I have been following the Boundless Junior Agility Camp for some time now, so when they contacted me about a sponsorship, I just about fell out of my chair with excitement.
See, I was once twelve, and I had a Golden Retriever named Molly. This was the era where agility and other dog sports were frequently televised on cable. Every weekend in the summer I watched on and dreamed hard about running agility with Molly and various fictional dogs of my fantasies.
It was the 90s, and I had been taught compulsive dog training methods. I knew that these methods didn’t work, but I didn’t know why. However, the training club we frequented taught agility, so off we went to fulfill my dreams of being an agility handler.
Molly was a bright, biddable dog, and I was a young, naive handler. It became clear quickly that putting Molly on a leash and pulling her over obstacles at a trot wasn’t working, but as a teenager, what resources did I have to find another way?
I knew that if I continued in agility I would completely destroy our relationship once and for all. So we stopped.
It would take 13 years, Molly passing away, moving to a more centralized province, and a new puppy to get me back into dog sports.
Enter Madison Edmunds and Sasha Zitter, who set out to change the agility world for the better by creating Boundless Junior Agility Camp.
"Boundless Junior Agility Camp’s mission is to provide an affordable experience for young handlers from all over the world that will improve their skills and deepen their love of agility."
Boundless is what I needed. Boundless is what Molly needed.
In such an expensive (dare I say elitest?), time-consuming and complicated sport, junior handlers need all the support we can possibly give them so they can run fast and play hard with their dogs.
I want all junior handlers to know that their success in agility is boundless. So, it is my absolute honour to announce Boundless Junior Agility Camp as the recipient of the Snuffles & Tugs 2019 Product Scholarship.
Sasha and Madison- thank you.
Thank you from the 12-year old me, the little girl who longed for the love and skills you are now offering the next generation of agility handlers.
Thank you from the bottom of my 12-year old heart who had nowhere to turn for help to make her dreams come true.
Thank you.
No matter your age or experience, no matter your dog’s speed or talent- you are BOUNDLESS.
