Staying Fit for Agility

Agility Training is one of my most favorite things to do with Mum and Dad. But an Airedale such as myself will need to stay fit and healthy so that I have the most fun.

Running on the treadmill with Mum on a regular basis keeps me happy. I love running on the treadmill. I don't need the leash, I don't need the lure of treats, nothing at all. I hop on the treadmill myself every chance I get, and hope Mum turns it on. There are some days, (ok, most days) where it is raining in Seattle, Mum and Dad hate running in the rain so what do they do? They pop me onto the treadmill and I'm happy. I can run for 45 mins at a stretch at a trotting pace. I love it.

Watching a junior Malinois learning how to do the "chute" and waiting for my turn. I do offleash work with Mum in Agility classes.

Waiting for my turn to do the series of "jumps"

In the beginning, my greatest obstacle was the "teether". I was quite scared of the balancing and how I needed to coordinate my front and back legs. And don't forget the noise too, when the board hits the ground, it can make a loud bang. But now, I am very confident in all my obstacles. Mum says its all about accuracy and 100% reliance now. We are practicing on refining turns and keeping more distance between Mum and myself.

I certainly encourage all my doggie friends to take up agility. It is a lot of fun, and the challenge is great. I concentrate and focus all my thoughts on doing well, and when I do well, I get lots of praise, treats and attention. Even if I got it wrong, Mum is still smiling and we're bouncing around in delight. I love it because we're always so happy in Agility. And then when I go home at the end of the night, I get the best sleepy sleeps ever.