October 2, 2002
Dogs of all shapes and sizes show off agile abilities
Eighty-five exhibitors attend AKC Agility Trial presented by Grand Traverse Kennel Club
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Large or small, hairy or clipped, wound up or laid back, the dogs at the first ever local AKC Agility Trial had a howling good time.
Eighty-five exhibitors from around the region and state brought their dogs to the trial, which was hosted by the Grand Traverse Kennel Club. The two-day event was held over the weekend at the Almira Township Park in Lake Ann.
The dogs leaped, climbed and dashed about a course of varying obstacles, with their owners guiding them with whistles or shouts, hand gestures or strategic treats. While judges looked on and a stopwatch clicked off seconds, the dogs navigated tunnels, balanced on a seesaw, climbed ramps and leaped over gates.
Most dogs followed the complex sequence of events, which the judges set up that morning, but the occasional competitor gave into the excitement and joyfully bounded around with the owner trailing helplessly behind.
Through it all, the wagging never flagged.
"All the dogs are having a good time, or we wouldn't be here," said Shirley Burns of Petoskey, who is in her second summer of entering her Shelties into agility contests. "This is just a fund thing to do with your dog, they bond with you and listen to you."
Ellen Sherman of Traverse City has been bringing her dog, Sable, a three-year-old black lab, to agility competitions for two years. She finds the gatherings of dogs of all levels of skills inspiring.
"At a show you see people who started out in the same place you did and now they are getting the legs and the titles," said Sherman, who trains Sable two to four times a month. "You really learn patience, training your dog."
Dog agility competitions have exploded in popularity among dog owners over the past decade. This weekend's events include three classes - excellent, open and novice - on standard and jumpers courses. Dogs are divided into categories by size of jumps that accommodated the different breeds; jumps ranged from four inches in height to 24 inches.
Obstacles on the course include weave poles, tire jumps, broad jumps, A frame, double jumps and open and closed tunnels. In addition, the standard course has each dog pause for five seconds on a platform, appropriately called a Pause Table, before continuing the course.
The typical breeds were well represented at the weekend's trail: Border Collies, black labs, golden labs, Australian Shepherds and shelties to name a few. However, sprinkled in were some unusual breeds that turned heads of other participants.
Lylenette Canfield of Midland likes the challenge of completing agility events with her miniature dachshund and Sharpei.
"I love to have dogs that people don't expect to see," said Canfield, whose dogs won first and second in jumpers in their class Saturday. "They are the only one of those breeds here."
Judges set up the courses the morning of the event following certain criteria for each level of competition. They are often aided by software that helps with obstacle placement, a far cry from just a few years ago when graph paper and erasers ruled the day. They walk the handlers through the course before the event begins and allow them five or ten minutes of study to familiarize themselves with the obstacles and sequence.
Lisa Allmendinger of Chelsea is a veteran judge of agility events as well as a participant with her dogs. She noted that when she sets up a course, she has a preconceived notion of how it will be run. When dogs and their owners take the field, however, things can turn out differently.
"Sometimes, I think that either that was a dumb way to do it or that it was a great idea I didn't think of," said Allmendinger, who also teachers dog agility courses. "What I learn while judging out in the ring is what not to do, it helps me with my handling and with my students."
Allmendinger, one of the first AKC judges nationwide, also keeps a lighthearted approach to the trial in mind.
"Just remember that it's fun, fun is the name of the game," she said. "You should love your dog as much when you walk out of the ring as when you walked in."