By the time Joe gets home with his fancy newfangled device, he has forgotten what the techno geek showed him and he cannot make it perform even the simplest functions. Joe could perhaps read the instructions, but hey, this fancy gizmo is supposed to almost think for itself! Joe realizes that none of his existing accessories are compatible with his new toy. And finally, once home, Joe hears that soon his new toy will soon be obsolete because the newer, “improved” model is coming out. After muddling a bit, Joe learns how get his device to do most of the tasks he needs, which of course his previous device did just fine. But, he still cannot get any of the fancy features demonstrated to him to work to his satisfaction, and certainly not as well as the techno geek performed them. Joe concludes that his device is faulty. So, when the next greatest gizmo hits the market, Joe is the first in line, and the cycle repeats. Of course he never needed any of the fancy functions and was getting along just fine without them. But, the hype and peer pressure made him believe he did. Now, Joe is an average Joe. His buddy Elmer, who is very techno savvy and talented, had no problem adjusting to his new toy and Elmer is able to take full advantage of the new and improved features.

Is this beginning to have a familiar ring to it? Similar scenarios are played out in dog agility all of the time. Joe Handler enjoys a comfortable level of success at trials and his goal is to maintain his qualifying rate and acquire titles. He competes locally at ABC* trials with his smaller sized dog. But, he hears about a seminar where the big name presenter will be teaching. Since he has seen all of the “top handlers” doing new “moves”; he assumes these must be the magic bullet he’s been looking for (was he?) and thus he decides to attend. Of course Joe does not stop to consider whether he or his dog will actually benefit from the new moves. Nor does he consider whether they are consistent with all of the foundation training that he’s done and the handling he is currently doing. Even if he does, does he have the knowledge to successfully integrate the new “moves”? Joe Student Handler should always consider his personal goals when seeking instruction, and be sure what Joe Agility Instructor is offering will actually help him meet those goals.

Several years ago I was the first to offer an international skills seminar in the USA. I coined that term because I wanted it to be clear that those that did not expect or want to encounter certain course challenges probably would not benefit from the skills being presented. I have never understood why I was required to have so many calculus credits as a prerequisite for veterinary school. Algebra and geometry I still use, but calculus? Was learning that material really in my best interests as a future veterinarian? Doesn’t it make sense to teach material that your students need and will use?

A student of mine, who might be considered a “typical” USA handler, watched the 2012 FCI AWC live stream last fall. She commented to me afterward: “Boy, what they are doing and what I am doing is not even the same sport. I hope that AKC courses never get like that”. To be honest, I agree (read on) and I think a large portion of “typical” USA handlers would as well.

If I am teaching handlers that primarily compete in ABC, my drills are slightly different than if I am teaching handlers that aspire to do international** courses. But my material does not change… i.e. I still focus on how each student can combine cues to most consistently, effectively and logically communicate with his dog. When I wrote Developing Handling Skills (DHS) I tried to be sure it 1) was appropriate for all dogs 2) adaptable for all teams no matter how mobile the handler was or type of course they were running, and 3) would be able to stand the test of time. Having an understanding the general concepts (how the dog relates to motion, natural vs. trained cues for example) is the basis for agility handling everywhere, no matter what system you use, or what country you are from. So, when I teach at seminars I try to help the participants apply the concepts no matter what type of dog or handler it is, nor what type of courses they are running.

Not too long ago I was at a trial outside my local stomping ground (where I think the handlers are accustomed to seeing me crash and burn as I experiment with new cue combinations ). I
could tell my handling was under intense scrutiny (because, after all, I “wrote the book” on handling ). Naturally they wanted to see DHS in action. Waiting for my turn, I watched as an older handler (older than me, anyway) turned to face her dog to perform a {insert name of your choice here} move. No doubt she had learned this move at the latest seminar, or she got it as a trickle down skill from her instructor who had gone to the latest seminar. It made me sad, because her somewhat hefty medium sized dog trotted up to the jump and stopped dead. She waved her arm behind her and said Jump, and eventually convinced her dog to pop over the jump behind her. She waited for him to come around the wing and then she moved off to cue the next jump with him. I felt badly for her because no doubt she had been convinced that this was somehow the best way to cue a turn. Now if she had just been taught her about how to balance cues appropriately for her dog and how to use motion effectively, she might have chosen a more appropriate option. After watching her run, the rest of the weekend I chose more standard cue combinations, rather than experiment, because I felt a sense of obligation to set a good example.

Unfortunately, when teaching, many agility seminar presenters and instructors are like the techno geek sales person. They seem to feel they must always offer something “new” or “improved”. I admit, even when I teach, I feel pressured to present something new. But, is that really in the best interests of the typical USA handler? Are we doing our students justice if we teach skills we know they will be unlikely to ever use? Or, if we teach skills knowing the students do not have the appropriate foundation to use them effectively? Of course I could go off on a tangent discussing what exactly the “typical” USA handler is, but I am pretty sure we would all agree it is not a 22 year old, svelte athlete with a high drive Border Collie and lots of time to train, that aspires to compete with the best of the best.

When a new student comes to me for a consult, I always ask what his or her goals are, for that lesson and for future competition. As seminar presenters and instructors, we have a responsibility to be aware of the needs and goals of our students. We should not focus on teaching various moves unless we are sure that the student has the foundation skills or knowledge necessary to successfully incorporate the skills into his current handling system. Nor should we teach moves that we know are not necessary, or even desirable, for the typical USA dog and handler team. Frankly I’m not sure some “moves” currently being taught are needed even by the most accomplished handlers. Last year the USA Large Dog Team placed first in Team Jumping at the 2012 FCI AWC using “meat and potatoes” handling…i.e. good old American style with no fancy moves. It was a spectacular effort.  USA handlers Marcus Topps (medalled twice individually in Large in FCI and multiple times in IFCS), and Ashley Deacon (medalled in Medium in FCI Individual and Team) used what some might now consider “old-fashioned” handling by today’s standards. These handlers accomplished these feats despite essentially zero practical experience on international courses in competition, while most of their competitors saw the challenges on a weekly basis. Last year when I went to the European Open it was clear that the sheer comfort level most handlers had with the challenges far exceeded ours. Challenges that were still unfamiliar to us had been performed so frequently by the European competitors they required no more thought to execute than we might give a forward send. Most of the time the actual cue combinations are not much different. Is there a magic bullet? I am not yet convinced. What Europeans (and other handlers that run these courses all of the time) have that we don’t is the trust that their dogs will commit to what has been cued, freeing them up to move ahead on course.

Now, Joe Handler may not know what he needs or what his goals are. He may come to a seminar thinking he needs new moves and then realize that they really aren’t needed based on the style of course he runs. I asked a popular European seminar presenter how to apply the moves she was teaching on the types of courses I see here, and her response was “USA courses are boring”.  I admit I don’t understand the current trend toward inviting so many different non-USA handlers here to teach when we have so much talent right here in the USA. Yes a very small percentage of handlers here may enjoy what they have to present (myself included!), but the vast majority of handlers would benefit more from homegrown instruction provided by those that compete and succeed on USA courses on a regular basis.

Helen King wrote recently “not everything that comes to us from a foreign country is necessarily a good thing!”***. Since the “early days”, it has seemed that all a seminar presenter in the USA had to do was speak with an accent and he/she would be considered an expert regardless of his or her credentials. I think perhaps this is because the USA was not an instant success at the FCI WC. Because there were very few videos of international competitions, it was easy to assume it was simply because we lacked the skills and talent. I was at the FCI AWC in the late 1900s. I knew we had a lot of talent in the USA regardless of the results. (More on that in another post). Yes, it took 5 years before the USA Large Dogs won a medal (2001). But, did you know that from 2002 till 2011, the USA has the second best total number of individual medals? We must be doing something right

I remember back in 2000 at the FCI AWC, some handlers were amused when Linda Kipp stopped her dog in 2o2o during the team practices (“How silly, that wastes too much time!”). The next year Team USA won the gold medal, in part due to our ability to stop our dogs on the teeter (where many dogs incurred flyoff faults). After that, each year more and more European dogs were observed in the practice having 2o2o foundation training. At the FCI AWC in 2001 I used a rear cross on the flat to cue a turn at a point where many dogs were jumping long and in extension, then having trouble turning on the slick carpet. The European announcer said I had a “mistake” It was not mistake, it was very much planned shaping. But that was not skill used by Europeans at the time, so it was not understood. Now, of course, shaping is a common handling choice.

I have a lot of respect for handlers that are out there competing successfully on international courses on a regular basis. It is not easy. I love to watch the really super teams rise to the challenge; the timing and teamwork required can be awe-inspiring (watch the Jenny Damm video I’ve included at the end of this post). Those that are in the trenches, getting results, are definitely the ones worth listening to and I’ve made an effort to work with as many European presenters as I can. I think it is important to understand the rationale for what others are doing, not just blindly follow (pun intended ).  It’s very interesting; each has developed a unique way to successfully communicate with his or her dog. Often similar cue combinations are being used, but they may have evolved differently and there may be different rationales for using them. Where I feel it would be beneficial to do so, I break down the various “moves” into the six basic cues to determine how to make logical combinations consistent with DHS. For better or worse, I’ve tended to trust my own instincts. I am always experimenting; my dogs don’t seem to mind being the crash test dummies for the good of the sport . One must step outside the box if there is to be improvement; DHS was derived through observation and experimentation. Since I am no longer 22 years old nor am I svelte and athletic, but stubbornly aspire to compete with those that are, I expect to do a fair amount of experimenting this year. I want to determine if incorporating some high-risk cue combinations can help me (and interested students) successfully handle international courses. Does that mean I will be teaching these in seminars? No, not until I feel comfortable that the benefits outweigh the risks and only if the students share similar goals.

Internationalization? Yes, personally I would like to see more difficult course challenges incorporated into USA courses and even speed added as a requirement, but as a separate track from the titling. Leave the current the titling systems in place as is.  Titling is one of the wonderful things about USA agility!  It is a vast improvement over what some other countries are doing…. Titling, plus multiple jump heights and other factors, allow many more dogs and handlers a chance to compete and be successful. Lisa Frick was not even born yet when I started agility…I will not be able to keep up at this pace much longer and it is nice to know that I will always be able to enjoy this sport.

So, the point of this blog? To help fellow Americans consider that maybe we are actually doing some things right here in the USA. To suggest to handlers that before they jump on the bandwagon, make sure it makes sense to do so given what their personal goals are. To suggest to seminar presenters and instructors that they don’t always have to present something new, and that they should be sure what they are teaching is appropriate for the students being taught. To suggest that yes at the present time I personally would like to see a bit more variation and more challenge on USA courses. BUT I am not getting younger and I am not svelte. I am plagued by injuries and I know that my ability to run international courses is going to decrease. I agree with those that are happy with the challenges they see in ABC and other venues and I think USA titling programs are wonderful.

*Note: I am using ABC as a generic term to refer to any USA agility organization that is truly designed for all types of dog and handler with primarily flowing course design and emphasis on qualifying.

**Note: The term “international” is used in this blog to describe courses with challenges that are more typically seen on European courses vs USA such as backsides, push and pull-throughs, wraps greater than 180 degrees and so on. In the following video Jenny Damm does a beautiful job of demonstrating some of the skills she uses to succeed on “international” courses. Very impressive handling! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiDadBf0D60).

***Note: See Helen’s post here: http://jility.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/and-hitler-was-a-tweeker/

1) Most organizations that sanction trials state that safety is a prime concern. I intepret this to mean that equipment will be safe, running surfaces will be safe, course designs will be safe. When I send in my entry fees, I do have a certain level of expectation that every effort has been made to assure safety. Of course, as a handler, I do strive to be sure my dog is safe. However, I should not have to sacrifice performance in order to achieve that safety, nor can I expect to always be the perfect handler. For example, I should not have to shape my dog’s approach to a contact because 1) the course design was extremely poor or 2) the surface of the equipment was slick and dangerous.

2) If I am not familiar with the venue or equipment to be used, I have no problem writing to ask what the club will be using. I will choose not to attend if I don’t like the answer and I let the club know the reason why. It takes a while, but eventually clubs realize that they could afford to make things safer with the entry fees that are lost when competitors choose to go elsewhere. There was resistance to electronic timing, rubberized contacts, 24″ poles etc, but eventually changes were made.

Jumps
The first thing Daisy talked about was safety of the jumps. I most certainly agree that protruding jump cups, no matter what the material, are a potential hazard to the dog as he jumps (of course metal is the absolute worst!). Because course design challenges have continued to evolve, dogs are now being asked to slice jumps at all angles, approach jumps from the backside (resulting in minimal visibility of the actual jump) and are encouraged to wrap jumps very tightly. If so, both ends of the dog are at risk when jump cups stick out (or worse yet, metal extensions protrude above the jump cups). The dog’s eyes, face, shoulders and stifles (rear legs) are the areas of the body most likely to be injured by protruding cups. The changes in course design have increased the potential for injury because we have improved our dogs’ performances on courses requiring our dogs to slice to and wrap. So, is this a “training issue”? Change the performance or change the equipment? To me the answer is obvious.

Daisy brought up many good points about how to decrease the danger of jump cups.  Using 5′ bars will help decrease the risk of collision of a dog with an upright. In my opinion, the most important point Daisy made was that using a single cup on each upright, rather than multiple, is one of the best ways to improve safety. Single cups are the least likely to cause injury because nothing protrudes from the upright above the bar. If multiple cups are used, it is better if they are 2 inch spacing rather than 4 inch or 6 inch spacing as some jumps may have. The reason is twofold: the more cups there are, the more visible they are. In addition, the more cups there are, the more likely impact will be distributed over a wider area instead of concentrated on one point. Whether individual cups or cup strips are used, using a color that contrasts with the upright will help to increase visibility.

Visibility is a point Daisy did not talk about. Contrast between the upright and the running surface, as well as between the cups and the upright, improves visibility. Visibility is necessary for the dog to assess the task being asked of him. Although less important from a safety aspect, note that in some venues the jump bars are required to be striped. This of course increases visibility against a background that may be the same color. In my area, often the jump bar used at the top of the 26″ panel is white with no striping (or pale yellow striping). Those white bars should be striped because they are very difficult for the dogs to see when there is a white wall in the background (and indeed the rules require them to be).

As Daisy mentioned, it is not desirable for jumps to have a crosspiece that connects the two uprights (or wings). This makes the uprights nearly non displaceable. As we all know, dogs make mistakes and they hit uprights as well as bars. If we require displaceable bars, it just makes sense to require displaceable uprights. Jump wings should not be constructed so that the dog is confused about what part is the actual jump. Wings should not have predominantly horizontal components that resemble bars or planks, nor should there be large gaps or holes that a dog could fit through. This is often seen with manufactured spread jumps. I’ve seen dogs jump through the metal end piece that connects the two uprights of the spread. This could result in serious injury.
I don’t understand why metal is used for any jump component these days, but I am really befuddled as to why metal would be the material of choice for wall jumps and broad jumps. There are lightweight, durable materials out there that can be used for these obstacles.
Note: It was refreshing to attend the USDAA Cynosports World Games this year and not witness one single tire crash.

Tunnels
Many improvements have been made to tunnel holders over the years. Regardless of what type are used, it is important that enough are used to keep the tunnel in position and shape retained. This is particularly important in situations where the approach to another obstacle may be altered. One consideration with tunnels themselves is that occasionally the stitching comes unraveled. If dogs are exiting the tunnel slowly, definitely check inside because I’ve seen threads hanging loose from the top of the inside of a tunnel dangle down so that they hit the dog at eye level, or sometimes below the neck (possibly not breaking as the dog passes through). Loose threads on the bottom can injure toes.

Rubberized Contacts
The reason to rubberize contacts is to improve traction. Granulated rubber has porosity and texture. If you smooth out the surface or paint it, those qualities are lost.
Enough said.

Feel free to voice your opinion about equipment safety. This sport is still evolving and we should always be looking for ways to improve it and make it safer.

In order to succeed, the first thing you must do is determine how you will define success for you and your teammate. Once you have determined what it will take for you to be successful, you must make the decision to make it happen. This is the easy part. After the decision, the next step is to devise a plan, with realistic goals, to help you achieve it. Then you must commit to follow through on your plan. This is the hard part. I am a marshmellow grabber which means I like instant gratification. No matter how you define success, it is rarely achieved in an instant. Almost inevitably, progress is slower than you would like, and your efforts go seemingly without reward. You may even have setbacks. There are times when it is tempting to throw in the towel. But, you must remain intent on achieving your goals. If you set realistic goals, you can do it!! Remember your decision. If you want to succeed, you must maintain commitment. Make it happen!

Okay, so now for my story. For the last couple of years, I’d been hampered by several performance-limiting health problems. My doctors did not give me any reason to believe that these problems would ever resolve; the implication was that this just the way it was going to be…(unless I discovered the fountain of youth).

The 2011 USDAA Cynosport World Games were a turning point for me. To add insult to injury (no pun intended), at the event I incurred several acute injuries that, when added to my chronic problems, made it nearly impossible to compete. In addition to my physical issues, I was an emotional wreck because I had recently lost my dog Awesome. Awesome was always a source of inspiration, and losing him drained the life right out of me. He truly was the wind beneath my wings and without him, it was difficult to maintain a positive outlook. In short, I was relieved when the event was over.

Not being able to compete to the best of my ability was very frustrating. With all of these problems, what was my future in this sport? Not long before then someone had pointed out to me that I was old enough to be Daisy Peel’s mother…not long after that someone else mentioned that I was old enough to be Tori Self’s grandmother… Considering the state of my health, when I considered the youth, strength, speed and agility of the average competitor at an international event today (yes there are some notable exceptions), it was a bit overwhelming. I certainly was not getting any younger. Aspiring to compete at the international level again seemed unrealistic. If I hoped to compete at that level, it was going to take A LOT of hard work, with no guarantee of “success”. It was tempting to just accept the fact that international level competition was no longer a realistic goal, and admit to myself that perhaps I should be content to compete on less physically demanding courses. There was a certain appeal to that; it would be a lot easier! I considered other ways I could put my talents in dog agility to good use. But the very fact that international courses can be demanding is what attracts me to them; I want to be challenged. I have three very talented young dogs right now; I want them reach their fullest potential. A really intense, in-sync run with my dog over a challenging course is the very reason I do agility! It doesn’t even have to be a clean run…just one of those on-the-edge runs where my dog and I read each other’s minds and we make magic happen as a team. There’s just nothing that compares.

Decide, commit, succeed. I had to determine what success was now going to mean for me, and set realistic goals for my future. What I came up with would be a win-win situation, no matter what the outcome in agility: I decided that success for me would be to get my health back on track. Setting competitive goals was not realistic. I knew that I could not turn back the clock, but I made the decision to commit to becoming healthy. If I could achieve that, I would consider myself successful.

So, despite what I was being told by the medical community, after Cynosport last year I embarked on a journey to get my health back. It was a long, hard road that I am still traveling. This blog post is not about how I did it, the post is to tell you that I DID IT. I’m hoping the post inspires you to do whatever it is that you need to do to be successful. You must decide to do it and commit to making it happen. If I can do it, so can you.

My dog and I have just recently started back running together. We are headed to AKC World Team Tryouts this weekend and then the WAO Championships just 2 weeks after that. We are pretty rusty as a team, but the competition results are not what is important: I have already achieved success! Those of you that know me and know where I was at last year, and how far I’ve come, you will believe me when I say anything’s possible!

One thing that I’ve always been somewhat opposed to is prize money. It is fun to earn some cash once in a while, and prize money does tend to add excitement to an event. However, coming from a horse background as a competitor and a veterinarian, I know that prize money changes the nature of the competition, so I am glad it is only offered sporadically. Along those lines, in my opinion it is not in the best interests of dog agility for it to become an Olympic event. That too, I believe, would change the nature of our sport. But those issues aren’t really what is on my mind (although they do indirectly relate…)

One thing that I have always loved about agility is that your teammate is, first and foremost, your beloved companion. You and your dog already share a bond that agility makes even stronger. I think that only those that run in agility can really understand <smile>. Several years ago I ran a BC that did not belong to me. This dog was world class and we were quite competitive. I know that her owner would’ve allowed me to try out for the WT with her, and I’m quite certain she could’ve made it, but I was never inspired to do so. Somehow in my heart I felt that it just would not be the same, for me, to stand on the podium with a dog that I did not share that magic bond with.

Nearly all agility competitors have some special connection with their dogs because they must overcome the challenges and grow as a team together. Coming from a horse background, this is what makes me appreciate dog agility. When I was “in horses”, I was not one of the “lucky” kids whose parents bought them a $50,000 “made” junior hunter. I was the one working to get the most that I could out of a “racetrack reject”, because that’s all I could afford. I think I was as talented as a rider as one of the “lucky” kids, but I rarely won at the big events. However, when I did accomplish my goals, it was so rewarding for me, because I knew what I had invested in the achievement.

So, where is dog agility headed? Obviously it already costs a lot to be competitive, but are we headed in the direction of the horse world where you can ‘buy’ “success”? Personally I enjoyed agility more in the “old days” when “everyone knew your name”, and we were all doing agility with the family dog. Although I do love to try to figure out ways to improve performance, I really am not looking forward to a future of shaved dogs and high-tech Speedo tracksuits. However, I will evolve with the sport if that’s what the future holds <smile> I would just like to see the spirit of development as the team remain intact and that we don’t go the direction of handlers buying “made” competition dogs in order to be “successful”. Handlers that choose that path in my opinion will be doing so solely in the interests of winning, which is not how I define “success”. I hope that being successful in agility continues to be defined by the magical connection and awareness of each other on course that can only be achieved through taking time to grow together as teammates, not by how many ribbons are won. Yes, I enjoy the “thrill of victory” as much as anyone else, but somehow there is no “success” without the road it takes to get there.

Another Judge Dread video

A little bit of trivia….many many years ago I was a USDAA agility judge. Being an agility judge is not an easy task if you are a perfectionist. First, it is tough to stand out there all day and be *sure* that you make all of the correct calls. I would lose sleep at night worrying whether I had cost someone a qualifying score because of judgment error. I always gave it to the dog if I had any doubt. I took get pride in running my rings efficiently and designed nested courses etc. to be sure no time was wasted.
However, I did find it tough to design courses with challenge that was appropriate for the level of the class. Stuart Mah and I taught a correspondence course in course design (sort of like an online course but we did it via snail mail back in the old days ). I was fairly accomplished at course design. However, every once in a while I would miss the mark a bit. On my first Masters assignment, I tried dream up challenges that were different and fresh (it wasn’t hard to do that in those days). I guess I was a bit too innovative; at the end of the first day my arms were sore from raising them so many times to signal faults Obviously it was a bummer for me to see so many people fail, and indeed it was a reflection on myself as a judge and course designer. While I was successful in my endeavor to be creative and challenge the competitors with sequences they had not encountered before; I failed to consider that perhaps many of them would not yet be prepared for those challenges. Lesson learned. I used that experience to try to help others by publishing the sequences that were the most difficult in Clean Run. I called it “Judge Dread” as I knew that those handlers that weekend must’ve dreaded my courses
Realizing that it was impossible to be a perfect judge probably contributed to why I retired from judging. But, since I’m posting about judging, I will tell the story of the nail in the coffin. At one trial I wanted to be an efficient judge and keep the trial running smoothly as usual, but I was getting no cooperation from the club. It was basically a mutiny….they were intentionally not helping. I consulted the other judge and it was not happening in her ring. I found out at some point that this behavior was some sort of payback for causing delays (which I didn’t even know I caused) when I was a competitor at their trial months earlier. Suffice it to say that this club successfully convinced me that judging was not for me. Those that ran some of my courses may think that’s a good thing
I like to think that I could have had a positive influence on the sport as a judge. But, we will never know.
Perhaps someone has some old Clean Runs that have some of the courses in them to share?

Even after breeding three litters of my own, I don’t consider myself a “breeder”. I no longer have an intact female and I do not foresee myself breeding a litter in the near future. But, now that I’m no longer going to breed my own pups, it means someday I will be dealing with breeders again. So, what makes a good breeder?

I’m not sure I know the answer to that. I tried to be a good breeder by doing what I thought I would want to see a breeder do if I was a puppy buyer. The first litter I bred I did not know what to expect and I was not able to give my puppy buyers much background information. It seemed like a lot was left to chance. I started with a sire and dam that were sound in temperament and structure, did the appropriate testing etc beforehand to help assure their health. But, I consider myself lucky that the puppies from the first litter turned out as nice as they did. Although I am listed as the breeder, I’m not sure I can take credit for those pups other than I made sure the sire and dam had good genes (thank you Margaret Lambkin).

However, by the time the third litter was bred, I was pretty comfortable that I knew what to expect in the puppies. I was more familiar with the line, and had two litters on the ground, plus I also owned a pup sired by my male out of a different but very closely related bitch. So this time when I spoke with prospective new owners (many of them repeat buyers), I revealed every problem that had occurred in any of the previous litters and/or close relatives. I literally wrote it all down and disclosed everything as fully as I could. I wanted the puppy buyers to be fully aware of what they were getting. The first two litters were really nice as far as temperament, structure, drive, jumping talent, etc. So the puppy buyers had an idea of the good qualities the pups could be expected to have. I wanted them to know all of the potential negative aspects as well. I felt they should be able to choose whether they felt these puppies would be worth the risks that I spelled out. Obviously I felt they were, otherwise I would not have repeated the breeding. I kept one of the pups from Litter 2 and subsequently kept two pups from Litter 3. Clearly I thought pups from this breeding were worth the risks. But, I wanted each puppy buyer to be fully informed about the pros and cons of these puppies. I did not want them to ever feel like I had withheld information should a problem arise down the road.

I would be devastated if one of “my” puppies developed a serious health issue, particularly one that might potentially be inherited. No breeder wants to see that happen, but unfortunately sometimes it does, despite the best of intentions. If I were a puppy buyer, I would want to know that my breeder took appropriate precautions to prevent the problem and had informed me of the potential risk(s) if there was any. So, as a breeder that’s what I did.

I’ve been lucky, so far all of the puppies from three litters have all been pretty healthy. No, they are not all perfect (close to it , but I can sleep at night because I know that the issues they have had could not be foreseen. They were not the result of me not being diligent about testing. I’ve tried to keep an open and honest line of communication with the puppy buyers and I inform them of any new development that I think may be important for them to know for the sake of their own pup’s well-being.

Students are always asking me for advice about looking for a puppy for agility. I’m no expert, but I try to advise them the best that I can. I personally believe if the genetics are there; that is, the sire and dam have the qualities desired, then the pups will be born with the potential and the rest is up to the puppy owner. Of course I advise that they search for a litter whose parents have had all of the appropriate health clearances for the breed and that sort of stuff. Since I think its important that the breeder believes in full disclosure, I also discuss that angle with them. But most importantly, I think they should look for a sire and dam that have the qualities they want in the puppy. This means, ideally, that the sire and dam can be evaluated doing agility (or at least other closely related individuals). One doesn’t need to be an expert on structure, or jumping, or temperament to simply watch the sire and dam, puppies from previous litters, siblings etc perform. Do the relatives perform in the manner that is desired? If the answer is no, then obviously the answer is to keep looking until the answer is yes.

Back in 2001, I got a new Border Collie puppy. He was of course adorable as all puppies are, but as time went on it became obvious that he just was not enthused about agility. I could get him revved up but he was not like the other puppies I had raised and trained. He simply wasn’t that excited about it.

His personality reminded me of a Golden Retriever. No offense intended toward Golden Retrievers, but a Border Collie puppy should act like a Border Collie, not a Golden Retriever. He was very happy-go-lucky, always wagging his tail and always had a smile on his face. He loved people and would greet everyone. Now he clearly wasn’t a retriever, because if you threw a toy he’d joyfully bound after and pounce on it. But, once he had it, he’d lie down and look at me to please come and make it move again. He’d do whatever I asked in agility training, but I had to work to generate enthusiasm. I burned lots of calories jazzing him up, racing him to a tunnel and having him chase me and his tug toy upon exit.

Most handlers would’ve just given up and written him off as a low drive Border Collie that had no future in the sport. But, I knew this dog had something special. He was just a little… well… different.  I never treated him like a dog that had no future in the sport; I always treated him as if he was a champion. I wanted him to grow up believing that he was special.  

When I started jump training with him, I saw the natural talent that he had. I knew then that he truly was destined to be a champion, it was up to me to make it happen. When we started entering shows, I know he was not impressive and those on the sidelines probably wondered why I was even bothering with him. By then I was accustomed to public scrutiny whenever I started a new dog, so I didn’t let it rattle me. I just did what I always did, which was whatever I thought was best for the dog. I wanted him to have confidence in me and in himself. When we worked together at home there was magic, and I knew it was just a matter of time. It was my responsibility to find a way to for him to shine.

The dog I’m talking about of course is Stellar. He’s currently enjoying his retirement from agility… he never really cared about agility as much as he does me anyway. He never leaves my side and is sound asleep at my feet as I write this. That bond is what made the magic happen on the agility course.

 To meet Stellar, check out his pages on my website, or his playlist on my youtube channel (more videos of him still to be added). 

http://www.youtube.com/user/awesomepaws

http://www.awesomepaws.us/?page_id=374

Stellar

Back “in the old days” we didn’t need fancy software to compare runs side by side . The following video is from the 1999 AKC National Championships.(Read the description if you want to know what’s happening).

 The Match Race

that was then