Tag archives: agility

Rickie Roo, well-known star in the world of dog agility is also known for her canine philanthropy, recognized by the American Kennel Club as an Award of Canine Excellence (ACE) award honoree for her educational and charitable efforts.

This spunky 7-year-old Rat Terrier is an exceptional athlete and is ranked among the best in her sport, earning her titles Master Agility Excellent and Master Excellent Jumpers With Weaves. These titles were needed for Rickie Roo to qualify for this year’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Masters Agility Challenge event.  Despite having a visual impairment due to both lenses needing removal because of primary lens luxation (PLL), she will be competing on February 14^th (show airs on 2/15) at Westminster. 

In the sport of dog agility, just like in the Olympics it is important to be in tip-top shape and able to perform at your best. Which is why her breeder, Barbie Trammel and her owner and trainer, Deborah Davidson-Harpur had Roo’s DNA tested for an inherited mutation that causes lens dislocation in several breeds. PLL is caused by a mutation that affects the ligaments that holds the lens of the eye in place. When those ligaments ...

Cranial cruciate ligaments in dogs perform the same task as the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, in humans. They both act as important stabilizers inside the knee and both can be damaged during exercise. In dogs, the ligament and related damage can be more complex than in humans, resulting in varying degrees of lameness and tearing.

While at the Purina Sporting Dog Summit, Dr. James L. Cook, DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR, discussed several topics, one of which was the importance of warming your dog up prior to exercise and competition.

“Never take a dog straight from a crate to the performance realm,” said Cook, referring equally to the conformation ring, agility course, hunt-test or field-trial line, etc. “If you’re going straight from the crate to performance, you’re an idiot.”

Now, that might sound harsh to those of us who pull our dog out of the box and get in line for competition, but the truth is: he’s right. Would an elite human athlete get out of bed and immediately strap on the skis, run a marathon or get on the court of competition without so much as stretching? Would you get off the couch and undergo physical exercise ...

An old breed, with records of the Celtics using them dating to 1200 BC, which makes it one of the earliest-known herding dogs, the Cardigan Welsh corgi is one of two corgi breeds – the other being the Pembroke Welsh corgi. The short legs and long, low-slung body of the corgi, along with ample energy, drive and endurance, has served it well in roles as a farm-guard dog, cattle driver and herder, and now commonly as companion animal.

Its small size allowed it to nip the heels of cattle and to drive them further out to pasture, while also keeping it out of harm’s way of kicking bovine. Today, their small size still serves them if employed for farm work, but it also makes them good candidates to live in apartments or houses with small yards. They readily bark at approaching strangers, so make good guard dogs; training can help reduce the barking in apartments where strange noises and passing people are regular occurrences. Because of their working background, they do require daily exercise, and many owners enter their dogs in trials that include sheepdog, agility, obedience and rally obedience, as well as herding events, flyball, tracking and, of course ...

Perhaps no other breed epitomizes a show dog as much as a poodle in a Continental or Scandinavian clip, but lumping the poodle into a single venue would be to ignore more than 500 years of breeding and working history.

The poodle originated in Germany (where it was known as the pudelhund) and was popular throughout Europe – it’s even the national dog of France.  It became popular as a pet during the 18th Century, but has a storied history of service. From the battlefield to the duck marsh, the poodle has worked closely with man for hundreds of years – which is probably a reason why it often ranks as one of the most intelligent breeds.

Poodles were originally used for retrieving downed waterfowl for hunters. Their dense, tightly curled and water resistant coat helped keep them buoyant and insulated in the cold water. There are kennels throughout the country that are working to continue the hunting heritage of the poodle by training and testing them in hunting venues. Poodles have also been used since the 17th Century as war dogs, including during World War II as guard dogs. They also compete in obedience, agility, tracking and even ...