Timothy Stark Raisbeck

Although Kendall and I have not entered Gracie into Dock Jumping competition, she seems to have a knack for it. She is a natural around water and her athletic ability is great, probably due to the fact that she and The PLDSMF Gang are on the move so much. I have posted a brief explanation about the sport.

Dock Jumping or Dock Diving is a dog sport in which dogs compete in jumping for distance or height from a dock into a body of water.

A team consists of one dog, of any type or size,or age, and usually one handler. Dogs must be over 6 months of age to compete. Handlers may use a toy, also known as the chase object. The dogs are not required to chase or retrieve the toy.

The dock is usually 40 feet (12 m) long by 8 feet (2.4 m) wide and 24 inches (61 cm) above the water surface but may differ depending on the sanctioning organization. Any body of water or pool that is at least 4 feet (1.2 m) deep can be used. The dock is covered in turf-type carpet for better traction and safety for the competitors. The handler may use any amount of the dock and they may start their dog from any point on the dock when competing.

The jump distance is measured from the lateral midpoint of the end of the dock to the point at which the base of the dog’s tail (where the tail meets the body) breaks the water’s surface. The jump distance is measured electronically using digital video freeze frame technology or, in some cases, is measured manually by judges.

I woke to find Grace wasn’t next to my bed where she normally sleeps. I had no idea where she might be so I inquired with Kendall. She informed me that Grace had rolled in something dead during her barn check the previous night and whatever I do, “do not let her in the house”. I saw her through the living room window and she didn’t look to be a happy camper. I was informed that Gracie smelled horrific when she returned from the night’s barn check. I can’t attest to that fact as I have no sense of smell which sometimes works against me, but in this case it was to my benefit. Gracie had spent the entire night outside. This would be all fine and dandy for many dogs, except for the fact Gracie hasn’t spent an entire night outside her whole life. To add to the problem, when Gracie is outside for extended periods of time she has a tendency to “scale” the window screens. I was expecting our window screens to be shredded the next morning but to my surprise everything seemed to be pretty much intact. Gracie was rushed off to the groomers first thing that morning.

Grace has never been shy around water. The video illustrates this. Dogs need to stay cool in the summer just as we do. Grace is big at throwing impromptu swim parties for she and her friends. Usually Kovar from across the road and farm pals Kodiak and Flo join in. The blue raft is one of her favorite pool toys though she has quite an arsenal that she chooses from. Gracie also has quite a unique way of drying off. She will exit the pool, go storming out the pool enclosure gate and proceed to run at full speed, weaving in, around and under bushes. She is like a crazed banshee and it’s always best to stay out of her way at this point.

Gracie has a terrible tendency to scratch and itch. It is what I have coined as her “itching, scratching, digging” syndrome. It is not due to fleas. The vet has said it is most likely due to allergies. I don’t know if allergies are common in dogs or not. In all the years of having dogs I can’t say that any have had such a disposition for this behavior.

She is groomed on a regular basis. It doesn’t matter whether she is inside, outside or whether it is the middle of the day or the middle of the night. There is no mistaking Gracie when she goes into her “itching, scratching, digging” syndrome. It can last for minutes and she might even throw in a little biting of herself as well. I have been awakened many a night due to her condition. I think it is rather sad that she has to endure this but just as humans get used to living with certain ailments and afflictions, dogs seem to adjust as well.

“Sometimes I just have to take a time out and reflect on things a little bit. It’s difficult living in the tall world. Today my swim time was limited for unknown reasons, I was almost run down by the tractor, the heat was unbearable, and no one paid any attention to me. My social networking is not what it should be due to the fact I live in the country and to add to my misery, the internet access is awful.”

The BIG KAHUNA came to town in 2006 and Gracie was destined to ride it. The BIG KAHUNA doesn’t come to these parts too often but in 2006 do to various circumstances it made a swing through our town of Fulshear. Gracie’s eyes woke with a start that morning. She seemed to have a certain restlessness about herself as if she sensed something special to the day. I wasn’t quite sure why. That restlessness only grew stronger as she overheard Christy inform Kendall that her 12th birthday party was going to coincide with the visit of the BIG KAHUNA. The BIG KAHUNA became the theme for Kendall’s birthday party.

All eyes were on the BIG KAHUNA as it was being set up. There was the loud hiss of the air as it made its entry in and a constant popping as sections of the BIG KAHUNA begin to unfold and take shape. Gracie watched with a curiousity and uncertainty as the big blue structure ever so slowly started to take shape. She wasn’t sure about the noise at first and her face reflected a look of bewilderment. The BIG KAHUNA was postitioned just outside the south end swimming pool fence and under an extremly large Pecan tree. It siezed every bit of space it could take and then some. It wasn’t until the BIG KAHUNA was completely set up that Gracie realized why so many were attracted to it. The shear size of it, width and height was very indimidating but Grace also saw a certain vunerability that many others had seen as well. She knew the thrill of the fast, downward descent would overcome any initial terror she had.

Gracie likes to hang out in the kitchen especially when I’m cooking. What dog doesn’t? Our kitchen is not large so there isn’t a whole lot of room even when she isn’t in there.

Gracie’s first inclination is to stare me down in the hopes of getting a tidbit of something to eat. When that fails she “splays” herself out on the floor and takes the rightful amount of real estate she feels she deserves. She isn’t in her begging mode but she is still right there in the action should a morsel of food come her way. I don’t have a problem with her in the kitchen by any means. The problem is “where” her real estate happens to be. The old adage “you make a better door than a window” probably holds true here, except the door happens to be lying on my floor. It would be too easy for her to be out of the flow of traffic, but no, she is right there in the thick of things. When all else fails, to heck with first serving, “I’ll wait for cleanup time”. Thats right, dishwasher duty. Gracie isn’t proud. If she can’t get it on the first go around she is willing to wait for the “dishwasher load”. I don’t know why I even rinse the plates before putting them in the dishwasher as she hopes for an unwanted green bean, a reamed out potato skin or a dressed up slice of tomato that never quite made into the owner’s mouth.

Gracie’s chances of becoming a show dog would have been slim to none if for nothing else due to her conformation. It has been suggested she has what is commonly referred to as “hip dysplasia”. It is a common degenerative joint disease seen in dogs.

It is primarily a disease of purebreds although it can happen in mixed breeds, particularly if it is a cross of two dogs that are prone to developing the disease. This condition can be painful for a dog and in some cases a dog may be put down if the severity warrants it. Christy and I have been assured that Gracie is in no pain resulting from her conformation issues. It is something that is very noticeable with her, especially watching her walk away from you, and we have numerous people make that observation when meeting her for the first time. She has a bit of a swagger to her walk, reminding me of a bow legged cowboy. You expect her to have a couple of six shooters strapped low around her waist.

Dogs learn behaviors from other dogs just as people learn behaviors from other people. You’ll notice from posted images Grace resting her head on the lower cross railing. This is ritual that all of our dogs perform, especially in the later part of the day. I believe Kirby originally performed the ritual due to her size.

Being a Corgi, a small one at that, gives her a disadvantage when it comes to seeing anything higher up than a tall clump of crabgrass. Kirby sees a little better with her head on the cross railing and also gains the advantage of not having to expend energy in holding her head higher. Her philosophy is “why work at it when I don’t have to”. Even though Gracie might have eventually taken to this action, or should I say inaction, I believe it was learned by observing Kirby. Kirby is older than Grace by a couple of years and and had been with us for quite sometime before Grace made it “on the scene”. Keep in mind that our house is built like a beach house. If you are not familiar with this design, the house is not built on a traditional cement foundation but is built on “stilts” that allow for water to pass under in case the tide should become to high and flooding to occur. The original owners of the house built it this way in order to be able to use the section under the house as another area to entertain others. It is additional living space. Due to the fact our house is higher off the ground than a conventional house, it allows our animal friends a greater perspective of the environment that surrounds them. There is just enough room for them to poke their heads through the verticals. The lower cross railing makes it even more beneficial, not only do they have a 180 degree view, but half the fun is using the cross railing for that all important comfort factor. This ritual is a great release from their impromtu parties at the pool, consistent barking at nothing, and the energy it takes to go from the barn to the house at lunch time and back again.

My first encounter with Gracie was three years ago when my wife Christy brought her to a horse show I was attending. She could not have been more than a few weeks old at the time. Christy had mentioned days previous that she had spotted a dog at CAPS (Citizens for Animal Protection) that was the cutest puppy she had ever seen. Lets be honest here, who hasn’t seen “any” puppy that isn’t cute? At that age they are all cute.

In Christy’s defense I think she had cleared it with me sometime previous, that she was interested in obtaining another dog. As a family, Christy, myself and our two kids are big animal lovers. We were coming off the loss of our first dog, Kelsey who became our first pet as a married couple. Kelsey was a Golden Retriever and lived to be 14 before passing on. We were not sure we could top Kelsey in the “best pet” category.

Gracie did not look particularly purebred anything as is the case with most dogs that end up at animal shelters. She seemed to have the look of a Doberman with a litle bit of Labrador thrown in. We started referring to her as a “Dobrador” thinking that was the most likely mix. To this day we are still not sure.