those special older dogs

SUMMARY: in particular, Tika and Boost, but all my agility dogs

Source: 7/19/25 Facebook response to someone talking about their two wonderful dogs getting older and how they took her all over the country in the world and met so many people and did so many things

That's a great photo. And look at those dogs looking at the photographer! i'm guessing that Eukanuba was the sponsor😆. 

 my agility dogs gave me a similar sort of feeling. I didn't like to travel far with them, although I would go to the USDAA nationals if I could drive there in a day. I had so many opportunities within just a couple of hours of home that I could fill up every weekend with agility if I wanted.

Every dog every year qualified for nationals in whatever I was competing in – – NADAC, CPE, USDAA-- won some national events in CPE, made it to the finals once in USDAA. (never attended NADAC Finals which were always out of state) I would say that I was a good handler but never a great one. But we were pretty successful. 

 but what I really was going to say was that my first two dogs in agility were wonderful beasts. But my next two, my Merle girls, Tika and boost: the former was amazing; the latter turned out to be very near sighted but also effing fast! But the other thing was, we went hiking and we went traveling and we went visiting and we went to classes of various kinds. They were solid reliable dogs outside agility or in. So smart, always eager to learn and do things and go places and meet people and other dogs. And when they sadly expired within a month of each other, well, let's just say that I still miss them and it's been 10 years. 

hiking with friends in the eastern Sierras near Truckee

 SOOOO YES, APPRECIATE YOUR BOYS AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. WHEN MINE STARTED GETTING OLDER, I STARTED PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO WHAT THINGS I HAD PHOTOS OF AND WHAT I DIDN'T AND WHAT NOTES I HAD ABOUT THEIR LIVES AND TRYING TO CAPTURE IT ALL. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Oops sorry the all capitals was a mistake. Wasn't really yelling!