What is a year?

A year is the time it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun. 365 days. 8760 hours. A year can feel like a lifetime, or go by in a flash.

This week Flori turned a year old. And how fast this time has gone! It seems like just yesterday that she was a tiny wiggly black beast.

We've achieved so much over this time. I've learnt about the awesomeness of having a spaniel in your life. I've learnt about gun dog training and competitions. I've learnt what that increase in spaniel tail bum wiggling in the field means (watch out.... I've found bunny smells!), what a bumper is, and what it's like to have a bitch in season in a multi-dog house!

I, along with the school, have learnt about the benefits of having an amazing dog like Flori at school full time, working with students. Every day I am amazed by how she is with the students, and at the impact that she has.

Flori and I have developed as a team, working through lots of foundation skills, gaining a trick dog champion title, working through cooperative care, my first gold Fenzi online class spot, seminars, and more. We still have lot's to work on... but that's normal, everyone always has 'to work on's'

Unfortunately, the next phase in our training is not in the direction I was hoping for. I was looking forward to starting agility foundation skills and progressing some gundog work. But instead, we are looking at rehabilitation and the possibility of surgery.

After Flori's first season her posture and movement patterns changed. And didn't get back to the normal patterns expected. So I took her to an orthopedic specialist, who has diagnosed her with luxating patella's. At the moment we are looking at rehab, and reassessing in six months if surgery is required.

So I don't know for sure what our sporting future will be, which is scary, and disappointing. I know we will find something fun to do together that we both love, that her body can handle, but it's still a bit gutting to possibly not be able to train her in the sport I hoped she would compete in. Actually extremely gutting.

So make sure you are getting your young dogs checked, especially before starting any sports specific training! I'll keep you all posted on how our rehab is going.