Roxanne was 7 years old when I discovered agility. She would come to class with my husband while I was training our younger Akita Jessie and pound her feet on the ground saying "let me do it, I will show you how it's done!" So, I enrolled her in a beginner's class and she took to it like a fish to water. Six months after she started she had her first legs in AKC novice. She had her first title before her first year of training was over.
Roxanne went on to compete in NADAC elite, earning 2/3 of her title and finished her AKC Open Jumper title before getting sick at 9.
It was not Roxanne's agility accomplishments that made me proud of her however. She was an ambassador for her breed. She was gentle with people and other dogs, with an awesome temperment and work ethic so rarely found in dogs of her breed.
Roxy made me proud every day of her life.
I love her and I still miss her. She was a proud, awesome dog who's memory will live on in all she accomplished in her life.
She is the reason for my addiction to the sport of agility, every time we step up to the start line, she comes with us.
