MACH Teddy Be Good MXS MJS OF T2B3 owned by Mary Cavender of Dubach, LA
Mary traveled to various schools for her job, and on the day she went to a school in rural north Louisiana, it was Parents Day to come and eat Thanksgiving dinner. Hence, there was a lot of traffic coming and going. She had spotted a little black dog running in the road earlier that day, witnessing several near-runovers as the day wore on. “I was nerve-wracked when I finally went out to rescue the stray who had been hanging around the school for several days. I had the principal make an announcement for someone to claim the dog or who wanted to adopt. No takers,” said Mary.
“I took the dog with intentions of finding him a good home (not mine!). No one wanted him… too busy with the holiday.” So, she took him along to visit her daughter in Texas. When they arrived on a cold, rainy night, Mary and the dog were accidentally locked out of her daughter’s house. Mary had no phone, only an umbrella. So, they walked for two hours until her daughter came home. “The little dog was so sweet. We bonded. A bond that surpassed my capacities for love. My daughter and I called the dog ‘Teddy,’” said Mary.
Mary started Obedience training with Teddy. She remarked to a lady there that he had too much energy for obedience, and the lady suggested agility. Mary asked, “What’s that?” This lady happened to be an agility instructor, so Mary enrolled Teddy in her next beginner’s class.
“I enrolled Teddy in the AKC Canine Partners program. I gave him the name ‘Teddy Be Good,’ a play on the Johnny B. Goode song. I wanted to be able to sing ‘Go, Teddy, Go, go… Teddy Be Good’ to encourage him to run faster.”
The pair started their agility career only doing two local trials. Later, they traveled a bit to nearby trials, doing only one or two days. They sat out for six months when Mary had knee surgery. “Then I took him out of JWW, as he seemed stressed with it,” said Mary. “We have done only Standard for the past year. It is amazing Teddy was able to earn his MACH.” As of March 21, 2019, Teddy is only two Qs away from his Master Gold Agility. Teddy got his MACH on November 24, 2018 in Lake Charles, LA at a trial hosted by the Calcasieu Kennel Club. “Go, Teddy, go!”