LUFKIN — Rudy looks questionably at his owner.
"What's next?" He seems to ask, as his tail wags back and forth in an eager motion.
Michele Marcotte/ The Daily Sentinel |
Mayzie, an Australian shepherd, leaps over a jump during a recent East Texas Working Dog Association agility practice.
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The small, brown-and-white Jack Russell terrier is in the midst of an agility run that has, up to this point, included several jumps, a weaving navigation across the yard and a quick sprint through a royal blue tunnel. As he emerges from the far end of the cylinder, he slows down to await further instruction from his owner, Hellen Revelle. It's quite obvious that the terrier has a nearby blue-and-yellow platform in his sights — a fact that Revelle also appears to be aware of — but, like any good agility dog, he waits for his owner to give the green light before jumping on board.
"If you want to get on the table, get on the table," Revelle instructs him.
She places her hands on her hips and scolds him in a stern, motherly manner when she sees that he is standing on the platform, rather than sitting.
"Where is your down?" She demands.
He immediately plops his back end on the table in a single, swift movement, and looks up, with his tail continuing to wiggle at what seems like 90 miles-per-hour.
She smiles at his obedience, and hands him a treat.
Rudy is one of two dogs Revelle, a member of the East Texas Working Dog Association, trains in agility.
The sport requires her to direct Rudy and Lucy, her other terrier, through obstacle courses that often include tunnels, jumps and dog-type balance beams. Each dog receives points for his or her accuracy and time.
On this particular summer evening, Rudy is out practicing on his back yard course, which consists of a dog walk, teeter, a-frame, tunnel, jumps, a tire and weave pole. Revelle explains that the course is a mini version of what Rudy would use in an actual agility trial.
As Rudy and Revelle conclude the run of the course, several other members bring their dogs forward to practice as well.
Among them is Laura McClary, who trains two Australian shepherds, Mayzi and Phoenix.
"It takes awhile to get going in this sport," she says, as she pats Phoenix's ears. "You learn all the basic obstacles and then you have to learn how to do some sequencing. There's a lot to it."
But, she says "it's a lot of fun," and the association provides six-week beginner courses to help individuals get started.
McClary says once individuals have completed the beginner course, they are invited to join the association. Many of the members compete in state and regional trials, where dogs of different sizes compete in classes. Each class utilizes different heights for the jumps.
"It's important to give them treats along the way," says Donna Work, who trains her Labrador retriever mix, Rosie. "It's positive reinforcement for them."
Many of the trainers hold treats in their hands as they run through the course. Revelle jokes that her dogs will enjoy running around the yard after practice to locate all the dropped treats.
The association isn't limited solely to agility, McClary explains. She says many of the dogs have gone through obedience, search and rescue or confirmation training, as well.
"There are so many things you can do with your dog," she says. "Agility is just our focus right now, but we're open to other things."
ETWDA will host an Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) sanctioned agility trial on Nov. 21 and 22 at the George H. Henderson Expo Center Pavillion in Lufkin.
McCLary says the trial will have five classes each day. Two of the classes will be obstacle courses, similar to what the dogs run during practices, two will be solely jumps and one will be what is called a gambler's class.
Owners of agility trained dogs who wish to enter can find entry forms at www.agilityevents.net. The event is open to anyone interested in attending as a spectator.
For more information on the trial or to find out about agility classes, contact Donna Work at 637-2002 or at ddwork@consolidated.net.
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