Transitions

Transitions:  3rd person singular present, plural of tran·si·tion

•  Noun: The process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.

•   Verb: Undergo or cause to undergo a process or period of transition

I think this best describes how I feel about my agility career right now.  Sully although still running, has begun the process of semi retirement. He is transitioning.  This transition shows up in many different ways. It is the little things I notice. He doesn't rough house and play very much with the pack, always watching from a distance in case he needs to butt in as the fun police. Sully brings up the rear on our hikes and sometimes we have to wait for him to catch up.

There are the 3 young dogs in the pack waiting for their turn to lead. Each dog has some skills to learn and some team building to develop before we can ever get to that point in a team's relationship. As we work on confidence and distance work or remedial skills, we hope that soon "this" dog will be ready to shine in the ring.  In the ring , we imagine those perfectly timed runs where no sound is heard in our head and each step or body positioning comes without even thinking.  In the blink of an eye that run is over and our hearts are pounding from that exhilarating feeling of two minds that become one.

That "feeling" has happened so many times with Sully. The young ones..........not so much. So we train and we work for it. We are transitioning from our old worn comfy jeans to a new pair that needs mileage, history and lots of breaking in yet.  So here is to new jeans, new beginnings and new journeys.