One of my biggest thrills in recent years was when Aren managed to win the
Jersey Rag Racer's Versatility event in 2006. I never thought I had a chance to
win it because my dogs aren't fast enough to win race meets. But in the overall
event, including straight racing, oval racing, lure coursing and a conformation
match, he scored higher than any of the other dogs, by a hair. It's a win that
brings no points towards any title, but it's a win that I will cherish through the
rest of my days.
He came close again in 2007, but ended up finishing second.
Aren is my first experience with Lyme Disease. I suspect he had it before he
came to live with me on a full time basis, but he wasn't diagnosed until April of
2008. The scary thing (to me) is that the only symptom he had was that his
performance on the field had dropped off in the fall of 2007, but I attributed that
to judge's opinions. But in March of 2008 it was VERY obvious to me that on
the race track he was not performing up to his usual. He was running with dogs
rated much lower than he was and not winning those races. However, if he had
not been in a competitive home the disease very well could have gone on much
longer before more serious symptoms showed up and who knows how much
damage might have been done by that time. He was treated and while on the
antibiotics his performance picked right back up to where it usually was. In the
fall of 2008 his performance dropped off again and I suspected that his system
has not been completely cleared of the disease and we would need another
course of antibiotics. However, upon testing, his anti-body level had fallen as it
should have, but he was badly in need of a chiropractic adjustment!
His performance has improved more than I thought it could, he tested negative
for Lyme on the SNAP test in August 2009 and his Lyme antibody levels had
fallen to a very low level.
Jersey Rag Racer's Versatility event in 2006. I never thought I had a chance to
win it because my dogs aren't fast enough to win race meets. But in the overall
event, including straight racing, oval racing, lure coursing and a conformation
match, he scored higher than any of the other dogs, by a hair. It's a win that
brings no points towards any title, but it's a win that I will cherish through the
rest of my days.
He came close again in 2007, but ended up finishing second.
Aren is my first experience with Lyme Disease. I suspect he had it before he
came to live with me on a full time basis, but he wasn't diagnosed until April of
2008. The scary thing (to me) is that the only symptom he had was that his
performance on the field had dropped off in the fall of 2007, but I attributed that
to judge's opinions. But in March of 2008 it was VERY obvious to me that on
the race track he was not performing up to his usual. He was running with dogs
rated much lower than he was and not winning those races. However, if he had
not been in a competitive home the disease very well could have gone on much
longer before more serious symptoms showed up and who knows how much
damage might have been done by that time. He was treated and while on the
antibiotics his performance picked right back up to where it usually was. In the
fall of 2008 his performance dropped off again and I suspected that his system
has not been completely cleared of the disease and we would need another
course of antibiotics. However, upon testing, his anti-body level had fallen as it
should have, but he was badly in need of a chiropractic adjustment!
His performance has improved more than I thought it could, he tested negative
for Lyme on the SNAP test in August 2009 and his Lyme antibody levels had
fallen to a very low level.
| Aren shown by Caroline Bruton - Summer 2006 |
| Health testing: BAER - normal (2006) CERF - normal (2009) OFA cardiac (echo) - normal (2008) OFA hips -excellent (2009) CHIC # 65849 AKC DNA # V600588 MD - N/N - Normal (Myostatin Deficiency) OFA hip X-rays |
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| Aren graduated from his Beginner Obedience class on July 7, 2008 and passed the Canine Good Citizen Test on June 22, 2008 |
| Aren came to live with me on a permanent basis in July of 2007 after living with a co-owner since we got him at 12 weeks of age. He is the most 'in your lap' dog that I've ever met. He just needs to be close enough to you to touch at all times. I'm hoping this will translate into a great obedience performance (yea, right!). In spite of the odds against it, he and I have been attending obedience classes and finished a rally obedience class late fall 2008. I entered him in my local club's rally trial on November 7th, 2008 and darned if he didn't get a leg, then he got his second leg & RN title the same month! Aren and I have taken some rally and obedience classes in the last year or so, but Aren has a lot of trouble paying attention long enough to get through an entire Rally Advanced class, but we keep trying, and keep taking classes. |
| Rally Novice - one leg, two legs, three legs a title! |
| Aren at Dock Dogs practice - keeping cool in the middle of the summer. Click on photo for more |
Flash - Aren earned the first two legs
on his Junior Dock Dog title on 8/22/09
with jumps of 12' 5" and 12' 8"
on his Junior Dock Dog title on 8/22/09
with jumps of 12' 5" and 12' 8"
