Agility Nut

 Jaunty is a lovely dog and one of the things he loves most of all is running and he jumps for fun. He has a great deal of energy, is fearless and always keen to try anything new. As a gundog he's a bit of a handful; if it's birds you want found, he'll hunt all day but if you need birds to be flushed out in a controlled fashion he is not the dog for the job!
I've always wanted to try 'dog agility' and last summer decided to give it a go with Jaunty - a bouncier, more energetic or willing dog is unlikely to come my way again!
Needless to say, he took to it like a duck to water and quickly picked up the basics. Jumping, climbing, scooting through tunnels, twisting and turning - what's not to like?
Only trouble was and is - if there is scent (of any kind) about - he is easily diverted.

However, we joined a 'proper' club at the beginning of this year and a few months later started having one-to-one lessons once a week. The boy has done well and his handler (!!!) has become a bit fitter!
We had a 'go' at a fun agility competition in the summer. Suffice to say, Jaunty had more Fun than Agility on his agenda. However, there's no point doing weekly training without some goal so we are signing up for the winter series of competitions with 'Agility Nuts' and today went along for our first 'event'. Ever the optimist, I entered the Agility and Jumping events. We spent all day at a superb venue surrounded by Agility nuts of all shapes and sizes (and volumes) and came home, exhausted, with the certain knowledge that there is a lot more to this business than meets the eye - or the nose......
Undaunted, we will continue. The Winter Series runs monthly till March. I am optimistic that by then we will actually be completing the course as laid out rather than as mapped out by the spaniel's olefactory glands.......