It’s sure cold here, and Alys says that it’s going to get colder. I am worried about my friend Ranger – he isn’t moving much. Alys said she’s going to get him a goat coat. Well, she better get going on this fast because he needs some heat-related assistance.

This morning, at the breakfast table, Alys says to me that today is ‘gility day. I didn’t get all excited because I don’t get all excited about much of anything. I’m not a dead in the water kind of dog, but I don’t get all worked up about what’s going to go on.

Alys and Pete scurried around and did their chores, then Pete fired up the pickup truck. I was a little disappointed – I prefer riding in the Subaru because it’s warmer. Sometimes I even get to sit on the heated seat. But not today.

Pete and I went to the recycling center where I got a treat from the woman in the entrance booth. Then he parked the car and went to sort books. I dozed and tried to stay warm. He eventually emerged and went to town and picked up Alys who said that we were next going to ‘gility.

Shadow and Ryder

“’Gility. Today there were four of us, me; my buddy Cody, a border collie husky mix; Murphy, an English Spaniel, and Mort, an English Shepherd. Cody barks a lot. Murphy spends too much time following his nose. Mort is overly focused on his owner, who I noticed today snuck treats off Claudia’s desk.

The other dogs didn’t have anything to say. They’re a fairly quiet group. Cody barks just to hear himself bark. There was a dog in the last class, Callie, a Burmese Mountain dog/poodle cross who wouldn’t shut up. Neither would her owner. Fortunately, we were outside so we all could distance ourselves from this dog and her owner.

Cody, Mort, and I did really well today – we paid close attention to our owners and did most of the courses that Claudia set up in the proper order. Murphy, well, he acted like he didn’t have a clue. Claudia (the instructor) and Betty (his owner) at one point practically had to shove him into the tunnel. Another time he went in willingly, but then did an about-face and came out the end he entered. No wonder that at the conclusion of class Betty said that most likely, she would not be doing any more agility. Claudia wisely suggested to her that she instead enroll in a nose work class. This seems like a good choice to me.

This was our second-to-last class, which was why Claudia, at the conclusion of this class asked everyone what their future agility plans might be. The next sequencing class is going to begin on December 10th. Pete, who is the one who has been working with me exclusively, didn’t commit.

Alys and him did talk about my future agility plans on the drive home. I was surprised to hear Pete say that, yes, we’ll do the next sequencing class that will begin on December 11th. I am already looking forward to this. I like gility because I’m so good at it.

Next: 315. 11/14/21: Northern Breed Ponies