The Dog Olympics

Last weekend Shasta got to compete in The Dog Olympics. They were held right here in Lansing.

The son of a friend, and teammate, organized and ran the Lansing Dog Olympics. He ran that show like a champ. It was very impressive.

Shasta had a lot of fun, which I will get to later, but the bigger story is how cool it is that this little guy got to create something he dreamed.

The mastermind behind the dog olympics is 7 years old, I believe. He told his amazing mother he wanted to host the olympics for dogs. So naturally his mom said, "sure we can do that!" and the whole family pulled together to make it happen.

When I say they made it happen, they really made it happen. There were ribbons for first, second, and third place for each event. Every dog got a uniform (bandana) and a bag of homemade dog treats. There were prizes for the top three dogs overall and even a mascot.

It was perhaps the coolest thing I have ever seen. He was in charge, his dad, brothers, and mother were his assistants. His dream came to fruition through hard work and help from his family. It. Was. Awesome.

Inspiring parenting to be sure.

Participating in this event will definitely help me to think twice before I tell my child "No, we can't do that." When they ask to host the Olympics for dogs or some crazy thing. Often there is a way to make those dreams happen. Which, it turns out, is not only a great way to make memories but also a great lesson for life in general.

So, thank you Firecracker for being an inspirational parent.

I know you are all waiting on pins and needles to hear how Shasta fared in the games.

There were about 10 dogs competing in the games.

 The events were, hurdles, fetch/catch, a bone hunt, and a race. Swimming was also an option but it turns out none of the dog owners wanted to let wet dogs in the car to go home, so uptight.

Shasta competed in the hurdles, fetch/catch, the bone hunt, and she raced. She would have also done obedience, which she is actually pretty good at, but we were late. Sorry Shasta. She got second place in the hurdles, even though she only actually jumped over 1 of the 4 hurdles. Though, to be fair no dog jumped more than two. She didn't fare so well in the bone hunt or catch, but she did get third in the race.

At the end the top three dogs got overall awards. Shasta got third place! Way to go Shasta.

Dexter the Bernese Mountain Dog won it all. He was a tough competitor.

She was very proud of her performance as were JT, Audrey, and I.

 She had so much fun she slept the whole rest of the day.

I have to mention one more time how incredibly cool it was that a family made this day happen for a child. It was equally amazing that so many people came with their dogs to make the games great. So fortunate to have such a wonderful community.