So guess where I spent this afternoon? In the emergency vet clinic again! I was outside with Noodle in the agility area setting jumps when I looked over and saw her mouthing something. I opened her mouth, and there was a rock slightly bigger than a quarter way at the back of her throat. I tried to grab it, but she swallowed it before I could get a hold of it. Off to the clinic we went! they gave her some stuff to make her throw up, but no rock appeared. They then did x-rays, and sure enough you could see the rock clearly at the bottom of her stomach.

The vet said there was a good chance she could pass the rock, but we were to keep an eye on her for the next couple days and go through her poop to see if we could see when the rock passes. If it doesn't pass within a couple days, she should go get x-rayed again at our own vet to see if it has moved at all. Damn. Always something.

It's Pretzel's 6th birthday! Can you believe he is 6? He is my old soul/puppy all rolled up into one. The "man" who truly changed my life forever (for the better, of course!). Without him, I would have never met Mark, I would have never met all of these great friends I have, I would have never discovered my love for conformation and agility, I would have never accomplished my goal of being #1 in the country in something. He has been a great challenge, a major joy, and a fountain of love for me.

Pretzel got to celebrate by being forced to war a birthday hat alongside Noodle, and they got to eat some grey-iced Weimaraner cookies. The cookies consisted of pumpkin, whole wheat flour, eggs, peanut butter, and some other little random bake-y things like baking soda and stuff (can you tell the kitchen is NOT my forte?). The icing was made from solidified coconut oil with a dab of black food coloring to make it grey.

In other news, Noodle made another trip to the vet today. The rock she swallowed on Sunday has not shown up in her poop, so I needed to have an x-ray taken to see if it had moved at all, and if it was in a position to cause any problems. Before you ask...YES...we have been going through her poop very carefully. I believe there was only one pile we might have missed. Good times.

The vet took x-rays, and found...nothing! He did see some small mineral particles in her intestine, so either she passed the rock completely, or she managed to digest and break up the rock into pieces. This, of course, was great news. I am very relieved we don't have to worry about surgery, or going through any more of her poop.

While the rest of the world was either asleep or chilling on their couch, Noodle and I were doing our late night training session! We had the facility to ourselves (go figure, who else wants to train at 10pm?)

I worked on doing longer courses with rewards coming at the end of the course. I am happy that she nailed every single 2 on-2 off contact but one. She also nailed the tough weave pole entry that Pretzel and I worked on yesterday in class (and she actually did a lot better than him).

I am trying to not get too excited. Of course she was a rock star...we were the only ones in the building and there were ZERO distractions. But I can't help feeling pretty good about what we were doing. It's got to start somewhere, right?

I feel kind of bad...a friend texted me to ask if I was getting excited about Corky's upcoming foal, and I said Nope, not even thinking about it. This is true. I really am not thinking about it. I mean, I am doing the necessary things like getting her vaccinations done, etc., but I am not letting an ounce of emotion get in the way of what I am doing. Maybe if I don't get excited, nothing bad will happen? 24 days...

Today I spent the day doing field training width Pretzel and Noodle. We really need the practice, the hunt test is in a little over a month!

Today, Noodle gets the rock star status. She actually behaved better than Pretzel, for a change! Granted, it was marginally better. Both dogs have a problem with hunting way too far away from me, and then flushing the birds on their own before I can get to them. We worked a bit with the bird on a string to train the "whoa" command. As usual, it was a ton of fun, and the weather was perfect. we are coming back tomorrow!

We went back for more field training today. I think we made a lot of progress today! We put the quail in these little baskets and planted them, worked on Pretzel and Noodle holding their point. It worked a lot better today. Then we ran a mock hunt test for each of them. Pretzel was braced with Mia, a German Shorthaired Pointer bitch. Pretzel hunted hard, and scared up two birds while he was running, but he never got a solid point.

Noodle was braced with a 7 month old weimaraner puppy. She hunted HARD, unfortunately she grabbed a bird without pointing, and then pointed several spots but couldn't produce a bird. So...if this was a real hunt test, but my dogs would have failed. Boo. We have a lot of work to do! On the good side, both of my dogs hunted hard and paid virtually no attention to their bracemates, which is a BIG deal (especially for Noodle!). that was a very good sign.

When I got home, I pulled Noodle out of her crate in the car and noticed she wasn't putting any weight on her right hind leg. There was a huge bump on the side of her leg. She must have injured herself on that last run in the field. We headed to MedVet, where they x-rayed that leg first to see if they could see a bone injury. Thankfully, they saw nothing that was broken. However, this looks suspiciously like a possible ligament or tendon tear. That is serious. I had to make an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon to do more investigating.

To say I am devastated is an understatement. This could be 6 months of rest and healing. I am so worried and upset. There goes our agility year, all of our plans, her big Futurity show next month. All these plans...possibly gone forever. I am terrified.

Today we had an appointment for Noodle at MedVet with the orthopedic surgeon for a consult. I went in to the appointment with my hopes already smashed. With my luck, I have a lot of experience preparing for the worst and getting just that. The first thing they did was take Noodle back for more x-rays. There is another swelling on that same leg, on the opposite side and higher. I am not sure if that has been there all along or is a new development. You really only notice it when you compare the two legs side by side.

Well, the findings were a but muddy, but better than expected. The vet was not sure if that "new" swelling was an old injury or not. They did a separate x-ray of that joint, but of course the expert radiologist was not available to read it today so I will have to wait another day to get the expert diagnosis on that. However, the original injury seems to be something that might just heal without surgery, only crate rest. She said there are a few tiny bone fragments from the ligament pulling off the bone. These fragments are too tiny to remove or re-attach. The vet recommended 2 weeks of crate rest (oh boy!) and then we will go back for a re-evaluation.

Amazingly, she said that if they re-evaluate in 2 weeks and find her healed, then I can start gradually back to work. Although the next 2 weekends of agility are out, there is a very slim possibility that we might be able to do the trial and futurity in Perry, Georgia in mid-April. We also have our first hunt test the following weekend. It is not definite, but there is a tiny sliver of hope.

Even if she doesn't make those events, it does look like we might be able to get back to agility later this spring. I am so relieved!!! I just have to be patient...and deal with Noodle in a crate all day. Yeah. that's NOT going to be easy. She is such a high-drive animal that loves to work. Inactivity is not her friend. But you know me, I will do ALL that i can to keep her happy and healthy. Whatever it takes!

I had already paid in advance for the rental of the agility training building for the next 4 weeks, so tonight I decided to bring Pretzel and give him a little one-on-one time. I think he enjoyed it. He started off rather unmotivated, especially when I tried doing some complicated stuff with him. I took a step back and ran some very bog, open, flowing courses, and he got his mojo back. By the end, he was really running well and with enthusiasm. I gave him lots of attention and praise. It was a fun night with my boy, bu man, I sure miss running Noodle with all of her unbridled enthusiasm.

Day #4 of crate rest. I am trying to get creative in keeping Noodle occupied. Lots and lots and lots of peanut butter bones, marrow bones, treats, and training that can be done with her in a laid-down position.

So, today I worked on touching a target, finding a treat hidden under a tennis ball in a muffin tin, holding an object in her mouth, and the ultimate - telling the difference between a fork and a spoon. I remember years ago trying to teach Pretzel this very same thing when we were bored on a snow day. Yeah, that didn't really happen. But hey, it's something to do, right?

Overall, Noodle has been a pretty darn good patient. I thought she would be tearing the walls down, but as long as I am sitting at my desk next to her crate, she is tolerating it OK. that's not to say she doesn't complain about it often, but at least she isn't damaging anything. I just hope and pray that she recovered quickly and completely.

My friend brought her two dogs up from Cincinnati to practice conformation with me. I am kind of excited I get to show this handsome guy in the Futurity next month. Hopefully I can get him more comfortable with me, and trained a little bit. I SO miss showing. Miss it like you wouldn't believe. Now that Noodle's agility has been put on hold, I feel very drift-ish and direction-less. That is not a good feeling for me. My driven personality makes it really hard for me to enjoy the down time. I hate that about myself...why can't I just relax and enjoy the moment?

So, doing what I do best, I went and looked at Pretzel's lifetime NOHS points. He is sitting well into first place with 2710 points. So I start thinking to myself, "What if I could hit a cool 3,000 points? Wouldn't that be really awesome to sit in the record books with that massive number?"

Oh dear... you know what that means. I am thinking of pulling Pretzel out of retirement, just slightly, just enough to try and earn that extra 290 points. Just hit a few shows here and there, just for fun, to keep my hand in it, and have something to work towards. Hmmm...

"Nobody got anywhere in the world by simply being content." - Louis L'Amour

I packed up the dogs in the car and escaped to go check on Corky. She is looking especially pregnant, the baby has dropped. Unfortunately, no milk or wax yet. I have this sinking feeling that she will foal when I am out of town in April. I have some show commitments that I cannot get out of in April. Ugh. If she goes the same as last year, she should foal on March 31st, which would be perfect. But for some reason I am thinking she doesn't look like she will be ready. Who knows, she certainly has fooled me enough times last year!

It was a gorgeous day, unfortunately I was trapped in the house most of the day watching Noodle on crate rest. She was not cooperative today. I think she is sick of her confinement. I don't blame her! I put her outside in the ex-pen in the sun to enjoy some fresh air...that lasted about 10 minutes before she started jumping on the pen wanting to go out and play. *sigh*, back inside we go. I have another whole week of this. I hope we survive.

Saying I am going slightly insane trying to keep Noodle quiet is an understatement. There is no harder task...she is fired up and cannot understand why she doesn't get to run and play anymore. I know she feels good, that's the problem!

We have a new wrinkle in our lives that came about today. I took Noodle outside on a leash to potty. It snowed a bunch, and there was a couple inches on the ground. I saw her pee, and I saw a couple drops of blood. Next pee, a few more drops of blood. You know what that means. Yep, she is finally coming in season. Doing the math, she will JUST be out in time for the Perry, Georgia agility trial...IF the doc clears her to go back to agility. Yikes. So many obstacles, what's one more in my life?

Pretzel has been sniffing her butt a LOT the past 5-6 days, so I was a bit suspicious. Right now he is slightly interested, but not enough to have to separate them. I don't leave them together unattended, but that will have to change by the weekend, I fear.

"The road that is built in hope is more pleasant to the traveler than the road built in despair, even though they both lead to the same destination"

Another day in restricted paradise...Noodle is frustrated with me, Pretzel feels neglected, Mark s in Europe all week so his dogs are feeling neglected...no one in this house is happy. But it is a road that I must travel right now, so there is no sense in dragging myself down about it. One day at a time, one minute at a time. we will get through this.

Noodle doesn't look any different than yesterday, in regards to her heat cycle. She is a tad bit swollen behind, but no more blood than yesterday, and Pretzel actually seems a little less interested today. Hmmm...being that Noodle is my first intact girl, this is all new for me.

I called my vet yesterday, and he called in a prescription of Trazodone for Noodle. It is an anxiety drug that works as sort of a sedative for dogs that have to be on crate rest. Wowza. I sure wish I had this drug a week ago. While it didn't knock her out completely or make her the least bit wobbly, it did chill her out enough that she was OK with hanging out in her crate (watching television, as you can see by the photos).

Today, Noodle is much more swollen behind, and OMG the blood! Time for the dog underwear. She was making a real mess everywhere. Poor thing. So far Pretzel has been OK with her, but I know that in a few days we will have to impose mandatory separation for the two of them for a couple weeks. I dread that. Nothing is ever easy, is it?

This weekend was a CPE agility trial nearby. Sadly, I had to pull Noodle from the trial, but Pretzel was still entered. I didn't expect much, with Pretzel being so distracted by Noodle and everything that was going on at our house, but he did fairly well today...we went 3 for 4 Q's! That's pretty darn good for us. Every run had some sniffing moments, but we were able to get past that and end each one nice and strong.

Today wasn't quite as successful, but we still went 2 out of 4 Q's. Pretzel was a little more distracted today. We had a bit of a rough evening, he was starting to get really bothered by Noodle and was very whiny. I know it will only get worse. Goody. All part of life, I guess!

I have to admit, I miss running Noodle terribly. I looked at all of these courses and thought about how differently I would have handled them if she was running. I pray pray pray that the vet will release her back to work on Tuesday. I am afraid to even think about the alternative.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Today was Noodle's appointment at MedVet to see how she was recovering, and if she was going to be released back to work. well...I found out a whole lotta nuthin'. The vet felt like she walked and moved completely normal (and she has been since about day 3 of her injury 2 weeks ago). So, either it has healed, or almost healed, but she cannot give me a definitive answer because she wasn't able to give me a definitive diagnosis.

Basically, our plan is to start her lightly back to work, watch her like a hawk, and if I see any signs of lameness or swelling I am to stop immediately and make another appointment. Ugh. I hate that. Absolutely hate it. I want to know! So, my big agility trial in Perry in a few weeks is still hanging by a thread. Not sure if it will happen or not...have to wait and see how she does with moderate exercise.

The show in Perry, Georgia is not only an important agility trial for us, but it is also Noodle's conformation futurity. I fully anticipate getting our butts handed to us (especially since she hasn't eaten in weeks and looks even thinner than normal!). However, I want to do this, it has been a goal of mine, and regardless of the outcome I always have a blast showing her. So we shall see...

On the home front, things are getting crazier by the day. Noodle is in full-blown season. Today is day 7 and things will only get worse from here. Pretzel has really started to become whiney around her today. I have started keeping them separate during the day while I am working. I have a crate next to my desk and I rotate them in and out of the crate. Pretzel will get some relief - we are going to my mom's tomorrow for the day and we will also be spending the weekend with her since it is Easter. It will be good for him to get away from all this hormonal stuff going around.

Today wasn't quite as successful, but we still went 2 out of 4 Q's. Pretzel was a little more distracted today. We had a bit of a rough evening, he was starting to get really bothered by Noodle and was very whiny. I know it will only get worse. Goody. All part of life, I guess!

I have to admit, I miss running Noodle terribly. I looked at all of these courses and thought about how differently I would have handled them if she was running. I pray pray pray that the vet will release her back to work on Tuesday. I am afraid to even think about the alternative.

I am so excited - the show in Alabama next week has BRACE on Sunday! That is where you show two dogs at the same time. I entered Pretzel and Noodle in it...so fun!

So today I decided we needed to practice since we haven't done brace since the Weimaraner National Specialty in June. I figured if I could get these two to behave while Noodle is crazy in season (today is day 9), then we've got it made. They were actually pretty good! It didn't take but a moment for Pretzel to realize this was business time and he got down to work and behaved perfectly. I hope this holds. So far Noodle's season hasn't been too traumatic for him (or me).

I was just starting to feel a little smug, thinking that Noodle's season isn't all that bad! No biggie...

Then came today: Day 10. Pretzel has been pacing frantically and whining. Mark's dogs are in their kennels howling non-stop. No one is happy. No one. The weather has been raining no-stop for 3 days, the property is again under water so no one can even go outside and burn off some energy. When will it end???

On the plus side, I ran Noodle through a set of weaves in the rain yesterday and she nailed them! She has shown zero sign of soreness since she has been off crate rest. heck, she really hasn't shown any sign of soreness since day 2 of her injury. Fingers crossed...

Today my friend came over and brought one of her dogs that I will be showing in the Futurity next month to practice with...I put Noodle and Pretzel in the kennel while I worked with him. They, of course, acted like fools in the kennel knowing there was a strange dog on the property. Later that evening, I watched Noodle come off of her seat on the lazy boy and she lifetd that injured leg a bit when she landed. The second time I saw her do it, I panicked. I saw no other signs of anything the rest of the evening, but I am not taking any chances. Back to MedVet and the orthopedic vet we go...next week. I am so terrified that she possibly re-injured herself, I cannot think straight.

Today is Corky's due date, based on last year's foaling. If she were to go exact;y like last year, she should foal today. well...nope! She doesn't even have any milk yet, nor any real wax. I think she is waiting for me to leave for Alabama next week so she can have her baby in peace.

Noodle still looks 100% today, but I really clamped down on her activity again. She is getting even messier in season...yuck.

Pretzel and I headed to Lorain to spend Easter with my family. Noodle, unfortunately, had to stay home with Mark since she is in season. Poor girl just can't catch a break.