Great
expectations...
 Diane
Boreham started agility lessons with her Jack Russell Terrier. She caught the
bug but realised that her JRT wasn't that interested so she decided to look for
another small terrier. While out walking her GSD one day, she came across a
Plummer Terrier and was immediately attracted to this flashy little red .breed.
She was also impressed with how friendly it was. A year later she was ready for
her next agility dog and found herself searching the Internet for more
information.
Fred was my first proper agility dog. I was delighted
that he really loved agility from the start. He was fast but level headed, and I
loved running him. We flew up the grades to Small G7 in 18 months. At times, I
was very aware that my inexperience showed on some of the courses, but Fred
helped me out with my lack of handling skills. We were still getting 1st places
and other rosettes. We learnt together as we went along.
During that time, people
would often say that they loved my JRT to which I would reply that he was a
Plummer Terrier. I would get a blank look and 'Oh. Never heard of them.' I would
then explain that, though not recognised as a breed by The Kennel Club, that the
Plummer Terrier is a good all-rounder dog, eager to please who loves nothing
more than to work. They are loveable, feisty and very keen with high prey and
work drive.
Three years later, I decided I wanted another Plummer
so I joined the Plummer Terrier Club of Great Britain Facebook group and put my
name down for a litter that was being planned in Manchester.
So along came Sonny...
 Plummers
are pretty much identical looking - all are red and white. But that's where the
similarity ends.
A member of my agility training club once
remarked that she didn't know that I had two terriers of the same breed. She'd
always wondered why my dog was quiet some times and the others times it screams.
While
Fred
was easy, Sonny has not been so. He is more full on than Fred, and he
would get frustrated with me if messed up.
Because he had no forward focus, training has been
very different. He picks things up quickly - both good or bad - and I have
to be one step ahead of him. I now know a lot of Sonny's frustration came from
being over-faced with difficult manoeuvres. He would jump at me, grabbing my arm
and running circles around me. He was only my second agility dog and to be
hinest, I didn't have the experience to know then what the problem was.
This went on for a couple of years until I went on an
agility camp with a top trainer who saw the problem straight away. His behaviour
had now become a habit.
I was able to purchase my own equipment so I started
setting up really easy sequences for him, putting a dead toy down for his
forward focus. I got him working away from me, and now he is like a different
dog. I almost gave up with him and got so disheartened that I thought he would
never be able to run a course, but we are there now and I'm super happy with
him. He screams with excitement when he runs he loves agility.
He has taught me so much in the way of training. He
is faster than Fred so I've taught him to work away from me and I now absolutely
love working him. He would work all day if he had his way. He is now Medium
Grade 3 and I can't wait to start to get back to competing after COVID-19 break.
 About
the author...
Diane Boreham
got into agility
around eight years ago and has been competing for five years. Before that, she
had horses for 40 years and wishes that she had discovered agility in her
younger days. It's definitely her favourite thing of all time.
First published
15th July 2020
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