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Hundreds compete for AKC ratings at Wellness Center
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Rick Oberndorf of Pittsburgh pets his 4-year-old Belgian Tervuren, Callie, during the AKC-sanctioned dog agility trials at the Mayor Ralph A. Infante Wellness Center in Niles on Sunday. About 450 dogs were entered in the event.
BY Jordan Cohen
NILES
The Ralph A. Infante Wellness Center has hosted its share of athletic events, but things were different this weekend. This time, highly-trained competitors raced on four legs instead of two—competitors such as Gilley, an 8-year-old border collie who weaved in and out of poles, raced through small tunnels and easily handled running on a teeter-totter.
“Gilley is a four-time masters agility champion,” said the dog’s owner, Mike Holman of Edinboro, Pa., who ran alongside his dog and tried to catch his breath after Gilley successfully completed the agility course. “He’s been doing this forever,” Holman said.
The two-day agility trials, sanctioned by the American Kennel Club, drew about 450 dogs and their owners from as far away as Maryland, New York and West Virginia. A few owners set up mobile homes and RVs on the grounds near the center and the adjacent swimming pool.
“People go to these trials every weekend, and they’re big-time into this, said Sandy Irish of Cortland, trial chairman and a member of the Youngstown All Breed Training Club, the event sponsor. “They enjoy the competition because they want to have one of the top dogs in the country.”
In the agility trials, the dog, running without a leash, follows cues from its handler in navigating an obstacle course of tunnels, poles and jumps, some as high as 20 inches.
“It’s instinctual training,” explained George Smith of Pittsburgh, who entered two Pomeranians in the competition. “The dogs respond to your hand signals and body motions, which prepare them for the next move.”
Paige, one of Smith’s Pomeranians, easily handled the jumping trial. The 5-year old’s harness contained the word “Diva,” an appropriate description as she pestered Smith for her treats after the competition.
“We attend around 40 of these trials a year,” said Smith’s wife, Jan. “It keeps us and the dogs physically active.”
Smith said that experienced handlers can tell when they meet a dog whether it will do well in agility training. “I want a dog that is driven and assertive, but not aggressive,” he said, adding that two of the couple’s three Pomeranians have finished second and third in the country in agility trials.
Inci, a 6-year-old Doberman, is a former competitor, but has “retired” according to her owner, Cindy Noland of Prospect, Pa. “She’s won agility championships three times, but now, she’s not that competitive and comes for fun,” Noland said while her large, playful dog tried to stay the center of her owner’s attention. “We don’t have the time to do all the travel and work, but Inci still loves to come to the trials.”
Denise Thomas, whose dogs have placed in the AKC national competition, said trial participation is a way of life for the owners. “This is for people who love to spend time with their dogs and go every weekend,” said Thomas, who has trained dogs for 40 years in Edinboro, Pa. “It’s amazing how much money people are willing to spend.” She estimated an average weekend expense of $100 for each trial.
“You have a top dog, and you’ll keep getting invited,” she said. “It’s definitely a hobby.”