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Mattie
Call Name: Mattie
Breed: Jack Russell Terrier
DOB: November 1, 2005 Owner:
Elizabeth Sergeant
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Debut: 08/18/2007 NAFA:
FMCh
U-FLI: Top Flight Premier
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As Mattie’s handler Elizabeth
was contemplating getting a new puppy, she told her husband she wanted a
high energy dog that would keep her active. Not too much later, he showed
up with Mattie, Elizabeth’s first Jack Russell puppy. As the adage goes,
be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it! |
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August 2007, they seemed ready
for the real thing. Elizabeth felt more pressure than most first-time
handlers because Mattie was the only active height dog at the time.
In spite of Elizabeth’s first tournament jitters, Mattie did make it down
the lane and back . . . and sometimes across and down and back again.
Elizabeth alternated |
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seconds. This speed, her
potential for even greater speed and her height all have worked to earn
her a spot on our fastest roster while we continue to work on her drive
back.
At home Mattie lives with and
loves her Vizsla sister Layla and her cat Lito. For the most part, this
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Mattie was as full of energy as she was cute, so Elizabeth’s attention
turned to finding an activity to channel that energy. As she surfed the
web, she discovered flyball and our club – a flyball club that practiced
not far from her home. She enrolled Mattie in our Introduction to Flyball
class in April 2007. Training proved challenging: Mattie hadn’t really
played with a ball, and Mattie’s recall – which Elizabeth thought
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between the roles of handler and dog catcher. Most,
if not all, of Mattie’s difficulties two years later revolve around her
drive back to her handler. When she has the lead, she slows to spot the
other dog in her periphery. When she exits the right lane, she’s
distracted by the |
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active, barking, full-of-energy
dog is just a lap dog that prefers to snuggle in a blanket on Mom’s
lap. When Mom’s lap isn’t available, Dad’s will do.
Mattie’s pre-race posture says that she is all
flyball dog – barking as each of her teammates whir by |
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was pretty good in other situations – had never been
tested as it would be in flyball. Mattie skipped jumps and preferred not
to return to her handler. Both handler and
dog dedicated themselves to training, and by |
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action in the left (the lane she is exiting
toward). When she runs other than anchor, she wants to enter the lane with
the next dog out. In her most focused heats, Mattie has run split times
of 4.6 |
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and keeping her eyes locked on the competition. She
earned her FM in Raleigh in September, making her team proud and her
handler very happy. |
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