Hobbit just finished a class at Courteous Canine called Doggy Play Gym. It was taught by Jacqueline Munera, who is an excellent motivator. During the eight week course, the dogs learned skills and encountered obstacles that are used in Rally, Flyball and Agility. The last class ended with each dog competing through a course that included aspects from all three sports. There was a mini rally course that required the dogs to stop at signs and perform commands that were printed on the signs, weave through cones and run through an agilty tunnel. The Flyball portion required them to jump three jumps, retrieve a ball, then return over the jumps with the ball and drop it.
The whole course was timed and judged for precision and enthusiasm. There were four other dogs in the class; two Corgi's, a cute shaggy gray pup named Poppet, and a toy p
oo
dle. The owners played as hard as the dogs and all did a great job, finishing their courses and performing a trick. The Corgi's won awards for Boldest Course and Best Trick. The Poodle won Fastest Time, and Poppet won Most Precise Course. I was starting to feel sorry for Hobbit and Scott because their names hadn't been called, then they won the Best Overall Award. You bet, I was proud of my boys! But I clapped and cheered just as hard for the rest of the class. One of the great things that happens in a good class is the bond that forms between owners. By the end of the class, we were all rooting for each dog/owner combination, thrilled to see them achieve their personal goals.
