In a nutshell: Loveable cheeky chap

Description: Sturdily built, robust, sinewy, nearly square

Temperament: An alert little dog - very reliable and intelligent, very much a companion dog, though does need firm handling as some can be little devils.

Advantages as an agility dog:

• Keen and willing to please

• They enjoy learning new things

• Can get quite a turn of speed. 

• What they lack in leg length they make up for in his enthusiasm.

Disadvantages as an agility dog:

• Because their breed standard states that they should be quite square, a lot of minis are now being bred quite heavy in body.  Having said this if they are agility fit then most of them do find they have a waist line!

Rating out of ten: This is a hard one. Those that do agility all seem to do well 8/10. There are quite a few of the breed, I have one, who didn't take to agility that well.  Also they do need to be hand stripped (coat permitting) or clipped on a regular basis which may put some people off.

Dogs that have done well in agility:- Chemar Lady Grey Jane (5/11/81-10/2/99) (Katie) won the first Pedigree Chum final at Olympia in 1987, came third in 1988 and second in 1990.  I obtained this information from Schnauzer Saga, a Schnauzer club magazine. There is another Mini that I have seen run at Crufts but I can't remember who they are.

Also three competing in Advanced including Linda Kerr's Einstein (Scotland) Allison Campbell's Icing Lady (Scotland) and Nicky Crossley's Proscenium Blood Brother (Midi) as well as her Jenmil Black Intention in Senior.

What is it like to live with? They are wonderful. They just love to be part of the family and like nothing more than sharing the sofa with you?  They make good little guard dogs even though they can be a little yappy.

Would you buy another one for agility? Yes, I have done. My first two I had before I became interested in Agility and luckily one did take to agility very well.  When I bought my last two I chose them with agility in mind.