Mz Eep wasn't too sure about the game of "Find Your Mommy". Her first attempt was a "free track" where she broke away from the person handling her, raced up the hill after me and FLUNG herself on me as i lay in the grass. It was funny looking up to see a flying Bouvier with wide eyes bounding over the tussocks towards me - her little face was saying quite clearly "Mum, what are you DOING? and why did you LEAVE me with that person?"
On another starter track she stood still a few yards away from where i was hiding on the hillside and barked for me which was a bit heartbreaking - but i could tell she was thinking things over - on her last attempt she put her nose down and started to use her natural skills to solve the problem. I think she will take another couple of startup sessions to get the hang of it and then we can shift over to working together on tracks i have laid.
Its complicated tracking alone at the beginning.........
My beautiful Harpo boy has had a lot more experience and when it was his turn he knew exactly what to do - he LOVES this game and i was thrilled watching him with his head down reading the tracks i laid and hauling along nicely into his harness - its a fine thing tracking with a Bouvier on a perfect winter day on perfect ground - Thanks, Suzy, for a wonderful day out!
Yesterday Eep wasn't interested in anything and kept taking herself back to bed which is just not like her so i knew something was up. I went over her thoroughly and finally discovered a sore-looking left back foot. On the underside and between the pads the skin was all pink with one curious paler welt. I put some cream on it (antibacterial, anaesthetic etc) and watched her for the day - she was subdued - So this morning i figured it was time to go to the vet for some professional help.
We saw Dr Ben who pronounced the foot infected and said "looks like there has been a grass seed in here, but there's nothing in there now" - that was the pale welt i noticed. So she has to take antibiotics for a week and i'm hoping she'll be back on all four feet next weekend when we are entered in two more CCD trials - this time at Nowra on the south coast.
Its funny - my usual request in the early mornings is "Eepie, stop being so enthusiastic - please" because she bounces off the walls in her enthusiasm to get out walking. Now with her sore foot i miss her bouncing off the walls and i'll be happy to see that crazy enthusiasm back again.
Meanwhile - here are some pix of the dogs on their tracking holiday - both of them "tracked" the resident Wombat to his beautiful burrow in the ferns and thought he smelled wonderful. :-)
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