Agility Abounds in Eldorado

One of my closest canine friends is a terrier "mutt" named Jaunty. As his name would imply, he has a healthy penchant for jaunts along Eldorado's extensive trail system. Yet after months of tearing it up, as it were, it became clear that we needed something to spice up our relationship, something new something different that we could do together. The answer came as the ice melted and the desert terrain revealed some level of verdure. One early spring day we entered the Agora shopping center's Eldorado's Country Pet Dog Store ( a fabulous source for reasonable and healthy dog food, treats, and apparel) if they knew of any good agility instructors. Yes, came the reply, Judy Anderson is a great Agility Dog Trainer. Agility and Jaunty seemed like a natural. Jaunty had the brains, the stamina, the intelligence, I suspected to take our relationship one step deeper. We are talking Dog Intimacy!

I contacted Judy whose delightfully sweet and genuinely warm nature came clear across the wires. We were registered for a six week Wednesday night class entitled Agility 101. We gathered with five other canines on Tuesday May 5th. Clad in no pull halters, leashes, and comfortable easy to stride in shoes Jaunty and I were introduced to the world of Agility. Judy simply showed us how to use our bodies and our voices to garner our canine partners attentions. In what seemed like minutes Jaunty was clamoring down weave poles to my "weave weave weave vocalization" and hovering hand, flying through a brightly colored tunnel to my call of "tunnel" tunnel tunnel, and jumping miniature horse jumps to the call of an exuberant "JUMP"

Each week the syllabus took us deeper. Deeper in acumen, but deeper in our bond of trust, as i was asking Jaunty to try things that required faith in me as well as faith in himself. if jaunty had had plumage, his girth would have gained inches.

Just little over a week ago, Jaunty and i gladly graduated from Judy's Agility 101 class. In the final round we leapt across wide jumps, over poles, onto a table, through a tire, round and round the weave poles, struck out through the rainbow tunnel, and rolled back over vertical poles. Jaunty off leash comes to my left my right and my middle. Our relationship is in peak form, and Jaunty's self confidence is improved.

What's next, you ask? Well, Jaunty and I are signed up for Judy Anderson's "totally awesome dogs" Agility 200 class which starts on Tuesday. We are sure to find more Gold in Eldorado at the hands of Judy Anderson. ( to reach Judy email her at awesomedogs@msn.com)