To excel at agility, dogs must move quickly through an obstacle course, relying solely on their owner’s cues for direction. Where 7-year-old Shetland Sheepdog “Rusty” shines is his consistency. “He’s not the fastest dog out there, but he is very reliable and accurate,” says Rusty’s owner and handler, Beth Glommen of Golden Valley, Minnesota.
Glommen got her first Sheltie before there were agility competitions and soon fell in love with the sport. Together, she and Rusty (MACH6 Rusty Sunlight MXC2 PAD MJC2 NF T2B SWA SCE SEE SBE SHDN CGC) are carrying on this tradition. Recently, they qualified to compete at the 2025 AKC National Agility Championship (NAC) in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Their first NAC appearance was in 2022, and they couldn’t be more excited to return this year. “We’re not expecting to win,” she says. “We’re just expecting to have fun.”
©GreatDanePhotos
Glommen got Rusty as a puppy from Minnesota Sheltie Rescue (MNSR), where she’s been a board member since 2010. Rusty is a sable merle and came from a farm in southern Minnesota. Founded in 2003, MNSR takes in Shetland Sheepdogs that are in need of a good home. Some of these dogs additionally require medical care before they can find their forever homes.
MNSR’s goal is to place these dogs into a home environment right away, so they can adjust to living with people. “We try and have dogs go directly into foster homes,” she explains. “As the foster home, we evaluate if they’re okay with kids and can handle other dogs or cats or if they need a fenced yard.”
MNSR also hosts an annual reunion of rescued dogs as one way to help build their confidence. Glommen takes the lead on the games at the reunion. “We play very simple games because the majority of the dogs that come in are not able to do major obedience or anything,” she says. “A lot of them are still very shy and reserved.”
They try to make the games fun for everyone, including an “obstacle course” where dogs walk over a bar on the floor, sit, twirl around, or walk between cones. Another favorite is the “peanut butter lick-off,” where dogs lick peanut butter off their handler’s hand to see who comes out the fastest. “Then everybody wins, so we have fun games like that,” she says.
Glommen herself has fostered dogs, including one that was surrendered to MNSR. “This dog was not used to household noises or being around other dogs and had been in a crate her whole life,” she says. “So, for her, the goal was just to know that being around human beings could be a positive experience.”
Along with fostering several dogs, Glommen has given three rescued dogs from MNSR a forever home, including 14 and a half year old “Jasmine.” More recently, she welcomed “Mango,” who she got from a reputable breeder in Minnesota called North Roe Shelties. Jasmine is now retired from agility, and Mango is in training but hasn’t competed yet. “It’s taken Rusty a little bit longer to get used to Mango,” she says. “They are now becoming friends and are playing more evenly.”
“Crystal” was Glommen’s first agility dog, and they began training before agility became a recognized sport. “I did a lot with Crystal, and since then, I’ve done whatever the dog is capable of doing,” she says. “Agility is a great sport to build their independence and confidence.”
Since her retirement, Glommen has put more time into agility and other dog sports. She’s seen firsthand how much dogs benefit from learning agility exercises. “Just being able to jump is kind of exhilarating, and going through a tunnel is really simple,” she says. “It helps to build a bond with the dog, and it’s a great activity if they’re able to handle it.”
She and Rusty started doing agility when he was a puppy. They attended puppy orientation classes to help him get used to walking on different surfaces. Going over bars on the ground was preparation for going over a jump. She also practiced walking on the right or left side and crossing over, so Rusty would learn to pay attention to where she was and where he should be moving. “So, you build up slowly with little things,” she says.
Rusty was almost a year old when they started weave training. That’s where they navigate between upright poles called weave poles. “That’s a little bit more twisty on their body,” she says. “And it’s also not quite as natural of a movement for dogs.”
©GreatDanePhotos
Glommen describes Shelties as being very attentive to their owners. They’re good with kids. “They are a herding dog, so they like to be active,” she says. “I always believe that it’s good to give them as much exercise as they need.”
Aside from agility, Rusty enjoys sports like AKC Scent Work and has just gotten to the Excellent level. Like Jasmine, Rusty used to do freestyle dog dancing where he would do spins and jumps over Glommen’s arms. Given her calm demeanor, Jasmine has been a therapy dog, a volunteer at the Humane Society, and a neutral team for their Reactive Rover class. “That’s a class where they needed a dog that would not react to dogs reacting to them,” she explains.
Glommen describes Rusty as a sweet boy. Though agility has helped him gain confidence, he can be a bit timid in public and when he’s at a competition. “He gets his confidence by being around people,” she says. “If I just relax and let him be himself, we have a lot of fun, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Rusty is known for being a good cuddler. “My mother is 96, and he enjoys watching Hallmark movies while sitting on the couch with her,” she says. Sometimes, Rusty has a habit of barking on morning walks. When they meet people, “he likes to say hi and greet them with a friendly hello by barking,” she says.
Rusty recently earned his MACH 6. “It’s really neat that, at age 7, he already has a MACH 6,” she says. Since he’s not as fast as the other dogs, it can be challenging for them to get points and encourage him to go through the course faster. “But he has the accuracy, which gives us 2Qs (20 double qualifying scores are needed for a MACH) very easily,” she says. “He’s had at least 120 2Qs and 75 waiting and ready for the points.”
During the winter, they train once a week and compete three weekends out of the month. “In the summertime, I will try and train at home in the backyard,” she says. “He’s most relaxed in the backyard and runs very fast. We have some neighborhood kids that come over and practice agility with him, which is fun.”
This will be their fourth time competing at NAC. “I consider it an honor just to be able to qualify and compete,” she says. “We don’t have any expectation that we’ll make it to the finals or anything. But we just consider it fun that we have earned enough points and enough 2Qs to be able to go there and have fun.”
Glommen enjoys the camaraderie of being around fellow competitors and their dogs, especially those from her home state. “The first years we sat in the crowd and watched the finals,” she says. “There were other people from Minnesota competing in the finals, and it was very fun to be able to cheer them on.”
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Glommen got her first Sheltie before there were agility competitions and soon fell in love with the sport. Together, she and Rusty (MACH6 Rusty Sunlight MXC2 PAD MJC2 NF T2B SWA SCE SEE SBE SHDN CGC) are carrying on this tradition. Recently, they qualified to compete at the 2025 AKC National Agility Championship (NAC) in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Their first NAC appearance was in 2022, and they couldn’t be more excited to return this year. “We’re not expecting to win,” she says. “We’re just expecting to have fun.”
A Dedication to Animal Rescue
©GreatDanePhotos
Glommen got Rusty as a puppy from Minnesota Sheltie Rescue (MNSR), where she’s been a board member since 2010. Rusty is a sable merle and came from a farm in southern Minnesota. Founded in 2003, MNSR takes in Shetland Sheepdogs that are in need of a good home. Some of these dogs additionally require medical care before they can find their forever homes.
MNSR’s goal is to place these dogs into a home environment right away, so they can adjust to living with people. “We try and have dogs go directly into foster homes,” she explains. “As the foster home, we evaluate if they’re okay with kids and can handle other dogs or cats or if they need a fenced yard.”
MNSR also hosts an annual reunion of rescued dogs as one way to help build their confidence. Glommen takes the lead on the games at the reunion. “We play very simple games because the majority of the dogs that come in are not able to do major obedience or anything,” she says. “A lot of them are still very shy and reserved.”
They try to make the games fun for everyone, including an “obstacle course” where dogs walk over a bar on the floor, sit, twirl around, or walk between cones. Another favorite is the “peanut butter lick-off,” where dogs lick peanut butter off their handler’s hand to see who comes out the fastest. “Then everybody wins, so we have fun games like that,” she says.
Glommen herself has fostered dogs, including one that was surrendered to MNSR. “This dog was not used to household noises or being around other dogs and had been in a crate her whole life,” she says. “So, for her, the goal was just to know that being around human beings could be a positive experience.”
Along with fostering several dogs, Glommen has given three rescued dogs from MNSR a forever home, including 14 and a half year old “Jasmine.” More recently, she welcomed “Mango,” who she got from a reputable breeder in Minnesota called North Roe Shelties. Jasmine is now retired from agility, and Mango is in training but hasn’t competed yet. “It’s taken Rusty a little bit longer to get used to Mango,” she says. “They are now becoming friends and are playing more evenly.”
Getting Started in Agility
“Crystal” was Glommen’s first agility dog, and they began training before agility became a recognized sport. “I did a lot with Crystal, and since then, I’ve done whatever the dog is capable of doing,” she says. “Agility is a great sport to build their independence and confidence.”
Since her retirement, Glommen has put more time into agility and other dog sports. She’s seen firsthand how much dogs benefit from learning agility exercises. “Just being able to jump is kind of exhilarating, and going through a tunnel is really simple,” she says. “It helps to build a bond with the dog, and it’s a great activity if they’re able to handle it.”
She and Rusty started doing agility when he was a puppy. They attended puppy orientation classes to help him get used to walking on different surfaces. Going over bars on the ground was preparation for going over a jump. She also practiced walking on the right or left side and crossing over, so Rusty would learn to pay attention to where she was and where he should be moving. “So, you build up slowly with little things,” she says.
Rusty was almost a year old when they started weave training. That’s where they navigate between upright poles called weave poles. “That’s a little bit more twisty on their body,” she says. “And it’s also not quite as natural of a movement for dogs.”
©GreatDanePhotos
Get to Know Glommen’s Shelties
Glommen describes Shelties as being very attentive to their owners. They’re good with kids. “They are a herding dog, so they like to be active,” she says. “I always believe that it’s good to give them as much exercise as they need.”
Aside from agility, Rusty enjoys sports like AKC Scent Work and has just gotten to the Excellent level. Like Jasmine, Rusty used to do freestyle dog dancing where he would do spins and jumps over Glommen’s arms. Given her calm demeanor, Jasmine has been a therapy dog, a volunteer at the Humane Society, and a neutral team for their Reactive Rover class. “That’s a class where they needed a dog that would not react to dogs reacting to them,” she explains.
Glommen describes Rusty as a sweet boy. Though agility has helped him gain confidence, he can be a bit timid in public and when he’s at a competition. “He gets his confidence by being around people,” she says. “If I just relax and let him be himself, we have a lot of fun, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Rusty is known for being a good cuddler. “My mother is 96, and he enjoys watching Hallmark movies while sitting on the couch with her,” she says. Sometimes, Rusty has a habit of barking on morning walks. When they meet people, “he likes to say hi and greet them with a friendly hello by barking,” she says.
Gearing Up for the National Agility Championship
Rusty recently earned his MACH 6. “It’s really neat that, at age 7, he already has a MACH 6,” she says. Since he’s not as fast as the other dogs, it can be challenging for them to get points and encourage him to go through the course faster. “But he has the accuracy, which gives us 2Qs (20 double qualifying scores are needed for a MACH) very easily,” she says. “He’s had at least 120 2Qs and 75 waiting and ready for the points.”
During the winter, they train once a week and compete three weekends out of the month. “In the summertime, I will try and train at home in the backyard,” she says. “He’s most relaxed in the backyard and runs very fast. We have some neighborhood kids that come over and practice agility with him, which is fun.”
This will be their fourth time competing at NAC. “I consider it an honor just to be able to qualify and compete,” she says. “We don’t have any expectation that we’ll make it to the finals or anything. But we just consider it fun that we have earned enough points and enough 2Qs to be able to go there and have fun.”
Glommen enjoys the camaraderie of being around fellow competitors and their dogs, especially those from her home state. “The first years we sat in the crowd and watched the finals,” she says. “There were other people from Minnesota competing in the finals, and it was very fun to be able to cheer them on.”
The post Rescued Sheltie ‘Rusty’ Competes at AKC National Agility Championship appeared first on American Kennel Club.
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