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After leaving the RAF I started my own dog training classes and to teach my dog to perform tricks. One of my clients asked me if I would take my dog to our local school and show off my dogs skills. My German Shepherd Dog, Troy at the time was trained to walk across tight ropes, which proved to enthrall the crowed. Within a few weeks I found myself on the TV Show "That's Life". As the time passed some of my clients had progressed well with their dogs and showed an interest in what I was doing. More and more shows were asking after us so I decided to make a small charge for our services and a team.
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| 1985 click here to see gallery | |
| By now the team
had grown to 10 members and we were starting to travel further away. We
were performing well together at about 15 shows through the summer. Up
to now we had all traveled by car and on the odd occasion that we had to
stay overnight the team would take caravans. I decide that the cost of
this was too great and it would be necessary to change our travel
arrangements. A good friend of mine told me of a coach that was for sale
and I bought it. Little did I now then that this was going to be the
start of a lots of heart ach and expense. I had no idea about how much
maintenance it would take or the running cost. It was a big risk but If
we were going to expand we had to have it. We converted the coach
to carry the dogs and the amounting equipment.
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Cost of coach £2,500 |
| 1990 Click here to see gallery | |
| As the team became more professional and our
date sheet expanded. The demands on the team to travel further became
great. Our coach at the time was extremely old and unreliable. It would break
down nearly every month and the stress it caused was unbelievable All our spare cash seemed to go on the repairs which made
it difficult to by new equipment etc. I had managed to get some sponsorship, but it was minimal. It took every bit of cash we had and
with a bit of help from the bank we splashed out on a new coach
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Cost of coach £10,000 |
| 1998 Click here to see gallery | |
| With many TV appearances and Royal
performances under our belt and now traveling every weekend throughout
the summer we were now becoming far more attractive for sponsorship
deals. We had been trying for many years to get the investment in the
team, but to no avail. It was in this year we were approached by Pascoe's
Dog Food. After watching our performances at various venues around the
country they invested in our present coach, converted it to carry our
dogs and equipment in safety and comfort. All the dogs in the team are
fed on the food and without there support we would be unable to continue
all over the country.
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Cost of coach £32,000 |
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