2009.02.14
Good times at the agility trials
I spent a few hours this morning at the Star City Canine Training Club's agility trials at the Salem Civic Center. I took some photos but let's just say as an action photographer, I am a very good writer.
This photo is of Dancer, a flat-coated retriever from Harrisonburg. She was done competing for the day and was watching from the stands.
The headline of this blog post has a double meaning. There are plenty of pooches that cruise around the agility course in a very good time, but there is also plenty of good times to be had for the ones that, well, still need to practice a bit.
A perfectly executed run is a thing of beauty, and it epitomizes the concise communication between the dog and the handler. The hang time some of these dogs displayed as they sailed over the hurdles made me gasp. Air Jordan had nothing on a German short-haired pointer I watched glide over every obstacle with plenty of height and width to spare. Superdog looked like he could leap tall buildings in a single bound.
But I always smile when a dog gets a little off-course, maybe running through a tunnel one extra time or bouncing off the table a little too soon because he or she wants to run some more. Sure, there is some disappointment for the handler/pet parent, because hours upon hours of work is put into practicing for these events. But the dog is just having fun. There is sheer joy in these dogs as they fly over, through and around the obstacles.
And there is nothing more joyful than seeing a happy dog at play.
The trials continue today and end on Sunday. Admission is free and when they aren't competing, most owners/handlers are happy to answer questions about their dogs. But unless your dog is competing, they ask that your leave your four-legger at home.
