Pamela Harju is a celebrated Finnish writer now residing in the lush landscapes of Ireland and is a woman of many talents. Not only has she garnered awards for her captivating literary works, but she has also made a name for herself in the competitive world of dog agility. What sets Pamela apart in this energetic sport is her choice of partner — the spirited Miniature Schnauzer. This breed, often overlooked in agility competitions, has proven to be a perfect match for Pamela’s dedication and skill. Her story is a testament to breaking conventions and achieving excellence, both on the page and on the agility course.
Tell us about your own personal journey in agility and with Schnauzers as a breed?
I have done agility for three decades. Most people associate agility with collies, those lightning-fast, black-and-white Border Collies they see when watching Crufts on TV. In my agility career, the closest I have got to a collie was with my first dog, a German Shepherd cross. The rest of my dogs have been terriers or Schnauzers – primarily the latter. I often get asked why someone who is so passionate about agility – I train in it, compete in it, teach it, judge it, drink it, breathe it – would not have a more obvious breed of dog. There is a simple answer, and it’s not that I have anything against collies.
The truth is that the time my dogs spend on an agility course is a relatively small chunk of their daily lives. My dogs mostly do agility twice a week unless we have competitions on. The rest of the time, they are just dogs. They bark at the neighbours, chase cats and beg for food. I’m sure there are many other wonderful breeds and dogs, but Schnauzers are the dogs I love to take on morning walks and curl up on the couch with.
Have you achieved any success in agility with your Schnauzers?
I guess it depends on what your measure of success is. Most Schnauzers you see on an agility course are of the smallest variety, and there are not many Miniature Schnauzers competing either. They are rarely super-fast, but Schnauzers are smart and playful, so they can be trained to be tremendous agility dogs. Sometimes slow(er) and steady does win the race as my Dexter, who competes at the highest grade in Ireland, has shown. I have not yet ventured as far as having a Giant Schnauzer, but I have seen them do agility and do it well. One of my current competition dogs is a Standard Schnauzer. They have a reputation for poor recall, and anyone who has seen me chase Hector back into the ring can testify to that, but now that he is finally getting over his terrible teens and remembering what we are there for, he is fast and furious! We have nothing to be ashamed of as we run against those much more commonly trained sheepdogs.
So tell us more about Schnauzers as a breed and how you get the best from them in agility?
So, Schnauzers are smart. That’s great. They should be easy to train, right? Not necessarily. They have brains, and they pick new things up very quickly, but they are also prone to outsmarting their trainer and extremely headstrong. If a Schnauzer doesn’t want to do something, that thing is just not going to happen. Every Schnauzer owner knows it.
A Schnauzer is not a people pleaser. The trick in training your Schnauzer to do agility – or anything at all – is to make your dog want to do it. Schnauzers like to play. None of my Schnauzies have had much interest in balls – they run after them and then wonder what they are supposed to do with it – and I have heard others say the same, but they like to tug. Most Schnauzers also have a healthy appetite, which means you can entice them with food.
Don’t try to tell your Schnauzer what to do. Let them figure things out for themselves. The real fun in training agility or teaching your dog to do anything at all is watching the cogwheels turn as the dog tries to understand how to get their much-desired reward. Your reward as a trainer is when the ball drops and your dog gets it. Let your dog OFFER you the behaviour you are looking for, whether it’s taking a jump, dropping an unwanted item on your walk or sitting quietly waiting for their food to be served. Dogs are so intelligent. Sometimes, my dogs take my breath away demonstrating their cleverness and problem-solving skills. Occasionally, they solve problems I don’t want them to crack, but that’s a different story…
If your dog loves agility, you have essentially won the war. You’re on a winning streak! Schnauzers are reasonably agile dogs with proportionate bodies, so they love to run around and do things that benefit them. In the long run, a Schnauzer that has been trained to enjoy agility and do it with you will reward you with beautiful, accurate agility rounds – at least when he feels like it… What Schnauzers might miss in terms of speed and willingness to please, they make up for in enthusiasm, which sometimes comes through as sound effects when they run agility. Enthusiasm is great, and the vocalisation is a way to show it. Unfortunately, as we all know, Schnauzers don’t always have the pleasantest of barks. My youngest, Elvis, has a voice a lot less radio-friendly than his namesake’s…
What’s the best thing about doing agility with your Schnauzer?
The best thing about doing agility with your Schnauzer? That’s easy; the time you spend together. Some of the most fantastic moments of my life have been in the agility ring or perhaps not even in the ring but on the course in my back garden when we give it our all and nobody sees how brilliant we are. That’s fine; it’s not about the rosettes or titles. It’s about the bond you create with your dog. My dogs adore me, and the feeling goes both ways. They are so affectionate, and I know they look forward to our time spent together training or competing as much as I do. We get to go out there and enjoy our favourite sport together. For someone who works from a home office, going out to run is a health benefit I can’t see myself getting if it wasn’t for my dogs and our mutual love for agility. I keep fit so that I can do my dogs justice on an agility course. My dogs are super athletic, both because they have to be and because all the effort we put into building our skills builds muscle. The last time Hector stayed at a boarding kennel, the owner of the kennels said he was ‘the most ripped dog’ he had ever seen.
There is another great benefit we can’t ignore here. When your dog does agility, at any level at all, whether it’s a bit in your own yard over jumps you built out of brush handles and buckets or at Crufts, your dog gets tired – a happy kind of tired. They use their body and their mind, meaning that afterwards your Schnauzie wants a snoozie – and you get peace and quiet!
What would you recommend to anyone wanting to get involved in agility with their Schnauzer?
If you want to give agility a go, look up local clubs and trainers online, or you can start modestly wherever you live. Foundation training requires no or little equipment, is super fun and suitable for dogs of all ages. I’ve done agility basics with dogs ranging from eight weeks to 16 years, and we have all enjoyed them together. The in-between, with the dogs at an age that allows them to compete, is only part of the journey, not the destination.
I haven’t participated in many sports in my life, individual or team sports, but I can tell you one thing: there are no better teammates than our bearded friends, the Schnauzers.
