Meet Our Member
Shari Kolding
What is your profession?
Non-profit fundraising/management. I’ve been with the National Audubon Society since 2000.
Describe your household – any children, significant other, other pets?
My husband Rob makes computer chips for Spansion and is currently working towards a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Besides the dogs, Rob has two ferrets (Vela & Bueller – get it, “Ferret Bueller?!”), and I care for two geese (Rodin & Roseanne) that I inherited when some neighbors moved away -- they live outside down by the creek!
Are you originally from Austin? If not, where from? How long have you been in Austin?
We’ve been in Austin since 1995, when we moved here from northern CA so I could attend grad school at UT.
When you’re not doing agility, what fills your time? (Work, hobbies)
Does eating too many carbs and then obsessing about it count as a hobby?! Actually, what little free time I have is usually spent gardening, at the gym, watching movies, and napping with The Beagle.
How "dog old" are you? (Example: 4th dog – 4 dogs old)
I’m 3 dogs old – my first dog was Blue, a blue heeler/cattle dog mix that I grew up with.
What dog(s) are you currently training in agility (breed, age, name, titles earned)?
Toby is a tri-colored 15” Beagle who turned 10 in June 2005, and is “mostly” retired now. He has a NADAC Tunnelers title, the only event in which he shows, and he has a CGC. Joey is a Polish Lowland Sheepdog (AKA Polski Owczarek Nizinny, or PON) of about the same age. She has about 20 or so titles in all three agility venues and is now competing in the veteran-type classes.
How and when did you become interested in agility?
Toby is happy to just lay around the house all day, but Joey needed more stimulation. I had heard of agility and seen some on TV, so I figured I’d take a beginning class to see how we liked it. That was in June 1999, when the dogs were 4 years old. I started training Toby a couple years later because he would get stressed when I left him at home to attend class. And if I was going to pack him along, he was going to work too!
When did you join Austin K9 Xpress?
1999.
Do you compete with or are you interested in competing with your dog in agility?
I never intended to compete when I started, but I liked the camaraderie among competitors. And I like what one member has said about how competing is like taking a test to see how effective your studying methods have been. As my dogs get older I’ve come to think of any time in the ring not as a chance to measure results, but rather as a gift of time spent with my dog, not to be taken for granted.
If you do trial, in which venues (AKC, NADAC, USDAA) do you compete?
I compete in all venues, and like different aspects of all of them. NADAC is my favorite overall, but my favorite event is USDAA Snooker. My favorite judge is an AKC judge.
Do you train or compete in other dog sports? Nope!
How often do you train?One to three times a week, depending on my mood, the weather, when our next competition is, etc. I’m not likely to go train unless I have a commitment to meet other people at the field, or have specific training issues with a competition coming up.
What goals have you set for you and your dog(s)?
We’ve achieved more than I ever thought possible for us with regards to Qs and titles! With two veteran-aged dogs, my main goal now is to keep every run fun for them, and when the time comes that they’re no longer having a good time, to have enough smarts to recognize that and not keep pushing them.
What’s the toughest part of training for you?
Striking the balance between achieving success and keeping it “just a hobby.” Agility doesn’t lend itself to a lot of success if you only want to pursue it casually. I’ve been lucky with Joey to enjoy as much success as I have while usually only training once a week.
What is your dog especially good at?
Gambles, and getting other people to feed her. She naturally tucks her legs up under her when she jumps, so knocked bars haven’t been much of a problem for us.
What’s your favorite place in Austin/Central Texas to take your dog?
When she was younger I’d take Joey on the Trail of Lights 5k, the only race I do. It’s usually nice and cold that time of year, and she loved it – I never did as much running as when I had her with me!
What’s your dog’s favorite treat?
Why, what have you got?
What’s yours?
Pumpkin pie. No wait… why, what have you got?
What’s your proudest moment with your dog?
Toby’s first Tunneler leg was significant. Joey’s AXJ and AD titles, each of which took nearly three years, were big moments too.
What’s your funniest moment with your dog?
Anyone who saw Toby’s first-ever Tunneler run knows the answer to that question! And if you haven’t had the privilege, come on over to my place – have I got a video performance for you!!