Brilliant Dogs, Best Trainers

Handler and rescue dogs appreciate warm welcome to agility.

This article was originally published in the June 2024 OVERview digital magazine.

If you ask Georgann Weisgerber why she has rescue dogs, she will simply say that they seem to find her. She had always loved dogs as a child, but working as a band director in a small Texas town made it hard for her to find an agility facility close enough to train. When she moved to the Lubbock area, she started playing in the sport with one of her three dogs, a 7-year-old with whom she focused on just having fun. Georgann’s career in dog sports began in earnest when a young Australian Cattle Dog jumped into her car off the side of a highway. She recalls her journey with her first partner, Willow, and her next rescue, Sizzle.

Willow's Story

On a beautiful afternoon on February 3, 2015, an Australian Cattle Dog running down a West Texas highway came into my life! My goal in the moment was to make sure she didn’t get hit by another oncoming vehicle, so I pulled over to the shoulder and flashed my lights to get the other driver’s attention. The pup followed me onto the shoulder, the car passed, and I started to pull away. As I looked in the rearview mirror, I noticed she had started running hard, trying to catch up with me. I stopped again, opened the door, and to my surprise, she jumped right in!

With three dogs in the family already, my next goal was to find her people. When I took her to the vet’s office on Monday, they couldn’t find a chip. I contacted a local rescue group and posted on Facebook, but a few weeks passed without success. So, I introduced Willow to my dogs; she fit in very well.

After about a month of searching for her owners, I decided Willow and I would start agility classes. Since she was my first real dog for agility, we had huge gaps in our training, and she began to stress in some trial settings. Thanks to a few positive reinforcement trainer friends, I discovered Fenzi Dog Sports Academy and started attending their live and online seminars.

In April 2017, we attended a fun agility day at Shawn Cossart’s place in Dripping Springs (despite it being six hours away). I didn’t know anyone there, but they were the kindest people and told me about USDAA. Four months later, after a few more of Shawn’s seminars, Willow and I gained enough confidence to attend our first USDAA trial in Kerrville. The competitors, trial hosts and judges were all so welcoming, and I knew those long drives were worth it! Willow earned her PDCH on February 27, 2022.

Sizzle’s Story

Without Willow, there would be no Sizzle! One of the most instrumental instructors I met through Fenzi Dog Sports Academy was Sara Brueske. At the time, she was a trainer and performer at Purina Farms. I made a point to attend her seminars every time she was in Texas. One day, another Purina Farms trainer posted a picture on the Adoptable Performance and Sport Dogs Facebook page of this tiny Australian Cattle Dog her husband bought at a gas station for $25. Although he was in Missouri, I tagged Sara in my comment, jokingly saying, “I need him!” She ran with it and brought him to Texas for me in January 2019.

I had never had a 4-month-old puppy or shared such a strong bond with my previous dogs. Sizzle has taught me all the things on the opposite end of the spectrum from Willow. I am so thankful for the USDAA@Home!℠ program for keeping us busy during COVID lockdowns, which overlapped with some important months during his puppyhood. We hope to keep working on a few missing qualifications toward his championship!

Brilliant Dogs and Best Trainers

Willow, Sizzle and I have been blessed to train with some of the best, and I cannot imagine my life without these brilliant dogs. I’m so thankful for all the kind Texas USDAA folks who welcomed me with open arms. Three years ago, I retired from teaching band after 30 years, and now I work for Rocking Paw Dog Training in Lubbock. Along with agility, Willow plays Fast CAT, scent work and Barn Hunt. She’s also a Trick Dog and loves doing therapy work, especially at schools. Sizzle loves disc, dock diving and scent work; he quickly earned his Master Level and Detective title.

I am so blessed to have started my dog sport career at the young age of 54 and that these rescues managed to find me!