Volunteering is good for the soul

The Agility Association of Canada (AAC) Agility Regional Championships were held this past May long weekend here in Winnipeg – for the Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nunavut regions.

I volunteered to be a leash runner and a ring crew member for the day.

What in the world is agility? Agility is a sport combining the dog and owner utilizing a number of courses and obstacles.

Some of the obstacles include jumps at preset heights according to your dog’s shoulder measurement, tunnels to run through, A-frames, weaves, and a teeter. The courses are preset and studied beforehand to strategize the best possible outcome. Check out this Youtube video to see a great example of the competition.

I’ve been training with my sheltie ever since she was about one and a half years old; on and off, taking it seriously and then not, and dealing with injuries and confidence.

Eventually, I had to decide whether this was something I would keep doing as my dog is now 6 and they can’t do this forever; it can be hard on their joints, and signs of injuries in dogs are sometimes overlooked as not being serious until it’s too late (although I do know of a 10 year old sheltie who is just as lively as a puppy. He owns that 4 inch bar height like a boss!).

Seeing all of the different classes helped me understand the sport immensely. And it helped me become more interested in getting involved.

Volunteering for this event connected me with the world of agility. It’s a small tight knit group. I met some new people along the way, with that networking thing! And boosted social skills as well.

In my bigger picture, it meant a lot to me.