he fast

today was our final class for Agility Foundations with Allison Berry of Everyday Dog … and i’m pretty darn proud of my little boy.  although i’ve done agility with my girl matea, that was years ago, and — not having come from an abusive past of neglect and a spirit-crushing life of churning out puppies like merrick — matea was a different beast when it came to working her on the equipment.  with matea it was all about getting her to slow down.  there was no fear in that brazen young pointer.

but merrick crept into his first agility class … had to be bolstered up by play with his ball … and he was the only dog for whom the tunnel had to be compressed, since the full 20′ was far too daunting, even with me at the other end cheering him on.  each obstacle was met with a certain amount of trepidation, but with a few passes, and sometimes a little ingenuity on my part to encourage him past his fears, his confidence grew.  and today he flew through the short seven-piece course in the shortest time in class!  in fact, his drive to move forward to each piece, now that the concept of running a course is clicking with him, was more than i ever expected.  it felt like i actually have an agility dog in the making!

and for having secured the fasted time in class, merrick came home with a bag of goodies …

and he wasn’t much into sharing them with matea …

of course, i would rather be showing you photos of my boy in class, but my hands are pretty full when i’m there.

and no worries, Allison, i’ve made him share his goody-bag with matea.  see you in two weeks for the start of the next level!