08/25/2026
I'm going to say what no one wants to say about the Valleyview NASDA trials this past weekend.
Not every day was great.
Saturday (and even Friday night, for those of us that played) left us all feeling VERY frustrated.
Many of us felt that we— and our dogs— weren't being taken into consideration when courses were being set on Saturday, knowing full well that it was going to be 30°C+ that day.
Dogs that normally ace their runs and have fun finding gerbils ended up NQ'ing and trudging along in the blistering heat instead.
Emotions were high and the frustration was at its peak...
But that wasn't all that this weekend was.
In fact, Sunday was a great redemption. It helped that the weather was cooler, but the feedback that the judges got in the morning before all the competitors had arrived was heard.
Being able to start fresh and have fun with our dogs was what mattered to me the most. We don't get all the time in the world with these dogs, so to be able to play their favourite games with them and enjoy those moments are what I'm choosing to hold on to.
Remember that judges are people, too, just like us. They're not all intentionally trying to make us fail.
They also are not mind readers and do not see the frustration we're feeling if we're all masking it with smiles and friendly banter at the start lines.
What I was most proud of was everyone's ability to reset on the last day and really embody the sportsmanship that keeps me coming back to NASDA.
While I love getting to play games with the dogs, it's the people that can make or break an entire sport and NASDA just has the absolute best group of people that there could ever be!
Everyone was still so supportive of one another, mindful of reactive dogs, and respectful of the space and crew needed to run such an event. When everybody could've held onto tension that was building and let it explode into a frenzy, they shared laughs, smiles, and personal wins instead.
This is why I keep coming back. The community of NASDA and the camaraderie is something that I wish everyone (even those who don't play dog sports) will get to experience in their lifetime.
Thank you Sarah-Jane Brenner for trusting me to care for Caper and Zing throughout the weekend while you were busy judging AND for letting me have the opportunity to achieve Caper's SD-III title with him! While we didn't have completely clean runs (because I barely knew what I was doing), we still were able to have fun and make you proud— all while you watched and judged our runs! Love you 💕🫂
Thank you Kate Peterson Koch for sharing part of your judging process with me and trusting me to assist with setting up Lost Item courses on Sunday. It's always interesting to get to know more about what goes on inside the judges' minds and I loved spending that special time with you! Love you 💕🫂
Thank you to those in the GP Working K9's and Valleyview SNFF Club for all of the strenuous amounts of work that you did to keep us organised, fed, and having fun throughout each day!
And of course, thank you to every one of the competitors, whether we'd known each other for ages or just met, for a very memorable weekend together! ❤️
