Meet Mark, team commentator and coordinator of The Lowestoft Dog Agility Display Team. 

The Lowestoft Dog Agility Display Team, which started in 1964, is the longest established dog display team in the country and are associated with the Happy Paws Dog Training Society.  

Mark, what is a dog agility display team?

We are a team of volunteer dog lovers who put on 30-minute displays, mainly in the Norfolk and Suffolk regions, at all kinds of events, large and small, such as fetes, dog shows, steam rallies, etc. The displays are a mix of agility, tricks, obedience and flyball. Our finale is often the dogs jumping through fire which is always a crowd favourite. The dogs that do this are very well trained and they love it too.  What we do is different to competition agility as it is very much about the display to the public and we usually have between about 8 & 12 dogs for each display. 

Some breeds are more associated with agility, but we have had quite a mix of breeds down the years. For example, currently in the team we have poodles, a Jack Russell and an Australian Shepherd dog, Clyde (who is great at tricks!).

The main criteria is that they are fit and healthy and they enjoy it and are relaxed and comfortable in that environment. 

How did you get into it? 

We had our first puppy Charley, a Border Collie back in 2001 and went to the dog training society where I was approached by a Trainer to see if we were interested in agility. We did our first display show together in 2003 and I have been involved ever since.   

I am now the team commentator, so my job is to voice over the displays to the public explaining what is happening and some of the principals behind how we train the dogs. I like to keep it light, informative and engaging with the odd bad joke thrown in for good measure.

And what do you enjoy most about it?

The best thing is seeing the dogs happy and genuinely loving it. I also enjoy seeing the happiness it brings to the public and knowing our display brought them a bit of joy.  

Is it purely for entertainment or is there a broader purpose? 

Beyond entertainment, we are all about promoting responsible dog ownership and dog handling. 

We want to show how important and possible it is to have a dog who is trained and especially at things like ‘recall’ as everyone wants a dog who will come straight back to you when called. 

In the displays, we also do a ‘stop the dog’ exercise to show how, with simple instruction, you can stop your dog in their tracks in case of any danger.  

What are your top tips for pet owners? 

Well firstly that anyone can have a trained dog and you get out what you put in. 

It is important to be patient and also to do a small amount regularly rather than overdo it. It is better, for example, to do 10 mins every day than a 2-hour session intermittently. 

Consistency is also key especially if many family members are involved and people use different instructions. 

We also strongly believe in positive reinforcement, when training, which is all about rewards and praise for correct behaviour. Puppies don’t understand the word ‘no’. They just see it as getting attention.  So, it is not worth telling them off when they don’t do something correctly. It is better to ignore the incorrect behaviour (unless you need to intervene for safety reasons!) and instead praise them when they do it right. They will soon catch on!

Also, I would really recommend giving agility a try. You will find local clubs like us online and via The Kennel Club, whom our society is registered with, and it is a really nice experience for both the owner and the dog. 

How does getting the right food help?

Nutrition is really important for keeping dogs healthy, fit & energised and also for controlling their weight.  These are all important factors particularly when you have a dog that does agility.

We have worked with the Green Pantry team for 10 years and they are our main sponsors and the vast majority of the dogs in the team are fed with Green Pantry (or fuelled by Green Pantry as we say…). 

All my own dogs have been raised on Green Pantry. None of my previous dogs had any health problems, were all fit and lived well till a good old age. My current dogs also love Green Pantry and (touch wood) they are fit and well and loving life too. So, the proof is definitely in the pudding!