U- CD, Saxon, AD (German Shepherd Dog)

Saxon was the first dog Kathy trained for Agility. He was not a naturally athletic or confident dog, but Kathy worked hard to desensitise him to the noises and stresses of competition and to make Agility more rewarding for him (he was particularly partial to bacon!).

Saxon was a very handsome long-haired black German Shepherd Dog and was seen on the television news on several occasions. One of these occasions was an Agility demonstration held at Universal Studios for the opening of the movie "K9".

In his first USDAA sanctioned Agility competition Saxon qualified for the Grand Prix of Dog Agility and traveled to compete in the Astro Hall, Houston, Texas, where he placed in both the Snooker and Team Relay events. With the advent of the USDAA titling program, Saxon became the first male German Shepherd Dog to earn the USDAA Agility Dog™ title.

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U-CDX, Just Rufus, MAD, EAC, CGC (English Shepherd)

For her next dog to train for agility Kathy chose an English Shepherd. She was fascinated by this American herding breed which had originated in Britain. She wanted a dog with good common sense and a temperament which would enable him to go anywhere and do anything without worrying. Kathy had read stories about how these dogs had worked on family farms helping the settlers who first came to the United States. Even knowing how wonderful these dogs were renowned to be, Kathy was still amazed at the depth of personality of the puppy she named Rufus.

Kathy describes Rufus as a bit of a show-off who always enjoyed attention and applause. There was nothing he liked more than to show off and, of course, the rewards of food or his favorite toy. Rufus quickly became Kathy's best friend. He was the classic "English Shepherd Shadow".

In 1991 Kathy and Rufus competed in the first USDAA titling event in California where Rufus earned his USDAA Agility Dog™ title with a first place in the 30" height class. A few months later he won the Southern California Regional Qualifier for the Grand Prix of Dog Agility. The prize was a trip to Houston for the semi-finals. There Rufus proved that he could indeed go anywhere and do anything, just missing the finals in his first big event. The following year, Rufus again won the Southern California qualifier and earned his trip to the Nationals. This time he made the finals.

In 1993, with the handicap of a pregnant handler, Rufus placed second in the Southern California Regional Qualifier. With the arrival of baby, Clair, Kathy and Rufus didn't make the trip to the Nationals. Instead, Rufus learned to walk patiently beside the stroller on walks and to share Kathy's time. The following year the team were back and placed first in the Regional Qualifier once again.

The bond between Kathy and Rufus was very deep and when he was forced to retire from agility in 1996 due to a back condition it took Kathy a long time to adjust to agility without him. Rufus lived happily for several more years as a much-loved member of the Lofthouse family and Kathy will never forget their early years together, when they travelled the country together promoting the sport. Kathy says, "What made Rufus so memorable to anybody who knew him was his character. He had his little quirks, like eating a pair of socks every now and then, but as a teammate and constant companion he was simply the best."

Rufus was happy to pose for the RunJumpWeave.com mast head. Kathy tells how it was tricky for her to get the photograph as she was alone at the time, but Rufus quickly understood that he would be given some tasty roast chicken if he would just sit still and hold onto the flags. "That was the kind of dog Rufus was," says Kathy fondly remembering her friend, "I only had to tell him what it was we were going to do and he never let me down."

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U-CD, Purdy Dream Weaver, AAD, EAC, CGC (English Shepherd)

Kathy knew her second English Shepherd, Purdy, was special when she met the eight-week old bundle of black and tan fur. Friendly, eager and incredibly intelligent, she demanded attention. Clearly this puppy was going to love Agility! Sadly, one week later, Purdy injured the growth plate in her leg while playing with Rufus.

After two operations to help her leg grow straight, Purdy became strong again, but Agility was out of the question. Purdy was determined, however, and one day she barged through the door, raced to the weave poles, weaved five poles correctly and looked at Kathy with pleading in her eyes, as if to say, "I can do this stuff. Please let me!" She had learned to weave by watching other dogs. After long deliberation it was decided that Purdy should be given the chance to play the Agility game, if only for a short while. Soon she was having fun and getting lots of the attention she desired.

The team of Purdy and Kathy Lofthouse only entered a handful of trials, one of which was a Grand Prix Regional in 1995, when, to Kathy's amazement, she came first in the 24" class. In 1996 she went to the USDAA Grand Prix in Ventura and placed 6th in the 24" height class. Her only fault in the finals was anticipation of the table count caused by a handler who was, quite understandably, overwhelmed by the magnitude of her dog's achievement.

Before her early retirement from the limelight, clever Purdy easily mastered the obedience exercises to earn the United Kennel Club Companion Dog obedience title. Kathy recalls that Purdy made the judge laugh on the "recall over the hurdle" exercise as she ran so fast to Kathy over the jump that she crashed into her with her nose. The judge commented afterwards "I guess that is what one calls UTMOST ENTHUSIASM!"

Constantly bright, eager and ahead of the game, Purdy spent every day of her life displaying "utmost enthusiasm". She was simply the best, a gifted dog with a depth to her character that could not be measured and a spirit that could not be dampened. She will always be missed.

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Bracken's Sudden Spring, MAD, EAC, CGC (English Shepherd)

Kathy's third English Shepherd is Bracken. She is related to Purdy, but her nature is that of a sweet family companion who feels responsible for keeping the family together.

Bracken is a sensitive dog and although she has had success in Agility she does not yearn for the limelight the way Purdy did. Like many dogs, when Bracken is relaxed she can "run like the wind" and is fabulously agile, but when competing, she finds it difficult not to try to "keep track" of her family outside the ring.

In the Grand Prix in Ventura in 1996, Bracken made the finals, but she got scent of Kathy's daughter Clair while negotiating the weave poles and slowed down considerably. Finally, refocusing on her Agility, she did finish weaving and ended up coming 5th place in the 26" height class of the Grand Prix.

Nowadays, Bracken is a pet first and foremost who dabbles in a little Agility. She is wonderful with children and has all the qualities of a great English Shepherd companion dog.

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ADCH MACH-2 Nel, EAC (Border Collie)

In June 1996 Kathy adopted Nel, a 3-year-old Border Collie who was very good with children, but was considered too sensitive for herding. Nel spent the first three years of her life on a hobby farm in Oregon.

Nel quickly became a talented Agility performer who is well known for her graceful jumping style. The team has successfully competed in both AKC and USDAA Agility, attaining the USDAA ADCH in October 2001, the AKC MACH in November 2001 and her MACH-2 in November 2002. Nel was a finalist in the USDAA Grand Prix of Dog Agility in 2000 and has qualified for the AKC Nationals every year she has competed.

Nel has performed in demonstrations for schools and other charity functions where she has impressed the audience with her combination of sweetness and athletic ability. However, what really impresses the audience is when she plays soccer. An avid soccer player, Nel has wowed people from age 4 to 84 with her abilities. Kathy laughs as she tells how this is one skill that Nel came to her already knowing and it is part of her fun personality. When she was younger we used to play before competing. Now Nel is approaching 10 years of age she only needs a short warm up!

Nel is a very sensitive dog... at one demonstration the audience were shouting "Go doggie, Go!" Nel thought they were saying "No!" so she stopped in her tracks. At one trial thunder struck as Nel was on the seesaw. She literally leapt out of her skin and off the seesaw, but only incurred a refusal. She managed to quickly redo the obstacle, race on with the course and still qualify for the Grand Prix. Kathy's experience has proved very useful when bringing out the best in Nel.

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Bobbin, AAD, AX, AXJ (Pembroke Welsh Corgi)

When Kathy met Don and Gaby Green's tri-colored Pembroke Welsh Corgi Bobbin while walking her dogs, it was love at first sight. After hearing Bobbin was a "bit of a handful", Kathy suggested letting her see if she liked Agility. This small but feisty Corgi enjoyed her first lesson and showed a keen desire to do more. Since their debut in the Agility ring, winning the first of many blue ribbons, Kathy and Bobbin have enjoyed regular Agility adventures together.

Whether they are awarded a qualifying ribbon or not they always have fun. In training her first "mini" dog, Kathy has learned many of the finer points of running a small dog. Most importantly, she has learned that a small dog should be allowed to run as fast as his or her legs can carry them! Bobbin believes there is only one way to run an Agility course and that is at full throttle. She loves her food rewards and cannot wait to get them.

Some of the highlights of Bobbin's Agility career have been qualifying for the USDAA Grand Prix of Dog Agility two years running and, thanks to her owners, Gaby and Don Green, being able to visit the beautiful Del Mar Horse Park and enjoy the ambiance of the event as only a Corgi can. Bobbin also placed third in the 12" class in the Grand Prix Qualifier in July 2001.

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Lunarlite's Totally Cool, TC, AAD, AX, AXJ (Working Sheep Dog)

On video tapes sent by her father-in-law of the Agility events at Olympia and the obedience at Crufts, Kathy has been able to watch and admire the Working Sheepdogs (WSDs) of Britain, who she believes stand out for their drive and enthusiasm, coupled with a special rapport with their handlers. In the US these dogs are known as "unregistered Border Collies", however, in the UK they are valued for their balance of instinct and common sense.

Kathy now has her own chocolate collie here in California. "Lunarlite Totally Cool", or "TC" to his friends, arrived in California in February 2001. His grandfather is the great Moonlight Chocolate Buttons.

When choosing her puppy Kathy once again requested the most outgoing and friendly puppy in the litter and TC is living up to his name. As well as looking forward to a fun-filled Agility career, TC is a fabulous family dog, albeit an extremely active one! The bond between Kathy and TC is becoming deep and strong and she thinks the world of this super bright, friendly and talented puppy.

TC began his Agility career in late June of 2002 and he and Kathy quickly found themselves competing at the Excellent Level in AKC and the Masters level in USDAA. He seems to really enjoy the Agility events in spite of being stung by bees at his second and third events. "He is just such a sweet dog they seem to go after him", says Kathy. He loves watching his brothers and sisters when they run a course and was very proud to earn his first USDAA Pairs leg with his big sister Nicki. Kathy says she is very pleased that TC has grown up to be such a loveable part of the family. "That is why I named him Totally Cool... I didn't just want a dog to do Agility, he had to be the total all rounder."

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Westernesse Team Player, Rugby (Shetland Sheep Dog)

In June 2002 Kathy and her daughter, Clair, became co-owners of a Shetland Sheepdog. Clair chose Rugby because he licked her on the ear. Despite his small size, Rugby, is a feisty fellow and a lot of fun. He has been extremely well-socialized as he was able to attend several camps during the summer of his puppyhood, including but not limited to tennis camp, pony camp, swimming camp, etc. He is an avid hiker and loves to play rough with his pack mates, especially teasing Nel when he has the toy and she does not.

As Rugby has grown up he literally demands more and more attention and has become a "family project" for the Lofthouse family. He is Clair's pet dog and sleeps in her room and cuddles with her constantly. Duncan is in charge of late night walks and Kathy plays the weave pole and seesaw game with him and, of course, he gets to go on all the family hikes and expeditions.

Rugby has heaps of personality and is a super little dog who will one day be running Agility, in addition to his other pursuits. Whatever he does, he will always have an opinion about it!

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Stroller, AAD, AX, AXJ (Border Collie)

Stroller has been a success story of a different kind. In 1999 Kathy and her family opened their home to a previously badly treated, 18-month old Border Collie who had several challenging issues. This was his fourth home and it seemed that to train this dog for Agility was going to be difficult if not impossible. Growing up in England, Kathy was a fan of "Stroller" the pony who, with his rider, Marion Coakes, won a silver medal in the Olympic Games in Mexico City. He was a pony competing against large horses over huge Olympic fences. He was one of a kind and achieved this feat against great odds. Kathy decided to name this troubled Border Collie "Stroller" and began the long road to gaining his trust.

Kathy recalls, "The first weekend I had Stroller he would not come out of the crate and kept trying to bite me. So I put on my leather gloves and had him come out for hot dogs. When Stroller was introduced to the tunnel he would hide in there, but once again, the hot dogs worked wonders. The biggest challenge for me was that Stroller would not play and I use play as a large part of my Agility routine with my dogs."

Ironically, after two years Kathy did manage to get Stroller happily retrieving a toy for treats but she could not earn his complete trust. It seemed that this dog was 'Man's Best Friend' and would not accept a woman as his master. Kathy recalls, "It got to the point that wherever I went he would be dragging me off to try to find that perfect somebody. It was sad that after all the time, attention, love and care he did not bond with me, but he was very clear about it."

Kathy believes that part of working with rescue dogs is to be sure to match the right dog with the right home. Stroller was not a happy dog and he was constantly looking for a new owner until one day he met Dan Altchuler at an Agility trial. "Stroller just turned up-side-down in Dan's lap and looked absolutely and totally relaxed for the first time since I'd met him." This was the person that Stroller had been looking for. So Stroller is now enjoying life in his fifth and hopefully final home with the first owner that he has been fortunate enough to personally select!

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