Gas vs Dog Events

Well, I typed a nice, long post, and the forum ate it!  Point being, I ignore gas prices for fear that I'd cry at the pump if I didn't . Emma and I have 3-4 classes, every week. We also do fun, social things in between. We live 30 minutes from anything, LOL. We generally shoot for a dog show, every month. This month, we went to Jacksonville for an obedience show. Next month, we're going to Perry (where I suppose we'll have to watch the Ridgie ring!). In June, we're going to Savannah.

On non-dog-show weeks, we try to stay under a tank of gas for the week. Dog show weeks? Forget it. All bets are off. 

jennie_c_d

Next month, we're going to Perry (where I suppose we'll have to watch the Ridgie ring!).

At any rate we woulod love to have you come by, what events are you entering?

Bonita of Bwana

Gas here is up to $3.59/gallon.

I'm maintaining a trial schedule of about two per month on average.  March had three, April only had one.  May has two, June has two and July currently has one with the possibility of one more.  I plan my trial schedule with a friend so that we can split expenses such as gas & hotel.  She is also getting a puppy in June (born any day now!), so it may get more difficult for us to travel together once we have four dogs between us....  Most hotels only allow two dogs per room (if you're honest).

I also am driving to class two nights per week starting May 5th -- Kaiser has Puppy Kindergarten on Monday nights and Luke has his competition agility on Wednesday nights.  Other random things get thrown in as well, such as a frisbee competition for Luke this weekend.

I'm feeling it, but I guess it's not really stopping me from doing much....

Gas here is about $3.55 per gallon.

Luckily I work about 2 seconds from my office.  Sometime I have to drive to DC  but that is only once a week at worst.  I am trialing every weekend.   I usually drive with a friend so we split gas and hotel which works out great.  I do know we will not be going up to NY or down to GA for any trials like we have done in the past because of gas.  Luckily here in the NE we have tons of trials to choose from so we make due with nearby trials.  I also have agility class once a week but that is only 10 minutes from my house so no biggie there.

KarissaKS

I'm feeling it, but I guess it's not really stopping me from doing much....

It was $3.62 when we filled up the van the other day and it was $3.52 the next day.    I'm road tripping to OH for an agility trial this weekend and the RV has a little more than a 1/4 tank at this point, so will be filling up on our way.  That will cost about $250 probably.  Will it stop me from going?  No, probably not.  Will it hurt?  Yeah, but I'm not going to classes on a regular basis, so that helps with gas costs.  When I go to classes, it's an hour each way, so I save quite a bit each month by not going to regular weekly classes.

I spent the first weekend at a trial in the RV on the 19 and 20th and loved it.  It was great to have all the conveniences of home right there.

Here's our RV.

 I don't do dog shows, but I have a long commute and spend close to $500 a month on gas at 20mpg. I do transports about every weekend but recently I've hesitated before signing up. This really stinks. I hope the dogs don't have to pay because we can't afford to get them where they need to go. 

Gas is around $3.57.

 Ugh, it's $3.59 so far here, could've went up a bit more but I don't know yet. Thank god I got an SUV that doesn't suck too much gas but it still makes me want to cry sometimes seeing how fast the #'s move.

As for events, I like the Pet Expo here in the Fall but it's local. We do alot of things local with the dogs, but I do want to take them to the beach or somewhere out of state for a long weekend this summer.

 Emma is entered in Rally Excellent on Fri and Sat, and Advanced AND Excellent on Sunday. We'll arrive Thursday afternoon. We stay in a hotel. 

Ohhh, I get to play with the Ridgie puppy! Soooo excited! I'm going to bring my camera and post pictures to make everybody jealous 

Tash -- I would kill for something like that to take to trials!!!  How neat and what you save on hotels would easily justify the extra gas.

Between my friend and I we have pretty much everything someone could need to trial -- except the RV.  I told her that one was on her.  lol

I am trying to keep that in mind for my events I enter. So far they have all been close to home and since I am a newbie I don't think I need to travel far. I also don't want hotel bills. However I was told I should really do a trial in Grand Rapids this fall. So that may be my first overnighter. It's 3+ hour drive for me. If it is an indoor trial and we don't need our pop up we could probably take DH's more economical gas car as opposed to my SUV.

I am glad I am not horse showing this summer. Diesel prices are at least a dollar more than gas. My trainer does her best to keep the cost down but she can't lose money either. A friend told me recently she is not sure what she is charging per mile but she recently went to a show and a paid over $400 in shipping the show was a couple hours away, she said not too long ago she could ship to KY for that.  

     Prices have been fluctuating between $3.49 - $3.69 here, depending which part of the city you fill up in. I work close to home, and to be honest, I haven't used my car in nearly two weeks. I have no dog events planned for anytime soon, hell, I'm not even sure I can afford my car anymore :(  I'm taking four of my best dogs upstate to hunt on private property next weekend - it's a 1hr 40min drive and that is pushing it to the absolute limits. I won't travel more than 2hrs. Will fill up when I get upstate, because prices seem to be approx. 20cents cheaper up there - at least they were cheaper the last time I was up there about 2 months ago ... Who knows now?

Welll how nice for all of you, LOL I paid $4.01 this morning here in central California. Granted I do put premium but oh man I wanted to cry, it cost $60 to fill up my Acura MDX. Hubby just bought a 1990 accord.....it is ugly as sin but get a wopping 36mpg!!!!!! He typically has a big huge gas guzzling truck but figured the lil honda would be better for around town and easier on the ozone.

$3.53 this morning .....and that was at the cheapie gas station. Across the street the Mobile was $3.63

tashakota

Here's our RV.

Tashakota How fun We had a Southwind Storm and I LOVED it !!   It is a great RV.... we are on rig Number 6 ...good thing Dog Showing is an "inexpensive hobby" hee hee At least that is what I told the Hubs over 6 rigs ago...  I have no idea how to put a picture in a post sigh... ours is in my profile, both newly purchased and being towed by the wrecker from hades when a battery cable went kablewy!

Hopefully we are on the final rig now, he got his Gas Pusher and adores it.  we grin a bit at the diesels as we fill up , painful as it is "at least it ain't  diesel!!" 

Bonita of Bwana

Just heard on the news awhile ago that it passed the $4 mark in San Francisco too,  and they're looking at $5 as a possibility by summer.

Joyce