I just found my other dog walking shoe.  It was in Demon Puppy's secret stash outside.  This is the second time one of my shoes has wondered into the backyard without me, and many other things have trekked their way outside.  I still love my doggie door. 

I found it when I was outside doing every dogowner's duty.  As I wondered about, looking for things to scoop, Weasel practiced weird angle weave pole entries and Demon Puppy raged in her kennel inside.  At ten months, she is still quite the banshee.  Oddly, I feed her in her crate with the door closed, and I don't hear a peep from her - even if I forget to let her back out for awhile.  It's just the girl-dog jealously thing, I guess.  Weasel is also quite vocal and has to be crated when I play with Demon Puppy.  Spoiled One barks his objections when I play with either of the girls, but it's more just a "Hey, you're forgetting something."  Besides, Spoiled One barks pretty much with every breath.  It's his thing.  I don't think he even has conscious control over it.

I was thinking about Spoiled One's eventual retirement from flyball.  He still has a lot of fun and enthusiasm, but I notice a bit more stiffness and slowness getting up from his post-flyball nap.  I know he has some arthritis in his spine and I worry about his his back legs.  Ten years, nearly eleven, is getting up there for a German Shepherd Dog mix.  He's finally beginning to gain weight.  All the time I've owned him, I've been concerned by how skinny he is.  You don't see it because of all the plush fur, but underneath, you could count every vertebra.  Well, he's beginning, finally to put on a little layer of fat. 

But, he is still so enthusiastic and playful.  He suffers if I don't give him a lot of activity.  He's eating well and had no trouble being start dog for an entire tournament.  I don't know if my thoughts about retirement are mostly for my own convenience.  He is such a rodeo to run, big and loud and full of himself.  But, he has such fun.