Meet the Team - Sara Hawkswell & Zip

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/



Flying Scots Flyball Team Members

Tell me something about yourself and your dogs
I live in West Lothian near Bathgate, on a smallholding, married, three step children and three grandchildren. Self –employed working with my husband Alastair as a wildlife consultant carrying out wildlife surveys and working on environmental polices.
I have three dogs – Scrooble who is almost 8 is a border collie, he has a cute spotty face with ear up and the other down and one blue eye. He competes in flyball and agility and is the dog I dreamed of having when I was 10 years old. Loves his hugs but most of all wants to play. Scrooble had serious lymphoma (cancer) in 2006 and missed going to Crufts to compete in flyball that year – however he has recovered and competed at Crufts in 2008.

Why did you want to do Flyball?
I love doing things with my dogs and I’m quite competitive – my dogs adore flyball and its great fun being part of a team where the handlers have to work really wel together.

Tell me about your Team Dog ie Zip?
Zipperdee Doodah ( Zip to his Friends) is a 4 year old Working Sheepdog – he was unwanted farm puppy who came to life with us a 10 weeks old. He has a very high drive and sometimes gets overwhelmed by too much going on. However he is happiest when he has a job do to and is obsessed with tennis balls – favourite hobby at flyball training is going round picking up the balls that other dogs have dropped.
He really likes to be outdoors and can be nervous around people but doing agility and flyball has helped bring him out of himself.
He has fantastic handle bar ears.

Which other dogs do you train in Flyball and how are they progressing – Future team members?
Scrooble – Crufts team 2008 (remember the tennis ball & bucket incident) Loves to compete, not properly trained on the new box and will only be used as a filler for teams this year. Also does agility – has his KC Agility Warrant silver
Fiz – Pyrenean Sheepdog – don’t know of any other in UK doing flyball. Still a baby but doing good run backs and just learning to do the box. Will make a height dog for BFA teams. Has a very scruffy wild look and a right little madam but gets away with it by looking cute. Also learning agility and is shown – at her only Pyrenean Sheepdog class at a Championship show last year she won her class as a puppy. Has qualified to be shown as Crufts but won’t be going as she has just come into season.

Do you enjoy going to Crufts?
No – sorry thats the wrong answer isn’t it?? Just joking! My warped sense of humour, I'm afraid!!
I love going to Crufts each year – as well as the chance to compete in the main arena so much to see and do that 4 days isn’t long enough

What other activities do you participate in with your dogs and how have they progressed in that field?
See above – message to self – read whole of questionnaire before you start filling it in!!

What are your goals for the future?
Zip – to win up a grade in agility this year, compete at he BFA summer championships and qualify for Crufts flyball for 2011
Scrooble – to win his KC agility warrant gold
Fiz – to be the first successful flyballing Pyrenean Sheepdog in the UK

Any other hobbies or interests?
I’m studying a dog behaviour/training course at the moment
Run a smallholding in West Lothian and breed Shetland Sheep ( which I occasionally show if time allows) and keep Maran hens as well as growing the family’s fruit and veg