I'm Back!

Yes, that's right, I have returned! And this time, I hope to make it a permanent return :D

At this point, I'm planning on two posts per week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'll see how I go with that - it may drop back to one, but it WILL be at least once a week. I'll keep you posted (ah ha, ah ha).

I never reported on our first non-city show because - alack - we didn't make it there in time. We arrived just as the labs were finishing up for the day, which is a little tragic since our friend and fellow-show-er-of-labs thought we'd have had a good chance at picking up some points.

Yes, I am still kicking myself.

December has been busy, as to be expected, and January promises to be just as bad, but in February we'll be back in the show ring, with four shows in the month. We have a shiny new dog crate and are looking at getting a tent-shade-thing, so we'll be all set to look like pros :D And hopefully, with some of the country shows, we might just pick up some points! :)

Hiatus

Uni is really eating me alive at the moment. I've had no time even for the poor puppy, let alone blogging about it.

The situation is likely to continue until the middle of November, when I'll be able to report back here with news of our first non-city show :o)

Until then, the blog is officially on hiatus.

Thanks :)

Before We Begin...

After this week, I'm going to do my very best to post twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thurdays. This complements my blogging routine on my writing blog, which is Monday-Wednesday-Friday. So, if you're very keen, you can now hear from me every single weekday :o) You must be so thrilled :D

However, this week being week one, and this being a blog primarily about me and my puppy after all, I thought you might like to see a photo of my Squishyfishy. I'll be posting squillions more, of course, but I thought one to start with might be nice :)

So, this is the ratpack, my little Laura.




















In't she cute? Aww....

The Beginning...

I am opening a new blog. It's something I've been meaning to do since I got Puppy, but have somehow managed to avoid.

It was the pressure, I think; the pressure of having readers, however few, who would read my goals and hold me accountable; dogging was just another area I had to be Productive in.

And fear. I realised last night how large the fear part was - because last night, I loved my dog.

Oh, of course, I'd loved her since we brought her home in July last year; but last night, I Loved her.

Somehow - I don't recall - the subject of breeding came up. I ended up on the net, googling for pictures of a whelping box to show the Boy (aka Husband), who had never seen one.

I stumbled upon a fabulous, insightful blog called Lab Tails - and my life, in a small but ever so important way, is changed.

Labradors, perhaps no more than other dogs but certainly with a unique enthusiasm, love their people. Unreservedly, unashamedly, unconditionally - and without fear.

And I realised that, although I dreamed of that magical connection between human and animal, and although it was here, within my reach, I was holding back from it.

I was scared.

I was scared, because Laura will die.

My Sunshine, I named her, in the hopes that that was what she would be - a ray of light in the greyness of our lives, hope in times of trial, warmth in the cold and the fear. And she was. She was sunshine, and she was mine...

But she was never My Sunshine.

Until last night.

Lab Tails reminded me of something very important. Dogs, no matter what they do, no matter how many mistakes they make, and no matter how many others they may hurt, never have regrets. It is not in their nature to regret actions past - and neither is it in them to worry for the future.

I will die - but Laura loves me nonetheless, with an exuberance and joy that lights up her entire body and fills it with uncontainable wriggles.

And now, her love is returned.

Hence this blog. I do now what I have always intended to do - trace my journey, track my progress, and chart my way across the known world of training, and the complete unknown of showing.

Welcome. I hope that somewhere, somehow, you too will experience that unconditionality of a dog's love - and learn to return it.