The Adventures of Moose & Squirrel: Run Chi-Wa-Wa Run!

This morning I found myself pondering the question, “What does one wear to the Chihuahua races?” I thought perhaps a big floppy hat. A linen suit?

Andrea and Adam, my favorite dog owners and key to legitimacy for dog events, invited me to join them for the regional Chihuahua races. As much as it pained me, I had to say “maybe”, as I wasn’t sure if the old lower back was going to hold up. I don’t recall ever saying anything other than YES to an event that revolves around cute furry creatures. But after being cooped up in the house for a few days with back pain, and having a need to stand up and stretch out a bit, I gratefully accepted their offer. Besides, I didn’t want to miss Jack’s debut as a champion racing dog. I had already missed his debut as a loungewear model in the PoochOnline catalog!

Once again, I was in dog heaven. Not quite so much as the Bark & Whine ball a few months ago (I do love the big dogs!), but definitely heaven. Cute little dogs everywhere. I’m pretty sure that 95% of those dogs were only partially Chihuahua, which resulted in a whole slew of unique looking dogs. The Chihuas ranged in size from 1/6 to 1 /3 the size of either one of my cats.

Adam and Jack:

This little doggie, "Mochi", had two "Body Guards".. a German Shepherd and a Standard Poodle.

We mingled with the other dog owners. Once again, after I was doting on their dog for quite some time, I was given the suspicious eye and was asked, “Do YOU have a dog!?” Thank goodness Jack was nearby! I stated (perhaps somewhat inaccurately) that “mine” was over there, and pointed to Jack. Hopefully Andrea and Adam are not bothered by me claiming their doggie as my own to remove the appearance of being a doggie stalker.

Jack was in the 10th round of 24. Each round included 10 dogs. The dogs line up at the starting line, held by one owner (or handler). Another owner/handler waits at the finish line and tries to lure the dog with treats and other methods of bribery. “On your Bark…. Get set… Go!”. The dogs scatter. Some do not leave the gate. Others run off to the sidelines. A few run in circles wagging their tails, working the crowd. Some run to their owners. One ran right out of it’s costume. One dog refused to come off of the course, and had to be chased in circles by his owner and a few race workers, lured (unsuccessfully) by treats.

We started several rounds by guessing, based on the dog and owners’ appearances, who would win each round. We just knew the dog in the pirate gear would win (and he did). And we knew the guy in the coach outfit (complete with terrycloth headband) was serious. His dog was first in her race. (We also suspect he took her back to the locker room for a massage and some cortisone before the semi-final round).

Andrea, Adam and their friend Shaun discussed the “release strategy” for Jack. Don’t push him on the behind when the gate is opened, or he will turn around.

It’s the 10th round. Andrea and Jack await (impatiently) at the starting gate. Sherri stands on the sidelines waiting to videotape the race. The pressure is on. On your Bark. Get Set. Go! Sherri watches all of the dogs through the camera lens, but can’t find Jack. Uh. Jack? She turns off the camera. Suddenly Jack emerges from the gate and makes a beeline for Adam at the finish line. He is perhaps the only dog that ran a straight, direct line to the finish. He arrives just a second too late! He comes in third place. If only he had made it out of the gate, he would have qualified. Oh well, Jack is still a model, still a superstar in our minds, and still cute as a button.

Andrea and Jack at the Start Line: