This page was last revised on 15th September 2008
Click on a photo to see the bigger picture!
Woody: "I'm not sure about this Gem - the bar is higher than my nose!"
Gemma: "Jumping Jumps is easier if you go around the side!"
Gemma and I are acquiring more and more agility equipment. We've already mastered the tunnel (otherwise known as the Brunnel) and the high jump.
After abit of investigation, I found that this jump isn't called "high" for nothing, but Gemma and I can achieve anything if we put our minds to it, especially if Julie is standing the other side with a doggy treat! When I was a puppy - and Gemma was the same - it was less effort to go under the high jump but, these days, we're either bigger or the bar is lower and, anyway, we only get treats if we go over so, naturally, over it is!
Next up was the discipline called 'Retrieve' or 'Fetch!' or 'Hold it!'. In the following photos, I am holding an orange dumbell while Gemma retrieves a Kong that is thrown through the air, called an Air Kong! Running to show Julie how far she threw whatever it was she threw is the easy part - running back to Julie with the 'whatever it was' in our mouths is more difficult, but it becomes much easier if we have to run back to Julie and dog treat!
The latest obstacle is the hoop, which was an early birthday present for Gemma in 2008 but which I had to assess for health and safety purposes. Gemma can jump through both ways (but not at the same time!) but I will only jump through once before I expect a treat - so I'm a professional unwilling to do anything without reward! No treat and, as you can see, it suddenly becomes much easier to go underneath!
So now we can both tunnel, hurdle, fetch and...jump through hoops! Only six more events to go, and we can enter the Dogathlon! In fact, if all goes well, we might enter Team Westie into the 2012 Dog-a-lympics to be held on the Isle of Dogs!