YOU AND VERB WON THE MASTERS AGIITY CHAMPIONSHIP AT WESTMINSTER IN 2019 , A FEAT YOU REPEATED IN 2021 . GIVEN THAT THE SHOW WAS OUTDOORS AT THE LYNDHURST ESTATE IN 2021 , AND WITHOUT SPECTATORS , WAS THIS EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT FROM YOUR PREVIOUS WESTMINSTER APPEARANCE ?
One thing that makes Verb special is that for him , the environment really wasn ’ t that different . He is very good at being essentially the same dog no matter where he is . He doesn ’ t act any differently in a stadium surrounded by people than he does when training with just me . It ’ s a great quality in an agility dog , but not all agility dogs have it .
I don ’ t think it was that different for me , either . There were people in the stands for the finals which made it exciting , but you have to be focused on what you ’ re doing and if you let the crowd or the environment affect you , you are not going to be as effective .
THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS OPEN TO THE PERSON LOOKING FOR A SPORT TO DO WITH THEIR DOG . WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO AGILITY , AND HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START ?
Agility has felt like it was made for me . I ’ ve played team sports ( lacrosse ) my whole life , and I ’ ve always loved dogs . As a child , I played agility with my dog in the backyard , and as a young teen when I saw it on TV , “ I thought to myself : I ’ m going to do that one day .” I always knew that as soon as I finished my last game in college , I would get a Border Collie and do agility . Two weeks after I graduated , I did .
SOME BREEDS CAN BE MORE CHALLENGING TO WORK WITH THAN OTHERS , AND BORDER COLLIES ARE NOTORIOUSLY SMART . IS IT HARDER OR EASIER TO WORK WITH SUCH AN INTELLIGENT BREED ?
It ’ s harder AND easier . They are very work-oriented , they want to do things together with you , they want a job , and they have the will to get it right . If you know what you ’ re doing , they ’ re easier because they want to work . If you ’ re not experienced , their intensity can make working with them a challenge . That said , Border Collies vary among individuals and from different lines .
YOU ARE A DOG TRAINER BY PROFESSION . WHAT IS THE SINGLE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING OUT ?
Make it fun . Set goals that are appropriate for you and your dog . Doing that , and working within the limitations of the dog , if he has any , makes it fun for you , as well . If you are already in the sport and your goal is to perform at a higher level , it ’ s important that the dog is evenly matched with the handler ’ s goals . It ’ s ok to get a dog that is built to do agility or that has been bred to do it so the dog can meet those expectations .
I also do a lot of visualizing , which was a game changer in my agility success . I spent some time with OneMindDog in Finland , which emphasizes knowing the agility course well , and how to see yourself in the space without having to look where you are going so you can stay connected with the dog .
WHAT CLUB RECEIVED THE WESTMINSTER DONATION ?
The Westminster Kennel Club donates $ 5,000 in the name of the Masters Agility Champion each year to the dog club of the winner ’ s choice . In 2021 , Perry chose the Lower Bucks Dog Training Club in Levittown , Pennsylvania .
Highest Scoring All-American Dog Winner
LEFT : JACK GRASSA , RIGHT : STEVE SURFMAN
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