Saved by agility...

Serena Ternent found Mitch at Safe Homes and Kindness (SHAK), a rescue centre in the North East where he had been sent as he was considered unsuitable for rehoming. He was due to be put to sleep. Luckily for him, Serena was looking for another agility dog at the time, and she took a chance and started working with him. Though he's never made it to Crufts, he's run against some of the top agility dogs and handlers in the UK.

I lost my first agility dog, Rio, also a SHAK dog, at the beginning of March 2020. In July, I contacted them to see if they might have another Staffie that would be suitable for agility. Out came a fat, brindle Staff, built like a brick, by the name of Mitch.

Technically SHAK is not a rehoming centre but a sanctuary for troubled dogs. Very occasionally these dogs get homes. Volunteers or ex-volunteers who understand their needs have been known give them forever homes. Sometimes, after the sanctuary had worked with a dog for a considerable amount of time, they might be put up for adoption.

Mitch was one of those dogs!

They just couldn't handle him
He was found as a stray in Ashington and taken to Newcastle Cat & Dog Shelter where he was deemed to be okay with people but horrendous in his kennel. He was a handful in kennels, destroying bedding, chewing the bars of his kennel, redirecting onto his lead whilst out on a walk, pulling to get out for a walk but then pulling to get back for dinner. So after assessment, it was decided Mitch should be put sleep. By some miracle, he found himself at SHAK, where they started working with him on his issues.

Even though he was still a handful, he was loved by all the volunteers.

When I started doing some work with him, they put him on a diet. It all happened very fast. He was very easy to train and because he is a very intelligent dog, he picked up the basics of agility very quickly. He needed to be shown something a couple of times and he seemed to know what to do. At the end of the month, he came home with me permanently.

I had my next agility dog. Or so I thought.

At first Mitch seemed to settle in quite well
Yes, he was rather boisterous – a bull in a china shop character, destroying stuff for attention. He was very much a handful, but he loved doing agility. Within three months, he could do a full course with nearly closed weaves.

Everything seemed to be going great. I couldn't wait until COVID was over and the shows started again.

Then, on 22nd October 2020, Mitch attacked my older dog, Blais, biting straight through his ear and leaving two holes which required an operation at the vets and a trip to plastics at the RVI for me as he had bitten straight through my hand when I tried to break up the fight.

Back to SHAK went Mitch
He remained there for the next eight months. He destroyed everything in his kennel, so he was basically sleeping on a blanket. I brought him three beds when he was returned - the longest lasted about ten days while another one was destroyed within ten minutes!

Deep down I didn't think he was bad dog.

Within a week or so, we decided to try to bring the dogs back together, but I was nervous of Mitch. To be honest, at this time, I didn't particularly like him, and I was a jumpy every time that he went near Blais.

He would try to intimidate Blais by putting his face into Blais's so after several attempts, I decided it wasn't going to work. I was resigned that he'd have to stay at SHAK, but I still went up once a week to take him out. Hopefully someone else would give him his forever home though, after what he had done, it was probably unlikely.

Fast forward to the spring of 2021
The agility season was about to kick off and I still didn't have a dog, so I went back to SHAK and started taking Mitch for training, returning him to kennels afterwards.

In June 2021, I felt confident enough to take him to his first show at Phase Purple. I picked him up at the kennels on the Friday morning, dropping Blais off at my mother's en route. Mitch would spend Friday at mine, compete on the Saturday, return to mine on Sunday and compete again on the Monday. Then it was back to SHAK on the Tuesday morning - not ideal but the only option.

I didn't know what to expect at that first show. To say that I was worried was an understatement. I knew what he was capable of.

Over the two days of the show, he was a complete dick in the ring for every one of his runs, but he was absolutely loving the freedom. Outside the ring he never put a paw wrong. He never even looked at another dog. However, due to the excitement of being at the show, he was a handful to get to the ring and queuing was a nightmare, but he was on his best behaviour, showing no signs of aggression to any other dog.

A month later we repeated the whole experience, taking him out of kennels for a weekend of fun. Apart from one hairy moment when he saw a collie running in the next ring down a line of four jumps, thought he'd take chase and ploughed straight into the barrier, he behaved himself impeccably. He was still a dick in the ring, a nightmare queuing, and the only thing he seemed to be mastering was peeing in the ring, but he thought it was all great fun.

I didn't feel that taking him out and then returning to kennels was working. Despite most of the advice I had received from local trainers, a behaviourist and a couple of Facebook groups not to bring him back home, I did. I kennelled him outside and kept him totally separate from Blais. He was. however, allowed to socialise with Kev and they became the best of friends - with Kev being 'the boss.'

Success in the ring
Our next show at Longfield was a bit of a worry as the rings were just roped. In a heart-stopping moment, he ran under the rope to see a lady who was sitting ringside with her dog on her lap. After a quick sniff, he quickly returned and carried on his run. This gave me confidence to think that he was going to be okay.

In September, we went back to Phase Purple where he completed his first run without being eliminated and came away with his first rosette - a 3rd place.

At shows, I learned to hang back and run him at the end of the class as he's not very good at queuing. His behaviour was massively improved by a 'figure of 8 head collar.'

At our first shows, I used a yellow sleeve for his lead to alert people, but I soon discovered that he wasn't bothered by the other dogs. It's just Blais that he doesn't like. Or maybe he's jealous.

There have been dogs at agility that have gone for him, and he has just turned away. Just to be safe, I keep him muzzled when he's about with my little terrier Kev at shows, as he thinks he's Kev's bodyguard or, if Kev snaps at a dog, Mitch copies. 

Against all odds...
Three years later, I am so proud to say that Mitch has won into Grade 7. Once I was confident that he wouldn't attack another dog, I learned to relax though you still get a few handlers who give you a wide berth.

In all, he has run in eight Champ classes and made two finals (Weardale and Gleniffer). It should have been three, but his stupid mother decided to do a blind at the end of the weaves which he'd never done before instead of a threadle wrap, which he can do pretty easily, and got him eliminated when all he had to do was get round clear.

He missed out on two finals ( KCIF and North Derbyshire) - one for not been fast enough and the other for too many faults. Oh yes, he got himself eliminated  at East Lothian by running out of the ring to pick up his ball and them coming back in to carry on his run.

He's not a typical Medium dog (such as a spaniel) and occasionally I wonder what other Champ handlers are thinking of my lump of a dog.

My goal would be to get him to Crufts to show the world what a dog that had been close to being PTS for being 'difficult' could do. It would have been a long shot I know. Even on a good day, he's not fast enough to beat a good spaniel, but I can dream.

Meanwhile at home...
Nothing has changed much really. He still eats his food really quickly, except now he eats out of a slow feeder or kong. He can still chew bars. Twice he's damaged the bars in the cage in the car and you can't leave a lead on him. Until I learned my lesson, I went through a lot of leads. He's even eaten a full leather one.

I am lucky to live in quite a rural area where it is easy to go out on walks. We hardly see anyone. Just to be safe, I bought him a lightweight running muzzle which he doesn't mind wearing if he is going to be off lead.

While out for walk, I usually try to avoid other dogs as much as possible, but he's generally okay. I know he can take chase and pin down a dog, so I always try to get him on the lead if we meet another dog.

As for training, we do 1-2-1s as he gets too excited and vocal when other dogs are running in a class and he'd probably take chase, if he got the chance. Thanks to Jacquie and Stuart Raine from Rainstorm Agility for all their help, training, patience and understanding.

It's been a win win situation for Mitch.
He's gone from being kept totally separate from Blais and Kev to going out for walks together with Mitch being muzzled. He came into the house that first Christmas (2021)  again muzzled, for a few hours each day over the festive period.

Once I was sorted on a evening and able to keep an eye on him, he was allowed to come into the house for a few hours. Over the past couple of years, the time that all three dogs are together has been extended and in September 2024, he moved permanently into the house. He only uses his kennel for mealtimes or if I have to leave the house and am unable to take one or all dogs.

It hasn't been an easy ride – and not without further incidents with Blais – but thankfully not as severe.

Mitch is a very intelligent dog and I think life in kennels for him was boring and lacked stimulation which led him to been naughty and destructive.

Not an easy dog
Mitch is still very demanding. He likes all the attention, and he's a nightmare when you have friends round. You always have to be on your guard with him and manage all situations... just in case. If you let your guard down, that's generally when an incident occurs. He needs boundaries and rules at all times. Give him an inch, and he takes a mile, as I found out the other night. If you lapse a bit, you can get your finger bitten when he lunges for the treat in your hand.

Overall he's a good dog, just a handful. For a dog that was so close to being put to sleep, he's having the time of his life, having fun and doing amazingly well at agility. He gives his all and puts everything into every run.

About the author...
Serena Ternent has had dogs all her life. She grew up with a Cocker Spaniel, Doberman and a rottie and she's had  eight of her own dogs - all rescues.

Her first was was a Staffi from Dog Trust which is where her love of the breed came from. She likes to give a rescue dog a chance again at life and watch a troubled dog develop into part of the family.

Serena first started competing in 2019 with Rio. Mitch is her third agility dog. Kev, her second, didn't quite make the grade, refusing to jump over jumps 2 and 3.

Photos credits

●        Jump photo - Gregor Watson

●        Pink A-frame - Chloe Brown, CSB Photography 

●        Dog walk with ball in his mouth - Chloe Brown, CSB Photography

●        Other dog walk photo - Ollie Turnbull, Bears Trail Photography

●        Photos in kennel - Serena Ternent

First published 21st March 2025

[bottom.htm]

© Copyright Agilitynet