Sally Perks - dog agility handler

In August we introduced Sally Perks, our sponsored agility handler. This month we caught up with her to see how her and Dream’s journey was progressing.

What have you been up to since our August interview?

Over the summer, I made the decision to not return to college to do the extension year of my college course. I have the diploma I need, and the extension wouldn’t benefit me for what I want to do career wise. I am now working at a dog day care centre to gain experience with a variety of breeds and I am really enjoying it. I am glad I made this decision as it also allows me more time to train my own dogs too which all helps me to progress into my dream career of owning my own agility venue and business. 

Have you taken on any new projects in your extra time?

I have started training another working cocker called Cavi, who’s 2 ½. I am incredibly grateful to his owners for allowing me to borrow him for agility! Cavi is really energetic and therefore knocks a lot of jump bars down, but he is improving greatly as we are doing lots of body awareness exercises with him. Cavi has so much potential and has made amazing progress already. 

What events have you participated in this summer?

In September we attended UK Agility GT. Dream had a great first run but we ran it as NFC (Not For Competition) which meant I could take her toy in the ring and reward her in there to ensure it was a really positive experience. In her second run she reminded me she was only a baby and made a few mistakes. My handling let her down so we were eliminated, but there were lots of great parts. In her last run she won the class in her height category with only a couple of faults.

We visited lots of other outdoor shows where Dream did some training in the practice rings which she was always really good in. We take her to lots of shows even if we aren’t competing because she needs more experience in the show environment. It’s a busy environment for a young dog with lots of other dogs and people, plus new sounds like the tannoy, so she needs gentle exposure to it before we can expect her to focus properly. 

Cavi came on a few of these visits too and even ran a few courses for competition at a local show. He was eliminated in all of his runs which might sound bad, but it was his first show and he was super excited. The important thing was he was really happy to work in the show environment and did lots of things right, which is great progress.

How has Dream been performing? 

Dream has been performing amazingly! She is really loving her agility journey and is getting faster and faster as she becomes more and more confident in her abilities. She is starting to learn some harder and higher level skills and is nailing each training session. Now that she’s old enough to learn the weaves she has completed the basic training on them, so now we’re moving onto more advanced weave skills such as weaving without needing me next to her. She’ll be learning some different entries too. The dog has to enter the weaves with their left shoulder against the first pole in agility which can be difficult to teach when the dogs will approach the weaves poles from so many different angles on different courses. Dream always learns from her mistakes and puts 100% effort in for me which is so rewarding to see.

How is Dream getting on with Country Dog?

Dream is absolutely thriving on Country Dog! She has the Grain Free Salmon & Sweet Potato biscuits for breakfast and dinner, and the Premium Chicken & Turkey tins for lunch. This combination works really well for Dream. Her weight is stable and she always has the energy required for all of her adventures. I get comments on how shiny her coat is and how much her condition has improved recently.

What has been your favourite moment of the season so far?

It’s so hard to choose, but it’s between Dream’s first competing show and first win, and Cavi’s first show and how much he’s learned in such a short period.

How do you train your dogs?

All of the training is carried out using positive reinforcement techniques, which in this situation means rewarding with food and toys when the dog carries out a task in the desired way. Like all dogs, both Dream and Cavi have their favourites; Dream loves long, fluffy tug toys she can chase, and Cavi loves balls and shorter tugs where he stays closer to your hand.

Dream and Cavi share an hour training session with a professional trainer once a week. Dream also attends one or two workshops each month with other trainers at other venues as it’s important she gets used to working in a variety of places. We do short training sessions at home for most of Dream’s meals to work on little bits and pieces that don’t involve actual equipment, for example mat work or the start line wait.

Do you continue to compete over the winter?

Lots of people compete over winter as there are plenty of indoor shows and venues. We won’t be competing this winter though as Dream and Cavi would benefit more from training before spring shows. Dream can be a little sensitive to loud and busy places like indoor shows, which we’re working on, so I would rather give her the best chance by starting competing at outdoor shows.

I prefer to take my time with my young dogs to make sure they are 100% ready to compete and work in the show environment. That way we can go out there feeling confident in our abilities which makes everything go better and gives us all a more positive experience.

It’s also important that agility dogs get a decent break at some point in each year. This doesn’t apply to Dream or Cavi yet as they aren’t fully competing yet, but they will get breaks when they are. As with gundogs taking a break outside of shooting season, it’s important for the dog’s physical and mental health as, as the work can be intense, even if they love it.

How can people get involved with agility even when the weather is wet?

There are plenty of indoor venues all over the country which hold weekly classes and workshops. You can find local trainers on Facebook or on the website Agilitynet. I’d always recommend looking for a trainer who uses kind methods, as the sport is supposed to be fun for both dog and owner. Done correctly, it’s absolutely fantastic for building your relationship with your dog, which helps with them listening and paying attention in lots of other scenarios.

Although you can do agility just for fun, if you’d like to compete it’s a great idea to visit a few shows so you and your dog can get used to how everything looks and works. Indoor venues usually have either Astroturf or sand/carpet mix surfaces.

Follow Sally’s agility journey on Instagram at @sallyperksagility