Why we aren't a
typical agility team...
 Jack
Fenton would be the first to admit that he is not the quintessential agility
handler. His dyspraxia means that even basic handling techniques are ones that
he struggles with. What makes it even more complicated is the fact that the dog
he wants to run with is not a sleek Border Collie nor a lightning fast Spaniel.
It's a two year old French Bulldog named Kevin who, perhaps just like him, might
not ‘belong’ to traditional agility circles for a number of different reasons.
For starters, my background is in Assistance Dog Training and
Scentwork. Sports, such as agility, were never something I could foresee myself
participating in. The nature of competition never interested me, and my
knowledge of Agility stemmed from occasionally watching dogs at Crufts.
Then
I started dating Jodie Forbes and, alongside that, set up Make Your Mark with
her, my interest was piqued. I began watching more agility runs, attending
agility shows, following renowned agility trainers. Still, though, nothing
really grabbed me.
And then, as I watched more and more agility runs, I realised
what about it didn’t interest me.
As in most dog related activities, certain breeds dominate both
the leader boards and the marketing for each sport. For example, in assistance
dog work it tends to be Labradors and Golden Retrievers. There is good reason
for this, and obviously Collies and Spaniels are the go-to agility dog.
But what interested me, what really captured my attention, was
the idea of running an agility dog that wasn't typical to the sport.
 I
like journeys
I like seeing how dogs and people progress through training and just the passing
of time. For me personally, working with a Collie and building him up to winning
at Agility shows just didn't light a fire inside me.
But a French Bulldog?
Now that did.
This went hand in hand with my goal to improve the welfare of
French Bulldogs as a whole. Their health issues have been well-documented, and I
am not nearly as qualified as a vet to offer my opinion on them. But, there is a
staggering amount of opinion out that there says that French Bulldogs are dumb.
And, with that opinion, French Bulldogs remain overweight, fat
and slovenly dogs who don’t get to exercise their brains or their bodies.
 Every
French Bulldog I have met has been bright, bubbly and capable of so much more.
My other Frenchie, Uggie, who is also doing agility training at five and a half,
is arguably the smartest out of all of my dogs.
Kevin has been trained to do Assistance Dog demos by picking up
dropped objects, opening cupboards and pulling socks off of people's feet. He's
a poster boy for our tracking service, and he has begun his agility training and
competed at Steeplechase competitions.
My goal with Kevin
I want to inspire people to do things with their French Bulldogs. Whether it's
Agility, Freestyle to Music, trick training, or Tracking, whatever it is remains
irrelevant.
What matters is that they are doing something.
I have a goal of getting Kevin to compete at Crufts. I might be
laughed it. I might be derided, and it might never succeed. But that’s okay. I
would rather aim high and miss than aim low and succeed.
Kevin may never win at a Champ show. He may never get to Crufts.
But I’ll be damned if we, the unlikely pair who don't fit the mould of what
Agility should be, don’t give it our all.
And if he inspires one person to realise the potential of their
French Bulldog?
Then it’ll be even more worth it.
 About
the author...
Jack Fenton is a 21 year-old dog trainer based in Bournemouth, Dorset
and co-founder of
Make Your Mark Dog Training, which provides services such as Tracking,
Agility and Trick Training. He is a full member of the Institute of Modern Dog
Trainers, an Approved Instructor with the Dog Training College and a fully
qualified Tracking Instructor with the UK College of Scent Dogs.
Jack owns three dogs – Raffi, a Golden Retriever who is training
to be a PTSD Assistance dog and Kevin and Uggy who are French Bulldogs. They are
training to compete in Freestyle to Music, Obedience and Agility respectively.
Jack wishes to promote disability awareness and acceptance to do
with his own Autism, Dyspraxia, OCD and mental health disorders, and is
passionate about inclusivity in the dog training world with a focus on the
promotion of welfare and training for French Bulldogs.
For more information
about Jack go to
Jack Fenton - Make Your Mark
First published 4th April 2019
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