I now have proof that Mora is agile (as if living with her for almost a year now hadn't already taught me that)! All of the talented dogs in our class completed the 20 or more obstacles on Monday and received their certificates plus a large dog biscuit! Guess which of the two awards was more important with the canines?
I'm happy to report that my friend Trish and her dog Trek "graduated" as the second place winner in our timed exercises. Little Mora was unfortunately held back by her owner (me) who is now in physical therapy for a muscle injury linked to a fall coming down the Pisgah Mountain trail almost 2 months ago. (I'm to blame for not realizing I needed to actually slow down and let my bruises heal. Needless to say, I'm now walking very, very slowly and waiting for everything to get back to normal.)
However, she happily completed each challenge, albeit not at her or my preferred speed! It was really a fun experience, and I am still amazed at how much our pets learned in just five lessons. Michelle Larson really understands how to get the best from our pets' hugely divergent behavioral issues. I must admit, I do get nervous before each class, so wanting to be a perfect student. The truth of the matter is that the real test of a dog's success in agility is her/his relationship with the handler/owner.
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One important lesson I learned during this class: The commands work best when given in a voice much higher than your normal one. At least that seems to be what happens to our voices during the practice classes and tests. I wonder if our dogs also think we sound strange??
At any rate, Mora and I are now ready for "intermediate agility" which will begin in a few weeks. Whew! I have a few days to "slack off" before continuing her training (just kidding, in case Michelle reads this!).
