Clean Run Magazine - December 2006 - 5

Editorializing... Running with Ghosts By Cindy Morettin Will I ever be able
to run as a free-spirited, carefree Looking back I see myself in my
thoughts going back handler again? Looking back, I can see how I took that
to that tire and totally going bananas on it. When I was state of mind for
granted as well as the state of my done, that dang obstacle lay in a
mangled heap, gasping dog the dog that is tied so tightly to my heart that
it's for its final breath. I feel better for it. In fact, I've killed hard
to separate him from almost anything else I do. that tire a hundred times
since, each time enjoying it immensely. I've been running dogs for close
to seven years and never had any of them get injured on an agility course
or in We are into our fourth month of rehabilitation, which practice. When
my big, goofy Flat-Coat ran up the plank started with two pulled illiosoas
muscles and festered of a dogwalk I had not yet bolted together during
course- into strained hips and knees that led to blown cruciate building
at my practice building, it all came crashing ligaments in his left knee
and ruptured cruciates in down in a terrible heap with him narrowly
escaping his right knee. A classic example of how everything is what could
have been a terrible injury. I laughed and connected to everything else in
the body. Like a house danced around the ring with him. He looked at me as
if of cards, one card pulled and Clark's house of cards to say, Hey, that
was fun! Let's do it again! with nary a tumbled. thought that he could
have really gotten hurt. I know many other people who have gone through or
As other handler's dogs were dealt unfair blows during are going through
the same scenario and each time I the course of a run or at a practice,
I'd look down at my hear that the tire is involved, I wince for the pain
and own strong, handsome boy and think it couldn't ever suffering of the
unsuspecting dog and curse the tire happen to us nah, not to us. under my
breath. But it did. In a fleeting moment, on the much-contested I don't
have lofty goals for us. At this point, all I will be obstacle, the tire,
my dog was brought down. I keep looking toward is an infection-free
recovery after the replaying that exact moment over and over in my mind
second extracapsular cruciate surgery on his remaining like the tune of a
song you can't shake as it keeps creeping knee and to settle into the long
road to building up his in and crowding out other more constructive
thoughts. rear assembly so his house stays intact. If only I had run with
him from the start line which I There is a side effect to an accident like
this happening. only do occasionally anyway I would have been right At
least there is with me. A ghost follows me around the there next to him
and just maybe that would have made course when I am running my other
dogs. I can't shake it. a difference if only this, if only that. It haunts
me. I can no longer run with the same carefree That tire he got hung up on
might well have been a Mack innocence that I did before my dog's injury.
Intruding truck. As I looked back at him on that run, I remember thoughts
of impending disaster invade the spaces in a strange look on his face.
What I eventually realized is my mind where thoughts of how I was going to
run the that he was grimacing in pain. Come on Clark! Let's course once
were. go! Run! You might as well hang 100 pounds of guilt- Perhaps, just
perhaps, when I see my dog healthy and weight around my neck when I recall
trying to get this running by my side once again not necessarily on the dog
to finish the run. I thought he was just slacking agility field I will be
able to chase the ghosts away. off. Sometimes, he does that until I infuse
him with Anyone ever hear of an agility-ghost exorcism? excitement.
Thinking about it just causes me to gulp and to fight back tears. How do
you tell your best buddy that Cindy Morettin you did a stupid thing and
you made a mistake? Cindy Morettin and her husband, Gary, enjoy life with
their six dogs. By day, they are independent contractors providing
networking equipment to companies. By night they teach agility and
obedience at their facility, SuperDogz, in Aurora, Illinois. They've been
competing in agility since 1999 and have earned many AKC, UKC, CPE, NADAC,
and USDAA titles on their Flat-Coat Jax , Aussies Shasta and Mia ,
All-American Mollie rescues, BC pup Zellie , and their Golden Clark Kent .
Contact them at superdogz@sbcglobal.net. | December 06 Clean Run 5
Clean Run Magazine - December 2006

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