This is just one story of a smart dog and his highly trainable human.
My English Shepherd, Rufus, was the dog who could go anywhere and do anything, but he did require some steering to keep him out of trouble in the foraging department!
I will never forget when we had just arrived in Houston, Texas for the Pedigree Grand Prix of Dog Agility. Rufus and I had won the trip to USDAA Nationals with flight and hotel paid for by Pedigree Dog Food sponsors of the event, but were unprepared for the high humidity and wildlife of Texas.
Our first day in Houston and Rufus needed a walk outside before retreating to the relative coolness of our hotel room. What could possibly go wrong? Two words may give you a clue: Flexi Leash!
A short way into our walk Rufus managed to pick up a slice of bread which he managed to swallow just as I saw the fire ants that were crawling all over it! We were both stung as I tried in vain to retrieve the bread from his throat, but the biggest problem was yet to come.
As we prepared to run in Grand Prix the next morning I noticed that Rufus appeared somewhat off his game. He was not interested in his toy which was highly unusual. When we ran the course he was clean, but very slightly slower than usual. He missed the finals that year by .75 of a second.
I was disappointed to be missing the finals because of a slice of white bread and a bunch of fire ants, but wasn’t I fortunate he was not allergic.
Run Jump Weave 