Wyeth has Patience …
September 4th, 2010 by Mandy… is the name of our team in the Dock Dogs’ “Big Air” competition. When I registered on-line, I was required to use both of our names. It was Phoebe who suggested that I incorporate my “real” first name. Personally, I really have never cared for it. All my life I have had the old mantra “patience has virtue” thrown at me. But, I agreed … and, hence, Wyeth has Patience.
So, after five gloriously exciting, touching on a bit of ridiculous (considering how I really got into it) days of competition at the Champlain Valley Fair, I sit here at my desk staring at five blue ribbons that my little pup won. With three days left of competition, she is currently in first place for the overall longest jump at 18’11″. We’re taking the day off to rest. (Actually, truth be told, I’m taking the day off to recuperate – I’m exhausted!)
Dock Dogs offers three competitions, “Speed Retrieve” (fetching the bumper as fast as you can), “Extreme Elevation” (jumping the highest) and “Big Air” (jumping the farthest). It’s quite the elaborate show. Staging is erected with a 40′ runway covered in astro turf, as well as a floating exit water ramp … connected to an above-grown 40′ pool with markers. As if that weren’t enough for a newcomer to the game – add the crowds, the spinning rides, the mooing cows, the noise of the loudspeakers … and, of course, all the other barking dogs. Just a lot going on.
So, when it came time to compete, one might expect that a nine-month old puppy would get the jitters, right? Not my girl. She rose to the occasion. Each and every time, she bounded up the stairs to the stage, took her “down, stay” position at the longest point of the runway (more distance to gain momentum, I figured) and waited for my command. With much fervor, she would run towards the pool. The throw of the bumper. Off she’d jump, arching skyward to fetch it. In she’d plunge.
So, what is my role in all of this? Tossing the bumper as consistently as possible to give her a mark in which to strive. And, how did I do? Pretty darn bad, at times. Twice I threw it out of the pool, almost taking out a little girl at one point; than asking the same little girl to throw the bumper back into the water so Wyeth wouldn’t be swimming around in circles to find it.
My dog never faltered. Obviously. She brought home five blue ribbons out of five wave (heat) competitions and is now a titled “Master Dock Dog”! Clearly, it’s this newcomer who needs more practice.
Our team name certainly is apropos. Wyeth shows a lot of patience with me …









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