Athletic Report

My friends Julia and Karen Rose are Dog People. I don't mean that in the Coyote Ugly sense; they take their dogs to obedience and agility contests and run them around obstacle courses and win ribbons. They even have a practice course, to which friends are invited to bring their dogs for periodic Doggie Fun Days during the summer. I finally made it out there with my dog Miles yesterday, under strict orders to take pictures and report back.

You've probably seen agility courses in dog food commercials or elsewhere on TV. It's like the world's shortest gymkhana. There are jumps, a see-saw to run over, a tunnel, weave poles (the dog has to weave back and forth through these), and a tire for the dog to jump through. (Sadly, the hoop was not on fire, which would have both looked really cool and provided an excuse for barbeque.)

Watching the others' well-trained shelties float around the course was lovely. (Watching a well-trained Jack Russell terrier bounce around the course was just hilariously cute.)

Miles had a ball. Under Karen Rose's guidance, he hopped over the jumps (which were lowered to accommodate his teeny tiny Corgi legs) ran through the tunnel, and jumped through the tire several times. He ran around and played with other dogs and peed on all kinds of exciting new bushes. He also barked and whined when the other dogs ran the course, or chased a ball without him, or got more attention than him. It was like being the mother of the most obnoxious kid in kindergarten -- which, as my mother would be lightning-fast to point out, is only fair. I'm going to work on his manners.

Anyway, if you'd like to experience the full action-packed multimedia excitement of a short dog jumping over a shorter hurdle, here's an mpeg (240k) of Julia coaxing Miles over a jump. Thrilling!