After seeing how many people are involved in agility on the how do you meet people after kids thread, I thought maybe those of us involved in dogs need our own thread. I’ll start. I have a field spaniel now and use to have flat-coated retrievers. I have done conformation, obedience, rally, tracking, barnhunting and hunting tests. With my field spaniel, I am currently dabbling in agility. He does pretty good but isn’t fast and I have a tendency to get lost on the course. We are also doing barnhunting which both of us really enjoy. Our other fun activity is tracking. I am slowly learning variable surface tracking which has been really interesting. How about you?
I think everyone knows I do agility at this point. Love it. Haven’t felt the need for other sports, although as my senior poodle ages and retires herself from agility (she’ll be nine in June), I’m considering doing some nosework with her. (Oh, and @ONWARD, I sent you a PM.)
You should try barnhunting. Poodles do very well in it and the dogs really enjoy it. You don’t touch any rats and no rats are harmed. Thanks for the PM. We went to our first agility class since taking a break for winter. Loved the instructor and both the dog and I did fairly well. I am going to try your suggestion on learning the course. And no, I am no perfectionist. I am one of those people who are happy to get a green qualifying ribbon.
Onward - one of my friends is on her way home from an agility event in St. Louis with her flat coats. She says she has met many friends doing agility. She and I became fast friends when we both brought our flatties to a little league baseball game. (good conversation starter).
Barnhunting sounds interesting.
Kajon, I miss our flat coats. My husband keeps talking about getting another. Such lovely dogs. Our last one died fairly young and I just had to try a different breed.
I haven’t seen a flat coat in barnhunting but I bet they would be good at it. It really is fun to watch the dogs as so many of them get very excited.
Have done agility for years and my dog has a couple of AKC titles, but I mainly do it just to get out of the house and have fun going to class. Everyone in my competition class has multiple dogs and drives to trials nearly every week. I don’t have that level of interest, time, or money…a couple of trials a year is about my limit.
You sound like me Snowdog. Right now, I am doing I am busy but I haven’t done anything in months and probably won’t be real involve this summer. I just mainly do it to have fun and because the dog enjoys it. I would never make it as a top competitor as I don’t have the drive (or the money).