Dog Agility Competitions New Haven CT
Rising to the Challenge in Agility
Watching an agility trial on television, you might assume that the only breeds successful in agility are herding dogs and terriers. But if you wait a while, you’ll also see the occasional “non-traditional” agility dog, such as a Shiba Inu, Great Dane or Beagle.
A scenthound’s genetics compel it to follow its nose before it even knows its name. How do you get a Beagle’s nose off the ground long enough to notice there’s an agility jump in front of it?
To find out why someone would choose such a daunting training challenge, I talked with Lisa Jones. Lisa and her husband, Gary, own two Beagles that hold many titles, and are well respected in the Southern California agility scene.
Q: As cat people, how did you and your husband end up competing in canine agility?
A: We both had cats and family dogs growing up, but apartment and condo living seemed to lend itself to cats. After seeing our friends run their Australian Shepherds in agility, we said, “We gotta get a dog!”
Q: Why did you and your husband choose Beagles?
A: Living in a second-level condo, we knew we needed a smaller breed that would get along with our cats. We considered the Corgi, but we had concerns about its long back. Little did we know that a Beagle’s nose would be such an issue!
Q: How did you find your dogs, Abby and Major?
A: We met a breeder named Janet Doesschate. After a long and informative conversation, Janet said she had a puppy available. We entered into a co-ownership agreement.
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Author: Terry Long
Copyright 2009 BowTie Inc.
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