I decided to start blogging my adventures with Cookie this summer because we have had a very fun summer full of lots of new experiences!!!
When Cookie Munster was six months old we started agility training. Oh boy, did I quickly learn that Munsterlander's are not the easiest dogs to train!!! I had trained a sheltie previously with a "just for fun" agility group. Munster's are NOTHING like shelties. We had a long road of training ahead of us!
After our first year of training we joined the Go Dog Go K9 Sports team. Please find the Go Dog Go blog under the list of blogs I follow. With GDG we had found a great fit. The trainers are knowledgable, fun, and most importantly patient. I quickly learned that Cookies shortcomings were often times a result of my lack of handling ability. With the Go Dog team we have been able to work on the skills that both of us need to succeed at the exciting sport of Agility.
In August we finally felt that we were ready to compete... Yeah!!!! Two and a half years of training andFINALLY we were entered in our first trial. Apparently Cookie sensed my nerves because his first run of his first trail ended with him taking a huge poop in the agility ring. Yup that's right my dog took a huge crap on the course. I had to do the "walk of shame" with my steaming bag of poop as he was kicked off the field. Not the best start to Cookie's agility career.
Day two went much better. Our first run of the day was in the starter gambles class. My friend Shauna did an awesome job coaching me on how to handle the course. We stepped out onto the field with a plan!!! I learned something very exciting during our gambles run... Cookie actually knows what a tunnel is!! The courses mini gamble involved going from a jump to a tunnel. I'm not going to lie I was shocked when he did it! I almost stopped to hug him right then and there. We continued along the course and at the whistle to start the gamble portion we were actually at a good spot to attempt the gamble. When he went out and took the first tunnel I was pretty happy. When he continued on to the jump I was ecstatic. When he actually took the finally tunnel to complete the gamble I was "over the moon" thrilled. I couldn't believe it: The Munster did it!!! We did it!!! Two and a half years of training all came to fruition in under a minute (56.89 seconds to be exact). I hugged the dog, I cried, I took in the moment. All I could hear while I was leaving the ring was one of our trainers, Sarah, yelling "stop hang-bagging your dog"! So, we have something to work on... don't drag the dog off the course :-)
Not only did we get our very first "Q" that day we also were the first (and only) dog to Q in our height / level class. So we got the 1st ribbon too! The best part about the Q was that it happened at the Go Dog Go Lethbridge trial. It was awesome to share that moment with the group of people that really made us a team. The trainers and the other team members of GDG. Thanks ladies for all your hard work and support! Cook and I couldn't have done it without you guys.
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