Running again with a dear friend :-))

It has been more than a year since I stepped foot in the ring with Zip, she has been injured 2 of her 5 years alive and I have missed running her at every single trial. She is and always will be my naughty dog, she coined the term for me and even though she is that way, she is (don't tell the others) my favorite.

She came home with me at 8 weeks and already had me wrapped around her finger, Ace adored her, Andy kinda liked her :-))) And she was an angel in my eyes (regardless of what others saw!!)

Zip is that dog that knows my every thought, she is always with me, and loves me and we just have that connection I haven't had with another dog before or since her. My first "real" border collie, my first herding dog etc.....It broke my heart to hear she may never run again.

After her first injury (she tore her entire chest floor muscles and both triceps AND back out)....I rehabbed and rehabbed her....taking all the care in the world to make her better...and she got better :-))

She ran, and got her Open Titles and her AD in USDAA..good girlie Zip, she made me work for it :-)) Then, she got injured again, along the same lines, and she was out again...rehab and more rehab. She came back and managed to get a leg in each Excellent A class and ran in USBCHA Pro-Novice, even getting in the top 10 and as high as 3rd place!!......then it happened.

She hurt her foot, very badly, and arthritis took it over, she was very lame and very sore.....I was told she would not work again--more rehab, she took it in stride, even though she watched me every weekend running Klink and training Gator, watching me leave her at home and take them to HER trials....on HER equipment..and she never gave me any trouble. Going to Gator's first trials, Klinky becoming a great dog.....she waited....weekend after weekend of getting the van packed and driving away with her in the driveway with Andy...tail softly wagging....she knew where we were going....Yet every time she screamed with excitement when I came home...and assumed her position on my bed that evening. She just patiently waited. More and more rehab, more vets and finally a diagnosis and there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

On Friday, August 22nd, I stepped to the line, once again with my Zippity Zoom. All I wanted was to run with my girlie...no memories of her being naughty were in my head..just giving her a kiss on the forehead and leading out....turning to her and seeing she had scooted about 3 feet, who cares ;-)) I released her and we were off, to have a great run, she did everything right, I did everything right and we crossed the finish line with a Q...and I cried.....somewhat because my back was killing me (I fell the weekend before in snooker running Klink) but also because I got to run with my Zippity Zoom.....

She and I had many more great runs this weekend, I made some mistakes, she made only one (so far I guess I am the bad part of the equation eh?) but we ended together and she even picked up her AX title and only needs one more leg for her AXJ :-)) Which has been many years in the making.

She took her place in the camper, on my bed and slept there with me every night. Zip was back where she waited patiently to be..by my side.

And the best part....I got to run with my dog :-))))

Gator finished his OAJ and got 2 legs for his OA all with 1st places, and Klink finished her AX and needs only one more leg for her AXJ with 1st and 2nds...----and I am very proud of them--they were great puppers this weekend, I really am.......but I could have gotten NO Q's this weekend and not cared....I got to run with my Zippity Zoom :-)))

So everyone, please as you train and run your dogs, remember that each run is a gift, not something to take for granted----hug your dogs, enjoy your agility runs, whether they are Q's or NQ's...

Zip is laying here at my feet, and from the look on her face she is happy to be back running with me as well :-))