Age Doesn’t Stop Rescue Dog from Launching Agility Career
When you watch Lizzie running an agility course, she looks like an old pro as she navigates the jumps, tunnels and weaves. But the 10-year-old is actually a newbie, who only started training in the sport two years ago. Her owner Catherine Kist of Illinois tells us how she met Lizzie and started their agility adventure.
A thin white mustache on a sweet black face caught Catherine Kist’s eye as she scrolled through photos of rescue dogs in need of homes.
She hoped to find a young adult Lab or Lab mix that she could train for agility, and she wanted to meet the female pictured on the rescue group’s website.
“I was not looking for a puppy, but I also did not want a senior citizen,” Kist said. “Life has a way of surprising you, though.”
The rescue reported the dog as being around 2 years old, but it turned out that the white on her muzzle was a sign of aging, not a cute marking.
“After I adopted her, I brought her to my veterinarian for an initial exam. I was told she was 8 years old and found out through a blood test that she had elevated liver enzymes. As you can imagine, that came as quite a shock,” she said. “I decided to get a second opinion, and in the end, saw two veterinarians, and they both told me the same information: Lizzie was indeed an older girl about 8 years old.
“After some time, I realized that all I was really looking for was a female, who was potty trained and did not have arthritis, and Lizzie checked all those boxes. I truly believe that every dog deserves a second chance at life.”
Kist has owned two other rescue dogs, both senior citizens when she adopted them: Allie at 7 years and Abbie at 8 years. “I love that when you adopt an older dog, you do not have to disrupt your life. They just fit right in. It makes life easier when you work an eight-hour day, knowing nothing will be destroyed or soiled in your house. And they are less likely to get adopted than a younger dog.”
Lizzie received a clean bill at the veterinarian, who said she seemed structurally sound and free of arthritis or other joint issues. So, despite Lizzie’s age, Kist decided to pursue the sport that fascinated her. The Illinois resident had watched agility demonstrations at public pet events and thought it looked fun, but her dogs at the time had arthritis and were unable to try it.
After a basic obedience class, Lizzie advanced to pre-agility and beginner agility class, where Kist found out she was fearless. “She took to the obstacles like they were nothing. Even when she would tumble off the dog walk or lunge off the A-frame, she always went right back up as if nothing happened. Her tail always wags when we are running agility.”
But the journey was not without challenges. Lizzie had a rough start in life, and Kist had to work on socialization and building confidence.
“When a dog moves into a new environment and has gone through a stressful situation, give them time. It can take months for them to settle down and start to feel comfortable. I love being able to see dogs shed their skin, in a way, and become the amazing dogs they are,” she said. “I had a fanny pack with treats on me when I took Lizzie anywhere. Once you start to learn their triggers, you just need to get out in front of them and always reward the positive behavior. There was this one instance when my sister and I took Lizzie out to her first dog friendly restaurant. We walked in the door, and it was packed. I had a panic moment, and I told myself that if it’s too overwhelming, we will just leave, but Lizzie did awesome. I just kept rewarding her good behavior. All this behavior training transfers to the agility ring and helps them when you start to trial with a lot of other dogs.”
Lizzie is now 10 years old and competing in agility trials, as well as running on an AKC Agility League Team with the name Anything is Paw-sible.
“One of the best things that came out of being on an AKC league team is the friendships we made. We support each other at league and when we are at other agility events together. We always celebrate a clean run, but we also celebrate smaller obstacles like weave poles or serpentines getting completed,” Kist said. “It creates a warm atmosphere for you and your dog to practice an in an environment that prepares you for a trial while making it fun and inviting.”
Lizzie loves agility, and she and Kist continue to improve as they train and compete. They competed at the first AKC Agility League Championship in St. Louis in September, where Lizzie won the 16-inch Senior Veteran class.
“One of my favorite times of both practicing and trialing is when we approach the start line. I put her in a sit-stay. Her tail starts to wag, and it puts a smile on my face. I know she is already happy and having fun. It puts me at ease at a trial, and we both get to have fun doing what we both love to do,” Kist said. “I’m so glad I was the one to give Lizzie a second chance at life because she surprised me in so many ways and gave me back something I haven’t had in my life in so long.”