#growing out borzoi is stressful

[theborzoiarebackintown]

Kram’s head has been allll over the map lately and he’s 100% in the stage of I don’t want to look at him for at least a year. Probably two. BUT right now at this moment in time, his head looks lovely! Don’t ask to see it tomorrow or in a week tho.

[camelliagwerm]

🍄 (mushroom), 🥊 (boxing glove), 🥩 (steak) and🍷 (wine) for ocs of your choice?

thank you Crow; decided to do a mix of Arthur and Valerius for this set of questions :3c | RED EMOJI ASKS

🍄 (mushroom) - Does your character like being in nature or do they prefer the indoors? Do they have any outdoor hobbies like camping or fishing? If they prefer the indoors, why?

Valerius is a city boy, so nature by default? He absolutely hates it. Urban settings are far better for him and the sort of hunting he prefers to do, but he won't lie there's a certain allure to the dragon-hunting that he, Greybor, Camellia and his Graveguard did in act 3. Hunting and riding are really the only things — hunting either in the vampiric sense or in the more traditional sense with both Dason (his warhorse) and Simu (his borzoi.) He can say whatever he likes about the Worldwound but it does provide good hunting opportunties for trophies, status etc.

🥊 (boxing glove) - Has your character ever been in a fight? Did they win? Do they fight often? Are they professionally trained or self taught? Do they enjoy fighting or only do so when necessary?

Valerius is very much a fighter. Professionally trained by various tutors when growing up in Ustalav — even before he dedicated himself to Urgathoa's service as an antipaladin, he had experience (both from duels and from hunting). And he enjoys it, a lot. It taps into his basest instincts, the desire to hunt, the desire to feed, doubly so when his bloodline starts to mutate (thanks Bloodseeker levels). He became an antipaladin because ultimately he could satiate that hunger for blood without repercussion and it would be within the realms of his tenets. And naturally, being a military commander on the front lines does mean seeing a lot of combat. Plentiful opportunities.

Arthur, to contrast, is the opposite. He does not enjoy fighting and does it only when necessary. Even then, he'd rather not be on the front lines, but that is often where he can protect his people the most — barriers cast in the thick of the fight, quick dispels, the spirit blade manifesting from a strong will to protect his companions. He recognises that, unfortunately, sometimes the best defence is a good offense, and he hates it. If he never had to use his magic to harm someone again, he'd be fine with that.

🥩 (steak) - Does your oc have any coping mechanisms? Healthy or unhealthy?

Arthur's coping mechanism, particularly when he was under a lot of stress, is smoking elfroot. It's one of those things he swore he'd quit multiple times, but he never did as the responsibilities kept piling up from Senior Enchanter to First Enchanter to Herald of Andraste to Inquisitor to burnt out/retired former hero. "Medicinal purposes," he'd say, defensively, about it. I would say he's managed to kick that particular coping mechanism by Veilguard but it seems unlikely.

🍷 (wine) - Does your oc drink? What kind of alcohol do they enjoy? What are their drinking habits? What kind of drunk are they?

Valerius cannot get drunk 99% of the time due to being Mostly Undead, but it doesn't stop him from drinking at all. He tends to drink blood-infused wine the most to help satiate his sanguinary hunger, but he also enjoys a strong spirit, usually taken neat or with ice. The blood-infused wine he will take with almost every meal where possible and because the alcohol doesn't affect him, he doesn't have any of those drawbacks. The only alcohol that truly affects him in some way is Alkenstar ice wine, and even then it doesn't affect him fully.

Meanwhile, Arthur is a lightweight. Drinking enough to get drunk usually means potentially losing control of your faculties and he doesn't want to risk that. He also just...can't hold his alcohol that well. Anything more than 2-3 drinks and he's gone. He also gets some horrific hangovers as a result ("to whatever this is, and the hangover I'm going to have tomorrow!") He is, typically, a bit of a sloppy/horny drunk as well — because his inhibitions have been lowered, he's more likely to be bolder about physical affection (and wanting sex. It didn't happen so much with Bull because Bull would much prefer him sober, but it happened a lot with his ex.) He generally sticks to wine if he does drink, though some of those Orlesian cocktails are nice and brandy can be good to get the edge off if needed.

[emma-is-swaggy-and-epic]

Y'know what, since i've fleshed out my new OCs a bit more i think it's time to explain them more in-detail! Starting with my danganronpa OC: yuriko togami (so needless to say: SPOILERS FOR DANGANRONPA AHEAD!!!)

I have complete character sheets of her as well as my other OCs on arts and OCs amino (my username on there is VixinTrix)

Oh, and also i feel i need to prefice this by saying that the only danganronpa game i've played so far is trigger happy havoc. I've watched a youtube video a long time ago explaining ALL of the lore but i've tried to forget most of it so that it doesn't ruin my experience playing through the games so i may get some stuff about the game's lore wrong with this character, like i'm not sure if byakuya actually DID rebuild the togami corporation or if people just SAY that he did as a joke considering i only ever see people mention it in the comment sections of meme videos....but i mean...either way i guess it doesn't matter considering yuriko's mother CANONICALLY DIED BEFORE SHE COULD EVEN BE CONCIEVED so she's already not following established lore in that regard...

Yuriko (yuri for short) comes from a danganronpa AU where celestia ludenberg never died (how and why that is the case is up for your interpretation) and she eventually got married to byakuya, resulting in them having a daughter....that daughter, of course, being yuri!

Yuri was born as the heiress of the togami corporation, she lived a sheltered life so she never really had any friends aside from a borzoi puppy she got for her 13th birthday. Growing up all people could really see her as when they met her was just the daughter of celeste and byakuya so she felt the need to prove to the world that she was more than that so she took up chess and constantly practiced every chance she could, which eventually earned her the alias of the ultimate chess master

Personality-wise, yuriko comes off as very cold and harsh much like her parents though it's less "i'm so much better than you and i don't think you deserve my respect" but more "i genuinely do not care about anything that's going on and i just want to be left alone" which means she doesn't really emote much, but when she does she looks absolutely unhinged (think omori's battle portraits in omori)

Despite this however, yuri is very gentle and is quick to crack a joke when she needs to...though it's kind of hard to tell considering she always talks in a very monotone voice (my voice claim for her is simGM's portrayal of kourtney kardashian) plus she LOVES dogs more than anything and will sob uncontrollably if she sees a puppy

Due to the stress of being the heiress of the togami corporation and nobody seeming to care about her aside from who her parents are, she took up smoking weed sometime later in life and she became almost dependant on the substance (and yes, while i know smoking is a VERY SERIOUS thing, i feel like i need to mention that i got the idea of making her a stoner because before i actually drew her design, i liked making jokes about her recreating the "420 gucci gang, my mom took my vape" meme and stuff like that and it kinda just stuck)

Also like, a few days after i made her i realized i accidentally just reinvented my little nightmares OC myrtle soooo.....

Though in my defense, myrtle and yuriko MAY look similar and have similar character motivations but I ASSURE YOU THEY'RE TOTALLY DIFFERENT!!! See, myrtle is a pretentious emo brat who takes things way too seriously and her whole story is her trying to fix the universe after she created a dimensional merge with her reality bending powers. YURIKO is a dog-loving stoner who plays chess and simply doesn't give a shit about anything

Also if you think about it, yuriko is pretty much just shaggy from scooby doo....they're both stoners with pet dogs who come from rich families....not only that but considering yuri is a DANGANRONPA OC, that also means she probably solves mysteries....god fucking dammit...

[eomma-jpeg]

For the Weird Writer Questions Ask Game! :D 6 7 27 28 40

Hiii !! Ty for letting me answer these !!!

6. What is your darkest fear about writing?

- um, I get nervous that I'll get too obsessed and then never escape. I worry I will be come to obsessed with the project and the outcome and then I'll never get out, only consumed by my work... I get a little freaked out when I get close to it.

7. What is your deepest joy about writing?

- i LOVE storytelling, and just being anywhere near the process of storytelling and character development and growth and beauty and love AGH its my favorite thing to be involved in... its why I love trigun and Fullmetal and the adventure zone !!!! They all tell such beautiful stories and I want to try and emulate that

27. Who is the most stressful character you’ve ever written? Why?

- i used to think it would be knives but its vash T-T i still feel like i haven't quite gotten him right. Perhaps I've gotten 98 and Stampede vash correct, but I just don't think I could write trimax vash... at least not yet. He's so ... different from his other counterparts and I would need to reread trimax before I even attempted

28. Who is the most delightful character you’ve ever written? Why?

- this is in part with the fact that she doesn't have a ton of canon content, but Milly... I love her so much T-T. Meryl is a close second and used to be my favorite bc I felt I could write her so easily, but Milly has been SO FUN to develop and write for and sometimes I think I've strayed from who she really is ? But then I remember that I've developed my own story where these characters grow and Milly is a part of that.

40. Please share a poem with me, I need it.

- So this is a tiny lil thing that I got from @ink-the-artist bc I like one line poetry quite a bit??? But its paired with their incredible borzoi works but the poem is

I will remove my teeth, for I want to remain calm despite my anger

@dappermouth also has AMAZING poetry that they write to accompany their pieces !!!

[where-the-wind-is]

The Dog Dies at the End (oneshot)

Fandom:  The Arcana (Visual Novel)

Rating: General Audiences

Words:1536 Chapters:1/1  Lucio (The Arcana)/Reader

“Oh I’m so worried about her” the count cooed for the umpteenth time that day, combing his non-metal fingers through Mercedes’ unruly white fur.

The dog in question breathed heavily as she lay, sprawled across Lucio’s lap. For weeks and weeks the poor girl had been very ill; never playing, refusing meals, vomiting, it was concerning how off she was. You sit in thought at Lucio’s side on his lavish bed and watch Melchior pace restlessly on the carpet below. Whimpers and growls revealing the other dogs growing concern for his partner.

“Maybe we should have Julian look at her again?” You suggest half-heartedly, fully prepared for him to snap at you. He almost does from the look on his face, but he doesn’t have the energy to follow through. Instead, he just sighs and drops his head, burying his face in the sick dogs’ silky fur.

“No…Jules already said he’s stumped. He’s a person-doctor, not a dog-doctor.” The count laments, voice muffled by Mercedes’ mane.

“Then we should find a dog-doctor! That’s a thing, right?” You continue, now he snaps.

“You think I didn’t try?!” He spits harshly, sitting up abruptly yet careful not to jostle his precious baby. “Specialists are rare and expensive and Nadia said it would be ‘a waste of taxpayer money’” He continues bitterly. Quietly you lean in closer to him and drape an arm across his hunched back, offering what little comfort you can.

You’d had this conversation before in the months Mercedes had been sick, it always ended like this. Sullen and argumentative and ultimately hopeless. Melchior stops pacing and rests his chin on the bed, snuffling Mercedes’s fur with a small whine. You feel your heart breaking for the poor boys watching a family member slip slowly away.

With a hiccup that might’ve been a suppressed sob, Lucio carefully extracts himself from under the beautiful canine.

“I…I have to…not be here” he fumbles his words, making his way to his bedroom door. Melchior follows him curiously but stops in the doorway.

“You’re leaving her alone?” You ask quietly. You aren’t passing judgment, just asking him to say it out loud. He gulps loudly, facing away from you. Metal hand pressed to the wall as if he’d collapse without the support.

“Yes, I can’t…I have busi…*sniff* business and …I can’t watch it…” his shoulders shake but you pretend not to notice, he obviously doesn’t want you to see his crying.

“Ok” is your quiet reply. “You want me to come with you?” You ask wondering if he’d prefer your comfort to any form of solitude. He shakes his head vigorously, casting a nervous glance back at you.

“No no, stay with her…I don’t want h-her to be alONE!” The end of the sentence turns into a squeal as the tears he’d been holding in finally catch in his throat. You watch him stomp quickly away and turn your eyes back on the suffering borzoi. She looks sick and exhausted but not in imminent danger of death. Was Lucio simply assuming the worst? Melchior leaps gracefully to the decadent comforter of the bed and starts grooming Mercedes’ ears.

In time Mercedes’ shallow pants become soft whines. You reach out a hand to comfort her and almost get maimed as Melchior snaps and snarls.

What?

Mercedes’ whining grows more strained and you begin to panic. Why was she in pain? Why was Melchior being so aggressive all of the sudden? You consider getting Lucio but decide he’d just freak out and make the situation worse. Instead, you make sure the dogs are as comfortable as possible and you sit back to observe.

0He wasn’t proud of leaving them, but he couldn’t bear to see his baby girl in that much pain. Lucio sat curled on a plush sofa he’d designated his crying sofa™ and wept for the poor babies. He knew Mercedes didn’t have long, and Melchior would never hold out without his girl. Lucio couldn’t believe he’d lose them so soon, and with another sudden wave of sadness, he remembered that he’d left them alone.  

But that was hours ago.

Now he couldn’t help the pathetic sobs that racked him, and he wasn’t even ashamed anymore. He’d been with those dogs for so long it was like a piece of his soul was dying. This was the end of a huge chapter of fighting for glory and fleeing from his past. All of it with those two beautiful canines by his side.

He kept oscillating between disbelief and complete despair. He’d be so sad and then realize it was actually happening and the grief would drag him deeper. It wasn’t fair! They were only…well he didn’t know how old they were but they weren’t old. They were playful and healthy and they could have easily lived another ten years. Lucio actually couldn’t breathe for a moment from the force of his crying, he didn’t care if he was ruining the suede upholstery.

This was the end, the end. Nothing could fix this, nothing could ever be the same.

He buried his fingers in his hair and pulled as his thoughts seemed to growl at him. The mantra of failure and endings repeating over and over. Refusing to be silent. It was an unexpected voice that pulled him out of the quicksand.

“Lucio?”

His head snapped up at the audacity of the doctor to interrupt his suffering. Quickly his anger turned to fear as he realized the state Jules had caught him in.

“You uh…” Julian looked away, mildly uncomfortable with the sight of the count crying. Not just crying but outright sobbing in abject heartbreak. “MC wanted me to get you, it seemed urgent”

Lucio tossed the words around in his exhausted mind, taking several minutes to realize their meaning. Finally, he felt his stomach sink at the implication.

She was gone.

Numbly Lucio stood and walked past the doctor, not even offering a nod. His legs carried him without his input through the familiar halls of his wing. Expensive paintings featuring the friends he was about to lose mocking him as he trudged.

Coming to the room he’d left, he stood outside the extravagant door. He needed to open it, but he couldn’t find the strength to lift his arm, so instead, he used the magic one. At least there was a modicum of detachment with the gesture. His heart cracked in two as he heard the squealing cry’s that no doubt came from Melchior. Without letting himself hesitate he pushed the heavy door open.

And his heart stopped.

There on his bed was the single sight that could bring him to his knees, and it did. He didn’t even feel the impact as he hit the ground, kneeling in the doorway. Mercedes laid where he left her, breathing heavily with exertion but obviously sleeping. That, however, was not the sight that knocked the wind out of the count.

The sight was that of you carefully cradling several tiny, whining fur balls in your lap, wrapped in a pillowcase.

“Puppies…” you mutter disbelieving to the man who collapsed in the doorway.

Melchior curled himself around your right side, flush against you so he could reach the puppies you held. Dutifully licking each one and making sure they could cry.

Suddenly Lucio was light-headed.

All the building stress and sadness from the months Mercedes had been “sick” suddenly left him. The weight releasing him was so euphoric he swore he could’ve floated away. You almost looked like you were glowing as you cleaned each little pup and placed them by their mother to nurse.

“Puppies…” Lucio repeated you softly, it was all his mind would say.

0Four.

He thought he’d lost his two best friends but instead, he gained four furry little jellybeans. Beautiful coats were already as soft as silk. Big mismatched eyes and even bigger paws. Mercedes woke healthy and happy a few hours after her ordeal was over and Lucio was immediately by her side to cuddle her and shower her with affection.

He had been so scared and so convinced it was the end. In his head, he’d built it up to be the death of everything he loved and the culmination of all his mistakes. Yet in the end, it was only the birth of something beautiful. Literally.

You had taken a liking to a particular puppy, the second one born. His curiosity was only trumped in cuteness by his folded ears. Lucio watched the little fur ball climb clumsily over your shoulders and through your hair, long nose nudging into everything it could reach. You must’ve noticed him looking so you fix him with a stare, carefully untangling the pup from your hair.

“Shouldn’t you go tell Nadia there’s gonna be more dogs running around?” you ask, chuckling as the disoriented, floppy eared boy wobbles away.

“I can’t go anywhere, I’m a father now.” He responds with the utmost seriousness, one puppy in each hand and the third climbing up his chest. Mercedes snorts in a way that could’ve been interpreted as laughter, Melchior follows unnecessarily close behind the floppy-eared puppy as he hobbles across the bedspread.

0End notes:

Nadia wasn’t being a dick by not letting Lucio hire a vet. She knew Mercedes was fine and just wanted to see Lucio suffer a little. As we all do.

[drferox]

Have you done a breed breakdown of borzois?

I haven’t yet, but let’s change that now, shall we?

Please note the disclaimer.These posts are about the breed from a veterinary viewpointas seen in clinical practice, i.e. the problems we are faced with.It’s not the be-all and end-all of the breed and is not to make ajudgement about whether the breed is right for you. If you are askingfor an opinion about these animals in a veterinary setting, that iswhat you will get. It’s not going to be all sunshine and cupcakes,and is not intended as a personal insult against your favorite breed.This is general advice for what is common, often with a scientificconsensus but sometimes based on personal experiences, and is not aguarantee of what your animal is going to encounter in their life. 

They’re beautiful dogs, and all the borzoi I have met have been very sweet and easy to handle. They do look more or less like a greyhound in a furry coat.

You can find borzoi with injuries similar to the racing injuries we often see with greyhounds, but to a much lesser extent because the modern borzoi is not bred as selectively for racing, and spend less of their time running in the same direction around a circle. They are less likely to have stress injuries because they’re simply not living that lifestyle.

These big dogs are somewhat prone to Wobbler Syndrome (cervical vertebral instability), particularly the rapidly growing males. In this condition vertebrae of the neck are malformed, and intermittently pinch on the spine, causing weakness, wobbliness or paralysis.

Their deep chest makes them prone to Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (aka GDV or bloat) where the stomach twists on itself, essentially cutting off blood supply and outflows to the stomach. Affected dogs require emergency surgery, or they will die.

This breed may also be prone to cardiomyopathies, but I haven’t seen enough to fairly comment on it.

Their deep chests means we sometimes see them with thoracic pathology (lung disease, pleural effusions) that are more extreme than in other breeds. I’m not convinced this is because the dogs are prone to them as such, but more that due to their impressive lung capacity the dogs survive for longer, so the pathology is worse. I’ve drained 6 liters of fluid out of a borzoi’s chest, and it survived.

A lot has been written about flat-faced, brachycephalic dogs. The borzoi is a classic example of the opposite, adolichocephalic breed. The long face is not nearly as problematic as the flat face. Aside from occasionally being fussy with their plates/bowls and and potential for a maxillary fracture if they crash and land on their nose, the long nose is rarely an issue.

[ezatluba]

At the Westminster Dog Show: Top Dogs, Top Docs

America’s premier canine competition is not just a beauty contest. Supporting elite  athletes (and their owners) is a growing pack of massage and sports medicine specialists.

Clearing a hoop during the agility round of the 144th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Saturday.Credit...

By Jan Hoffman

Feb. 11, 2020

At least the athlete was able to walk into the medical tent on his own four legs.

Earlier, when he had faced the broad jump during his Masters Obedience Championship trial at the Westminster Dog Show, Finn, a six-pound toy poodle, had tried to settle into his normal pre-takeoff sit position. But he wriggled uncomfortably, struggling to hold something in.

Sensing disaster, his human, Abby Cooper, swooped him up, managing to get him out of the ring just before he vomited and pooped on the sawdust.

Off to the veterinarian tent they rushed.

Official dog competitions typically include a standby vet. But Westminster, perhaps the premier elite canine event in the country, demands a crack medical squad of another order altogether. Special dogs need special docs.

Finn was monitored by Dr. Christopher Frye from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, an assistant clinical professor in the new area of sports medicine and rehabilitation. Also on the 15-member team from Ithaca and its satellite specialty office in Stamford, Conn. were a radiologist and a theriogenologist, who specializes in reproduction — of keen interest to breeders of show and performance dogs.

Throughout Westminster Week, they would be fielding questions from spectators and owners as specific and general as their practices: about breed genetic problems; refractive eye tests (is my Boston terrier nearsighted?), stem cell injections for aching joints; clinical oncology trials; how to care for a first puppy.

Westminster is famous as a gathering of spectacular dogs, with all the people and products attendant with canine beauty pageantry: sprays, mousses, gels, conditioners, curlers, straighteners, bows, hair implants (I’m looking at you, Standard Poodles!) and mascara (flutter those lashes much, Papillon?).

But in the last few years, Westminster has added competitions in agility and obedience, events that bring in a very different crowd — jock dogs and their humans. (“Vanish is not just some Barbie collie,” Aaron Kirzner said of his border collie, which is both a breed and agility champion.)

Those athletes are attended by a throng of health and wellness specialists, including canine acupuncturists, massage therapists and chiropractors, along with vets like Dr. Frye.

Over the last few days, the vets’ cases have included: a broken toenail; a sore toe (stuck in the crate during a long car haul); lots of nauseous anxiety (planes, crowds); a flopped ear (inflammation); and rash (the quality of the hotel sheets disagreed with one top show dog).

Finn was fine, by the way. Dr. Frye excused him from the show and sent him home. “‘Home’ is his pillow on my knee,” Ms. Cooper said, during a relieved telephone call from her hotel room.

Massaging strains and stress

The sign was parked before a quiet, curtained corner of the hall: Dog Massage.

Marisa Schmidt, a certified canine massage therapist from Hazlet, N.J., had all her agility-day slots booked for months. But throughout the day, owners and dogs were lined outside her curtain, pleading to be squeezed into her schedule.

Kyan, a border collie, was on the table. “She has some knots,” Ms. Schmidt informed Deborah Salerno, Kyan’s owner. She leaned into the dog’s spine, lifted a hind leg, working an inner thigh muscle. Kyan’s eyes rolled blissfully.

“These dogs are in incredible shape,” Ms. Schmidt said. “Their owners take care of them like any professional athlete. Would you believe this dog is 12 years old?”

Nope.

One challenge, she said, is that dogs can almost love the sport and their commanding owners too much. “Dogs are so resilient that they will run through the pain,” she said, “and sometimes we may not know right away that they’re injured.”

The athletes warm up

For the Masters Agility Championship, 330 invitation-only elite athletes raced over a course of jumps, tunnels, seesaws, A-frames and weaves. Before each round, the humans were allowed to preview the course once, walking it to memorize the series of hand signals they would give their dogs, which would not be permitted to sample the course. Spitting out rapid-fire voice and hand signals for about 30 seconds, the humans would direct their dogs through the course, the two moving as one, a mind-meld team.

Athletes never compete with cold muscles. Here is the warm-up routine for Chelsea, a gleaming, champion six-year-old black Labrador retriever that, with her teammate Dr. Elizabeth Dole, a veterinarian, has competed for the United States in European agility trials.

Walk: three to five minutes. Pee. Trot.

Stretches: loosen neck and spine by bringing muzzle to hip, both sides. Play bow. Weave between Dr. Dole’s legs. Spins. Back up. Come forward.

Work that core! Sit pretty in a begging position, paws up, hold it, hold it. Release.

More stretches: Dr. Dole leaned on a table, extending a treat. Chelsea put her paws on the table, head up, legs splayed. Hip flexors, shoulders, laterals, obliques.

Dr. Dole pulled out a toy. Tug, release, tug, release. “It’s to give her some excitement but also some control,” said Dr. Dole, who has worked in agility competition for 18 years.

“Some dogs need to be in the optimum arousal state,” she said. “But Chelsea is already so eager to play that we want her to be more thoughtful, so when she walks in the ring she’s not over the top.”

A basset hound?

Dr. Frye took a break from the vet tent to watch some of the agility trials. He makes canine prosthetics, studies gaits, manages pain. He sees the world of canine sports as vast and varied, having worked with athletes ranging from sled dogs to racers to dock divers.

Like any sports fan, he stood in the thick crowd, whooping as the dogs sped in a blur through the obstacles. The crowd racket matched the dogs that barked and yelped as they raced along, in sheer excitement. Unlike the conformation — the formal name for the sport of showing purebreds — agility and obedience welcome mixed-breeds, here simply called All American dogs. That’s because these sports are fundamentally a celebration of the human-canine bond.

Because the obstacles are adjusted for height classes, all sorts of breeds were competing: dachshunds, Papillons, Havanese, pugs, corgis, rat terriers, Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers, Berger Picards, Belgian Malinois and Doberman pinschers.

Well, maybe it’s not suitable for all dogs. “Sometimes the giant breeds, like the Great Pyrenees and St. Bernards, can’t quite squeeze into the tunnels,” Dr. Frye said.

Border collies, with their laser focus and pliant, quick-cut, low-slung bodies, tend to dominate.

Dr. Frye had a soft spot for one unlikely agility athlete: a basset hound. “It was like a cartoon of itself,” he said. “There’s nothing about a basset hound that’s made for this course! But I loved watching that dog navigate and figure it out.”

And good for humans

Lou Avant, all but vibrating on an endorphin high at the conclusion of her agility trial, bounced out of the ring with Whimsy, her gorgeous Borzoi (tail dyed purple for the festivities).

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“Wasn’t that frigging awesome?” she shouted. “How did the universe put me together with this dog?”

Dr. Avant, a veterinarian from Atlanta, has taken Whimsy and other large dogs for years to many sports, including dock diving, barn hunting, obedience and tricks, where she meets up with a regular circuit of passionate large hound dognoscenti.

“I like running with the big dogs,” said Dr. Avant, 63. “I’m not ready yet for some little old lady dog!”

Emergency!

On Sunday, Tyson, an eight-year-old-miniature American shepherd from Minnesota, needed to go to the vet tent.

Tyson is an obedience champion. He is also an anxious flyer with a sensitive stomach. After arriving in New York, he started vomiting. And kept it up, almost hourly. “I thought, where are we going to find an E.R. vet?” said his owner, Shannon Wacker, who was there with her 17-year-old daughter, Mara. “I was heartbroken for my daughter. They had worked so hard to get here.”

Mother, daughter and dog found the Cornell vet tent, who ministered to all three. “They were a godsend,” Mrs. Wacker said. “And they didn’t bill me!”

A vet gave Tyson a 24-hour anti-nausea injection, which calmed his stomach.

By Sunday afternoon, Tyson was good to go. He did not win a ribbon, but Mrs. Wacker and Mara were thrilled. “Considering all that happened with him, we’re tickled,” Mrs. Wacker said, saying that Tyson had pushed through his misery out of devotion to her daughter.

“We just needed to get his nerves untangled,” she said. “He’s just such a little overachiever!”