I am not doing any performance right now, but I love these old pictures and all the fun memories they bring. I keep them on my website so I can look at them now and then, and so perhaps others may see them and say, "Hey, I would like to do that too someday. That does look like fun." It is a lot of fun and I treasure each moment I was able to do it.
Most anyone can do agility and obedience. You do not have to be super fit or really agile or have a lot of money -- let me just say, I had and have neither. You just need a strong desire to give it your best try. Some performance folks are in it for perfection, but you do not have to be perfect at it; just go out and have some fun. If you goof, there is always another day. The best part of it is doing something with your dog. And, if you do not have much money, then you just have to be a bit more inventive then someone who can afford lots of lessons and expensive equipment - You can do it.
Nicci on A-Frame (breeder, Tina Bjork,Heart Lake Shelties)
Agility Trials April 12 & 13, 2000 held by Dauphin DTC
photo -Terry Rowe Portraits (link)
Heart Lake's TJ She's Amazin NA,CD,CGC - 2NJWW legs
Nicci went to her last trials the weekend of Aug 30 & 31, 2003, Berks DTC. She and I showed in Novice Jumper with Weaves.On Saturday we would have qualified, but I got lost and we went one 2nd over time. On Sunday we made up for it by getting first place.Due to my goof she only got her 2nd JWW leg. I doubt she would worry about not having the title, so I guess I should not either. I think she lived only to do agility. She was happiest when she went into that ring.
New CD - December 15, 2002. After 2 years of not competing in the performance ring, Nicci earned her AKC CD in three straight showings. She has done well considering her handler cannot train often, and she is more happy watching all that is going on at the shows than she should be. Nicci did qualify in Open obed at a match in 2003, but we did not have time to get that title.
Dauphin Dog Training Club - Nov 16 - 185 1/2
Harrisburg Shetland SD Club - Nov 17 - 180
Lehigh Valley KC - December 15 - 186Nicci earned her Novice Standard Agility title the last weekend of Oct. 2000. On Sat Oct. 28, she had a score of 88, 3rd place and on Sunday a score of 98, 1st place. Both her times were around 17secs under course time. She was awesome. Taking some outdoor Classes at Belle Vista Agility in York County really did the trick.
Nicci passed her Canine Good Citizen test on September 23, 1998. She is training in Novice and Open obedience and agility. Her first agility trials were on March 25 & 26, 2000 and April 12 & 13.
OUR FIRST AGILITY TRIALs
Nicci and I went to our first agility trials the weekend of March 25 & 26, 200 at the Shetland Sheepdog Club of Greater Baltimore Agility Specialty Trials. Saturday she earned a NovA Standard leg with a score of 98. She was going so fast she slid off the table when she got to it, and lost 2 pts. The next day, she had a clean run, perfect score of 100, for 2nd place to earn a leg in Nov JWW(Jumper with Weaves). We almost got another JWWs leg, but missed a tunnel entrance. Our other attempt at a standard leg was a bit disastrous. But, I was happy to do so well our first time out. We only had access to train one time on a regulation height dogwalk and teeter before the trials. The Novice courses were not in a big circle like I thought they would be. Much tougher than I thought it would be. We showed in the 16" class. It was a really great weekend and wonderful to meet so many nice people. Baltimore SSC did a wonderful job -Thanks!!!!!
April 12 & 13 2000 at the Dauphin DTC Agility trials, I was sick, so we did not do so well at all. Also, I found that if your dog has never done agility outdoors before, it is not a good idea to expect too much at an outdoor show. However, we only missed a leg in standard by 1 second. Oh well, its back to the drawing board.
Low, practice Dogwalk
Tire Jump
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I am a member of Obedience Training Class of Harrisburg, and Dauphin Dog Training Club. I have also trained at Belle Vista Agility. Photo below, right was taken at DDTC. All these Training groups have very nice training facilities. Be sure to go to each of these club's Show-N-Goes or if you live in the area go take a class at one or all of them.
Window Jump
Nicci can sometimes get real excited when she is having fun. This is a picture I took when she was howling. She had just finished running up her make-sift A-Frame. She loves to run up and down this, while outside playing in the yard.
Below is Nicci with her short but still very thick, summer haircut.
My First Sheltie
March 3, 1994 - This is a picture of me and my first Sheltie, Puck. He wasmy Novice A obedience dog. The weekend of this picture, we took 2 - 1st placings, 195.5 at Greater Baltimore SSC for our CD, and a 196 the next day at Dog Owners of TC of MD. It was one of the most thrilling weekends of my life. He and I had a lot of fun.
His sister, Molly, did very well when I showed her. One weekend in 1995 she and I won NovB class on Sat and Sun. And I did it with a broken ankle. But like her brother, she developed health problems and had to be retired from competition.
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Lillie
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Dogs at Rainbow Bridge
published Fall 1998
updated Feb 12, 2005
