First pass!

This photo was taken the day that Amber and I got our first pass in novice agility. I was really excited, because we'd been trialling in jumping for longer. The standard course time was 48 seconds and we finished in 39.05 seconds, coming 5th out of 26 dogs.
Our first jumping pass came at the next trial where we came 6th out of 22 dogs.
Amber got her AD on 29 August 2004, and her JD a week later on 4 September 2004.
[Photo by Batae]

Our first jumping trial

This is Amber and I at our first jumping trial at Munno Para in March 2004. I love the first photo of us standing on the sidelines. I'm running through the course in my head and Amber only has eyes for me. It was a pretty good first run. Amber stayed with me, and we finished the course with only time faults. We were placed 8th, but we beat my agility instructor, which was pretty neat. The photos aren't very clear, but they're a record of our first run together and the start of a wonderful partnership that blossomed over the years.

A girl of many talents

Amby was a girl of many talents. Here we are taking part in a doggy fashion parade in 2004. She was a big hit with the crowd, and looked really cute in her bright green hoodie. Yes, I'm a dag for colour coordinating our outfits, but it gave the compare something to talk about.

Agility star in the making?

This is Amber, who was supposed to be jumping over my makeshift back yard practice jump, made from bricks and a broom. And what is she doing? Well, I think there was a tiny morsel of food lurking on the top brick, and well, why would you bother practising jumping when there's a bit of food to be had?
This photo was taken in 2003, which was the year we started our agility training. Our first trial was in March 2004.

He's always been a character

I've never been able to walk away and leave the chairs out from the table as Rusty has a bit of penchant for ending up where he shouldn't be ... on top of it! So if you want to keep your food safe, chairs in please. On this particular occasion there was no food ... only a very big glass of red wine (hic!). Luckily Rusty decided he didn't like the smell of it, so it was safe.
Amazing what you find when you go back through old photos. Did I really have a mobile phone that big???

You can't stop at one cavalier

And then there was Amber. She came to live with Rusty and me when she was 20 months old in June 2001. She had a funny little flat face that I initially didn't like, but it grew on you, and so did Amber. She loved life, and loved everybody, both human and canine, that she came in contact with.

Dogs have birthday parties too, don't they?

Well, this one did, complete with sponge cake made by Nanna. He even got birthday presents. Kids need to get spoiled every now and then ... only problem is it's an ongoing thing :-) Oh, in case you were wondering, the photo was taken in July 2000.

In the beginning

... there was Rusty, a bundle of red fluff purchased from a pet shop (aargh!) in October 1999. Here he is pictured wedged into pillows beside my bed, oblivious to the grief he was causing me at the time. I'd been on the phone making an appointment to take him to the vet for a check up. I'd searched every room of the house, couldn't find him, so went into a mass panic because I thought he'd got out under the fence. Checked every room again, and there he was, in the last room I looked in again (of course). He's always been able to find the comfy spots, and still finds them to this day.