Dog agility championships continue through Sunday

Michelle LeDuc and her mixed breed Jamie drove all the way from Connecticut to compete at the agility dog trials this weekend. (T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Order this photo]

The vendors were setting up on the mezzanine Tuesday morning, and it was what you might expect -- blankets and bedding, special foods and fencing exhibits. But there weren't any saddles or bridles on display -- just a lot of leashes.

And squeaky toys.

The North American Agility Dog Council's national championship is being held this weekend at Calsonic, from now until Sunday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, with more than 300 dogs coming from more than 45 states and at least one Canadian province. Large, small, smooth-haired or shaggy, purebred or mixed, the canines are in the house. There's no admission charge for spectators and there will be vendors offering everything from plush toy dogs to plush dog toys, as well as grooming, training, feeding, and fashion supplies.

The one thing these dogs all have in common is talent. They can run, jump, twist, tunnel and climb over, under through and around an obstacle course that might make most human athletes hesitate. Some of the best dog-handler teams in the sport will be competing in this international event, and every participant had to qualify to get here.

"This is our first time here," said Sharon Nelson, who created NADAC in 1993. "We scout around the country until we find a good, suitable site for dogs."

As the host town, Shelbyville joins the ranks of Boston, Calgary, Phoenix, Seattle and Denver.

"I'd never heard of Shelbyville," said Michelle LeDuc of East Hartford, Conn., here with her keeshond-border collie mix Jamie. "I had to look it up on the Internet. This is the farthest we've ever gone for a show. The people here are so nice! Up north, it's totally different. On the way here, we got a bolt in our tire and they fixed it and didn't charge us anything."

Across from where her trailer is parked is another camper, this one from Massachusetts. On the passenger-side window was a sign, "Tennessee or Bust."

Everyone welcome

Another difference between the north and south, said Michelle, was that there are more people down here using mixed-breed dogs in the agility trials.

"Up north, they tend to be purebreds."

"Any dog can compete," said Sharon. "Purebred and mix, anything from a Chihuahua to a St. Bernard, as long as they can safely get through the course."

Some of the larger breeds, such as great Danes or St. Bernards, don't usually excel at it, she admitted.

"Most people go for the mid-size working dogs, like border collies or Australian shepherds," said Sharon. Most of her seven or eight agility dogs are border collies or border collie mixes. "But we've had some dogs from almost every breed do well."

Cheryl Acampora of Plymouth, Mass., (owner of the "Tennessee or Bust" sign) can testify to that. When her family brought home Allie, it was just to be a family pet. Cheryl went to an agility show and had her interest piqued, then through her 4-H club, found out there were two different dog training programs, one for obedience and one for agility.

"They said I couldn't do agility with her," she said. "She's half Newfoundland, and they aren't exactly energetic or coordinated. And she's half collie and they're known for being oversensitive. They told me she would be neurotic and lazy."

"They," as tends to be the case, were wrong. Since then, Cheryl and Allie have won two obedience titles, certification as a therapy dog, and 15 agility titles. She's here to get some more.

"I told them I would win everything I could with this girl," said Cheryl.

Rescue rewarded

Some of those mixed-breed dogs have a reason to run and play with the excited joy most agility dogs exhibit. Like Jamie and Allie, many of them are rescue dogs -- saved from being euthanized, or spending their lives behind bars at a no-kill animal shelter. Besides her herd of agility dogs, Sharon herself has about 35 canines back home in Oklahoma -- all rescue dogs.

"We train and rehabilitate them and find them owners," she said.

Michelle knows all about that. Her Jamie was abandoned when she was only two weeks old.

"Someone put her in a shoe box and left her at the police station,' she said. "Can you imagine?"

Michelle, who had been doing obedience training with dogs, got into agility because of a "problem child."

"I had a tough dog -- not very friendly," she said. "Agility builds their confidence."

It worked on that tough dog, so much so that when Michelle brought Jamie home, the older dog was able to indoctrinate the human-raised puppy into a dog's life -- and a good life at that. She passed away recently, but Jamie continues the pattern and is helping Michelle train the newest addition, a spaniel mix puppy that had been living in the wild and had to be caught in a humane trap before she could rescue it.

"We've all got to help each other out," she said."

Growing sport

The fast-paced sport of dog agility has been around since the mid 1980s and has grown into one of the most popular dog sports in the world. NADAC was formed in 1993 to provide North American dogs and their handlers with a fast, safe and enjoyable form of the sport of dog agility. Dog agility has been called a sort of Gladiators' version of dog showing and consists of a circus-like obstacle course that requires dogs to climb through tunnels, navigate teeter-totters, jump through tires, and weave through wires and poles-- all at the behest of their handlers. It is a display of the dog-owner bond and is a showcase for hard-won communication, tireless training, and, well, agility.

There are classes depending on the age of the dog -- including the "Double Digit" class for dogs 10 and older; as well as classes based on the age of the handler. Cheryl, at 13, is one of the youngest showing this year. There are also classes based on the size of the dog -- a Chihuahua and a St. Bernard might be able to compete, but not against each other.

Why do they do it?

"It's fun," is Sharon's simple answer. "There's no money in it. No profit to anyone. It's just good people playing with their dogs in a competitive environment, but still having fun."

It's also a fun that the handlers and their dogs love to share.