THE South African Dog Agility Association held its South East Coast Regional Trials this past weekend in Graaff-Reinet at the Botanical Gardens Sports Grounds.
Over a hundred mixed breed and purebred dogs from all over South Africa competed in four categories, each determined by the size of the dog.
Mid-Karoo Express caught up with managing director Philip Fourie. “Look, those of us who compete in this sport acknowledge that our dogs are more than just pets to us – they’re our four-footed children!
“And as much as this is a highly competitive international sport, we want our athletes, the dogs and owners, to have fun, and that’s why you’ll see the dogs getting lots of treats, attention and playtime. It’s all about the bond between canine and human.”
Regional director Karis Nafte agrees. “Being a dog behaviourist, I have seen many dogs’ negative behaviour changed after taking up the sport of dog agility. More often than not, a ‘naughty’ dog really is suffering from boredom.
“Dog agility offers owners the opportunity to keep their dogs physically fit, while at the same time stimulating their minds. The dogs are really taught to focus, and even though they get excited about participating, it has an overall calming effect.”
Not all dogs end up competing. At Nafte’s dog training school in Knysna, only about five out of 50 dogs who are taught agility actually attend competitive trials.
Says Nafte: “Most people just do it for the tremendous enjoyment they get from it.”
Several contestants who competed in Graaff-Reinet have represented South Africa at the International Federation of Cynological Sports (IFCS) World Agility Championships. Roché Compaan, who only took up the sport in 2013, is very proud of his Staffie/Jack Russel cross, Sumo, who earned a Silver Medal at the IFCS in 2017, and came 4th overall.
According to Compaan, training takes a lot of time. “We easily train five days a week, but it really is a never-ending process. The bond that ensues, is something you cannot describe to another person.”
Tracy Lander owns the Canine Performance Centre in Midrand – an 800m² indoor training facility and the first of its kind in Africa. “Agility is one of the fastest growing dog sports worldwide, with more and more teachers offering agility training.”
Mid-Karoo Express was impressed with how well-behaved the dogs were –- even those not on a leash would sit or lie down and watch events, eagerly awaiting their turn.
“We socialise our puppies from a very young age,” says Samantha Stedman, whose Border Collie Mika came 14th overall in the 2017 IFCS. “We bring them along to events like these long before they start competing – that way they get used to the noise and the vibe.”
Lander says a dog is only allowed to start competing at the age of 18 months. “We make sure their muscles and joints are strong and mature enough, and we also make sure our dogs are regularly treated by veterinary physiotherapists. We understand injury a lot better nowadays, and this enables us to extend a dog’s agility career.”
Lander’s nine-year-old Border Collie still enjoys the sport, even though she is not quite as competitive as before.
During the final award ceremony on Sunday, Nafte thanked Montego for sponsoring the weekend. “We’d like to come to Graaff-Reinet with the trials,” said Fourie.
“Montego really comes to the party, not only by sponsoring most of our regional trials, but also assisting our teams who participate internationally.”