06/08/2026
I started my training career by teaching agility as it was my addiction and main focus in my life 15 years ago. We would travel to at least 15 trials a year, attend national championships each year, and spent a huge number of our weekend and holidays traveling to trials.
A number of life changes, including divorce, made trialing not feasible. My amazing agility dogs began to age and my focus shifted to caring for home and property, building my training business and working hard enough to keep a roof over our heads. Now, between teaching full-time and the time and expense of trialing, it's rare that I'm able to get to a trial.
Last summer my youngest dog, Zest, had a shoulder injury (medial shoulder instability) that sidelined us for most of the year and required an enormous amount of rehabilitation and physical therapy.
Friday I decided to get up at the crack of dawn - long before the birds had begun to rouse and sing their morning symphonies, before even a sliver of light touch the Eastern skyline - and headed east to Helena to spend one day at an agility trial with my youngest dogs Sweep and Zest. It was a great opportunity for the dogs to be exposed to the chaos and distractions at a trial, as well as being good for me to proof my training, see where our weaknesses are, and bring home some homework to continue working on with both dogs.
We all had a great day! Even though I can't attend a ton of trials, it is still a sport I love, especially working with the dogs in my home arena building our skills together.
Agility is a great way to create connection, it builds a relationship, enhances communication, requires incredible teamwork, and, if done correctly, is incredibly fun! If you have any interest in trying it out, let me know, as despite all the classes I teach, agility continues to be one of my favorite things to share with my clients and teach! Come and try it.... It's fun! 💜🐾
Video of Sweep this weekend. At a trial, we are allowed to walk a course and figure out how to direct our dogs around it. The dogs do not get to see or practice on the course until their run.
