Living with Diabetes and Lapband

She is now Maggie NA, OAJ (not a very fancy name). She finished her Open Agility JWW title. She took two 2nd places and a 3rd place also. I have moved her to Excellent JWW A for our next two shows. She needs only 1 Open agility leg.

I was able to run all 8 runs this weekend though I did have some pain. The weather was cold and damp all weekend though today was drier but colder.

My blood sugar was a bit lower than usual especially right before runs which was odd. The adreneline rush I get just before the ring was actually worse.

Overall the blood sugar was pretty good all weekend, so I am really pleased with the Agility basal rate I'm using.

Marcie finished another agility title. We took a first place today and she is now: Bettner's Byte of Magic, AX, OAJ, AXP, AJP, CGC

I'm very proud of her.

Made some minor mistakes, mostly because I was cold and tired that kept us from qualifying the rest of the day. Learned a lot about running Maggie today, but also keep making the same mistakes with her.

This is such a major accomplishmnet for me. When I first started with Marcie in dog agility, I had trouble actually completing a Novice course. To be able to run 2 Excellent courses and 2 Open courses in one day is a very big deal.

My blood sugar was really low most of the day, never topping over 170 and hitting the 90's several times. I think it's time to start titrating my bolus rates lower, now that the stress and stress eating seems to have calmed down. I've been constantly using around 40 units on insulin on school days.

The new philosophy on insulin dosage during agility trials is really working.

My blood sugar levels were the best they have ever been during dog agility. I never went higher than 200 all weekend.

That made a vast difference in how I felt and how we did.

The second day went well, though I fell during Marcie's Standard run, we did finish the run and take a second place. She was still real slow the second run -- JWW, and my instructor suspects I only have one really good run in my knees right now, and I suspect she's right.

Maggie had 4 refusals, all caused by me, in the Open run. I just couldn't be where she needed me. Her JWW was very good, though I didn't get the time. She missed the weaves.

Hopefully I'll have new pictures up soon, one of the professional photographers took quite a few.

This is my first agility trial sine I started PT. We are doing well.

Marcie took a first in Excellent A Standard and was clean but over time for JWW.

I am definately tired.

Maggie just got goofy and took an excusion. At that point I got confused.

We knocked a bar, had a refusal, and truly ugly weaves. I just couldn't run any more.

All in all a good day especially after the trama from the week before.

Maggie did Q today and is not Maggie, NA, NAJ

The best part, is that she had one of her panic attacks just as we were about to run Open, but she still ran well.

I should say something about this run.

We had moments of brillance but Marcie just wasn't with me at the beginning. She had her table freakiness, missed a weave pole, and just did something weird at the beginning.

I ran well, no chest pains after, but normal can't breathe at the end. Even got a front cross in but gee I don't know where.

And we'll be in Fort Worth this weekend, doing it!

The Dogs of Track and Field - How to turn your pet into a superstar athlete. By Sam Eifling

New photos from the Monroe trial are on my website.

http://tinyurl.com/dpwee

Aren't you glad I didn't load all 74?

Dog Dancing - My beagle and I try America's weirdest pet hobby. By Emily Yoffe

After reading this, I decided to write her -- and then decided to post my email to her here.

Before getting into this -- People I really like and spend weekends with occasionally do Dog Dancing. I don't.

People I like and spend weekends with occasionally do Dock Diving. We get along and our dogs get along, but the beagles eye them with suspicion because they actually LIKE being wet.

So here's the email:

Okay, I have to start out by admitting that the beagle I tried dog dancing with WAS the Number 1 Obedience Beagle in the country (for 8 years, bless her), so both of us were a bit more motivated than you and Sasha. Also a lot more prepared, she actually did things when I told her to do them.
Sometimes. Always when I had food in my hand.

The bad news, was at the time, I think she was 9 years old, too blind for the obedience ring, but however DID walk to the beat of one of the Peanuts tunes, and did do spins and stuff. We tried it for a couple of weeks and I can't remember who decided if it was for the border collies ... she or I. (And no, I didn't have border collies at the time, and I've sworn off them).

Okay, I promised the weirdest dog sport. Big Air is almost the weirdest dog sport -- it was on Great Outdoor Games this weekend, however, those people came up with a weirder one. The Launch. At least Big Air demands the handler to actually throw something. The Launch only requires the dog to run down a dog and grab a dummy suspended in air. The dog that grabs the highest one wins.

Sorry, that's weird.

My husband and I were discussing it in beagle terms -- I would get one of the girls on a boat dock, point out the dummy suspended in air, convince them to run down the dog with food, and then when they saw the water, they would put on the beagle brakes -- curse at me in beagle curses -- silent in Marcie's case, very loud bellows in Maggie's. And I would NEVER EVER get them on a boat dock again.

And I'm someone dumb enough to compete in Dog Obedience for 8 years (but be really good at it), and play dog agility now -- not good at it, but we have an much better time at it than we did with Dog Obedience.

And yes, I cheerfully acknowledge that it is a weird hobby, but a) keeps me off the streets and b) keeps me from killing teenagers (I'm a teacher).

The beagles and I found a new hang out place today. It's a bit out of the way, but the girls are welcome, so I'll be going again. It's called The Pooch Patio, and they serve coffee, soft drinks, wine and beer.

If anyone would like to get together with us sometime, send me an email.