I believe COVID19 has hurt dog agility quite a lot. There have been long periods of time without training and competitions and the world is full of young dogs that haven’t been able to get used to other dogs, different people and situations freely. No, this is not a huge problem if we think about all the people who have died or suffered from a health or financial perspective. However, the problem exists. And I didn’t even mention trainers who have lost their income or agility clubs who have struggled to keep their heads above the water. 

Now people are getting vaccinations and things at least seem to be getting back to normal. I see a lot of competition videos from all over the world on my social media stream and people seem to really enjoy themselves. I actually claim that people seem to enjoy this sport more now than before. That is also the case with me. This is why I wanted to point out some of the good points that at least I have learnt during COVID19.

1. Make the most of every training session
   Before COVID19 I thought I used my training time well. However, COVID taught me a lesson: I had a lot to improve. Limited time in the agility hall forced me to plan ahead even more than before. I started to plan the exercises in a very detailed way for both dogs including goals for each exercise, repetitions and what I would reward and what not.
   

2. You don’t need to train many times a week to develop
   When COVID19 started and halls were shut down or their use was restricted, I felt devastated because I had a young dog in my hands who had recovered from two separate fractures in his leg. Finally I could have started training him actively, but the situation in the world changed everything and my plans were ruined. However, as time went on, he showed wonderful improvement in his agility skills. I realised that I had been able to add so much quality into our training that we mostly avoided training the wrong things. Training a lot without putting thought into it can lead to a need to retrain some things later and that requires a lot more patience and time than doing it right from the start. Of course, we have made some mistakes in training, but a lot less than if I hadn’t really thought through every valuable minute in the agility hall.
   

3. If possible, work from home (at least partially)
   I’ve been very lucky to be able to work from home during the pandemic. I have felt safe and I have been able to spend a lot more time with my dogs. We’ve been able to stop by a nearby field during my lunch break, so that the dogs have been able to run and play. They have had company almost all the time and they have used it by being near me to maximise cuddles and petting. I have come to realise what a horrible amount of time they have spent alone before the crisis. I feel closer to my dogs now than ever. I do miss my colleagues though.
   

4. Enjoy every second of every run 
   As my oldest dog is turning 10 years old in December, I can’t help but be a bit sad that COVID19 took away one of the last years we could have participated in big competitions or, actually, any competitions. He’s at his best right now: still healthy and moves well, and he’s got the needed skills. Running with him is like being one weird entity with two heads, six feet and one common brain that makes us move as one. I realise that I’ve been too busy concentrating on good placements and by doing that, I have missed the fun of it from time to time (not showing it to the dog of course but still). If I could turn back time, I would put more thought into enjoying each run. One can be goal-oriented and fun-oriented at the same time.
   

5. Appreciate your agility club
   During COVID19 I’ve been a bit worried whether or not my agility club will survive. A big part of its income comes from competitions and not being able to have them has surely been a challenge for so many clubs. We don’t have a luxurious hall: it’s cold, no heating even during the winter (and in Finland it gets cold), the surface is stone ash and sand that squirms into your car and your home, no matter how well you wash your dog after training. However, the hall has a roof and walls, and there’s three sets of obstacles. Without it it would be really hard to have this hobby at all. So, I’m really grateful for the existence of our club. I probably forget to appreciate it during the freezing and dark winter nights though, but I try my best not to.
   

6. Enjoy the agility community
   Last summer, there were some competitions where the social contacts were absolutely minimal to avoid spreading the pandemic. I went there, since I love, love, love competing. However, I was quite surprised how little I actually enjoyed it like that. It wasn’t possible or hoped for to chat with other people, there weren’t the normal stupid jokes before the runs and analysing after. We all just sat in our cars, checked the course when the time came, went back to our cars or walked our dogs individually to prepare ourselves for the runs, and after the run and individual cool down, we sat in our cars again. Apart from those precious seconds on the course, I hated it. And it surprised me what a huge role the agility community played and plays in the enjoyment of this sport for me. I then decided to take more time and put more focus on those moments together with other competitors.

All in all, COVID19 has been a challenge. However, perhaps it’s nature’s wake-up call to all of us. And in some way, in the context of dog agility, I hope it has taught us to train more wisely and made us appreciate our dogs even more.  Great articles about better training:

• How to make sure your training is of high quality -an interview with Petra Malin

• Less course running, more specific skill training - Tips for better training by Ira Mikkanen