Celebrating "National Drink Like a Pirate Day" @Lakeside Inn, Montague. MI

No, it's not really a holiday. Whatever. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Seriously, the historic Tony's Rum Yum Yum are a tradition worth keeping. "Tony" does not skimp on rum. Yum!

Westminster Kennel Club Announces Masters Agility Championship Event

Samurai's father, Dylan (GRCH Wingssong Rock Star) at Westminster

The Westminster Kennel Club announced today that it will be hosting a Masters Agility Championship at the 2014 event. It's a historic move for two reasons:

- it's the first time agility has ever been offered as part of a Westminster event
- mixed breeds will be welcomed, also a first for Westminster

This announcement is further recognition of agility's rise in prominence on the national and international show scene. It's a bright spot for AKC and one of the few areas that is experiencing rapid growth. 

The event will also feature an English judge and that combined with the Masters name suggests that the courses might have International features. 

The Time 2 Beat style formatting will no doubt put more of an emphasis on all out speed than the AKC National Agility Championships, where speed is to some degree balanced by consistency. 

Participating dogs need to be running in Excellent or Master's level and no other qualification standards have been announced at this time.

It is also unclear whether it will be televised along with the traditional conformation proceedings.

Bottom line, it is definitely an exciting announcement and it will be interesting to see how this unfolds.

Tired Little Cowpoke

Shaun Asleep

At 16, he is too old now to even chase rabbits in his dreams. But he is safe. And warm. And happy.

Water Intoxication in Dogs: A Rising Tide of Concern

This is an amazing shot of a dog diving after a ball from Little Friends' Photo.

But it also shows how a dog can accidentally take in dangerous amounts of water, even if it doesn't "drink".

Dedicated to Stoli, Agility Border Collie, 2011-2013. 

Can a dog die from swimming?  Can a dog drink too much? Yes, and the cause to watch out for is water intoxication. It happens quickly and often, once it starts, it's hard to stop. Too often the dog dies or has to be put down when the condition becomes irreversible. 

Swimming for conditioning and fun has become a more popular pastime for dogs and their owners. And as the numbers of enthusiastic dog swimmers rise, so has the incidence of water intoxication. 

Some well publicized losses of prominent agility dogs due to water intoxication, as well a tendency for the problem not to be diagnosed until it's too late, has brought on a cry for increased awareness of water intoxication safety precautions and symptoms.  

Remember, dogs don't have to "drink" water to get water intoxication. Repeated diving into water, chasing balls in the water and biting at waves are just a few of the behaviors that have caused dogs to get sick.

Dogs have even gotten water intoxication from playing in sprinklers. 

Prevention includes avoiding prolonged water play and enforcing frequent breaks. Check for early symptoms, such as a swollen or distended belly, disorientation, throwing up water and staggering. 

The article below has more information.

Valley Vet: Dehydration vs. Water Toxicity

Remember, this awareness doesn't mean don't play in the water. Just play it safe.