Dog Tales

	Agility Heroes At 7.15am on 16 March Dave Roberts was awakened by frantic barking. Thinking it was a break in, he got up, smelled smoke and immediately phoned the fire brigade. He then grabbed his dogs and rushed outside. Thankfully there was only smoke damage but, if it hadn't been for his dogs, who knows what would have happened. So a big thank you Sophie and Winston. And thank you to The Lincolnshire Echo which has given us permission to reprint this article on the incident on Agilitynet.
	Bailstails Billionaire Ann-Marie Froggatt and Scud (Bailstails Billionaire) won the Agility Singles Semi at Crufts 2005 and then came 4th in the Final in their first visit to the NEC. They also won the Circular Knock-out in the morning. What a great day they had! Ann-Marie wrote this description of this remarkable young dog for the Bailstail's web site.
	The Battle for Max's Leg ~Until October 2002, Annie Redding and her dog Max trained once a week and practised over a few pieces of agility equipment at home nearly every evening. Then Max had a very bad accident and lost part of his hind leg. Amazingly that hasn't stop them doing agility. Now you should see the speed at which Max weaves! This is the story of a very brave dog!
	Baylie & Me In 2012, Linda Gore found herself on the look out for a male, blue merle Border Collie to double her agility dogs to two. She already had a beautiful black and white bitch called Zara who had taken her from total amateur to someone with a thirst for more. She had caught the agility bug.
	Being Winnie First a bit about Winnie to help you to understand what her adopted owner Soraya Porter has undergone as the hapless victim of a terrier. Winnie is a small rough-coated, tri-colour JRT girlie. In fact, she is tiny - approximately 9.5 inches at the shoulder which is smaller than many cats - but not in her mind. It's as if Dr Who has taught her how to bend time and space so that she can cram more brain power per square inch into her skull than any normal dog. But then again, normal is not a word often used when talking about Winnie.
	The Battle for Max's Leg Until October 2002, Annie Redding and her dog Max trained once a week. Then Max had a very bad accident and lost part of his hind leg. Amazingly that hasn't stop them doing agility. This is the story of a very brave dog!
	Carmen's Tale Once upon a time in a tiny hamlet on the shores of the Great Left Ocean, just north of the wondrous City of Angels, there lived a very selfish man called Harry who owned a very intelligent dog whose name was Carmen. Harry wanted his dog to be THE best, so he taught Carmen to do Obedience - to shake hands, sit, lie down and fetch. Carmen was good - very good. But that wasn't enough for the greedy man. Now if you are sitting quietly girls and boys, Uncle Rich will begin the story...
	Casey's Story From the very start Casey was very difficult dog. Before Lesley and Colin Harpley brought her home from Chilterns Dog Rescue Society, she showed signs of nervous aggression to people and dogs, while at the same time being quite dominant. Lesley explains how they got over the problem.
	Casper & Callie Once upon a time in a tiny hamlet on the shores of the Great Left Ocean, just north of the wondrous City of Angels, there lived a very selfish man called Harry who owned a very intelligent dog whose name was Carmen. Harry wanted his dog to be THE best, so he taught Carmen to do Obedience - to shake hands, sit, lie down and fetch. Carmen was good - very good. But that wasn't enough for the greedy man. Now if you are sitting quietly girls and boys, Uncle Rich will begin the story...
	Cassie - An Utter Nutter Junior handler Gina Graham got her 'little freak' as company for her crossbreed Dizzy who had been in training for about five months. And what a dog she got! This is Cassie's story - a fruit 'n nut case makes good!
	A Chip Off the Eastern Block In 2015 Mary McKie felt she was ready for her next agility dog. Her old dog Todd was 12 and had just retired to Anysize/Veterans, and her competing dog Breeze was soon to be six. Breeze had been a nightmare as a puppy so, in her wisdom, she decided that she would look for rescue – maybe six months to a year old. As she lives in South West Scotland, she ruled out dogs from the 'South' as too far away, so how did she end up with a wee dog from Croatia?
	Choosing a Sunday Name In February 2001 things were moving apace and Anna Dieckfoss was persuaded to enter her first show in April. Before she could, however, she needed to register her dog Skye with The Kennel Club. Skye was just two years old then but a bit of a star. She put paw to paper and this is what she wrote, edited by Anna!
	Clyde's Story Dawn Davies' dog Clyde (Cannonball Clyde) was diagnosed with bladder cancer two years ago and has been living on borrowed time. Every minute of it is special to his mum. She is so proud of him and what he has achieved that she wanted to remind people that just because a dog is old or has a terminal illness, it should not be thrown onto the scrap heap. Clyde would like to tell you a bit about himself...
	Crackerjack Freddie The Ballad of Freddie the Wanderer and excerpts from Eric Trafford's diary after his JRT Freddie went missing after the Packington Show. (02/06/04)
	Crazy Daisy Moses Crazy Daisy Moses came into Michelle Ainsworth's life one snowy Monday evening in January 2001. A Jack Russell x Whippet, she is quite possibly the smallest Lurcher you will ever meet. Size hasn't stopped her, however, from a successful agility career.
	Disney's World When Rosie Ison heard about an accidental mating between a Miniature Poodle and a Collie, she though this could be just what she wanted - a dog with the will to work. She had experience training two Standard Poodles who were 'hard work' to motivate. What she wanted now was a dog that she didn't have to wind up ten minutes before a run.
	Dixie - The All or Nothing Dog When Glynis Smith got into agility, her aim was to socialise her Sheltie Sam. Known as Mr Steady and Reliable, he wasn't fast but he was accurate and needed just one more win to reach Grade 6 before he retired. But, as we all know, once you start you're addicted and Glynis longed for something a little faster. She never knew what she was in for when she got Dixie.
	The Flying Flynn Flynn is a rescue collie who had a very bad start in life. Agility has given him a sense of purpose and helped him bond with his Guv'nor Rob White. While he might never get out of Starters, his rosettes actually outnumber the scars from the earlier part of his life. Like most collies, he has a wicked sense of humour...
	From HTM to Agility Dog In 2009 with retirement and a major house move looming, Fran Cobb decided to get a Border Collie to train for Heelwork to Music. She'd previously only done 'pet dog training' which she had really enjoyed, eventually becoming a KC Good Citizen Scheme instructor at the Derwent Valley DTC in Derby which was really good fun. She didn't know what she was looking for in a Collie but ended up with a little grey merle ball of fluff.
	Glen Goes Platinum The Kennel Club introduced the new Platinum and Diamond Agility Warrants in order to provide handlers with additional goals to aim for once they have achieved the well-established Gold Agility Warrant. Platinum requires 1,200 points, 400 of which must have been achieved from that calendar year. Shetland Sheepdog, Ag.Ch. Japaro Cool Jazz at Craygill (aka Glen), has become the first dog of any breed to be awarded the AW/P. His owner Jean Tuck says he's a brilliant little dog who really understands agility and always tries very hard to do the course correctly. Sadly this fairy tale has no happy ending. Jean had to say good bye to this brave little chap lost his battle against cancer.
	Google Goes North Eight year old Golden Retriever Google (aka Mr Bear) has never really been one for agility. All that barking, screaming and tugging on a soggy rag is okay for those hyped up collies but not really all that exciting for a mature, multi-talented dog like Google! Those of you who know him you will understand why but, for those of you who don't, his owner Sandy Childs explains.
	Hector's Story Jean Hollick couldn't believe that, at the age of eight, her feisty little rescue terrier had won from Grade 1 to Grade 5 in a year. She had been training him for six years and always thought they would stay in Grade 1 forever. He is still as argumentative as ever and barks so much he doesn't listen half the time. Then occasionally he has flashes of brilliance and pulls out some great runs. He's a real character! Jean loves him to bits and wouldn't have him any other way.
	Ice & Snow - An Interview with Two Japanese Spitz The Agility League for Spitz (ALFS) has been running since May 2018 and what a time it has been for co-organiser Mark Bunyan. He's watched the League grow and cheered on members who are just starting out on their agility journey as well as those already competing at a high standard. It got him thinking what a light-hearted conversation between two of the dogs might be like - say one of the more successful dogs like Kevin Bulter's Ice-Baku and his own rehome Snow, who has made slow progress but has had lots of fun along the way. If dogs could talk, an interview with Ice and Snow might go something like this...
	Jed the Super Star Sheltie After Trudy Swann had the heartbreaking news that every dog owner dreads, she wanted to share some of the great times she'd had with her Sheltie Jed (Longdon Student Prince). Following an operation for a sudden illness, her beautiful boy had passed away, just aged seven. He was in the prime of his life and his agility career. He was a very special little chap with a huge personality who had a special place in the hearts of many people.
	Kai the Three Legged Agility Dog You may have read about Kai, the WSD, recently on Agilitynet and The Agility Forum. Shortly after turning 18 months, he lost his front leg in a car accident. That's not stopped him from doing the agility that he loves. He's even part of a team of three-legged display team now. His owner Gemma Fisher is very proud of what he's achieved and has written up his inspiring story.
	Kayos - Lesley's Little Madam Lesley Wilks admits to being very proud - and a little overwhelmed - when she learned that her collie Kayos (Ashpen Amazing Ace AW/S) had won the Large Platinum division of the 2012 Senior Agility League. To win the division was quite an amazing feat especially as they were only competing in AnySize classes last year where often the prize was a clear round treat. Lesley thought she'd write a few brief words about her little madam.
	Kodi - A Complex Agility Dog One day Shellie Smith had a frantic phone call from a friend who knew how much she liked red collies. There was a little collie bitch who needed a home. She had been allocated to someone but had let the breeder down. At the time, Shellie owned the pup's half brother so she knew the line. What could go wrong? Ahhh… where to start.
	Kye's Story Some of you may have seen Debbie Williams' little guy Kye at shows, especially the Northern ones. Most people nod and smile in approval. Kye has been using wheels to get around for the last 19 months after an injury two and a half years ago. Kye was receiving treatment but, by the time that Debbie found someone who knew what they were doing, it was too late. The damage had been done but she never gave up.
	The Magic of Merlin He's deaf not stupid. If you have ever watched Lisanne Steen guide her WSD Merlin around an agility course, you would be surprised to learn that Merlin was born deaf. How on earth was he trained to be a good companion and agility dog?
	Milo's Journey to Champ Sarah Mclean started Agility in late 2010 with her Chihuahua X Kita whose natural enthusiasm got Sarah hooked straightaway. Her other dog tried agility but had to be retired because she suffered from ETOS (Early Take Off Syndrome). Sarah then decided that her next agility dog would be a Working Cocker but, when the time came, she had no luck finding a rescue so, being a terrier person, she instead went off to see a timid little four month old Jack Russell who was in need of a home who was destined to become one of a small handful an Agility Champions.
	Miss Gladys Having been born with a deformed leg hasn't stopped Working Cocker Spaniel Gladys. She has agreed to give an interview to Agilitynet about being a 'differently-abled' agility dog and what it means to her and other dogs like her.
	Munchy & Clippy This is the tale of the fabulous Fandabidozi sisters who took very individual journeys on their way to becoming Agility Champions. Their breeder Alayne Lamerton shares the story of their amazing rise to the very top of agility.
	Peak Performance As part of his final exams, Jonathan Watts, his agility dog Kyte and four of his classmates embarked on an expedition to the wilderness area of the West Highlands of Scotland.
	Penny Black Holly Davies always wanted a dog. She dreamt of the day when she be at Crufts with her own dog, but she was never allowed to have one - and that was that! So she took up horse riding, but it wasn't as good because you can't take a horse home! When a lady at the stables announced that her dog was having puppies, Holly couldn't believe it. She went to see them when they were only one day old. 'All sold - sorry,' the owner said 'but the little girl one. We want to find her a better home.' And they did.
	Pudsey Bear The weekend that her Medium Crossbreed won into Advanced will be one that Ashleigh Butler (14) won't soon forget. Ash says Pudsey is her once in a lifetime dog. Reprinted from Agility Voice (September 2009)
	Raiders of the Last Bark Read the first chapter in Bronwen Green's new book here first. Bron and her Cocker Spaniel Rowan enter their first agility show. (18/11/03)
	Shani Patty Paws Margaret Goulden decided that 2009 would be Shani's last year of competing at full height. Together they had an astounding 85% success rate including many places as well as clear rounds. Not bad for a dog that doesn't like to jump heights! (25/02/10)
	Shep's Sad Story Shep is a lovely little dog who has really been to hell and back. He has suffered severe cruelty and abuse, but thanks to the courage and bravery of two elderly ladies, this young lad now has the opportunity to have the life he deserves. This is his sad story.
	Sky's the Limit It seems only a short time ago that vet Peter van Dongen was writing about his puppy Sky. Time flies and Sky is now old enough to compete. Would she live up to her predecessor Basil? Here is the story of Sky's debut on the show circuit. (18/04/04)
	Sparky - Third TIme Lucky When Jo Davidson-Poston finished uni, she decided that she must have a dog. She decided that she wanted another Papillion. On meeting the breeder, she was told about Sparticus (Sparky for short.) He was 18 months old - the perfect age to start agility training. Seeing him run round the garden in a figure of eight and then stopping to pee up her sister's leg, confirmed that he was the dog for her.
	Stevie the Wonder Dog Irish rescue Stevie the Wonder Dog is bright fearless and totally blind. And he loves agility. Ann-Marie Froggatt writes about her most recent prodigy. (05/06/08)
	Take a Chance Kristina Cetrulo has known Crufts Best in Show winner Chance (Am.Ch. Caitland Isle Take a Chance NA NAJ) since he was a little fluff-ball, dragging his mother Nancy Resetar around the ranch where they would meet to take lessons on working stock. From the beginning Chance showed incredible enthusiasm for anything he was asked him to do including agility. This is the story of their incredible partnership.
	Tramp - Living with a Star Brenda Tenton has a retired TV star at home. Her lurcher, Tramp, played the part of Claude Jeremiah Greengrass's dog in the TV series Heartbeat for six years. It came about by chance after Tramp had retired from agility because of back problems. Here is the talk she gave to the Scouts about him recently.
	Your Dog's First Show If your dog could speak - or even write - here's what it might say about it's first agility show experience. (08/03/04)

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