 |
|
|
|
Sunny and his owner Mark Super work on Sunny's balancing skills.
Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Dog Days
Nimble-footed canines make their way through tricky courses
By Joann Liao
The beagle stares up at the ramp, while his owner shouts words of encouragement to him: "C'mon, c'mon!" The beagle runs up the ramp and then down the other side, doing better already than the previous dog, who had jumped off the ramp near the top.
"OK, run. OK, jump. Jump!" The beagle jumps over the hurdles, first one, and then two, and he's over the last one and into the tube, where he wiggles through and comes out the other side. Because this is only a practice and the beagle has not had much experience with running courses yet, he still wears a leash, and his owner runs alongside him. In a competition, there would be no leash, only the verbal encouragement of his owner. By the end of the course, both beagle and owner are panting.
The beagle and other dogs of a variety of breeds are in a Cupertino park this morning taking part in what one dog trainer says is one of the fastest-growing dog sports in the United States: dog agility.
Dog agility is a competitive sport that originated in England in the mid-1980s. Dogs are judged according to their speed and accuracy as they maneuver through a challenging set of obstacles. At the command of their owners, dogs run up and down ramps, they jump through tires and over hurdles, crawl through tunnels and weave between poles.
In dog agility sports, dogs are encouraged with their owners' voices rather than treats. Lindsay Bryson helps lead a leashed Nutmeg across the plank. During competition, dogs are not allowed to wear leashes.
Photograph by Skye Dunlap
The course is as much a test of obedience as agility. During the competition, dogs are unleashed and uncollared. No toys or treats are allowed, and the animals are guided only by the commands of their masters.
Peggy Clark, a dog trainer and private dog coach, teaches agility classes through Cupertino Parks and Recreation in the grass behind Quinlan Center. Members of her class come from all over the Bay Area, including Sunnyvale. They have to, since the demand for the classes outweighs the supply. "Almost every agility person I know that teaches has a long waiting list to get into their classes," Clark said.
Mark Super, a Sunnyvale resident and Silicon Valley engineer, first heard about the dog agility class being offered through the Cupertino Community Center in the center's catalogue. Although he had never heard of dog agility before, he decided to try out the introductory class with his sheltie, Sunny. Now, he finds himself thinking about entering dog agility competitions. "I didn't think about competing when I started, but who knows?" Super said. "I plan on taking the second class."
Wendy Freier, a travel consultant, is also a dog agility enthusiast. Freier has two beagles that she is training for competition.
Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Ruger shows-off his agile jumping and sprinting skills
The Bay Area has three main dog agility organizations, two of which have no restrictions on the breeds that they allow to compete. The United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) allows any breed of dog that is physically fit and obedient to compete, as does the North American Dog Agility Counsel (NADAC). However, the American Kennel Club (AKC) only allows AKC-approved breeds to participate.
Each region in the country has local clubs that belong to one or more or these three organizations. Bay Team, the club closest to Sunnyvale and Cupertino, puts on two USDAA and NADAC competitions, one in the spring and one in the fall.
Not all dogs take to the sport. "The dog has to love it," said Clark. "Agility is not for all dogs. However, most dogs just love to do agility."
Like Clark's dog, Chewbacca.
When Chewbacca, a corgi mixed-breed, wanted to compete, no one thought she could do it. She was too heavy and looked too ungainly. What Chewbacca had, though, was enthusiasm. And now, at almost 12 years old, she is still competing.
"Chewy wanted to do it," Clark said. "We were at a county fair and there was a herding demo. She pulled me through police barriers to get to it." Later, Clark found a place where Chewy could do herding, and they have both been participating in dog sports since.
Clark has been training dogs for over five years. She has trained dogs for competition, as well as for search and rescue. The people who take her class in Cupertino enjoy it because it gives them more time with their dogs. As Wendy Freier put it, "Your dog gets to know you, you get to know the dog."
|
|
|
|
Cupertino, California Since 1947
