🐾 BRAG & WAG: VESPER — ALWAYS ALL IN 🐾

Some dogs enter our lives and change everything.

For Sébastien Bouchard, that dog was Vesper—a Canadian Grand Champion, agility champion, dock-diving pioneer, disc dog and even a television star.

“Intensity” was the word that best described her. Whatever Vesper did, she was 100% all in.

As Sébastien’s first agility dog, Vesper was an unforgiving—but remarkable—teacher. Together, they grew into an exceptional team, accumulating Agility Association of Canada titles and earning placements at both the Regional and National levels:

🏆 2017 AAC Regional Champion — 16″ Veteran
🏆 Highest qualifying score at the 2017 Regional — 686.01 points
🏆 2018 AAC Regional Champion — 16″ Veteran
🏆 7th place at the 2018 AAC Nationals — Veteran
🏆 2nd place at the 2019 AAC Regional — 16″ Veteran
🏆 11th place at the 2019 AAC Nationals — Veteran

Vesper and Sébastien were also working toward the prestigious AAC Lifetime Achievement Award of Merit, requiring 100 Master Standard and 125 Master Games qualifying scores, when the pandemic brought competition to a halt.

By the time trials resumed, Vesper was 12 years old. Age and the long break had taken a toll on her body—but never on her love of agility. They continued more slowly, running primarily for the sheer joy of being together.

Then, on September 2, 2022, Vesper completed her 100th Master Standard qualifying run and officially earned her Lifetime Achievement Award of Merit.

With that final run, she had earned her retirement.

Sadly, Vesper passed away less than a year later, in August 2023. Her legacy, however, is far greater than any title or placement. She was a true versatile Vizsla, an extraordinary athlete and, most importantly, a once-in-a-lifetime partner.

Congratulations to Sébastien and Vesper on a remarkable career—and thank you for sharing her story with us. ❤️