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I could get hooked on this agility drug


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I have been taking agility classes for about a year and a half now, we had our first NADAC trial a year ago, and have gone through ups and downs for sure since I began with NO CLUE about what I'm doing. BUT, I am getting a bit hooked on this agility stuff now that my precious Layla is showing actual progress; I finally took her to an AKC agility trail and she did great except for standard (because of the teeter-totter, which she is still leary of off and on). I am feeling good about how she's paying attention to me and returning to me to let me put the leash on her in the end (we had serious problems with that in April).

 

She loves agility, and I can honestly say this is something I never thought I would do until we adopted a border collie mix puppy at the shelter and she grew up to need a JOB! And now I am loving it too, even though I know I probably look kind of silly at 49 chasing a fast little dog like her but the ride is SO FUN!

 

Here's our JWW cue from this past weekend (Qed once in JWW and twice in FAST), now I just can't wait until the NADAC trial on June 22-23.

 

 

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What a great job for a novice dog! I thought that the weave entry was a little difficult for the novice level, but she nailed it.

 

49? You're a youngster :) . (Coming from someone who is older.) Agility, and trying to keep up with Layla, will keep you young!

 

Jovi

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I thought you did a great job keeping up (for any age)! That was a very nice run. Congrats!

 

Agility is great in so many ways. Its fun, you get a sense of accomplishment when you work through an issue, and you get to meet lots of great people with a similar interest.

 

Meg and I have been doing agility for almost 3 years now. Meg was a rescue who used to lack in confidence. When we first started there were a lot of things that were hard for her...being around other dogs on leash, being around strange people, getting on the equipment (especially the teeter), and focusing when in a new environment with lots of strange people and dogs. Agility has allowed us the setting to work through just about everything. Our trainer and classmates tell me all the time how Meg is a whole different dog now. She is SO much more confident and most important of all....HAPPY! She doesn't have a worried, nervous expression on her face all the time and she has FUN!

 

Just today we started a new session of classes and Meg left me during a practice run to go say hi to our new classmates that she'd never met before (people not the dog). She NEVER would have done that in the beginning. While it wasn't the time for visiting, I could help but smile at her butt wagging as she said hi and sniffed the new people.

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Welcome to the club, that was a very nice run. And don't even give being 49 and looking silly a moments thought, look around you at the next trial, handlers literally come in all ages, sizes, and athletic ability.

I am a year younger than you and am fitter and faster than I have ever been thanks to agility, started couch to 5k coming up on 3 years ago, ran a half marathon and regularly run 3-5 mile training runs all because I wanted to be fit enough to run my really fast dog... Yes he is still faster...

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Age is all in the mind.

 

There's a guy here in his early 70s just been to the WAO Champs and beat the likes of Susan Garrett, Daisy Peel, Lori Michaels and Linda Mecklenburg all together in one class, and not because they made mistakes either.

 

Here he is -

 

He clearly isn't old and he's got well over 20 years on you.

 

It's what I love about agility - noone is too old.

 

As for chasing your dog - far better that than having to drag her round with you. Seems like you've done a great job teaching her not to depend on you being with her.

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Age is all in the mind.

 

There's a guy here in his early 70s just been to the WAO Champs and beat the likes of Susan Garrett, Daisy Peel, Lori Michaels and Linda Mecklenburg all together in one class, and not because they made mistakes either.

 

Here he is -

That is friggin' awesome!

 

Jovi

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I just started agility after many, many years in border collies, and I can't believe I waited so long. We have so much fun. I am older than you by the way. But I don't feel bad because I recently saw a video of a 92-year-old running a fast sheltie. She started in her 70s. So we have years!

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