Courtesy of United State Dog Agility Association
Deborah Wachter, of Orange County, California, has always found that shelter dogs bring a one-of-a-kind experience to their adopted families. For her 8-year-old rescue dog Paisley, that was an introduction to the agility world and its community.
“I had no idea what the sport was really all about,” Deborah said. “I stumbled into an agility class after seeing her do zoomies over and over in the backyard. We were both immediately hooked and never looked back! We’re so grateful to now be a part of this very talented, caring agility family.”
Deborah found Paisley in 2017 through an online adoption site and knew within minutes that Paisley was the puppy for her. While filling out the adoption paperwork, she discovered Paisley was also part of the TLC program at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles, which paired shelter dogs with at-risk youth for training. She visited Paisley in the shelter every day for an additional five weeks while Paisley worked with students from Compton Middle School.
“She has always been the sweetest dog and loves attention,” Deborah said. “When she arrives at classes or trials, she wants to greet all her ‘people friends’ and spend quality time with each of them. That said, there have been challenges that popped up from her past life. For the first year or two, she showed some scared behavior toward other dogs, resource guarding and barking at them from a distance. She also often woke up barking as if she had a bad dream or needed to defend herself.
“I knew early on that I had a great deal to learn just to keep up with her,” she continued. “We sadly skipped the all-important foundational steps needed in this sport, but we’ve persevered through every challenge. Our life now happily revolves around our training and evolving as a team.”
At nine inches tall and just 7 ½ pounds, Paisley has been one of the United States Dog Agility® (USDAA®’s) smallest competitors at the year-end championship Cynosport® Dog Agility World Games. She and Deborah, who train at K9 iQ Dog Sports in Yorba Linda, California, attended the 2022 event for the exposure and the chance to have fun with their friends.
“What a fun challenge this journey has been for us both!” Deborah said. “For anyone who’s looking to adopt their next dog, absolutely go with your heart; it will let you know when you’ve found the right companion. Don’t forget to let your adopted dog tell you what they prefer and how to make up for their past experiences. It’ll pay off in the sweetest way when you share your life with them!”
Featured Image: Paisley competes at Cynosport. Photo Courtesy of Cheyenne Lord
Paisley wins at Cynosport! Photo courtesy Cheyenne Lord