Karran
Well-Known Member
The saddest thing for me is that I enjoy sleep. Flyball means that I no longer get long lazy weekend lie ins. Instead I find myself up at 5am and loading the car to set out for previously unheard of parts of the Home Counties.
So to hear noises downstairs at 4am last week did not make me happy.
Mrs Spaniel I called. Go to your bed.
Silence.
I yawned, fetched my glasses and opened the bedroom door to where Mrs Spaniel sleeps and normally is waiting for me in the hope of an early morning belly rub.
No Mrs Spaniel.
Mrs Spaniel it turned out was supervising my mother cooking sausages in the kitchen.
What are you doing? I enquired. My Mother flew in from Spain just to see Mrs Spaniel compete, and ignoring her eldest daughter that she hasnt seen since November. The day before I took Mother to M&S where she purchased a picnic that would feed not only the two teams of my Flyball Club that were competing, but probably would have fed every person heading to Buckinghamshire.
I was too nervous She confessed. So I decided to make breakfast.
Mrs Spaniel tested a sausage and confirmed that they were indeed delicious.
One hour and forty five minutes later we loaded the car and set out to Flyball Glory.
With a lot of gritted teeth and fretting on her part about the Blackwall Tunnel working on a countra-flow system and if that meant it would be closed South Bound when we returned we finally arrived at Hedsor.
It was another long wait until our competition.
Mother slept. I walked Mrs Spaniel and made inroads on the picnic.
Finally it was our time again.
Mrs Spaniel ran her first leg and indeed her second leg perfectly.
The third time she suddenly realised Mother was standing by the side of the arena taking photos. She remembered breakfast and ran out of her lane to sit adoringly by Mother.
She then did this again. It was suggested that Mother stood behind us to try and trick her. However Mrs Spaniel is far too clever for this and instead of running forwards, merely ran backwards through my legs to Mother.
We had a break and then before Race 3 I suggested that perhaps Mother should stay in the car.
Mrs Spaniel is far smarter than I give her credit for, jumped out of the arena and ran to the car park.
I despaired silently and made a note to send her to Battersea and swap her for a less fickle beast who would appreciate my squeamishness when I prepare her Raw Food and appreciate me carting her around the country.
Race 4 and I said to Mother that perhaps she should run down the arena with her so she could see where she was and see how that went. She did a restrained recall and ran to Mother. I said to Mother that she should try to run her.
Mrs Spaniel refused to leave Mothers Side.
We pulled her from Race 5.
Somehow despite Mrs Spaniels antics we did not come last and Mrs Spaniels team finished in 3rd place.
Mother is now banned from attending ever again, I got home and drank wine in the bath .
We have just returned from Paws in the Park Ardingley. Mrs Spaniel got into a fight at the start when a ball possessive collie decided it wanted hers and not the one it had. Another dog ran into her lane.
Even with the aid of Stress-Less it was simply too much for a spaniel to cope with and she went on strike.
Were now back to square one in rebuilding her confidence ..
Its a good job she has her looks!
So to hear noises downstairs at 4am last week did not make me happy.
Mrs Spaniel I called. Go to your bed.
Silence.
I yawned, fetched my glasses and opened the bedroom door to where Mrs Spaniel sleeps and normally is waiting for me in the hope of an early morning belly rub.
No Mrs Spaniel.
Mrs Spaniel it turned out was supervising my mother cooking sausages in the kitchen.
What are you doing? I enquired. My Mother flew in from Spain just to see Mrs Spaniel compete, and ignoring her eldest daughter that she hasnt seen since November. The day before I took Mother to M&S where she purchased a picnic that would feed not only the two teams of my Flyball Club that were competing, but probably would have fed every person heading to Buckinghamshire.
I was too nervous She confessed. So I decided to make breakfast.
Mrs Spaniel tested a sausage and confirmed that they were indeed delicious.
One hour and forty five minutes later we loaded the car and set out to Flyball Glory.
With a lot of gritted teeth and fretting on her part about the Blackwall Tunnel working on a countra-flow system and if that meant it would be closed South Bound when we returned we finally arrived at Hedsor.
It was another long wait until our competition.
Mother slept. I walked Mrs Spaniel and made inroads on the picnic.
Finally it was our time again.
Mrs Spaniel ran her first leg and indeed her second leg perfectly.
The third time she suddenly realised Mother was standing by the side of the arena taking photos. She remembered breakfast and ran out of her lane to sit adoringly by Mother.
She then did this again. It was suggested that Mother stood behind us to try and trick her. However Mrs Spaniel is far too clever for this and instead of running forwards, merely ran backwards through my legs to Mother.
We had a break and then before Race 3 I suggested that perhaps Mother should stay in the car.
Mrs Spaniel is far smarter than I give her credit for, jumped out of the arena and ran to the car park.
I despaired silently and made a note to send her to Battersea and swap her for a less fickle beast who would appreciate my squeamishness when I prepare her Raw Food and appreciate me carting her around the country.
Race 4 and I said to Mother that perhaps she should run down the arena with her so she could see where she was and see how that went. She did a restrained recall and ran to Mother. I said to Mother that she should try to run her.
Mrs Spaniel refused to leave Mothers Side.
We pulled her from Race 5.
Somehow despite Mrs Spaniels antics we did not come last and Mrs Spaniels team finished in 3rd place.
Mother is now banned from attending ever again, I got home and drank wine in the bath .
We have just returned from Paws in the Park Ardingley. Mrs Spaniel got into a fight at the start when a ball possessive collie decided it wanted hers and not the one it had. Another dog ran into her lane.
Even with the aid of Stress-Less it was simply too much for a spaniel to cope with and she went on strike.
Were now back to square one in rebuilding her confidence ..
Its a good job she has her looks!
