The Voltenstein

This morning at training... VERY early, as in before the sun comes up, in the pitch darkness that is called supreme Agility dedication, a friend made a comment that made me all teary-eyed and stupid, but summed it up very well... Volt had just run one hell of a complicated sequence and as per his usual madness was spinning around me to go and do it or another course, or well anything again and she said to Volt... 'you just always run your heart out don't you boy?'

Today I just feel my Super Sheltie needs a special mention.

Please understand, we have tons to work on, turns aren't always our strong point and sometimes I am just way to slow for him.  I tend not to trust him nearly enough and my handling decisions are questionable at times.  Very occasionally Volt feels that it is more constructive to bark at me like a maniac while circling me at full speed, this is mostly in the middle of a course. Oh and there was that one time that he just went completely looney, apesh#@, coocoo for cocopuffs and literally did everything on the course that he was not supposed to.  Our start line stays, are... lacking to put it mildly.

He is definitely allowed all those things too.

Volt competed in his first Agility Show 1 year and 12 days ago... in this time he has done more than most dogs do in a whole career and apparently he is far from done.  At this point in time the titles and wins and rosettes and trophies and stuff really don't mean much to me though.  Getting it 'right' is the fun part.  And with Volt it is REALLY fun.... and there are Volt puppies planned for the future as well, I can't WAIT for more fun Shelties around...

I am really lucky to have found a one in a million dog like my Sheltie boy.  He has given me so much the last two and a half years, a life time worth of unforgettable memories and special moments.  Achievements aside, being on an Agility course with Volt is one of the most amazing experiences I can't describe, regardless of the result.

All the regional qualifying trials for our SA Champs and AWC Try Outs have now been completed and Volt managed to finish top of the Small dog category, well done Machine!  Here are the videos of all the trials (just a quick explanation, you run 4 jumping rounds and 4 agility rounds and then the points earned in your best 3 jumping and best 3 agility rounds are totalled):