Best Breed for Agility

During my time on the agility track, I’ve noticed a trend. All those people who are standing around are always talking about the same thing: being on the lookout for the new “best” breed to run agility. If you’ve ever considered running werewolves, today I’d like to offer some insider’s advice about this temperamental but highly-talented species.

(And yes, this is all tongue-in-cheek. I’m celebrating the release of Christine Johnson’s book, CLAIRE DE LUNE, a young adult novel about – what else? Werewolves!)

From what I’ve seen at the meets, werewolves are a mixed-bag in the agility ring.

All werewolves are female – you knew that, right? – so if you’re one of those people who has a gender preference for your agility dogs, that’s an important first point to keep in mind.

Werewolves are, obviously, faster and smarter than humans. This enables them to beat even the smuggest border collie (those guys have a serious attitude problem) at any competition, but it can make training difficult. If they don’t want to do the teeter, you’re likely to find it disassembled and buried in the yard by the time you’ve finished setting up the weave poles.

Housing and traveling with werewolves can also be significantly more expensive than us normal canine companions. When not competing, most werewolves prefer to stay in their human forms, which means having enough beds in the RV, and for far-away competitions, generally means purchasing an additional airline ticket. I have yet to meet a werewolf who will deign to fly in a plane’s cargo hold (and can you blame them?)

Of course, scheduling is also an issue. They’ll need time to themselves at the full moon, and most will have pack responsibilities that will require time away from training and competitions. A written contract is often a good idea when negotiating how much time each of you expects.

So far, I’ve only discussed the difficulties of working with this particular species – but there are positive points as well, and those dedicated to the species are convinced that they far out-weigh the negatives. Werewolves are 100% unbeatable in the ring. In fact, when shown the obstacle order, they don’t need you to run along side, which makes the sport of agility much more accessible to those who have difficulty with the physical demands of it all. There is no dog breed that can ever out-run them. They’re faster than a greyhound, smarter than a border collie and more agile than a poodle.

They also do not require assistance with grooming, and will often handle their own food – uh, acquisition, though you may need to ensure that they have the proper hunting licenses should you travel out of state.

Christine Johnson

If you’d like to learn more about werewolves – their abilities, thoughts, hopes and dreams, please check out www.christinejohnsonbooks.com and CLAIRE DE LUNE!

“To take the big Werewolf Blog Tour, and win a copy of Claire de Lune, visit www.thegardenofwords.com for a list of blogs and the contest!”

…. and remember, there is no obstacle you can’t get around if you’re willing to run, jump, tunnel or weave!

Wrigley