Your Dog's First Show
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The four legged, tail wagging versionWhen you are walking the course, they say to look at it from the dog's perspective. If dogs could speak - or even write - here's what they might say about their first agility show. Ask your dog if they might like to take pen to paw or something.
Poppy's First Agility Competition
Anyway, I decided to go along with this silly idea and started training, but always making sure the people knew who was in charge. I picked up the idea pretty quickly - after all, we terriers are a pretty bright bunch. Quite soon I got to know what all the arm waving and shouting meant. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realise that 'over' means jump over the stick, 'A-frame' means clamber up that dirty great ramp and so on. The folks got really smug, so I eased off a bit. I would stop for a breather, have a scratch and usually up on the A-frame or dogwalk, sit down and have a look around. After all, its not often I have the chance to see the world from above grass level. Inevitably the time came then 'they' decided that I could enter a Competition. They condemned me to making my debut at the Just Minis Christmas Fun Show, in December 2003. I ask you, cold enough to freeze the proverbials off a metallic ape - and I’m expected to prance around a course looking happy. Luckily, I was entered in the Starters class, with the 12” jumps. I found myself carted off to the line, coat and collar whipped off without so much as a 'by your leave' and left shivering and naked on the cold, wet sand. Don’t they realise that a girl has her dignity? My lady told me to stay and traipsed off up the course. Then she turned round and called me. I got the hump at that, so I ignored her. She called again so I decided that I might as well get it over, so off I toddled, but after half a dozed jumps, I got bit of an itch so I sat down and had a scratch. hat got her going, I can tell you, but I was chuffed to hear the onlookers laughing. Anyway, when I was good and ready off I went again until I got to the top of the A-frame, where I stopped to get my breath back and wave to my fans. They really appreciated that and gave me a cheer. From that vantage point I could see the end was close, only a couple more jumps and a tyre, so I scarpered down the A-frame and bolted for the end. My lady must have done quite well, ‘cos we got a clear round, and a time of 65 seconds (the course time was 40 seconds) so I was pretty pleased with myself. Later that day I was made to give a repeat performance, this time in the Jumping, but did not like to show off so made a couple of detours and picked up some faults, you can’t make it look too easy can you? (07/03/04)
My first show
Despite all this, I managed to get round the course just as Mum wanted me to until the last obstacle but two. It was a big yellow collapsible tunnel, and IT WAS MOVING! Just as I was about to enter it, there was a great gust of wind and it blew right up like a big balloon, making it really easy to dash through it! 'Whoosh,' I thought, as I ran through it, 'this makes it a real doddle! Then the wind dropped, and SPLATT! - a huge heap of sodden yellow PVC crashed on top of me and I was in a great wet terrifying darkness. I tell you, I was back out of there as quick as you can say woof. It took a lot of persuasion for my mum to get me back in there, but I was really brave, just for her sake! I've no idea why she looked so disappointed! (07/03/04) Sent by Jane on his behalf! For more stories of first shows,
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My
name’s Poppy, posh name Cool Dudette. I’m a miniature Yorkie, towering to 7” at the withers. My
dopey people decided that, as they already have a Papillon, doing Agility that they would train
me. Huh, what do they think I am? Some sort of circus act?
My
human mum took me to my first show about eight months after I had been learning to do agility.
It was pouring with rain and there was a howling gale. My mum didn't run so much as slide. It
was a big shock as I'd never even tried agility outdoors before.