Clean Run Magazine - September 2009 - 29

One time Auggie ran out of the ring, ran over to a little girl, and delicately took a string cheese out of her hand. Auggie came running back into the ring, ate the cheese, and spit out the wrapper. Then she tried to finish the course. For some reason the judge excused us. The time we had what seemed like 90 faults before we were excused from a USDAA Standard run. This was well after we got our ADCH. It was freezing cold and Auggie was joyfully out of control. I got lost on the course because I was laughing so hard. I think Auggie was laughing too. Watching my husband qualify with Auggie this year in PIII Jumpers. Auggie made him look great. LB: Describe your favorite non-agility moments with Auggie. when I couldn’t run, while I recovered from surgery, and after I could move again. My temporary disability is now minor to me, but it illustrates Auggie’s heart. LB: How does she fit in to your household? LC: Are you kidding? Auggie is the household. My children and husband love her and my other dog, Scout, as much as I do. They also love her accomplishments. LB: What occupies Auggie when she isn’t doing agility? LC: The day she saved my life on my way home from an agility trial by chasing away some drugged-out men when I was changing a tire on the side of the road. The day she learned that touch from a human is good. When we first adopted her, Auggie was scared of people and didn’t want to be touched. With a lot of patience, we taught her that human touch was a good thing. LB: When did you realize Auggie could be a champion? LC: Auggie has a good off-leash hike every day. Also, she has been a therapy dog in my fifth-grade classroom. I teach children who have behavioral and learning disabilities. Learning is hard for these kids. They can fail only so many times before they decide learning is no fun. Auggie provides a special incentive for my students to keep trying. When they reach goals, they get to run Auggie over a small agility course (and Auggie runs perfectly for them). Some of the “big bad boys” in my class will work really hard for a chance to run Auggie. She has also participated in numerous dog-bite prevention lessons and has used her agility skills to help me teach children to control their behavior. The rest of the time she is asleep on the couch. LB: Would you get another dog from a shelter? LC: I didn’t know the rules, and I wasn’t really keeping track of legs. Auggie and I were just having fun at trials. I didn’t realize that Auggie could be a champ until we had just four Gamblers runs and a Steeplechase run to go. I had never even considered that my little black dog could be a champion. We had been through so much. Halfway through Auggie’s agility career I developed a bone disease and became almost totally crippled. The last day I was able to run before my surgery, Auggie qualified in three out of five runs in USDAA Masters. I cried all the way home. I thought agility was over for us. But she stuck with me through everything. She ran when I could run, September 09 | Clean Run LC: Of course, but primarily as a dog I want to live with. Doing agility is just gravy. However, there are so many great dogs in shelters with agility potential. LB: Your favorite venues? LC: I love the handling challenges in USDAA courses, but Auggie adores the go-on factor of the big, wide-open NADAC courses. LB: Did people encourage you to pursue greatness with your little black dog? LC: Not at first. The first group I trained with was a bit negative about her because 29

Clean Run Magazine - September 2009

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