Jackie and Terry Lawer run Capable Canines Cornwall. Terry has a fantastic wealth of
knowledge in all things canine, having been involved in dog training for over thirty years. He and
Jackie own three Border Collies and a Miniature American Shepherd. Jackie deals with all
matters to do with running the business and its administration. She is an Agility Club Approved
Instructor, as well as being a qualified teacher, who has taught in Secondary and Adult
Education. Jackie currently competes with one of her collies in agility. Tarn is Grade 7: the
highest grade achievable in UK. Tarn has competed at two UKA National Finals and Jackie has
also competed at a KC ABC (anything but a collie) National Final with her crossbreed, Zeus,
many years ago now! She is also bringing on a youngster, due to start competing in Grade 2
shortly. Terry competes with Exe in Grade 4.

Both Jackie and Terry have been Agility Judges. Jackie is also a Scentwork UK Judge and Trial
Manager, currently working Tarn at Level 5 and Dart at Level 2 in this discipline.

We are lucky enough to have the use of an excellent training venue in Shortlanesend. Access is really easy and only takes a few minutes from Truro in the south or the A30 in the north. The venue offers hard-standing for parking and a really large outdoor school. We are told it is 25 x 45 m but it seems even bigger! The surface is a sand and felt mix and stands up very well to all types of weather!

TRAINING …

Anne and Enid’s lovely dogs at training

From different lives and different places
We bring different worries and different faces
Hard workers and carers, all with jobs to do
We converge to one place, one field, one view
Bring with us such baggage, crates full of stress
Left by the gate, to delight in much less
A mismatch of strangers joined now as friends
A shared goal and dream, our pathways all blend
Dogs at our sides, our hearts filled with joy
The world shut out with the first throw of a toy
Two hours of US! My identity now found
Cheering and laughing at just one turn round
A brief moment of calm in the storm of the week
A haven, a sanctuary that we all seek
Agility just a sport ? A hobby maybe?
For us it’s much more, for me – sanity.

by Anne Dunwell