Clean Run - May 2014 - 59

trainer, lost 20 pounds, and did all of the
things we do to try to get ourselves into
better shape."

In Her Head
While the physical challenges are very
real for Terry, she is also challenged
by the mental game. For one thing, she
has always used local trials to work on
specific skills. If she is working on rear
crosses on the flat, for example, she will
try to put as many as she can into a run,
even if that might not be the best handling strategy. "The hard part for me is
making the transition from using competitions for training to working on clean
runs, going in with the same intensity of
effort as I need with a big competition. I
can't do that for local competitions, then
turn it on for the big ones. It's very hard
for me to stop thinking of local competitions as a place to train or proof or
try things. I have a tendency to say, 'the
heck with it. Let's just have fun.' And
that's a bad habit."

Terry also works hard at making a plan
and sticking to it. She walks the course,
envisions the dog's path, and then looks
for the right handling maneuvers. "Then
I have to make myself stop looking for
alternatives. I try to visualize what I am
going to do or I will keep changing my
plan." That doesn't mean that her runs
always go as planned. "Unfortunately,
that happens very rarely, and reacting
and adapting becomes the challenge."
For a first-timer coming on to the international scene at retirement age, Terry
does feel a bit like an outsider. "The majority of people on the WAO team have
done it before and are on other teams. It
is strange at my age to be the new kid
on the block. I feel Idgie belongs, so I
have to let that be enough to say that WE
belong." She also sees advantages to her
situation, though. "Age and the fact that
I am not a professional mean it is not
the be all and end all for me. I do it for
fun, so if it isn't fun, why would I do it?"

She sees in herself a good balance of
experience and proportion.

What's Next
First on her agenda is doing the best that
she can at WAO and having a good time.
She entered AKC Nationals for the first
time "in forever," and may decide to go
to AKC World Team tryouts. "I would
also like to teach my puppy to do an Aframe! Dory has been a little neglected
because of Idgie's training. My goal for
Dory is to get more serious about her
training." While Dory may be a great
agility dog, Terry is realistic; there are
not too many 22" Portuguese Water
Dogs that are competitive at the national
level. "I am not thinking in terms of national competition for her." Terry is also
looking forward to just having fun with
Burgee, now 12, and Chantey, who she
is thrilled to be running after a sevenmonth hiatus for medical reasons. D

Sally Silverman is a freelance writer whose life has gone to the dogs. She and her husband share their hearts and their home with three Australian Shepherds.
An avid agility competitor, Sally is working on MACH3 with Bounce, who also has a PDCH, as well as many canine freestyle and herding titles. Java is now in AKC
Masters and working on her Advanced freestyle title. Sally is an active member of Y2K9s Dog Sports Club outside of Philadelphia, where she trains and teaches.

May 14

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Clean Run - May 2014

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