Today is Guinness’ 6th birthday!

He’ll be getting lots of fuss, long walks and fun!

6 feels pretty old, but the truth is he still runs around the place like a hooligan, he still plays all day and sleeps all night. He’s no older than the day he turned 2 (he’s just a little more obedient thankfully).

It’s got me thinking about agility and retirement age. Everyone has their own opinion and preference for when to retire their dogs. Some say while they’re still at the top of their performance, others say once they start to slow down and look like they’re not enjoying it any more. I once heard a trainer say they retire their dogs at around 7 or 8 to give them a number of years to just be a dog. I like that attitude and I’d prefer to stop early than go too far and have an injury.

However at the end of the day its up to you and what you do with your individual dog. I’d like to think I’ll know when the time is right. At the moment Guinness is probably in the best condition he’s ever been and he’s going strong.

It doesn’t matter that he’s 6 and in Grade 2. It doesn’t matter that I don’t have a new dog or a pup to be training. We take every day as it comes and for now we are enjoying ourselves!

Happy Birthday Guinness.