Klaus Concerns

Still pulling his heart out!

I had considered that Klaus may retire earlier than some dogs because of his intense work ethic. From 6 months old when he was put up in front on a short run, Klaus has pulled his heart out, line never slacking. We've always used the phrase "you can bounce a quarter off of Klaus' line" because it was true. It still is but I do see some signs of him slowing down.

Twice during our run on Friday and then three times the week previous, he was running along with no signs of distress, not a change in his gait, nothing, and Klaus stopped. He just stopped from full speed. I've learned over the years that if Klaus doesn't eat there is something very wrong with him. There is also something wrong if he isn't pulling and then, well, he's never stopped before so I can only assume we've got a potential problem brewing. Each time, we rested and then continued on but at a slightly slower pace. It could be that we were just going to fast for him. You're only as fast as your slowest dog and I've got quiet a few young dogs that seem to want to keep the speed up. For Klaus, we will slow things down. This will give the young dogs time to focus on pulling rather than speed. We've never been about speed. I think Klaus is giving us a reminder.