She proudly shows her two silver medals. The 9-year-old Sandy Kalkhuis from Wijdenes was recently very successful with her dogs Puppin and Dippie during the World Championships agility, agility training with dogs. And that in the category up to 12 years. “If your dog can do it well, it’s not that hard.”
“By, high, báand. Good on you, Dippie!” Sandy’s voice can be heard several times a week at De Bacchanten in Hem dog school. Agility stands for agility and is a dog sport that aims to make dogs run flawlessly. They have to go through tunnels, over obstacles and slalom past tight gates.
The young dog lover from Wijdenes must be in good shape, because she races through the course next to her dogs Puppin and Dippie at high speed. Time after time. “Fortunately, I like running.”
Between adults
Twice a week she can be found there, in Him. And then there are regular competitions, in which she regularly excels. Like last weekend, in Bolsward. There she took the prizes away from the noses of the other participants, all adults.
Twice a week Sandy is training at the dog school in Hem. To perform as well as possible in the competitions in which she regularly participates. She was one of the stars at the World Cup in Finland in the age category up to 12 years, but she is also successful against adults. Last weekend she stole the prizes from the other participants, who were all adults, at a competition in Bolswaard.
A week earlier it rained good results at the World Cup in Finland. Together with her dogs Puppin and Dippie she won two silver medals in her age class. A unique experience, especially for someone of her age, who has trained Dippie herself from a very young age. “I really didn’t expect it. Dippie always sniffs at a match, but not now. He does better abroad than in the Netherlands.”
Her mother Paula trained her dog Puppin a few years ago. When Sandy was also allowed to try a round, she was sold. “But because Puppin is quite big, we were looking for a smaller dog. When I saw a Shetland Sheepdog, I immediately fell in love. Dippie came soon after.”
From the moment Dippie is 8 weeks old, Sandy has been training with him. “You can see that they have a very special bond together,” says trainer Herma Verspuij at the dog association in Hem. “Dippie is really hers”, says Paulsa. “I am most proud of the fact that she trained the dog herself. You can also see that they have a lot of fun together. And that is and remains the most important.”