Friday, October 24, 2014

Leash runner

I've never had a dog. I mean a pet dog. We had farm dogs when I was growing up on the farm. They stayed outside and frequently got hit by cars because they ran on the road. They weren't pets; I don't remember a single one's name.

On the other hand, I've almost always had cats. Nero is my current sweetie, a big beautiful black feral kitty with hair like a bear's. Imagine my surprise to find myself out in a field with about 2000 dogs, in Morgan Hill, CA, last week Thursday. Nero would have been horrified, but of course he wasn't there.

 I was in Morgan Hill, which is about 70 miles south of Oakland, to see my high school friend Lynne. Lynne loves dogs and is very much involved in dog agility training. She was there to be a judge at national dog agility trials, and I was there to spend a few hours with her. She lives in Vermont, so obviously we don't get to see each other very often.

Lynne had to work soon after I arrived, so she said "Want a job?"

"Sure," I said. After all, anything is more fun than just standing around watching, particularly if the only person you know has to work.

Before I knew it, I had become a leash runner. Did you ever read the book Kite Runner? Well, it's something like the kids who would run after kites, rescuing them from trees and bushes, and bring them back to be flown again. In this case, when the dog was ready to perform his agility work, the trainer threw his leash on the ground and directed him to start. I would wait until the dog was no longer looking in my direction, on this course between the 2nd and 3rd jump, and then I'd walk over and pick up the leash - no actual running, as the dog might decide to run after me and his leash rather than finish his jumps - and then carry it over to where the course ended. That way, when he and his trainer arrived at the last jump, the leash would be there and ready.

I got pretty good at it, Lynne said. And even better, we had a fun few hours afterward wandering around cute little downtown Morgan Hill, drinking wine, eating wonderful Italian food, and catching up on our lives. A really fun day, and I learned a new skill!

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