Believe it or not, I got her on Craigslist a little over 2 years ago, she was 2 ½ years old and very shy, very introverted. After lots of training, she’s come so much further. She is still shy at times, but certainly loves doing agility!
And what breed off dog is she?
Bindi is a Miniature Australian Shepherd.
When did you start training with her?
She came to me in June of 2012. I started in Basic Obedience here at It’s PAWSible! in March 2013. Then we went on to Agility and the Basically Better obedience class. We’ve been coming here for agility ever since. And Bindi gets groomed here, too!
What do you think are the benefits of agility? What keeps you coming back?
She likes it! Even though competing often makes me get up at 4:30 a.m. on the weekends, we both like it a lot.
So you enter trials with her already? That’s a pretty quick turnaround from starting agility training last march to competing.
Our first show was last October actually. We had just finished our first year of training. She has already earned her CPE championship and her CATCH. We earned that in about ten months. Much of that success has to do with training for sure. But we also went to a lot of agility trials and that obviously helps to move that far that fast.
But, because she likes agility so much, it brought her out of her shell and increased her bond with me. That’s really why we do it, it gives her something to do. Australian Shephards really need something to do.
You mentioned the CATCH accomplishment, is there any other particular accomplishment you’re proud of?
I’m just happy that we were able to connect at that level. She’s much more happy and outgoing, she’s much better with people. Not as reserved and shy as she used to be.
Any thoughts for people who want to start agility?
I would say starting with taking the Basic Obedience course here and any other classes. In Basic, Beth will introduce you to agility and also to rally. To enjoy agility, you don’t have to be competitive--agility is just a way to help increase that bond and your teamwork, your dog working with you. Thanks so much for chatting with me, David.