our third qualifying run in Standard and completed our Novice Standard Agility title. It was a really nice run. Our only mistake was that Astro went past the Table before he hopped up, a 5 point deduction. He also had an Astro moment when all of a sudden he thought he might go say "Hi" to a dog that was sitting calmly on the other side of the ring fence. Luckily it was only a short distance and he came right back. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeYJdD-f3Jgmuij70nUeRHUJwV8RpPo5GTe3OieBOrrdWdAWfwRACBn1GkkPMLnR1GMjQYNhkeRPWLKg9O2-i3gloqAYKT0Wd-j1rlwHYGFMX5DBzHmMxaQHuAGka3gr9U8nTpaxRZfU4/s1600/DSC_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeYJdD-f3Jgmuij70nUeRHUJwV8RpPo5GTe3OieBOrrdWdAWfwRACBn1GkkPMLnR1GMjQYNhkeRPWLKg9O2-i3gloqAYKT0Wd-j1rlwHYGFMX5DBzHmMxaQHuAGka3gr9U8nTpaxRZfU4/s400/DSC_0034.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice Photobomb Zephyr! Enlarge photo for the full effect. :-)</td></tr>
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I never thought that we would finish a novice title in only two trials. I'm so happy with how well Astro is doing, especially with staying focused on me and agility in new locations. I know we still to to improve in many areas, but I think we can do it.</div>
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We also had our first qualifying run in Jumpers with Weaves on Saturday. I was really happy with this as Jumpers has been a little harder for us. It was a fun run. I'm not sure if I'll move us up to the Standard Open class in our next trial. We will still be in novice for everything else and that can cause ring time conflicts, which would cause some unneeded stress. I also wouldn't mind having some time for use to gain confidence and smooth things out a bit more before moving up.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcw_Q6L3wGWCftZ2RiWu0IZt0yL1IEkRCWd_I2StNWQjZzjuTjONwfG-NeN87grvAJDlx9AUDS3Jc9QpPUrIJAVYgizXd5L_N_pdPl3DyEg9lYYDXUYKKG8QYAzfimIb2PJQvdp5YfKPmc/s1600/DSC_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcw_Q6L3wGWCftZ2RiWu0IZt0yL1IEkRCWd_I2StNWQjZzjuTjONwfG-NeN87grvAJDlx9AUDS3Jc9QpPUrIJAVYgizXd5L_N_pdPl3DyEg9lYYDXUYKKG8QYAzfimIb2PJQvdp5YfKPmc/s400/DSC_0045.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"That's what you get for going to trials and taking pictures without me!"</td></tr>
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In my defense of "Poor Zephyr" in his Photobomb, I actually intended to take ribbon pictures with both Zephyr and Astro as I'm convinced that Zephyr gives Astro private training while I'm at work each day. ;-) However, they could not maintain any self control and bounced around wrestling and generally behaved like the little beasties that they are, preventing any decent photo's from being taken. :-) So, Zephyr had to go into the pool area. In typical Zephyr fashion he couldn't let us forget about him. But, who would want to?</div>
Hiking Houndshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02364529045292356744noreply@blogger.com5