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Sunday, February 11, 2018

Black Dog Sunday

Our black dog has enjoyed a healthy streak, and we've enjoyed it too. You might remember that he had a cancer scare recently but a bunch of tests showed the tumors to be (probably) benign. His happiness and high energy were a big reason why we felt fairly confident that he was healthy even before the vets said the same thing.


On occasion, I get to have both halves of the Labraduo join me on a bike ride. They are an absolutely wild pair because they love to play while sprinting at top speed in circles around my bike. I usually stop to enforce some calmness fairly early in the ride.

We practice recalls, which turn into highly competitive races. Shyla is the faster dog but R's competitive spirit tends to scare her a tiny bit so she hangs back in the races.

After R gets one step on Shyla, he cuts in front of her to make sure that she can't win.
Although I wish that Shyla wasn't scared by R's intensity, it is cool to note that he couldn't muster the speed to beat her in a recall race prior to his elbow surgery more than 1.5 years ago. With his "new elbow", he is definitely faster! How great is that?

I tried an experiment to see if I could infuse Shyla with confidence. I gave Shyla a head start of a couple of strides, hoping that she'd find the confidence to win. It didn't really work. You can see that she started out ahead but her ears were back and her face was worried as if she was focused on what R was doing.

Not surprisingly, R found a way to come around her by leaping a rock to her side. Note how Shyla stuck her tongue out at that moment.

R is a unique spirit. A lot of people wouldn't be able to handle his over-the-top exuberance and intensity. We were told that he was rejected as a competitive field Lab because of a lack of intensity. That story makes us chuckle as we imagine the personalities of the dogs who were *more intense* than R! I often feel as if he may explode with excitement over the smallest fun things.

I hope that I have another day on the trails with R soon!

19 comments:

  1. They are so sure-footed and intense on the leap and getting there first!! Enjoy those days out with them bith.

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  2. That's so funny that Shyla still lets him win, or feels she has to. Maybe it's just their pack order.

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    1. I think that you're right. Shyla isn't a "pack leader" type, and R has such intensity that it's natural for this to be the order.

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  3. they are soooooooooooooooooooo beautiful and together it is almost to beautiful to stand, i love the way they look side by side. Jake is really intense and always did what R does to Baby and Cooper when they were playing threesome chase.... Jake HAS to win, which caused a fight or two with Cooper.

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  4. They sure look like they have a lot of fun together, no matter who wins! ♥
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

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  6. It's so much fun to see the two of you running together and R smiling away! We adore you both♥

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  7. I love to watch the interaction between dogs! Shyla may see R as the pack leader, and submits the lead to him?
    Beautiful shots!
    KZK

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    1. You may be right about that. No doubt, R is the leader of the dog part of our pack!

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  8. Love watching them race back toward you, no matter who's first.

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  9. Can imagine the excitement starting out on a run. Just a walk here, calls for bitey face and zooming around!

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  10. It must be fun to see them having so much fun together. They are both such beautiful pups. And it amazes us how much energy and enthusiasm R still has.

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  11. I love R's spirit and energy! Having had a dog like him (more than once) there is something to be said about the competitive spirit of packmates like Shyla and R share. You know as well as I do that it's truly a unique bond, and it connects them to one another in a truly special way. --And it keeps R young! :-)

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    1. You are so right on!!!!! Such a strong bond but also such competition. The competition always stays friendly although I sometimes wonder if it hurts Shyla's confidence for me to ask them to race.

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  12. Such a wonderful pair, love that they are so close
    hugs
    Hazel & Mabel

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  13. What a pair they are,,, both beautiful and healthy!
    love
    tweedles

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