Underway from Vermont

[Rob Nye]

I'm envious that you're best friend will ride in your hack. Our Cooper is not fond of bikes, lawnmowers and the UPS man. Such are the trials of having a rescue pup.

I wish he could travel with us and we're working on it.

How do you get around the no dog policy?

[glenfiddich]

I'm envious that you're best friend will ride in your hack. Our Cooper is not fond of bikes, lawnmowers and the UPS man. Such are the trials of having a rescue pup.

I wish he could travel with us and we're working on it.

How do you get around the no dog policy?

What no dog policy? On the Webpage it only mentioned to use common sense and to not create a nuisance. Barley is exceptionally well-behaved except when a dog person drops to their knees and offers affection, in which case he wags and leans and moans and tells them all about his miserable life! Here he is telling Chuck how mistreated he is


I also checked in advance to make sure he would be allowed into the buildings so we'd be able to attend seminars, etc. The MO State Fair regs say no animals in the livestock buildings, and that was waived for the MOA since there would be no livestock for our event, save the occasional well-muffled hog. Again, provided he behaved there was no problem. Of course the underlying assumption is if he became problematic we would be ejected from the game. I'm fine with that and know what gentlemanly behavior my dog is capable of.

Good luck with Cooper. My wife and I rescue and rehab abused goldens. It can be pretty tough at times. Barley and the other three members of our core pack play a key roll in that, and I think helping abused and neglected dogs has helped my own mature; they are all very good with people and have a well-developed sense of inner confidence.

[Rob Nye]

What no dog policy? On the Webpage it only mentioned to use common sense and to not create a nuisance. Barley is exceptionally well-behaved except when a dog person drops to their knees and offers affection, in which case he wags and leans and moans and tells them all about his miserable life!

I also checked in advance to make sure he would be allowed into the buildings so we'd be able to attend seminars, etc. The MO State Fair regs say no animals in the livestock buildings, and that was waived for the MOA since there would be no livestock for our event, save the occasional well-muffled hog. Again, provided he behaved there was no problem. Of course the underlying assumption is if he became problematic we would be ejected from the game. I'm fine with that and know what gentlemanly behavior my dog is capable of.

Good luck with Cooper. My wife and I rescue and rehab abused goldens. It can be pretty tough at times. Barley and the other three members of our core pack play a key roll in that, and I think helping abused and neglected dogs has helped my own mature; they are all very good with people and have a well-developed sense of inner confidence.

You're right! It's right there in the Rally FAQ's. That's a
great policy change.

I hope you and Barley have a great time.

:RE Cooper we've had trouble with him and other dogs but we'd love to figure out a way to help him through this. He is *very* territorial. Out on a walk he does ok with other dogs but we can't have any friends come over with theirs. Any ideas?

[tvtommy]

I think I spotted Barley at the beer tent today.....he was drinking......water, and seemed content

[glenfiddich]

Yeah that was probably us getting to know a new friend from Toronto. This is great socialization for my little guy!


With the heat driving so many into the vendor buildings for coolness, the vendors appear to be doing a booming business. Well, most of them. Some are offering stuff with studs and fringe that seem a bit off target for our demographic. Food is everywhere and plentiful. There's a family selling fresh produce and their peaches are to die for! It's been a long time since I've seen a peach that wasn't sold green expected to ripen in your kitchen.



The bands I've heard so far are very good, and unless I was an early riser camping right next to the stage I'd be a very happy camper. The grounds are pretty extensive, and though I've been here since Tues afternoon I've not yet found everything I was looking for. Keep your maps handy.

Rob: Question back to you...Is Cooper dog aggressive, or simply being protective of you? We see that a bit with rescues that had abuse or neglect in their background. What we've had the best luck with was not "correcting" the behavior, as that simply adds a layer of aversion to what's already a fear issue. Instead we use a sound to disrupt the focus, then reward the good (non-aggressive) behavior that immediately follows. No scolding; we use a soft "Hut!" to break the focus, then lavish praise when they turn to us. In case it is territorial, you might want to practice this outside on neutral turf first so you're dealing with one issue at a time. A patient friend with a dog of their own helps. PM if you have additional questions.

Pete

[glenfiddich]

Barley standing guard duty in one of the vendor buildings Tuesday afternoon.



We got caught in showers for about 15 minutes on the ride in this morning; it felt great!

Throughout the day we met new friends, some of whom had followed our trip on this and other fora, and reconnected with friends from previous rallies. I think the heat, the rain, the long days on the road are all made even more worthwhile by that feeling of family.

Friday will be our last day at the rally. In the wee hours of Saturday morning we'll set out for points east. Barley's had a tough time with the heat, so our route will depend on whether or not conditions improve as we cross into Ohio. If things are going well, we might dip SE into West Virginia. If we're tired, it will be NE into Pennsylvania and New York.

[glenfiddich]

A few more pix of the rally from a dog's point of view in no particular order.

Twisted Throttle setting up


Checking out a new helmet


Effects of the drought were everywhere

[glenfiddich]

Pee break at Murray (KY) State University on the way in


Mighty Miss


Push Mountain outside of Mountain Home, AR

[glenfiddich]

Sure was hot! Barley can't figure out the Camelback, so we did hydration stops every half hour on the ride in.


Hidden gem on a sidestreet somewhere in Arkansas


Squirrel!

[glenfiddich]

Guard duty in the receiving building


Tom (Kermit Chairs) eating breakfast at The Skillet


Okay, we're here. Now what?

[glenfiddich]

To the gentleman who yanked on blade of the trowel hanging from my backpack this morning then asked me what I intended to dig with "that little shovel," please wash your hands. It's not that difficult to figure out what a man leading a dog would use a trowel like that for...

[Rob Nye]

To the gentleman who yanked on blade of the trowel hanging from my backpack this morning then asked me what I intended to dig with "that little shovel," please wash your hands. It's not that difficult to figure out what a man leading a dog would use a trowel like that for...

That's funny right there.

Thanks for the tips on Cooper and the offer to discuss off-line.

[tommcgee]

Great pix, Pete! My Golden got skunked directly in the eyes last night while I was in Maine and she was home with my daughter. Look at the WX you're missing in New England. Eagle Lake in Acadia NP this morning. No need to photoshop this one, a very rare day!

[glenfiddich]

Tom -- That's so unfair! Once a decade the humidity level drops to photographically perfect levels and I'm not there!

We made it to Grove City PA today, with some really FUN rural backroads tossed in for good measure! It was all too much for Barley to handle. He's resting comfortable, thanks to Best Western. Tomorrow we ride PA Hwy 6 to Wellsboro, then camp just up the road in Tioga.

[glenfiddich]

We left Dayton OH and found a lovely rest area just before leaving I-70 in Zanesville.


We meandered down several rural roads heading generally NNE.


Sign of an era past. The fields were full of soybeans