Catch Up

Finally. The weekend.
Finally. The internet is working again.
Finally. I got some pictures taken.
Finally.

Weekends definitely have a different feel here than during the week. We still have dogs to take care of in the kennels at least twice a day but there are no classes, and there are different events that take place in the event center every weekend. This weekend, it's a sport called 'flyball' that is really fun to watch, but really LOUD. Basically it consists of several low jumps in a row and a box at the end that contains tennis balls. The dogs are let loose by their master to jump over the hurdles as quickly as possible, slam down on the box at the end, grab a tennis ball that is popped out and then race back over the jumps. In the meantime, their teammates are raring to go. Basically it's a timed relay race and the dogs that compete are absolutely psycho. They cannot get anything into their mind other than the tennis ball at the other end of the track, and the rope toy that their master holds on the start line to reward them. Basically every other dog that is watching or waiting to compete is barking. It's very impressive to watch how speedy some of the dogs are though.

Last night we had the welcome party for all students, and it was alright. What I am discovering is that I seem to be more mature than the younger people that attend Triple Crown, but not married/divorced/a parent like a lot of the older ones. Thankfully Katie and I are the most similar in our state of life than the rest of the students, so it's nice that at least we are living together.

My typical day looks like this so far.
5:30 - wake up, shower, take care of Gabe
7:00 - be at the kennels. Walk Diamond, clean any messes (thankfully she is super clean in her run)
8:00-9:00 - training session
9:00-10:30ish - go over 'How Dogs Learn', our assigned reading, with Rob
10:30-11ish -break
11-12:30ish (or yesterday until 2:30!) obedience lessons with Jessy
12:30-1:30 - lunch
1:30-2:00 - training session
2:00-3:30 - various lectures on business, grooming, body language, or training, etc.
3:30-4 - break
4:00-5:30 - training session, health checks, or any other things they can think of
Evenings - optional events to observe like agility, obedience classes, Schutzund, etc.

We also are required to put in at least 2 hours of independent study with our dogs every day. I have been trying to get some of that time in before 8 am and put in the rest of the time in the evenings. It is so hard to have the energy to do more work after such a full day. But, at least it is doing something I enjoy so much.

Ok, I think that's it for now. Hopefully these pictures will give you a better idea of where I am!
Driving into the school...

Outside of the clubhouse where lectures are held

A training field...we're not allowed to just let our doggies play here. Sad but it's the rules.

A blurry picture of the training building. Over 30,000 square feet and air conditioned.

Where the rescue dogs live

The Beach Club

Home sweet home...hahaha

A fenced in field for our dogs to run in...but we have to watch out for the cows

The view from our driveway

I belong.

A view of my room...Gabe just posed himself there - so photogenic :)

My lizard

My bathroom...yes, there is hideous wallpaper. But it's my very own!

The living room

The dining room...Gabe again centering himself in the picture

The kitchen

One of the spiders that lives in the colony. Not really that astounding, but I'm not getting any closer to it

Our would-be nice backyard should it not be home to 4598 spiders

The mother. This thing lives RIGHT ABOVE MY FRONT FREAKING DOOR. THEY COULD DO AN EPISODE OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ON THIS SPIDER.

Shudder.

Gabe, being cute

Again.

Kissy face

New hair...pretty much the moment I walk outside it is no longer straight though.

And Diamond girl!


Overall, I am liking school a lot. It's exciting to be learning all of this stuff. At the same time, I am honestly pretty lonely and it doesn't make things easier with everything that happened in the last few weeks. It's really wonderful to be able to talk on my phone to a lot of you though, and of course dogs are not bad company ever. And Dad comes out in less than a month! I'll be ready.