TRUST

TRUST. Definition: assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something; one in which confidence is placed. 5 little letters. TRUST.

I have found myself not trusting Marley in agility but trusting a 21 m/o KK. It should be the other way around. I have been competing with Marley off and on for 3 years. I just realized we just had our 3 year anniversary. Totally forgot all about it. I think I have let my 'head' get in the way. I've gotten swept up by Q ing or earning new titles. I've forgotten why I do agility with Marley. I do agility because I love it. I love a challenge. I love running with my dog. I love being with my girls.

Marley trusts me. I will never know what damage was done to her in her first few weeks of life. But it was enough damage that she still carries it with her every day. Sometimes she sees something or hears something, and she gets this haunted look in her eyes and she just wants to get away. I have loved her from the moment I first saw her and have strived to give her the best home possible. I will always wonder about her past but I know I can't do anything about it. I can't change her past. All I can do is love her. Love her for her.

She is my soul. She gets me. I don't know why I can't trust her in agility. The sport I picked for us to run together. My head has gotten cloudy and I've put my goals ahead of Marley. I let other people get in my head and I didn't want to be left behind when hearing about their 'successes'. And along the line, I lost my trust in her. I know this is our journey and no one else's. And we are going to enjoy our journey together!

You never know the last time you will get to run agility with your dog. You never know the last time you will step to the line together or run across the finish together. It can be taken from you in a split second. A second and everything could be gone.

As I sit here typing with tears running down my cheeks, I know I will enjoy every run with Marley. I will trust her. I don't want our last run to be one that I didn't enjoy or even worse, a run that Marley didn't enjoy. I'm going to quit trying so hard to "Q" or focusing on how many QQ's she has or how many PACH points she has. I'm going to quit running with those thoughts in my head. I'm going to run Marley because I love to run with her. So if you see us run, I hope you see both of us having a fun time together. She deserves that. She deserves for me to trust her.

SNOOKER SUPER Q 

 

(Our 1st Snooker SuperQ and we won the whole class!! She might not have been the fastest, but she was consistent!)


I've had people tell me to retire Marley because I have KK and KK loves agility and has the potential to go far. I still believe that Marley loves agility and when people say that about her, it hurts my feelings. Marley isn't a cookie cutter agility dog nor is she a dog that I can outrun on a course (you know those people that just run and their dog takes any obstacle the handler runs past). She is Marley. She may decide to walk one course and the next she may be a speed demon. She keeps me on my toes.When I see video like this, I know Marley still loves agility.

NADAC TUNNELERS 

So the next time we step to the line together, I will TRUST Marley. Regardless of the outcome of our runs, I will believe in my girl and that's all I need.

 

Here's a tribute to my baby girl.

THE MAKING OF AN AGILITY DOG