Jayne Pettitt & Dan (Wiccaweys Dancing Brave)
Dan is my second agility dog, and my very first collie. I had found the Wiccawey’s website and when I decided I would like a collie, as 
‘hopefully’ my next agility dog, I gave them a ring, and they said they would let me know when they had any puppies in.About a month later, they phoned me and said they had 4 male puppies, 2 each at two separate foster homes. We went to view two of the puppies where Pauline Barr was fostering them in Northamptonshire. One of the puppies was a very pretty blue merle, and one was a traditionally marked black and white. Both were obviously gorgeous, but Pauline advised us that even at 8 wks old, Dan was the boy for us if we wanted an agility dog.
A few days later Sarah from Wiccawey’s bought him over to us, and explained that the whole of the litter were going to be drowned at 5wks of age. They had done a mercy dash, and saved them all from a farm in 
From day one he was always very bright and very focused and he loves to work, so obviously that has made training quite enjoyable. We have even learnt a few dance moves when we were lucky enough to win a Wiccawey’s competition to meet Mary Ray. We also did some agility and Mary thought he was smashing, with natural speed and hopefully a lot of potential, Dan at the time was 10 months old.
I was due to do Dan’s first show in October, I had lost my beloved horse the weekend before, after having her since the day she was born, She was almost 22yrs old so naturally I was very upset the day before the show, and was unsure about going, but we did go and Dan jumped clear in his first competition and finished 7th in the Helter Skelter. He then went in the jumping did a great round and finished 2nd out of 120 dogs. He is quite a nervous dog, and is wary of people and dogs until he gets to know them, then he is very gentle and loving but I am so glad that he has had the opportunity to train & compete as he is such a bright boy who loves to work, and I keep in touch with his foster mum, and send regular updates.
Dan loves any kind of contact equipment, even when he has done an hours training, if take your eye off him he will go to the nearest bit of contact equipment, get on it and then stop and do the contact at the end. Last summer we were camping and it was in an agility field full of equipment. Needless to say, we had to take down the contact equipment, even then Dan could not help himself and a dog walk plank on the floor is to irresistible not to stand at the end of.
This year will be a learning curve. Dan is so different to my last agility dog Claude, so I am having to work hard at learning new handling skills, he is very quick and sometimes a bit cocky and for a little dog can jump like a gazelle, and so my part in this relationship is not always easy. Our third show at EMDAC resulting in a 6th and 10th place, and last week came 1st in Jumping at Manor Agility, and still only 21 months old, needless to say I am very proud of him.
Jayne Pettitt
