I don’t think I have ever told you about my friend, Belle. Sometimes I see her when I go to work with my mom. Her mom works there too.
When I first met her, I was just a tiny little thing. Barely had my eyes open. .This is Belle and me (I'm on the right) when we first met. I was tiny.
I don’t think she liked me. Actually, I’m not sure she even knew what I was.
Click here to learn about training like Belle and I did
I’ve got to tell you about Belle. She’s a lucky girl. Somehow or other, Belle ended up in a shelter. But one day her soon-to-be mom came by and saw her sitting there in her enclosure. It was Belle’s lucky day. 
She had just found a new home. Since she moved in, she has lived a life of ease…most of the time. She did have to go to school. (She really liked it, but she didn’t want her people to know that.)
Belle and I were at school at the same time for a couple of weeks. We were learning how to go to dog shows and do Rally. I went to a show first…way out in Ohio…and I did good. My mom didn’t. She screwed up badly and made me fail.
Then I came back and went to a show near my home in North Carolina. And guess what! I got my first qualifying score and a green ribbon. (I came in last in my class, but that’s okay).
The next day, I went back and got my second qualifying score. One more to go and I would have a title.
That day was special because it was Belle’s first show. She got a green ribbon too. And she got a blue one because she was first in her class. (I was last again).
Let’s fast-forward a few weeks. Belle went to a show in South Carolina and got her second qualifying score. I went to a different show on a different weekend and got my third. I had a Rally Novice (RN) title.
Belle goes for her third in a couple weeks. I know she will do it.
But what’s important here is not how well Belle and I are doing. Belle is a shelter dog and I am a purebred dog with lots of champions in my pedigree. But in Rally, the American Kennel Club views us as equals. And that is a great thing. She can compete just like I can. So can all other dogs. Anyone can. It doesn’t matter if they know who their parents are or not. It doesn’t matter where they came from.
In Rally, all dogs are created equal.
I’m going over to watch Belle become an RN later this month. I know she is going to do it. Belle is smart.
Now, I fully believe in getting puppies from reputable breeders. But don’t overlook those who have, for whatever reason, ended up in shelters. They deserve a second chance. And you can still have fun with them too.
Why don’t you check out some of the things you can do with your dog at the American Kennel Club website You might enjoy it. I know your dog would.