My Week

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I consider myself retired because I no longer get paid cash money for what I do. I am on Social Security and Blue Cross/Blue Shield & Medicare. I worked (for pay) from the time I was 13 or 14 and paid in to SS for the entire time until I officially retired. Although I no longer get paid for what I do, I think I am still very active. I am older than Baby Boomers but younger than many of my friends - which, all things considered, is not a great thing. It may be nice to be one of the "kids" in your crowd, but long term it's not exactly smart.

I watch and can relate to "Men of a Certain Age" but consider them kind of young. I have, as they say, 'been there and done that'.

People who try to phone me always seem to have trouble knowing when I'm available. Although it's not a mystery, they just can't remember when I'm home. (Sometimes I think it's because they don't really care but in reality, I suppose, maybe it's because I am hard to 'find'.)

On Mondays with my buddies, Steve, Joe and Jerry in the OFC (Old Farts Club)I help teach a Fundamental of Obedience and Rally class at our AKC obedience club. We, the instructors, all take our own dogs to the building, arrive about an hour before class starts and work ourselves and our dogs in areas where we need more practice. Kria, Pila and Kata work on agility equipment. Virtually always before we can work our dogs, we have to clean the building from the excesses of the weekend. We vacuum often having all three vacuums going at the same time, set up gating, put empty water and pop (soda) bottles in the recycle bin, replace empty paper towels and toilet paper rolls in the bathrooms,etc. Our class is usually around 5-7 students and with four instructors and seven students they get a lot of attention, both individual and group; we would probably be a bit intimidating if we weren't such nice guys.

Tuesdays are grooming days and one of my dogs goes to the 'Doggy Style" doggy beauty parlor in nearby Clawson. Kata is not so fond of going but the others love it; they can be the center of attention, of course.

Wednesdays I arrive early with my three dogs and clean up one ring; we can have two or three rings in our building depending on the size of the rings. Michelle and I set up the puppy agility equipment in the clean ring and get ready for Puppy class. If I have time left over before class, I work/play with my dogs. Usually there is not much time left.

After Michelle and I have started working with the Puppy class students and their pups, Jerry and Steve come in with their dogs to work with them.

We start Puppy class with about 15 minutes of agility work - nothing that would harm their growing skeletons - and, after a short potty break outside, continue with basic obedience practice followed by a a few minutes of supervised puppy socialization, usually on leash.

The puppies and their handlers are really fun to work with because you have clean slates with them. Most new owners don't realize how much their little pups can learn. It's great to see them, not just the pups but the students as well, make progress.

While Michelle and I are teaching handlers/puppies in one ring, Jerry starts to set up adult agility equipment in the other ring for our 'Fun with Agility' class which he and I teach after Puppy class. We try to introduce the students and their dogs to all the agility equipment during the course of class and practice some moves with the idea of learning but more importantly, having some fun while doing so.

After Puppy class while we are doing Fun with Agility, Steve is working with Marcella teaching a 'Beginner' class which is the next class puppies go to after they are six months old. Some dogs in that class are older and have had no previous training so it can be challenging.

Marcella and Steve also teach an AKC CGC (Canine Good Citizen) class. When those dogs and their handlers graduate they are ready to take the AKC CGC test which I give. Steve and Marcella are great instructors and most student/dog teams that graduate from their class also qualify for the CGC award.

Wednesday evenings Kata and Pila take agility classes on the one night they are offered by our club. Kata is in the Advanced Agility class and Pila is currently in the Beginner Agility class. It takes me more than a year working with my dogs to be ready to enter agility trials at the Novice level. I think we should have more agility classes because they are so popular but what do I know.

Wednesdays wear me out! I arrive at the building around 8:15 a.m and leave for the night at around 8:45 p.m. (I do go home for lunch.)

Our club sponsors two AKC agility trials every year. We also sponsor two AKC obedience and rally trials.


On Thursdays I take a Rally class to get me and Bear ready to enter a rally trial. He has his RN (Rally Novice) title which is done on leash. However, he needs more practice to get advanced and excellent titles which are done off leash so you need more control over you dog. He is in terror of men who have a certain 'look'. I am trying to re-condition him but at six years old I don't know if I will be able to stifle his fears. He loves virtually everyone including most men. (It's just a certain 'look' that some men have that causes him to cringe and try to run away. I wonder why that is.) At one Novice trial, we had a wonderful judge who, through no fault of his own, had that look; we barely made it through the course. Without the compassion and understanding of that judge who recognized the problem we would have NQ'd.

If I enter trials, especially agility trials, I do so for Fridays and Sundays. Going to a trial two days or three days in a row is just too hard now.

Kata is entered this Friday and Sunday in an agility trial Dexter, Michigan. I only go to indoor trials and the building must be air conditioned. Kata and I were in really bad shape after a recent trial in a sports building that did not have AC. We were seriously dehydrated.

When I add my gardening and household stuff to what I do with my dogs, I am quite busy. All the members of the OFC say these are the best years of their lives. I agree.

Now it's time to listen to the news and get ready to go to Doggy Style.