# Lily's agility trainer wins Westminster!!!



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

How exciting! Are you at Westminster? I have to wait for the televised portions


----------



## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

No, I'm not there unfortunately. I got a text this AM letting me know from an agility friend. 

I think Lily is hardly Westminster material, although a ten year old Boston mix won the mixed breed category. Someday I'll go to watch. Or maybe participate with a future dog!


----------



## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

congratulations to your trainer. not that it will matter to her, but you can tell her i find it incredibly annoying that the accompanying photo featured another dog - being handled by a man? not even remotely logical.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Congrats to your trainer, how lucky for you that you get the benefit of her experience and expertise. I feel the same way about my agility trainer, who has been on several AKC international teams.

On a side note the youngest handler in the trial is the son of a friend of mine. He made it to the finals with his Cavalier in the 12" jump height. He is in ninth grade. We were at a trial with them today. Grant and I made a McDonalds run together. He is a very nice young man who has grown up before my eyes. Both his mom and he show in agility, obedience and rally. His mom breeds CKCS and shows as a breeder owner handler in conformation.


----------



## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

Pat K.- yes, I wonder if there was something political about including that particular picture. Or maybe just convenience- it was what they had. 

Catherine- that's great you friend's son has had such success early on. The CKCS are a wonderful breed!


----------



## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Okay, this is how hardcore my husband and I are:

We competed in Agility all day Saturday and Sunday, watching dog after dog do the courses and staying and building courses to help out long after we could have gone home. Then we go home and start watching the DVR of the Westminster, watching and commenting extensively on the runs much like the ones we'd just spent all day watching! Comments included: "Nice a$$ pass there!" (a type of cross), "Oh, she invoked that R!", "Great front!" (another type of cross, not a comment on anyone's torso), and "Why oh why didn't she just rear?!?"

We did see a few people we knew, too. The handler of Gitchi from the 20" class shows regularly in our area (nice guy with a great equally involved family), as does the handler of Tommy from the 12" class, and Sugarfoot has competed (and lost!) against Smartie from the 24" class. My hubby was pretty impressed to see Keebler in action, as that Corgi is pretty much top in the Invitational rankings at the moment. (My hubby's dog is 5th right now--fingers crossed that she can stay there and be in the Invitational!) We had to laugh because they pronounced Gitchi's hometown (a nearby city to Houston) as "Pearl-and" instead of "Pear-land." I guess they figured a town would be named after pearls rather than pears!

It was nice to see a couple of poodles, though a shame they didn't show more of the 24" poodle, just a quick flash of it.

It was a lot of fun to watch, and we really enjoyed analyzing the handling. It was a tricky course! Congrats to Holster's handler; that was a nice-running dog!

--Q


----------



## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

Quossom- I can see how this can be very addicting. I am having such a blast with Lily in agility and am just entering a time of my life where I am buttoning loose ends on other endeavors- which will give me time to do more with agility. On top of that, we just bought an RV- somehow I think that's going to play into being able to do more with agility:act-up: but I have a lot to learn!


----------



## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Oh, yes, RVs are very compatible with Agility! My hubby and I have already talked about getting one for our retirement and traveling around the country doing shows! We have several friends who RV it!

--Q


----------



## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

That's wonderful!


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Q, you and DH are truly hard core aren't you! Carolinek it sounds like you are getting ready to go down the hard core route, the purchase of the RV is a major sign. Grant is a great young man. He is very deeply involved in dog sports, but also is an excellent scholar athlete (cross country track). He has spent lots of time with adults in the dog sport world and has great self assurance. The same is true of the young woman who I do my private agility lessons with. She is just 22 and has been involved with agility since she was 10 or 11.


----------



## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

WOW! What a remarkable accomplishment! Huge congrats to the team!


----------



## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

I have a lot to learn as a handler, but I am enjoying the journey! I lose her on the course when I am unsure, and Lily's high energy needs someone whose focus doesn't waver- we're working on that and moving forward.

It's also helped enormously with Lily's reactivity. She has learned it's OK to be around a lot of other dogs. She even has doggy friends at agility. I can now easily take her to an agility event and stand with her at my side talking to other people with dogs. I still have to manage the situation, as certain dogs will set her off, but it's so much better.

We even used her to help de- sensitize a more reactive dog at agility the other night, and Lily did wonderfully. Her trainer prompted me to use her as the more "stable" dog in that little episode- which to me is so ironic that she was used in that role, but it does show how far she has come. We are fortunate to be with such a skilled trainer.

Yes, the RV does open up new horizons! Hubby retires next year, I have summers off-many possibilities open up, and agility is in that mix! I can't wait to start using it.


----------



## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Congratulations to your trainer on her accomplishment!!! And I'm so happy for you and DH. Getting an RV seems perfect !


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

That is very exciting for your trainer! She must be on cloud 9! And a new RV for you! I can see how that would help immensely when traveling to far off places for shows. When I was in agility with my Doberman, he was non-reactive to other dogs...absolutely did his "job" and paid them no mind. When we were on a casual leash walk around where I lived and he saw another dog, he was very reactive and embarrassing. Go figure. When "working," he was ALL business. So I can see if you are doing something like this with your Lilly, how it would tend to help her to see other dogs as just part of the job and nothing to make a fuss over. I see some big fun in your future.


----------

