# Sookie Graduates from Beginner Agility



## Ryker-&-Canyon (Dec 12, 2012)

Aww. Looks like she was really enjoying herself. Congratulations!


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## Sookster (Apr 11, 2011)

Thanks! 

I don't know how to embed the video here and make it show up on this page. If anyone knows, let me know!


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## MaryLynn (Sep 8, 2012)

She is really gorgeous! And talented too, what a lady!

Congratulations.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

She looks very confident and like she is having lots of fun. Great pics, thanks for sharing.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

Great video, S! Thanx!! The link is in yr first post. 

It sure is a dog having a lot of fun, eh?


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## 2719 (Feb 8, 2011)

*Here it is embedded...too good to miss!*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZAq_TTBQ6M&feature=youtu.be


Well I enjoyed it and thought I could embed it...like Outwest showed me...but it didn't work. It is worthwhile clicking on the link. Congrats.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Here you go! She looks like she is having a great time and she did super well. Sookie is a great dog.


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

*Sookster*: *Congratulations! *:cheers2:What a fun girl your Sookie is!! I cheered out loud when she sailed through the tire. So glad she's yours, she was meant to be.:love2: I really enjoy getting to see what you accomplish with her. Good on you both!


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## Laceypoo (Aug 23, 2011)

Thanks for sharing this! Sookie looks so good. She looks like the pretty, slim girl she was before she left. I always enjoy seeing the two of you together. She was wagging her tail the whole time - loving life. You and she have much to be thankful for this holiday season.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Aw, she did great! Congrats! Looked like you were both having fun the whole way, no stress. That's the way to keep it on the Agility field!

Are you moving on to a more advanced class? How are the weaves coming along?

Always good to see an Agility Poodle!

--Q


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## MaryEdwards (Oct 29, 2012)

Congrats! She looks great in the pictures What a pretty & smart girl!


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## pinkteaji (Dec 7, 2012)

Yay Sookie!! I loveee her energy. You and her did such a great job!!  


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## Minnie (Apr 25, 2011)

Wow fantastic job in only 10 weeks!!!! Congrats!!!!


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## Sookster (Apr 11, 2011)

lily cd re said:


> She looks very confident and like she is having lots of fun. Great pics, thanks for sharing.


Thank you, the confidence building is definitely taking some time, but coming along. She's much more confident than she was 6 months ago when she came back home, but still second guesses herself sometimes. Today at graduation was the absolute most confident she has been doing a course. Now, we missed practice last week so maybe she was just happy to be out there again! 



Countryboy said:


> Great video, S! Thanx!! The link is in yr first post.
> 
> It sure is a dog having a lot of fun, eh?


We are definitely having a blast, that's for sure! 



outwest said:


> Beginner Agility Graduation - YouTube
> 
> Here you go! She looks like she is having a great time and she did super well. Sookie is a great dog.


Ohhh thank you! I sure wish I knew how to do that. 



Chagall's mom said:


> *Sookster*: *Congratulations! *:cheers2:What a fun girl your Sookie is!! I cheered out loud when she sailed through the tire. So glad she's yours, she was meant to be.:love2: I really enjoy getting to see what you accomplish with her. Good on you both!


I'm certainly so glad she's mine. Now that she's back, and has been for 6 months, I cannot even imagine not having her. It's unreal how close I came to never seeing her again, but I'm glad fate took a different turn. 



Laceypoo said:


> Thanks for sharing this! Sookie looks so good. She looks like the pretty, slim girl she was before she left. I always enjoy seeing the two of you together. She was wagging her tail the whole time - loving life. You and she have much to be thankful for this holiday season.


This is the Sookie I remember from a year and a half ago, this happy, care-free dog with a zest for life. We are getting there  



Quossum said:


> Aw, she did great! Congrats! Looked like you were both having fun the whole way, no stress. That's the way to keep it on the Agility field!
> 
> Are you moving on to a more advanced class? How are the weaves coming along?
> 
> ...


We are moving up to intermediate in January! Currently working on channels and probably gonna work 2x2s over the next month to prepare for intermediate. Nova, on the other hand, is still not doing well with weaves. We are soooooooooo close to 6 straight, but she's just not getting it. Starting over with 2x2 until she can get 4 straight, then will try to add back in the last 2. She also graduated from advanced today, but by her run it was flooding and no one was out to take photos anymore  She didn't do well, I think didn't enjoy running in the rain. But she's been doing great at class. We will re-take advanced in January as well.


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

She's such a pretty happy girl!


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## petitpie (Nov 16, 2011)

What a good year for you and Sookie!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I loved to see how happy and confident she was. Swizzle is learning the teeter now. I hope he will someday sail through it like Sookie. I am sure the lightbulb moment with weaves is only a few practices away for Nova. Thank yor for the video.


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## Specman (Jun 14, 2012)

Congratulations, that was amazing to watch!


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## PoodleLuv (Apr 12, 2011)

Wow - that is one happy poodle! She seems to have picked agility up so quickly - really looks like she had a good time in the pictures.

Keep at it!!!

ps. how did you come up with the name Sookie? Was it from True Blood??


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## Sookster (Apr 11, 2011)

CT Girl said:


> I loved to see how happy and confident she was. Swizzle is learning the teeter now. I hope he will someday sail through it like Sookie. I am sure the lightbulb moment with weaves is only a few practices away for Nova. Thank yor for the video.


Sookie took to the teeter like it was nothing, but Nova still has trouble with it. She's so big and clumsy that she can't keep her balance when it starts to move and she falls off. We are working on it though, and she's getting better and better! My agility instructor actually told me that she thinks breeds like poodles (and dobies, etc) that stand upright on their toes have a harder time with the teeter for some reason because they don't have as good of a grip on it. Not sure how much truth there is to that, but I know at least Nova has a really hard time with it! 



PoodleEnvy said:


> Wow - that is one happy poodle! She seems to have picked agility up so quickly - really looks like she had a good time in the pictures.
> 
> Keep at it!!!
> 
> ps. how did you come up with the name Sookie? Was it from True Blood??


When Sookie and I first met, her name was Sonya. She came to me as part of a service dog puppy raising program. I hated the name Sonya, it didn't fit her at all, but I couldn't change it because she wasn't *my* dog. Well, my roommate at the time was into True Blood (I'm not, nor am I into any of the other vampire shows/movies/books/etc) and when I came home grumbling about her name being Sonya, she started calling her Sookie and it stuck. I mostly called her Sookie throughout that first year, making sure she also answered to Sonya, but when she failed guide dog training and returned to me, I decided to permanently change her name  Sookie suits her perfectly.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Wonderful! I admire anyone who puts in so much time and love into their dog! I've always thought those who do agility have such a close bond. Sookie definately has formed that bond with you ! Congrats and Good Luck !


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## Sookster (Apr 11, 2011)

MollyMuiMa said:


> Wonderful! I admire anyone who puts in so much time and love into their dog! I've always thought those who do agility have such a close bond. Sookie definately has formed that bond with you ! Congrats and Good Luck !


I enjoy the training a lot, and it gets me out and doing things, which I need to do and probably wouldn't otherwise. Though I have to say, the last several weeks have been a little overwhelming with training classes. This is what our schedule has looked like: 

Monday night, Sookie agility 
Tuesday night, Nova agility 
Wednesday evening, Sookie competition obedience practice, then advanced basics obedience class with a service dog puppy I'm working with 
Thursday evening, Nova rally class then Sookie rally class 

So it's been hectic, but we've been learning a lot and having fun. Hoping to move the competition obedience practice to Monday nights in January, and have both Nova and Sookie's agility practice on Thursday nights. That will make it a little easier.


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