Meet the Member!
Byron & Pat Rathbun
What is your profession? Operate dog-friendly bed and breakfast.
Describe your household – any children, significant other, other pets? Pat and Byron run the B&B&Biscuit. Shiva, Beau and Razr run Pat and Byron.
Are you originally from Austin? If not, where from? How long have you been in Austin? Pat from Houston, Byron from Wyoming, came here in 2006 from Los Angeles.
When you’re not doing agility, what fills your time? (Work, hobbies) Running the B&B.
How “dog old” are you? (Example: 4th dog – 4 dogs old)Now have 5th dog.
What dog(s) are you currently training in agility (breed, age, name, titles earned)? Beau is AX AXJ XF in AKC agility plus CGC. Shiva is an agility dropout. Razr begins training soon.
How and when did you become interested in agility? In 1993, saw an article about the local club (DAWG) in the Dallas Morning News, where I worked. Went out to a training session to check it out, and the rest is history.
When did you join Austin K9 Xpress? 2011, I think
Do you compete with or are you interested in competing with your dog in agility? Byron runs Beau. I will be training Razr. Shiva will be ignoring us all.
If you do trial, in which venues (AKC, NADAC, USDAA) do you compete? So far, we have done AKC, but we are trying NADAC this year. With former dogs, have done USDAA and UKC.
Do you train or compete in other dog sports? With former dog, competed through Utility level in obedience. Beau took some tracking training when a puppy and resuming it now.
How often do you train? Two to three times a week. And we have our own agility course.
What goals have you set for you and your dog(s)? Someday Beau will get a MACH.
What’s the toughest part of training for you? Distance work with Beau.
What is your dog especially good at? Beau is fast, focused and enthusiastic.
What’s your favorite place in Austin/Central Texas to take your dog? Turkey Creek Nature Trail.
What’s your dog’s favorite treat? With Beau and Razr, food. With Shiva, salmon snacks, especially Lakse Kronch.
What’s yours?Fried chicken.
What’s your proudest moment with your dog? When people say what a great dog he is.
What’s your funniest moment with your dog? When the granddaughters locked him out of his crate and left their Oreo cookies in it. He probably sat their for hours, with his paws stuck as far as he could into the side of HIS crate, willing those cookies to come to him.
