It's been just three weeks since my dog Cannon died, and the sadness comes and goes. Anyone who has been through the loss of a pet knows what I mean. Sometimes I can think of him with happiness and smile. Then there are the other times — mostly unexpected — when the pain of his loss feels nearly fresh. I am so very appreciative of the caring thoughts that so many have shared with me. It truly helps.

One thing I've tried to do in these three short weeks is find some new things to do with Kochi — activities that we haven't done before, so memories of Cannon don't keep surfacing. Last night, we started taking a dog agility class. I had forgotten how much fun it can be to be a student in a training class. I also had forgotten how frustrating it can be to undertake an activity that doesn't come naturally. I haven't trained in agility for years. The last time was with our Bearded Collie Mayday, who has been gone for more than five years and retired from active training long before that.

Mayday and I did agility in our previous All Dogs Gym location — and we've been in our current facility for 10 years, so I was that much younger when last I trained in agility. That was before we switched to marker (clicker) training, and nothing is the way I first learned it. Add to that the fact that the sport itself has changed and grown a lot in the past 10 years. In other words, I was entirely out of my element and comfort level, giving me a renewed appreciation and empathy for how our students feel when they first attend our training classes. It's hard not to feel self-conscious.

The good news is that Kochi loved the class. Of course, he loves anything that involves getting food treats, but truly I think he had a good time doing new things. I was thrilled with how quickly he took to the agility obstacles — doing much better with his body than I did with mine.

Our instructor, Laura Dolan, is an outstanding agility trainer and competitor. She and her dog, Race, are members of the AKC/USA World Agility Team, which will compete in the FCI World Agility Championships in the Czech Republic this fall. Fortunately for Kochi and me (and others whose goal is to have fun in agility), Laura doesn't stress training for a competitive performance — that is, unless it is the student's goal. Rather, she focuses on each student learning the skills safely, having fun and building the handler's and dog's skills and confidence at whatever pace the team needs. Kochi is very agile and confident, so he can probably advance quickly. Me ... not so much. But we'll have fun together.

Looking for new things to do with Kochi has reminded me of how important it is to have our dogs participate in our activities. As a rescued street dog, Kochi came with baggage that we deal with — he's not overly friendly toward other dogs. But his less-than-perfect behavior doesn't detract from our ability to do things together. I just have to be his protector — protecting him from himself. It's one of the things I do for him. What he does for me is far more than I can put into words.

Gail Fisher, author of “The Thinking Dog,” runs All Dogs Gym & Inn in Manchester. If you would like a topic addressed in this column, email gail@alldogsgym.com or write c/o All Dogs Gym & Inn, 505 Sheffield Road, Manchester, NH 03103. You'll find past columns on her website.