CLICK FOR PUPPIES!!!

NEWS FLASH!!!!!!!

Mullica Hill, NJ (AP)

"Yo! Attention all fellow OES. Unite against all the human brush wielders!!!  Let us rise up as one and let the horrible human hordes hear how hugely we howl against continued, enforced Couch Potatohood. WE WANT AGILITY!!!! WE WANT AGILITY!!!! AGILITY NOW!!!!"

At a hastily called news conference, several courageous OES representatives and their owner paraded around the agility equipment set up in their yard. The objective of their demonstration was to draw attention to the burgeoning field of agility.

Ch. Merrimoppet Cedarhills Dandi, CDX, AX, better known to her friends as Dandi, bravely stated: "Fellow OES: Agility is where its at. So many of our breed are unfairly looked upon as being nothing more than the "dumb blondes" of the dog world. We are a herding breed, born to run, jump and display our athletic prowess. Being a Breed Champion is indeed a very great honor, however, we need to prove to the world that we are more than just an exquisitely groomed canine. Don’t get me wrong. Routine brushing, fluffing and the occasional trim are a necessary part of a healthful routine. Exercise, and lots of it, is also essential in maintaining our health, both mental and physical. We are extremely intelligent, graceful and, frankly, more talented that just about any other breed."

 Pembroke’s What Dreams R Made, UD, OA , better know in the competition ring as Dapple Ann, chimed in, "How right you are. So many of my canine friends tend to look down their nose at us OES. I’ve even overheard them snickering at us just before we go into the agility ring. They say such hurtful things. I’ve been called gross, ugly names. I’ve even been called "The Pokey Puppy". Can you imagine!! Many of the uninformed, and now I’m speaking of both humans as well as canines, think that OES as a group are fat and awkward!!!! They have no idea of the sleek, well muscled bodies that lurk under our flowing locks. Some people even think that dogs over the age of seven couldn’t compete. Shoot, I personally know of a number of dogs over the age of 10 that are successfully competing for agility titles. I believe that as long as your vet gives you a clean bill of health, age should not limit participation if you are willing and eager. As a matter of fact there is a cute 11 year old male that I’ve got my eye on..."

Dandi eagerly broke in: "Dapple Ann! We have a more important mission right now than to discuss your love interests. A few adventuresome OES and their owners are beginning to get involved in agility. Did you know that we had five wonderful dogs and bitches earn their Novice Agility title in l997? I’ve just got to brag about them:

Pettibone Masquerade Nite Lace, CDX
Owned by Gale Fitzsimmons and Cheryl Hatfield.

Brooke, CD
Owned by Marjorie Trebino

Ch. Loxley’s Sudden Impact, UDX
Owned by Sylvia Calcano

Jim Bob James
Owned by Roland Walker

Ch. Wynsilot The Sky’s The Limit
Owned by Linda Zimmerman.

Isn’t that wonderful!! Congratulations to all those new title holders."

Dapple Ann nodded. "I think that’s just terrific. I’ve heard that some of them are going on to compete for more advanced titles. In fact we need to spread the word that, as of February 1, the AKC just added a new category in which we can compete for titles: the Jumpers with Weaves Class. We can now earn up to four more titles, bringing the current potential number of agility titles to EIGHT!! WOW. In fact, discussions are underway to establish qualifications necessary to earn an Agility Championship. But we need more converts. I’ll bet that many more dogs and owners would like to get involved with agility if they just knew how to get started."

How true woofed Dandi. "You know, its important that everybody understands that agility does not require a competitive obedience background. All the dog really needs to begin is to have a good understanding of the words Down, Sit, Stay, and especially Come. Also many people think that agility is just for "show dogs". Not true. Any dog registered with the American Kennel Club, including those with ILP numbers, are eligible to compete. This means that people who own "just pets", rescue dogs, dogs with limited registrations or simply "the world’s greatest dog" are all eligible to compete. In fact, there are other organizations, such as USDAA and NADAC that also offer agility competitions and agility titles. Rules and jumping heights do differ from those of the AKC. One of the best things about Agility is that it matters not what kind of coat you have, whether its short or long, soft or harsh or, frankly whether you have any at all. In fact, you don’t have to compete, you just need to know that you will have F-U-N."

Dapple Ann agreed. "I enjoyed competing in obedience but I really found a wonderful outlet in the agility ring. I thought that I had sooo many opportunities to be creative in obedience, but boy oh boy, the off lead freedom to run, jump and climb really gets my creative juices flowing. One of the first things I needed to learn was exactly where my feet were. Sounds pretty bizarre, huh ? Not at all. Think about it. Most dogs just assume that there will be something substantial beneath their feet, wherever they put them down. How often have we walked all over Mom, both literally and figuratively? Take me for example. I’m quite tall and with a full coat rather, ahem, wide. Maneuvering over a 12" wide elevated plank that in reality is probably a half inch narrower can be quite scary, although I’ll never admit it if asked. Mom started us out with the plank directly on the ground. When we got used to stepping only on the plank she put a cinder block under each end, elevating it approximately 8" off the ground. In fact our very first see-saw was that same 12" wide plank with a cinderblock in the middle. We got used to it tipping when it was real close to the ground. We also used an extension ladder that had been placed on the ground. Remember how Mom used to run us through those rungs so that we could learn to pick up our feet at just the right times? While we were getting used to all of this our very patient Dad built us our own dog walk and see-saw for the back yard. Dad’s version of the dog walk is adjustable between heights of 24-48", while the see-saw is adjustable between heights of 12-24 inches."

Dandi broke in, "Remember our first tire. Mom used an old spare braced in a PVC frame until we got used to the idea of going through it. Then our handy, dandy Dad built us a regulation tire jump adjustable to heights up to 24". Then came the A frame, the tunnels , the jumps and, of course, the weave poles. Good ol’ Dad. What would we, or Mom, have done without him to built our stuff?"

"Okay, Okay Dandi. Lets not wax too poetic about Dad," groused Dapple Ann. "Let’s get back to business before the reporter gets too bored with us. Mom looked long and hard to find a special group for us to practice with. She made sure that the instructor was a special kind of person with a good sense of humor who would treat us as individuals. She also looked for an instructor that had the same training philosophy as she did, one big on the triple P principles: - patience, praise (rewards) and practice. Mom came crashing down to reality when she found that I had jumping problems. Even though I was accustomed to jumping 32" in the obedience ring I was having difficulty clearing multiple, sequential 24" jumps. There is a wonderful book titled: ‘Jumping from A to Z’ written by M. Christine Zink, D.V.M., Ph.D. and Julie Daniels. Everyone that wants their dog to jump should get a copy of this book. It"ll open your eyes to all the actions that we dogs have to coordinate to become successful jumpers. Its always easier to train us how to do it properly the first time rather than to retrain us. Right, Mom?"

Dandi agreed that starting off right was very important. "Nowadays many instructors are suggesting that owners start using the Click and treat method. This method is often used to train many types of animals and is explained in the book, ’Don’t Shoot The Dog’ by Karen Pryor. There are also many good books on getting started in agility, books by Monica Percival, Julie Daniels, Ruth Hobday and more. New ones are being released all the time. Check at your local bookstore or library to find one that’s just right for you. Or subscribe to an agility magazine, such as our particular favorite, ‘Clean Run’. In addition there are also many sites on the Internet devoted to agility pursuits. A search under the words "dog agility" will help you locate a group near you."

"Make your wonder dog more wonderful. Stretch your muscles and your imagination. Get started NOW and let us OES kick some butt in the agility ring" growled Dandi and Dapple Ann in unison as they ran off to demonstrate their skills. The reporter watched in awe as they skillfully raced around the agility course in their backyard.

Mom never got to say a word. That was fitting and proper. It was their show after all.

Comments or questions about agility may be addressed to Mom at dreamtyme@snip.net.  

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