A DOG trainer from Okehampton and her border collie have won the prestigious Kennel Club Olympia Agility Stakes finals in London.

There's a saying that a man's (and woman's) 'best friend' is their dog and that is certainly true of Lauren Langman and her border collie Fiji.

Lauren is the head trainer at Devon Dogs, a dog training business run at East Bowerland Farm just outside Okehampton. She qualified in two competitions with her border collies Tiki and Fiji.

The two dogs took part with Lauren in the novice competititon semi-final on December 22.

Thirty six of the top dogs from all over the country come to compete from Scotland down to Cornwall.

Ten dogs went through to the final at 8pm the same night — and Lauren and Fiji performed the fastest time in the morning semi-final, meaning they would perform last in the evening final.

'The wait all day piles the pressure on,' said Lauren.

'There is a really competitive atmosphere there, so we went back to the hotel for the rest of the day before we were competing.

'We ran last, which also puts the pressure on you, because there's some expectation, and people waiting to see what you can do.

'Just before we ran in the final, there was a brilliant run, done by a dog that we had bred.

'Everyone was saying there was no hope we could beat that time, and it was the first clean run of the final.

'There's 15,000 people in the arena, so you can't hear much. So to do a clear run among all that, there is a lot of pressure on the handler and the dog.

'It was like a football match. You can never be prepared for that — it is the only event of its type in the country.

'It was amazing. I was grinning for 48 hours afterward, I had goosebumps. However much you prepare, so much has to come together.

'My personal trainer helped me to be fast enough to keep up with Fiji, and you have all the dog trainers and the team. It is a real team effort. It is really good for the team and the business.'

The Devon Dogs business has grown steadily in the last few years, and the finishing touches are now being put on a new indoor dog training facility at the farm. The win at the finals is not only great news for Lauren and Fiji, but for the business.

'It means we are doing the right things, and people want to know what you are doing and how you do it,' said Lauren.

'It reaffirms everything we are doing here. Straight away after I'd won, we had calls from Bermuda and Nova Scotia to do training courses, so I am off to Bermuda at the end of February for a week.

'For me personally it is a massive achievement. I am so busy running the business and living my life with my family and two year old daughter, it's easy to forget your competitive nature.

'Achievements like this remind us we can compete and do great things.

'It is the icing on the cake for 2013, it's the best year we could have had with the new building and everything else going on.

'Fiji is two years old, so to go from being new to competition a year ago to winning a championship now is phenomenal. It makes you feel at ease, and reminds you that you are doing all the right things.

'For us, this competition is the best thing to win in this country.

'The next target would be the world championships and I would like to have a go at qualifying for those in the future.

'The dog has the aptitude for it, and it is all about the partnership between the dog and the handler.'

Lauren was keen to encourage anyone curious in dog handling to give it a go.

She said: 'It is something everyone can have a go at.

'I started when I was 16 or 17 at Lydford as part of a club once a week. Anyone with a dog can try training.

'We are lucky in this area, it is a fairly accessible activity. Something like horses can be out of reach for people due to money. It is also a really healthy lifestyle.

'You are out and about, moving, socialising and it is really refreshing.

'The level we teach at is lovely. You can do it just for fun or you can take it as far as you want to go. But you are only as good as your dog!'