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PURE ly the BEST
Spreading the joy....of being owned by a yorkie or three is, to me, what it's all about. Enjoy!
Consider doing Obedience and/or Agility with your yorkie.
Check for a club near you:
http://www.dogs4sale.com.au/Clubs_Organisations_NSW.htm#NSW
Freddie and Chloe (above) are two Yetholme Yorkies,
the proud owner of Judy and her hubby, from Melbourne.
They had never done agility before - neither had Judy - but all have taken
to it like ducks to water.
As you will see from the pics below, it is very easy to set up an agility course
in the backyard, and you can see how much Freddie and Chloe enjoy it.
Judy writes.......
Why did I decide to take our little Yorkies along to obedience classes? When I was searching the
internet for a new Yorkshire terrier puppy Jan Clarke's Yeltholme Yorkie's website's front page
captured my imagination: not only did it have photos of beautiful yorkies but it had/has a wonderful
photo of a little Yorkie jumping through the tyre jump at Agility. Never having heard of Agility for
dogs I searched the internet and found some great videos of Agility in action, thought I'd love to have
a go at this with my dogs and promptly forgot about it.
When Freddie eventually arrived, like all puppies, he was pretty active and loved jumping
all over the place and tunneling under things. So I set up a couple of little jumps and a
cat tunnel, that I found at a $2 store, in the back yard. Freddie seemed to really enjoy
jumping over the junps and running through the tunnel after his ball. I thought maybe I should
find a class or something for him, but didn't find the time, and he needed to have done
some obedience lessons first.
Last year we decided to get another friend for Freddie (our original Yorkie, Jonty, had
died at the age of 16 earlier in the year). Freddie, who was now three, had a couple
of annoying habits, such as barking madly at the ringtailed possums that live in our
garden, and only coming when called when he felt like it. It occurred to me that he
was going to teach the new puppy his bad habits and, if I didn't want two yappy little dogs
annoying all the neighbours, and me, I'd better do something about controlling him better.
So I enrolled him in obedience classes.
I wasn't too sure how successful these would be as Freddie was already 3 years
old but I was quite amazed at how quickly Freddie has learnt everything he has been
taught. And best of all he seems to be really enjoying the classes and the practice on
his walks and at home. Six months after his first Basic lesson he is starting to heel
off lead. And he has had a go at the Agility equipment. Maybe he will be an Agility dog one day!
When Chloe arrived we took her along to puppy school, then waited until she'd
been spayed and had grown a bit (she is all of 1.8 kg, but a bundle of energy) before
enrolling her in the Basic class. Again I wasn't sure how she'd go as she is so small.
But she settled in, gained a bit of confidence and passed her Basic course just before Easter.
She is now doing all the basic things well and is about to start Intermediate lessons. Chloe also
loves jumping and tunneling in the back yard at play time.
The classes have been very rewarding for both us and the yorkies- neither
Freddie nor Chloe bark at the possums, they both come when they are called,
and are a delight to take walking. And they both love it.
The photos are of Freddie and Chloe doing a Sit/Stay and
a Drop/Stay together and of them jumping in the back yard.
**
- NEW -
Freddie and I went last night to try out for the Agility Club that
Helen’s friend recommended. I couldn’t believe how nervous I was but
Freddie was in his element. He made friends with all the big dogs
and did his tricks and other tasks like a pro – he had to walk along a ladder
on the ground and through a tunnel, do a few tricks, walk to heel around a
figure eight, play, and do a sit, a stay and a recall. ** We won’t know till tonight
or tomorrow if he has been accepted but whatever the answer, I thought
he was amazing. I was a bit worried that he would just want to take in the
situation as it was at a venue he’d never been to before, with dogs he’d
never seen, and at night when he likes to snooze. But he was so good. If
we don’t get in it will be because all the other dogs were very good too.
I was really proud of Freddie – he did Yorkies
proud! (and he got lots of praise and pats)
**STOP PRESS!!!!!!!!!
Freddie WAS accepted!!
They only take 10 dogs a couple of times a year so we are pretty lucky!
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