An Update On Shirly

Author: Juliet Bumstead
United Kingdom

I thought readers might like an update on my parti Standard Poodle Shirly whom I imported from the United States to the United Kingdom in 2006.

After Shirly arrived and settled in, we did a little bit of conformation showing – and coping with the fallout from the reaction of Poodle people here. (I found it amusing that everyone acted as if I were showing a two-headed alien!) Showing in conformation had the desired affect of focusing people’s attention on the parti-colored Poodle. Okay, not good attention; however, as the saying goes, “Any attention is better than no attention!” I am hoping that in the long run it has kick-started people’s interest in partis (although, hopefully not in the wrong way; that is, breeding them just to make money) and that they realize how beautiful and original they are. Partis may one day be in the conformation ring here alongside (in another ring) their solid-colored brethren. Time will tell. I know that the saying “When pigs fly” is funny but, who knows, with evolution, someday they just might.

Last year, I took Shirly to a Poodle Agility Training Day – mainly because it was all Poodles and because it is such a friendly club. She was still a wee bit shy at that time but I thought taking her there would help her shyness, and I could see how she took to agility. She did not fail to impress me! She took to agility like a duck to water. When faced with the obstacles, she didn’t bat an eyelid. I thought at the time that this would be her hobby from that day on.

I began training classes at my local agility club. It’s a great little club and very friendly. In the winter, we train in an indoor equestrian center: in the summer, weather permitting (as you may know, we have crappy weather here in the U.K.), we train outside.

It wasn’t long before Shirly knew everything and did everything to the point I would just stand there stunned that she was so amazing. The weave poles, I have to say, were the worst thing to teach. Mainly, they were difficult because I hate them and have a mental block about them. However, Shirly did get to where she would do them, although not very quickly – which is not good as a slow dog in the weave poles wastes a lot of time getting around the course. I racked my brain for ways to speed her up.

Well! She loves her rubber ball and is so obsessed by it that she will do anything for it. I began showing her the ball but would not allow her to have it unless she entered the weave poles correctly and went through quickly. Presto! Before I knew it, she was flying through them. Well . . . not as fast as a Collie, but there isn’t much out there that is that fast. A few breeds might be on a good day.

As winter approached, I thought I would do a couple of winter league matches with her. She didn’t let me down, bless her li’l ol’ cottonies! She had a double clear (no fault run) with her pairs partner, so I was pleased with that. Unfortunately, she came into season so I was unable to do the other matches.

The show season is now here, and I have gone whole hog entering an agility show virtually every weekend. I am going to treat this year as a training year just to get Shirly’s confidence up and get her used to the atmosphere.

So far, we have been to three shows. The mistakes that occurred have been because of my expecting her to know it all and forgetting to command her quickly enough – or at all, if my nerves were getting the better of me. She collected clear-round (no fault) rosettes at every show. She might get a placing one day although it is quite difficult as a good percentage of the dogs in her classes are Border Collies, plus class size can be anything up to 250 competitors.

Next year will be even more exciting as I have two parti Minis and a Toy in training so we will be out there in force promoting parti-colored Poodles – not only for their brains and athleticism but for their profound beauty as well.

I look at my partis every day, and they still make my heart go boom boody boom boody boom boody boom boody boom boody boom boody boom boom boom!

Addendum to Update On Shirly:

I was astounded this past weekend. My first run with Shirly at the Godmanchester Dog Club agility show was . . . well, I was a twat. I forgot to cue her and, when I did, I gave her the wrong cue! I don’t know how she got round the course without the big E (elimination from the class). We had five faults with a run-by (where the dog runs by an obstacle instead of taking it). In the next run, she fluffed the weave poles – she took the entry pole, but missed the next two. I stupidly moved to cross behind her too quickly before she had committed to the next jump (I should have been committed – to an asylum for being so daft) so we had a run by and received ten faults in that run.

Our third run was the power and speed course, which is in two sections: the first section is all of the contact equipment and the weaves. If you make a mistake, the whistle sounds, you have to leave the ring, and you are not allowed to do the second section.

I got Shirly safely round the first section then praised and fussed over her like I usually do (you can do that between each section) but, it was really funny, she thought she had finished. It was like, “Well, come on, where’s my ball and my sausage?!” She couldn’t understand why we weren’t leaving the ring.

I set her up for the second section – that’s the speed bit, and we took off like a bat out of hell and, WAHOO!, she did a fantastic round. I have to say I forgot to look at our time. I thought, oh well, at least I’ll get a clear-round rosette. It never entered my head that she would get a placement as it was a combined class of grades one-to-seven and there were 287 dogs in the class with some really top handlers.

Our last class was the pairs (where two competitors run the course at the same time). Shirly was given five faults but, actually, these were really *my* fault.

Towards the end of the day, I heard the announcement about the presentation of placement rosettes, but thought no more of it. I was busy gabbing with people, as one does at these venues, when a woman from my training club told me that she had just heard my name called. She said, “The announcer was having difficultly pronouncing Shirly’s kennel club name so I knew it was you.” I said, “Oh, it’s just for a clear-round rosette.” “No,” she said, “they only read numbers out for clear-round rosettes; the announcement was for a placement.” “Oh, my god, oh, my god!!”

Shirly ended up with a 15th placement out of 287 entries! As you can imagine, I was like a dog with two bones! Who knows, in time there just might be a black and white parti Poodle in agility at Crufts. Well, here’s hoping ~~~