Canine athletes get fine-tuned for their Olympics

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Chicago Sun Times

By Esther J. Cepeda

If the American Kennel Club's Best In Show competition is the Miss America pageant of the dog world, then the U.S. Dog Agility Association's North Central Regional Championships this weekend are more of an iron man competition -- except with jumps, hurdles and poles. And kibble.

There will be no dignified trotting or perfectly coiffed hair here -- these elite canine athletes aren't afraid to work up a sweat, and panting rather than posing rules the day. They'll be competing against each other in hopes of qualifying for the chance to travel to Scottsdale, Ariz., for the 18th annual World Cynosport games in November. There they'll go muzzle to muzzle with top dogs from North and Central America, parts of Europe and Southeast Asia. A veritable doggie Olympics.

Some 250 canine contestants from all over the Midwest will converge in far south suburban Manhattan Friday through Sunday, to climb, jump and run to glory.

Some of the country's top professional handlers, as well as plain old dog-lovers with their best friends in tow, will be there to put the pooches through their paces.

Aside from the physical prowess that qualified the dogs for the regional showdown, these top contenders all have one thing in common -- they are all house dogs.

"They live in homes, sleep in beds and are typical pets," said Kris Garra, trial secretary for the North Central Regional Championships, as well as a competitor. "You almost have to have them as a pet because the relationship with the dog is critical to success on the field."

Garra says good rapport elevates contenders who can take direction against a ticking clock, sometimes from a distance, above dogs who merely go through the motions.

In an event called the Gambler, a line is drawn on the ground that a handler can't cross. He or she directs the dog through obstacles from behind the line, gambling that the dog will do as it's told from a distance.

Amateurs be warned, no amount of good communication can stand in for training. Most dogs attend one or two classes per week, then drill at home on obstacles set up in backyards for three to five hours a week or more. This is in addition to daily fitness routines that include playing catch, running and swimming.

Along with such grueling regimens comes some champion-level pampering. While these working dogs have no tolerance for frou-frou dressing-up or trips to the salon for mani/peds, there are the high-quality kibble and pricey, specially prepared raw meats to chew on. And massages. Like any other athlete, champion working dogs have aches and pains that require professional expertise.

Laurie McCauley of TOPS veterinary rehabilitation center in Grayslake sees competitors weekly during competition season and quarterly during the offseason. After a 30-minute evaluation session, McCauley sets a course of treatment or does last-minute adjustments prior to a race.

"I see a ton [of dogs] anytime there is a big sporting event, sometimes all day long," McCauley said. "About a third of my patients are agility or working dogs and during the week before a competition they come in for chiropractic adjustments on spines and limbs. They need muscle work to get rid of knots, or help enhancing a full range of motion for joints.

"We make them feel better and get rid of little problems so they can be the best athlete possible."

Some might howl at the time and money poured into canine agility competitions, where training classes run up to $120 an hour for private sessions. With contest entry fees, hotels and gas, some handlers shell out more than $5,000 a year on their pet project. "It's a rather expensive hobby," said handler Dana Pike, "but comparable to playing golf."

Kelly Garver, a handler from Hebron, Ind., admits training is very time consuming and says her husband Brian, while supportive, thinks she may be a little too devoted. "He's very patient, and I couldn't do it without him," said Garver, "but he does think we're all crazy obsessed with this game."

ecepeda@suntimes.com





THE SPORTING GROUP

CLEVER

Age: 2
Breed: Golden Retriever
Hometown: Homer Glen, Ill.
Handler: Kris Garra
Strength on the field: the A-Frame, Teeter-Totter and Dog Walk.
Past awards: Placed third at the Grand Prix in Glen Carbon, Ill., in April; has qualified for USDAA nationals. He'll compete at the Canadian Agility Nationals in August.
Training regimen: He had spinal meningitis a year ago but now is back working obstacles. (Above, he practices Jumps.)
Special diet: High-protein food with balanced protein and fat ratios.
Pre-competition ritual: Getting jazzed.
Favorite treat: String cheese.
Comments: "Even though he just turned 2, he is exceptionally mature ... ," Garra said.




BANG

Breed: Border Collie
Hometown: Wilmington, Ill., south of Joliet
Handler: Dana Pike
Age: 5
Strength on the field: In addition to being fast, he's "very honest" because he does exactly as his handler asks.
Past Awards: Won a regional USDAA 2004. Finished fourth at the American Kennel Club agility nationals this year.
Training regimen: Doesn't require more than fine tuning -- 10 minutes a day, three days a week, of obstacle work in addition to fetching, running and staying fit. (Above he's practicing the Dogwalk.)
Special diet: High-quality dry food.
Pre-competition rituals: Warmups, tricks such as rolling over and giving hugs.
Favorite activities: Likes to play in the baby pool in the backyard.
Comments: "He'd rather do agility training than anything else -- he loves it," Pike said.




MARLIN

Age: 2 1/2
Breed: Australian Cattle Dog
Hometown: Muncie, Ind.
Handler: Teresa Calvert
Strength on the field: His strong relationship with his handler.
Past awards: Second place in the Grand Prix qualifier in St. Louis.
Training regimen: Fifteen minutes of agility training most days, along with everyday fetching and swimming. (Above he's practicing the Tunnels.)
Special diet: He's on a diet structured around his allergies, supplemented with raw chicken and beef.
Pre-competition rituals: Stretching, warming up and playing games.
Favorite toy: Marlin has a jolly ball (big rubber ball with a handle) he stole from one of the family horses that he loves to play with.
Comments: "To [Marlin] the competition is fun. He just wants to play the game with his mom," Calvert said.




PREACHER

Age: 6
Breed: Labrador Retriever
Hometown: Hebron, Ind.
Handler: Kelly Garver
Strength on the field: Really good at A-frame, the Dog Walk and Teeter-Totter.
Past awards: Finished fifth at the 2004 USDAA Grand Prix finals.
Training regimen: Half an hour a week of agility training, lots of fetching and swimming. (Above, he practices the A-Frame.)
Special diet: Eats raw meat -- fish, chicken, lamb, turkey, beef, duck -- and vegetables.
Pre-competition rituals: "He's pretty wacky, so I try to bring him out five minutes prior, just enough to stretch and warm up ... " Garver said.
Favorite activity: Running, tugging on his leash.
Comments: On pre-event warm-ups, Garver said competing is "more of a sprint, not a marathon."



SODA

Age: 3
Breed: Border Collie
Hometown: Lapeer, Mich.
Handler: Jen Pinder
Strength on the field: Speed and accuracy on the Dog Walk and Teeter-Totter.
Past awards: Has placed in several USDAA steeplechase finals.
Training regimen: Five to 10 hours of swimming, running and jump training per week. (Above he practices the Weave Poles event.)
Special diet: He'll eat anything but gets kibble twice a day.
Pre-competition rituals: He works on attention-building games.
Favorite treat: Hot dogs.
Comments: "He is a driven and intense dog," Pinder said.