Our deaf Great Dane, Pixie, who was adopted from the Deaf Dane Rescue in Oakridge, OR, has been training in agility for about a year and a half. Eight months ago we began competing in Canine Performance Events Agility, or CPE, one of the several agility organizations in the US that allows deaf dogs to compete. CPE is widely known for its friendly atmosphere, and I have yet to meet anyone at a trial who does not live up to that.
Agility is intensely fun, as much as it is intensely challenging. Every dog is different, and every course presents its own challenges for each dog and handler. We spent nearly 10 months training before we entered our first trial. After 5 trials, Pixie has now completed the 8 required qualified runs for her Level 1 title, and we are 3 qualified runs (out of 16 required) into our Level 2 title. It will be a long journey, but we hope to earn the coveted C-ATCH, or CPE Agility Trial Champion title.
