When Agility Nationals doesn't go according to plan

Quinn, Siren, Keeper, Fifty, Shades and Grey

In early August, I packed up my 6 dogs in the RV for my first ever AAC Nationals and IFCS World Tryouts in Leduc, Alberta. Life on the road has so many unexpected moments that teach you to pivot, adapt, and grow - and boy, did this trip deliver on all fronts! 🚐

Here's how it really went down.

Living with 6 dogs means something is always going sideways, and this trip was no exception. 🐕 Before we even left, we were delayed by 2 days when my Aussie developed a sudden UTI. A 52-hour drive ahead and a UTI? Not exactly the send-off I had planned... 😅

​But we eventually made it to my first ever AAC Nationals and IFCS World Tryouts! 

This was my first time competing with all three dogs at a National event - all who run quite differently. For those with multiple dogs - you know the challenge! Still a learning curve, especially with dogs in the same height class!! 😅 🐕

Agility is such a mental and physical game at any given trial, but over a 4 day event, it is truly a marathon!!

The weather tested us right from the start with brutal conditions - cold, rain, wind. It definitely messed with my mental game, and eating dirt Saturday morning (after a fall) didn't help my confidence! One of my dogs was also performing uncharacteristically, forcing me to change my handling while trying to problem solve the underlying issue. 😅

By Saturday at lunch, I was feeling defeated and struggling to be the best teammate for my dogs - and we were only halfway through our weekend!!

But sometimes you need that rock bottom moment to find your turning point. Trust yourself. Trust your dogs.

As they say, "It's not about how many times you fall, it's about how many times you get back up." And get back up we did - we turned things around Saturday afternoon and finished strong. 💪

​Nationals Highlights

SHADES - We started slow (thanks to my rattled mental game) but finished strong, going from 12th place to 4th Overall and Top Agility Dog. There will never be another boy like him... 🌟

KEEPER - After her unexpected frame accident at Regionals, we were hoping for a strong showing at Nationals. However, from Day 1 something was clearly off - going around obstacles, refusing contacts, extra chasey and non-committal to jumps.

Two weeks before we left, she had emergency surgery for a tooth fracture and was on meds right up until we left. I thought she was having residual effects from the surgery, but following Nationals, turns out she was in season (3 months early!) - raging hormones and a split/silent season explained everything.

Was I disappointed? Sure - I'm competitive, it's natural. But her health and well-being will always trump any achievement. There's always other competitions, but there's only one Keeper. For those with intact dogs, hormones are no joke!! 💔
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SIREN - She completely blew my mind! I had zero expectations except for her to gain experience, but she placed 2nd and 3rd in her National jumping classes out of 31 dogs! Both runs she beat Shades and Keeper and had an average speed of 7 YPS - baby dog is getting wheels fast! 🚀 She was night and day from Regionals - all that confidence work really paid off! 🤯

Sandwiched between Nationals were two conformation shows where the blue boys got to shine:
🏆 Grey finished his Grand Championship
🥇 Fifty was awarded 2 Best Veteran in Shows (making him the #1 Male Veteran Sheltie in Canada!)
⭐Shades is over halfway to his Canadian Championship

The best part? Between competing, we visited friends on their cattle ranch in Alberta (cow therapy should be a legitimate business! 🐄), spent time at Cassbar Kennel cuddling Sheltie puppies in Winnipeg (and no, I did not come home with another one 😂), hiking trails around Lake Superior, and of course dealing with an RV slide breakdown - all part of the adventure! 🚐​

Being away for a month was such a great experience, but it's always good to get home. 🏠

Here's my challenge for you: Share a photo of a summer experience you had with your dogs! I'd love to see what adventures you've been on. 📸

Stay tuned for Part 2 - my biggest realizations from the road and what I'm building next that could completely change your fall routine... 🤔
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Carolyn.