So much has been going on lately that I simply haven’t had time to share all the updates — so here’s a summary of everything that’s happened!

AGILITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

I went to the AWC with a clear mindset: Tiger is not even three years old, still an A2 dog, and has relatively little experience. My goal was simply to do our best in the given situation.

I made a list of skills that needed work, crossed off the overly advanced ones that would only confuse him with such limited time, and then studied the AWC judges’ courses to decide what to focus our training on.

I’m really happy with how it all went — nothing came as a surprise, and we had a plan for every challenge. While we didn’t achieve any flashy results, the lack of experience only showed in a few rookie mistakes. Overall, it was a fantastic experience! The organization was excellent, and I’m especially proud that Tiger performed on the big stage exactly as he does in training. That consistency is something I truly admire in him — it’s something you don’t get with every dog, and I’m very grateful for it.

Here is a video of all our AWC runs:

My favourite was the team jumping, where Tiger set an amazing time even though I played it safe with a backside flick (you’ll see why in the individual agility run, haha). Funny thing was, I almost didn’t make it in my perfect handling position in time (there is a 15 second rule at the AWC) – but I made it in the very last second!

The AWC was a great confirmation that we’re on the right track — and that I’m incredibly lucky to have this amazing dog by my side, both on and off the agility field!

I would also like to express my gratitude to Mim-Safe Slovenia, who sponsored us with a metal crate that allowed Tiger to fly safely! It’s quite a funny story — apparently, no one had ever heard of this rule before, but the airline we flew with, Croatia Airlines, has a rather unusual requirement: dogs over 18 kg must travel in a metal or plywood crate.

I later heard rumors that this rule was introduced after an incident where a malinois chewed through a plastic crate and began damaging the plane from the inside — poor dog!

Fortunately, Tiger is calm and confident when flying, but having him in a Mim-Safe crate made me feel even more at ease. We also use these crates in the car, and they’re truly one of the safest travel options for our dogs — both on the ground and in the air.

BREEDING EXAMINATION

Right after the AWC, Tiger also passed his breeding examination! I was a bit nervous, knowing that smooth working border collies don’t usually pass these exams with flying colours. To my delight, the committee was impressed by both his excellent structure and wonderful temperament.

I know that in some countries, people with working-line dogs often struggle to pass breeding examinations, so I’m especially happy that this isn’t the case in Slovenia. It’s nice to see that there are people here who truly understand and appreciate the essence of the breed.

If all goes according to plan, there will be baby Tigers coming soon!
So now, not only because of his AWC debut (before even reaching A3), Tiger lost his nickname “baby Tiger”!

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

I originally thought there would only be open runs, so it was a pleasant surprise to have an A2 course included. We managed a clear run and a first-place finish, which means Tiger has officially moved up to A3!

That was definitely the highlight of the weekend. The rest of the runs were mostly very nice, with some moments of brilliance, though each had one silly and/or unusual mistake. Having a perfect dog but not being perfect myself – I went home grumpy after the first day. After a good night’s sleep, things looked brighter — we made it to the finals, though the “curse of silly mistakes” continued. Well, that’s agility!

Here is a video of our final run:

I also had the chance to run with my student’s toller, Maya, and with her the luck was for sure on our side — we won the team competition together with my student France Spruk and his two mudi girls and finished as Vice National Champions in the medium category!

And of course, I can’t forget my senior, Panther. He competed in the veteran class — and despite breaking his start-line stay for the first time in his career, he still won all his veteran runs! The seniors ran together with A1 dogs, and he even set the best times in each run. For the past few years, his motto has truly been “age is just a number.”

However, I think that start-line issue appeared because his hearing isn’t as sharp as it used to be. The riding hall where we competed was quite echoey, which made it difficult for him to focus on my commands. That’s pretty much the only sign that he’s already 11 years old.

LORD OF THE WINTER – FIRST TIME IN A3

I really wanted to take part in this competition in Slovakia. We’ve been traveling to Pezinok, Slovakia for a decade now, and I absolutely love it — the organization, the atmosphere, the high-level agility, and the warm, friendly people. There’s honestly nothing I would change about it!

For us, this event marked both our first and last competition in A3 for the year. I went in with an open mind, a positive attitude, and the goal to learn as much as possible. Tiger did great — he handled several tough challenges beautifully, qualified for the finals, and of course gave me some new homework for the winter.

Here’s another video of all our runs:

AGILITY BREAK, SEMINARS & NEW CLASSES

Just a few hours after our last agility training session of the season, I’m sitting down to write this and realizing — everything I’ve described happened in just over a month!

As a bonus, I’m sharing a course I set up for our last training of the season — you’ll definitely recognize some situations from recent competitions that highlighted areas needing a bit of extra focus in training.

And it wasn’t all about Tiger and agility. Pan started attending hoopers classes, which he absolutely loves, and Veni has been taking part in a class for canine actors — something she was clearly born for! I’ve never trained a dog as smart and focused as she is, and this class has opened an entirely new perspective for me. In that setting, every behavior needs to appear completely natural, so the dogs must work with a very different mindset from what we’re used to in sports training.

Now it’s time for some well-deserved agility rest — for both body and mind — before we dive into new adventures. Of course, an “agility break” doesn’t mean I’ll be sitting still! The next month is packed with seminars, and I’m also opening a new group for my Running Contacts online class. This edition will run a bit longer and include some exciting new content in the class library.

Tiger and I will return to agility training in December and to competing in January, as I firmly believe that both the body and the mind need time to rest to come back even stronger. I’m hyper-motivated to prepare him for the next season and can’t wait to see what the future holds for us!

Like what you’ve read? Sign up to my newsletter so you don’t miss new articles when published.