RRD Tales: The Adventures Of Gwinn-Dell's Don Quixote
Quixote has provided me with many funny stories. I call them RRD Tales (Rotten Rubber Dog) and have written a series about the fun of running Xolos in agility. Here is a sampling!
RRD Tales: Quixote's View
Quixote here! We got to play agility this weekend! Crammed into the Trooper and pulling the little tin can with the giant air conditioner hat on top, we headed to the fairgrounds in Corvallis. The big house on wheels is still being fixed. Five of us dogs went; we 3 RRDs, the Chugster, and Dad's BC, Laddie, as 20 week old Dublin puppy is over 90 pounds and just doesn't fit in a Golden Retriever crate any more. Since there was no room for a bigger crate, Dublin stayed home with Grandma and the rest of the Gwinn-Dell Gang.
I, Quixote, started the trip by getting asthma right as we were
load'n to leave. I got rushed in to see the vet. As it was an emergency visit,
we saw a different vet. The vet asked if I was always so good and Mom said "Yes,
unless he's behind a gate." We had to stay outside the office cuz we didn't
know if I was contagious, but I'm not, just allergic. When the vet brought out
my medicine I was in my crate so I helped by growling and barking to show that
Mom was tell'n the truth! See they sprayed the field across from us wiff rott'n
smell'n stuff and I started coughing and my eyes kept watering. The air smelled terrible from the spray. 
Back to the trial! I really wanted to play agility so Mom decided since the medicine stopped my asthma I could. Our first class was Snookers. It's a game of strategy and Mom planned it really well. It was our first time in this class. I was soooooo good! I did exactly what I was told and then on the last obstacle, the teeter, the judge moved at me! I gave her a scared look and jumped off. I started coughing and Mom picked me up and walked off the course. The judge had told everyone NOT to carry a dog off, but I was choking so Mom had to explain and then it was okay. The judge kicked another lady out of the trial for leaving the course. She said it was okay for Mom to carry me cuz I was cough'n from the dust.
In the Regular Novice Course, I was fine, but I messed up the weaves poles and had to do them again. It was Mom's fault. She's always writt'n the RRD tales and tell'n how bad I am, but she's the one who messed things up this weekend -- well mosly! She pulled away toward the next obstacle and so I followed. Then she turned wrong and pointed me to the A Frame so I followed where she was facing instead of the tunnel. See! I'm not the one who goofed! Then we had this really long and heavy chute thing and Mom ran way ahead of me, so I backed out. It's her fault, not mine! Of course I was able to use the Xolo finger to prove I was feel'n better. She told me to "Wait" and headed into position and as she turned, I flew past her. I tested her skills! She was able to get me over the 3rd jump (I'd just done 2, all on my own) and into the tunnel. I did a perfect teeter (no wigglin judge) but I stopped on top of the A Frame, looked down at Mom, and then leaped and missed the contact! Then I went to the mesa and lay down like I was told and raised my elbow, just a little bit on the last second. That started the count over. If'n I'd been a hairy dog the judge would never have seen this. Dang, Nekked Dog Discrimination!
Then came Gamblers. I tried really hard and got lotsa opening points, but that was a bad gamble. Here's how Mom told one of the lists: "The gamble section was a handling nightmare. Out of 55 dogs, including advanced level dogs, only two dogs passed. For the gamble section, the dogs had to go over a jump, run into a tunnel, and from 10 feet away be pushed into a second tunnel, come back over a jump to the handler and then be sent out to a table, all while the handler stood 10 feet away behind a line. Baalche took the jump, flew into the tunnel, ran to the 2nd tunnel as told and started to go in. The crowd cheered, and being a baby dog to agility, he pulled out. He was so close to qualifying though! He got all his necessary points in the opening sequence. Quixote placed 2nd in this class (he was able to run more obstacles and get more points, but couldn't do the gamble either) and Baalche placed 3rd. Neither qualified, but both ran very well."
I had to watch Baalche do well. He's really, really fast and he's start'n to listen. Everyone thinks he's so cute and he thinks so too. He gets on Mom's lap and growls at me, the little monster. Now his ego's gonna be even bigger than his mouth!
Laddie, our Border Collie bro, did a good job too. He even did the teeter! He's been so scared of it and he did it. He couldn't do that gamble, so he didn't Q. In Jumpers, Dad messed up, so he didn't make time. (And you thought agility was all glory.)
In Jumpers, Baalche and I were awesome. We listened and did everything perfectly. The dumb blonde handl'n us named "Mom" ran us through the wrong course! We did 'zactly what she told us to do and took wrong jumps cuz she forgot a whole section of the course -- twice!
I'm a bit worried as RRD #2, the Balch-A-Roo, is look'n pretty good and that obnoxious Quetzal puppy is starting train'n too. The audience loves us Nekked Dogs and they all gather to watch. Ebbrybody knows my name and people walk around try'n to pronounce "Show low eats queent lee." Mom's new Xologear sweater shirt is help'n by teach'n 'em to say our breed. We also have pins that we wear on our coats. People walk 'round practic'n. It's like a chant. Then they show us to their friends and look sooooo proud when they tell their friends our breed. We luv bee'n ambassadors cuz we get lotsa scruffles. One man asked about me so I jumped up on his lap before he could do anything. He had a comfy blanket and I sat on his lap and pawed his hand every time he quit pett'n me. I let him know that *I,* Quixote, control things.
Our Sheltie friend, Aunt Traci, added another spinning yapper, named Slick. Why duz a hairy dog have a name like Slick and lotsa Nekked Dogs have names like Hairy? She says she's try'n to keep even with us RRDs, so now she has 3 Shelties -- theyz noisier than macaws, but really cute and fun to play wiff. Baalche did a little Sheltie imitation and barked going up the dog walk. The Shelties taught him well.
So that's our weekend! Tune in inna couple of weeks for the next RRD Tales agility weekend report.
- Quixote, Baalche, Quetzal
& the rest of the Gwinn-Dell Gang
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RRD Tales "He's Back!"
Quixote's back to his bratty self. He was a terror at class last night, running laps and ignoring my demands as we attempted to conquer our instructor's course. LOL. He was a Rotten Rubber Dog in zoom and ignore mode. Everyone was laughing as he was so funny! He'd leap off a contact zone; I'd tell him "Touch" and he'd throw his butt up in the air, balancing on his front legs, back up, touch, escape, and zoom through a tunnel and then add a few jumps, tuck his butt in zoom mode, and repeat the antics.
When we got home, the Rotten really came out in him. Quixote escaped when I let him out for his last outing for the night. He hit the barrier that directs him to the potty run and Baalche zoomed after him. Now, 2 black Nekked dogs, running rampant in total darkness, are my worst nightmare. Neither has a speck of light reflective white. Thank goodness Quetzal, the totally impossible to catch if he hits escape mode, had followed old Chug into the pen and I was able to slam the prison gate behind him in time.
As I stood there in bare feet, (real smart - NOT) I heard 12 Xolo hooves tearing turf and roaring past, along with the telltale sound of Xolo screeching and knew they were in hot pursuit of some furry victim.
I screamed COME! Prey drive overcame compliance, not that compliance is in their vocabulary. They zoomed by, hot after a rabbit. I ran in to get shoes on and heard them fly past again. We have few lights in our acre plus yard and the rabbits have tunneled under the fence, creating freeways of escape. Our compound has buildings and since the house and they are in the middle of the area, one has no clear view of the whole area. Thus as I ran to the front, Xolos streaked to the back, behind buildings and around corners. At night, the whole yard is saturated with rabbits. Panting I ran to the back and one passed me, leaving the only lit area. It headed to the front, screeching Xolos grabbing for the cotton ball tail. I was panicked that the Mexican Monsters would dive under the fence. Actually, there are few places where a Xolo could escape, but in my panicked mind, I just KNEW the rabbits had dug tunnels over the winter large enough for a Wolfhound to walk through. I kept calling; the Bald Brats kept ignoring. I could occasionally get a sound update as they looped around the area. My demands to come became commands to run faster in their bratty brain mode. I rather imagine my tone added to their desire for flight!
"KEY-HO-TAY! COME!"
"Ball- Chay! SIT!"
"COME!"
"DOWN!" I shouted in desperation as Xolos continued their laps. Luckily we live in the country, because "$$**$%#%# I'm going to KILL you" is not real neighbor friendly and the air was probably blue with my oaths at this point.
Using my stressed to the max dog training skills, I got down low; I coaxed; I did the run away to create interest; I called "Cookie." Xolos screamed by like torpedoes. Occasionally I was updated as to their location by the sounds of their high pitched hunting yell as they sent rabbits hither and skither. Suddenly I heard the telltale sound of screaming rabbit coming from the agility field. As I rushed to see if I could catch the perpetrator and save the victim, I heard more rabbit screams coming from the front, meaning my mini Sighthounds had separated. Quixote zoomed past again and I yelled SIT! He paused and did, so I had to praise him! Dang it hurts to follow my own training rules! Putting him in the run, I heard nothing as I tried to find Baalche. I screamed for Don to help, grabbed a flashlight and began to search. Finally a slinking little Rubber brat came out from under the deck. I scooped him up, thankful that he had not followed a fleeing rabbit under the fence. Today, I'll look for rabbit carnage and install another clip on the "Xolo be good barrier."
PS. My Wolfhounds slept through the whole adventure!
Poor Laura, one of my Wolfhound friends, had the misfortune to be online when I came in from the RRD chase and got an Instant Message "earful" as I saw her online right after catching him. Thanks for listening Laura! BTW, Quixote's cut foot was just a scrape and my nerves have settled.
Both Xolos slept on Don's side of our bed last night as THEY were mad at ME. In retrospect, if I were a Rotten little Rubber Dog, coming to an hysterical, p*ssed, mad woman probably would have triggered my avoidance mechanisms!
Barbara
Gwinn-Dell Irish Wolfhounds and Xoloitzcuintli
Update! All rabbits appear to be fine; thus they can continue to eat anything green, save me from any attempt at having a garden and pretty flowers, and continue to add more to the current over population. When I went out this morning the usual hopping crew was annihilating greenery, I saw no carnage, and all appeared well. I did see, to my horror, that the gate up to the barn was open (I had left it open to unload feed and not closed it or I would have really panicked). My little RRD darlings could have headed off and been in real danger as the pasture fencing is not RRD proof.
Barbara, breathing a sigh of relief
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RRD Tales: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!
Part 1 of 3
With many hopes and much excitement we got ready for several weekends of agility trials.
In June 2005 at Argus Ranch in Washington:
Quixote was wonderful and well –- a little monster. Lining up for the first run I commanded “STAY!” As I told him “Climb It,” the fleeing Bald Brat gathered speed and launched over the yellow contact zone for flunk #1. Adding a few extra jumps and more missed contacts, he zoomed over the finish line in record time. I calmly left thinking of how I might add Xolo to the menu for the evening potluck.
We walked round 2 and I planned my strategy – - even to the point of where I would correct. I decided to use this next run for training, in hopes of saving the rest of the weekend. I figured jump, dog walk, and then a repeat of the dog walk, if Quixote blew the contact. I was pretty sure he’d give me another reason for correction. Carefully I practiced where I’d call him off. Our turn came. With confidence I lined up, knowing where I’d surprise my little partner.
“STAY!” I stepped forward and headed to the dog walk. “Jump!” Quixote flew into action, soared over the jump, ran up the dog walk, and as predicted, launched upward and outward, missing the yellow zone and heading for the jump in the corner, a big grin on his face and ears in his defiant mode position.
“NO! Come! HERE!” I commanded. Sliding to a surprised stop, he turned. “HEEL!” Surprise showing in his face, the little RRD fell into heel position, back arched, he headed with me back toward the start. The judge signaled a flunk, but NADAC allows us to train. As we approached the dog walk again, suddenly Quixote dove away and into the tunnel. “SH*T!!!!! Foiled again! His little face peeked out as I told him to come. I moved forward; he embedded. Great! Sewer Rat! I knew I was dipped. I began to call sweetly. “Come on Qyote. Goooooood Boy. That’s my goooood boy.” He didn’t buy it. He knew I was not happy. I could hear people laughing. This was my dread. If Quixote thinks he’s in trouble he becomes a sewer rat and coaxing does not get him to leave his sanctuary. I could feel the stress well up inside me. Everyone always has such great advice. Just use the class for training when he screws up. Well, they are dealing with regular dogs, not Xolos! I remembered the time we had to tear down a tunnel, compress it and shake him out. I moved toward the tunnel exit. Quixote borrowed in further. Picturing having to crawl in myself I began to beg. Quixote peeked out and retreated. No longer smiling, the judge motioned us to get moving. I pictured the laughter from the audience if *I* had to crawl through the tunnel and also pictured paying the consequences the rest of the weekend for angering the judge as we tore down her course. I turned and began to run and it worked. Quixote popped out and the audience was spared the sight of my fat butt trying to crawl into the tunnel. We headed for the rest of the course. Quixote blew the teeter contact so I tried to make him repeat it. He skittered past me and up the wrong side and the judge signaled me to leave. Now, I had a Xolo crawling up the wrong side of the teeter. He was heading for the top to bail as he had spotted his sewer rat sanctuary. His intentions were clear. My foot was holding the teeter down to keep him from being catapulted and I stretched as far as possible in an attempt to catch him. To make it worse, I was attempting to catch a fleeing dog with no hair to grab and still keep my balance. Finally, I got him. Boy did he look surprised when I carried him off the course!
The rest of the weekend was great. Quixote got lots of Qs, many placements and added to his titles. He also reminded me that Xolos rule unless owners are on their guard.
The good: Ladd and Quixote did well
The bad: RRDism prevailed on several runs
The ugly: the image of me having to crawl through a tunnel
RRD Tales: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!
Part 2 of 3
Cataldo, Idaho:
Excitedly I looked forward to the trip to headquarters of NADAC, the agility venue in which Don and I compete most often. The courses are fast and flowing, perfect for my Xolos. We looked forward to our four trials as we prepared to leave. To complicate matters Dublin, 144 pounds of 8 month-old Wolfhound puppy, was an unexpected addition since he broke his toe and had to accompany us to Cataldo, Idaho – - the agility Mecca. That meant stuffing a 700 crate into the motorhome – - without tearing the leather couches and then finding a place to fit it; few places existed so between the couches was the only choice. Every time Don wanted me to fix him a snack, get him a drink, check what had fallen, I had to climb up, balance on top of the crate and then walk on the couch -- real fun while going around sharp mountain curves. Letting the other dogs out at rest stops proved challenging too. The Xolos immediately learned to leap on the couch and over; so did Laddie; but old Chug had to be carried while one of us balanced.
Cataldo, a gas station and an agility field, surrounded by pop up tents, was our homesite for the next few days. A beautiful creek flows though the field and horses and ducks are the local residents. The atmosphere is calm and relaxed.
With both Quixote and Baalche entered, I had 28 runs in 4 days; Don and Laddie had 20.
Baalche took over the RRD title! He had a blast! He flew around the ring, but focusing him toward the correct obstacles proved challenging, and at times impossible. One of the owners left a crucial gate open and as Baalche launched 3 jumps ahead of me toward the finish line, he was out the gate. The owner lives in a big bus and that is HER area. We had been told NOT to venture there. Her Border Collies live there too. Not knowing if the BCs were out or if the fence kept the dogs from the highway, I was panicked. As I ran around the corner I saw Baalche sniffing a blanket. I yelled for him to sit and luckily he complied. The owner was not happy with me when I asked permission to close the gate before the next run. We squeaked a Q in Tunnelers but most of B’s runs were used for training. He’s a baby dog and my goal was to get practice. We needed lots! One Jumpers course was super. I was able to steer him from behind and direct. He’s so dang fast! In the last Jumpers class I left him but before I could turn to release him, Baalche was over the 3rd jump and past the tunnel.
The Border Collies that live at the site, climb on top of their dog house and peer over the 6 foot fence. Quixote was on top of the A Frame when suddenly 2 BCs chose to observe. Qyote froze and stared in disbelief that there were 2 dog heads in the air, as that’s all one saw. It was not a pretty run. He missed jumps, ran around tunnels and sniffed out Border Collies.
Laddie, Don’s BC, was awesome! Eleven of his classes required proficiency on the teeter totter. This was his first venture into Novice Regular and Touch and Go, both classes with a focus on contact equipment and that includes the dreaded teeter. Don has spent 3 years, inch by literally inch, in trying to build Laddie’s confidence. The teeter freaks Ladd. When he does get on the teeter monster, he bails. It terrifies him. This weekend things clicked! Laddie not only did all 11 teeters, he Q’d and earned his Novice title and consistently placed. His classes had 14 – 20 dogs and he took first place several times.
Quixote had some RRD moments, but came home with 13 Qs and many placements. He and I clicked and he had some awesome runs.
Cataldo was fun. We came home with lots of titles, good memories, and plans to return.
Animals at home did fine thanks to my wonderful vet tech, Laura, who cares for them while we are gone. On the 4th of July, Pompass (you got it, one of the asses –- er --donkeys) had to have surgery to put his head back together. When Laura arrived blood was gushing into his eye. He’d slit his head and bone gleamed through. As we had no phone service in Cataldo (remember, the owner lives in a bus, even though it’s a nice bus . . .) Laura made the decision and called our vet and Pompass was stitched. The gash just missed his eye.
We got home safely, in spite of horrid winds which rocked the motorhome the entire 10 hour trip.
We had a great trip!
The good:
Laddie was awesome and finished several titles. He overcame his fear of teeters. Quixote had some fantastic runs and left with 13 Qs and we were a team.
The bad: Baalche terrified me when he headed for the highway.
The ugly: The headwinds were unbelievable and made the trip home very tiring!
RRD Tales: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!
Part 3 of 3
The beach, Newport Oregon, this past weekend:
As we parked the motorhome and stepped out, the Oregon skies opened up and attempted to drown us. Slogging through saturated grass, we put up a shelter and covered it with tarps. I loaded RRD crates onto our cart and surrounded them with a plastic tarp. The coastal winds tried to claim the tarp as we headed toward our pop-up canope. Welcome to the Oregon coast!
Quixote was in the first Touch and Go class and needed this leg to earn his Touch and Go Superior title. Laddie was in TNG too. Quixote and Baalche also had Tunnelers and the rains continued to increase. Dogs dripping with hair were now dripping with water. People were shivering and complaining and their dogs have hair! I knew the Xolos would hate this; after all, shoving them outside for a minute to pee, in the winter, takes major convincing. I contemplated pulling them.
TNG is a class filled with contacts. Quixote excels in “GO,” but “Touch” is often non-existent. We approached the line and the sky sponges accelerated; the downpour increased. Shivering Nekked Dog cringed on the line as water flowed into his squinted eyes. His bald pate offers nothing to stop the flow. I leaped forward toward the first obstacle and called “Okay, Jump! Climb it! Touch!” Qyote stuck the contact, paused, and waited for direction. We flew through the labyrinth of obstacles in 35.89 seconds and took first! He had 57.26 seconds allowed for the course and more than beat the required time. That completed his TNG Superior title!
Tunnelers came and the rains increased. Baalche was first. He shivered on the start line and burst into the water- logged tunnel, zooming to the exit. Poking his nose out, he retreated back in. “Go tunnel!” I called and he slogged into the 2nd, again poking his nose out the end. This time he retreated back in –- way back in. I called; he slithered in farther. I coaxed; his nose poked out and retreated. I called again and snagged him and carried him off, deciding to cut my losses while I could catch him.
They say that if one doesn’t like Oregon weather, wait 5 minutes. Morning dawned and the sun rose. The grass, still saturated, proved challenging though. Quixote’s first run started with a blown contact, a loop though a tunnel set there as a temptation, a skid on his side, after negotiating the teeter, 2 jumps on his own, and an angry handler. As the RRD grinned and zoomed past I yelled “NO!” “SIT!” It was enough to make him pause. I scooped him up, called out to the judge “thank you” and told my dejected brat “If you can’t behave; you can’t play!” He looked shocked and then crestfallen as his crate door closed behind him and I left with Brady, my Golden.
Brady! OMG, was he a disaster! Guess he’s heard that Golden Retrievers are blond! His first trial in a year and he had a blast. He leaped, he bounced, he barked, he flunked -- all 4 runs! I think he holds the record for knocking down jumps! They practically had to rebuild the course. Brady aimed and in good Golden fashion, plowed, sending poles in all directions. In Tunnelers, Brady banked the tunnel, fell in the water that filled the tunnel floor, and slid out sideways. On his last run he managed to grab a chunk of turf and gallop around the ring, flinging it and catching it while plowing down jumps. My goal in entering him was for him to have fun. Goal accomplished! (Good thing I didn’t set a higher goal!)
Brady getting ready to crash!
Laddie had a brilliant run in Novice regular. Dogs were having a horrid time with the teeter, his nemesis, because of the heavy rubber matting on it. Many of the little guys didn’t have enough weight to make it drop. The big fast dogs did fly offs. Laddie was awesome. He clung on and rode it down.
Two more obstacles to go and the run was awesome. Don stepped in pointing to the dog walk. The slick grass got its victim. Watching outside the ring with Brady, I saw Don’s feet fly above the dog walk as he became airborne. One could hear the thud as his back and head pounded the ground. Ladd froze, the judge rushed over, and Don lay there. The fall knocked him out for an instant. Yelling “down-stay” to Brady. I jumped the ring barrier. Don was staggering up and I rushed to grab Laddie. Don was fine but embarrassed and disappointed. People commented on what a good wife I am to rush to the dog.
Baalche, the baby dog in agility, is unbelievably fast -- even faster than Quixote -- and Quixote is beating Border Collies as far as time. You can imagine how fast a small dog has to be in order to make faster time than a big long-strided dog. Quixote does! Once Baalch gets focus, and boy does he lack that, LOL, few dogs will be able to touch him as far as time.
Baalche had 2 absolutely amazing runs! He stuck his contacts like a pro. He nailed the weave pole entry and flew through the weave poles. In Jumpers, he was awesome. Driving out ahead, he flew over the jumps, turned like a seasoned cutting horse, switched leads to make difficult turns. He was fantastic in both of his last 2 runs – except . . . .
If I am late on commands or slow to turn, Baalche leaps up and nips – loudly growling and announcing his displeasure. As I tried to redirect him on a jump entry, Baalche began to leap, bite me on the butt, tug on my jeans, and voice his frustration. Even air biting is frowned upon, so the judge was not happy and he got an “E” (elimination) for his efforts. In Jumpers, with 3 jumps to go, I propelled forward, holding my arm out to direct. Baalche leaped up, latched onto my sweatshirt sleeve, and swung like a mini Pit! So much for Qs!
Quixote came through, completing many titles. His good runs were wonderful and he won lots of firsts. This weekend finished 5 of his 6 Novice Superior titles (it takes 100 points in each) so he now has 20 agility titles, in addition to his CGC. Quixote, the Walla Walla death row rescue, proudly carries his wins. He is now
The good:
Don was okay in spite of his spill. Brady had a blast. Baalche stayed in the ring and had some super runs. Laddie stuck with the teeters. Quixote had superb runs once we arrived at an understanding. I survived running 3 dogs in the same classes.
The bad:
Don’s crash and burn. Baalche’s herding dog nipping fest.
The ugly:
The weather was wretched. Between severe wind and severe rain it was pretty miserable!