The spotlight shines on the AKC Agility League dog and handler who made the most improvements for the Spring/Summer Season: Michelle Blum and her Border Collie, Scouty, of California. They started the season with a score of 2.6 and finished the season with a cumulative 5.9 and first place in the Limited Freshman 16-Inch class. Their team, Desert Paws Agility Team New Kids on the Block, placed 5th! Scouty is Michelle’s first Border Collie and first agility dog, and she says running the League courses has helped her learn to handle his speed. Congratulations again to this great Novice team!
Call Name: Scouty
Breed: Border Collie
Age: 4 years
Registered Name: Dragonfly’s Dream’in Golden Scout CGC CGCU TKI
Team Name: Desert Paws Agility Team New Kids on the Block
Division: Limited Freshman
City/State: Apple Valley, California
Owner: Michelle Blum
When and how did Scouty come into your life?
Scouty arrived from Arizona to California in June 2022. He was born on Earth Day – April 22, 2022. I purchased him at 8 weeks old from a family that was gifted Scouty but couldn’t keep him. They were leaving for a vacation to the coast of California and said they could bring the puppy, so we agreed to meet at a Starbucks in Ontario, CA. We met Scouty for the first time in the parking lot. My husband and I fell instantly in love with him. He was such a happy puppy!
How did you get involved in agility?
After taking a few puppy classes and obedience classes. I looked for a place to take agility lessons. Agility looked like a fun sport, and Scouty needed more to do than just run around our horse ranch. Lucky me, I found the Paw Print Dog Club, and we took classes with our trainer, Debbie Magee. We had a blast learning, but I soon realized there was a lot more to agility than just having fun with the different obstacles. About a year later, we added private lessons along with classes with our trainer Deanna Adams. We had so much to learn and at this point, I started running courses. Deanna is an awesome teacher, and our whole club adores her.
Have you competed in the sport before with another dog or is this your first agility dog?
I have never competed in agility before, and Scouty is my first agility dog. I wanted to get a Border Collie after I retired so I would have plenty of time to spend with my dog. It was also important that I stay active. Scouty, along with agility, does keep me active.
What is Scouty like to train and compete with?
Scouty is so smart and catches on quickly. I really think he is smarter than me. The better I get in my handling skills the better he gets. He totally feeds off me, so I am working on my skills with my trainers. They have helped me with my skills as well as my anxiety or “pre-competing nerves” and they have encouraged me. I also am blind in my left eye, and I sometimes lose my dog. “Oops — where did he go?” I honestly have to give a lot of credit to my very forgiving dog and both of my trainers. They have all have been the very best! I love my “smarty pants” dog as Deanna refers to him, and I love both my trainers.
How has League helped your training program and what are some ways you feel you and Scouty improved over the last season?
League is our only experience in competing, and League has helped me find our strengths as well as our weaknesses. We had a lot of work to do with weave pole entries and contact obstacles. With the help of my trainer, Deanna, we worked on stopped contacts instead of running contacts and also on entries to the weave poles. My handling skills have improved but I still have a long way to go. I think this last season, Scouty and I worked more as a team than previous seasons. It felt so good to trust my dog and enjoy the run instead of worrying if he touched the contact or if he will get through the poles. Scouty loves to run fast so to do well I have to be a better handler.
Does Scouty compete in other sports?
We have done a few qualifying runs in Fast CAT. We have been training in scent work and hope to do some competitions in the near future. Scouty is also a certified therapy dog. We do a few therapy visits at schools and a local college. We hope to do more in the future.
What is the favorite reward?
Scouty LOVES all treats a lot! At home, he loves a good game of soccer as well as disc throwing. But he is not the best at catching the disc – he prefers to slide on top of it.
Future Goals?
Enjoy AKC Agility League Season 14!
Anything else you want to add?
Lastly, I want to thank my Agility League Captain, Christie Latour, and my whole League team. They are lovely people and dogs. Their support means so much to me. I want to give special thanks to Debbie – she has given me so much help and inspiration over this last season. I give her a lot of credit for my handling skills improvement. I want to thank my very supportive family and my husband, Kalon, for his never-ending support and for purchasing all the necessary agility equipment so I could practice at home. A big thanks to the AKC Agility League for this program. Thank you Penny! I am so excited to start a new season!