Learn About the Demonstrations

• Betsy Scapicchio & Top Dog Obedience School
• Obedience, Agility and Rally

Betsy Scapicchio, owner and training director at Top Dog Obedience School in Flanders, N.J., has been teaching and training dogs successfully for 30 years. She began taking obedience classes in 1977 to get her German shepherd dog, Tara, to heel off leash. After a year of training, Betsy's instructor encouraged her to start competing. After a third place win in their very first event, Betsy was hooked.

Betsy has completed six AKC obedience championship titles on various dogs and earned more than 25 other obedience and agility titles, scoring thirteen perfect scores along the way. She created Top Dog Obedience School in 1990, offering classes in a garage. The school now operates in a large full-time facility, offering fifteen obedience classes a week, plus agility, private lessons, seminars, and all manner of dog events.

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• Jo Ann Frier-Murza
• Earthdog Expert

Jo Ann has promoted the sport of den trials (also known as earthdog events) since 1972, when she began working with the American Working Terrier Association. Originally, terriers and dachshunds were used to bolt foxes from their dens or to locate nuisance predators underground. In recent decades, American dog owners have embraced simulated hunting in artificial tunnels as a test of innate abilities. Over the years, Jo Ann has chaired, judged and hosted hundreds of events and has visited many European countries to study traditional earthdog trials. In 1993, the AKC sought her input when developing a competitive earthdog program. The AKC now sanctions nearly 150 earthdog events each year and awards junior, senior and master earthdog titles in the sport.

In an effort to help people learn about this event and enjoy their dogs more fully, Jo Ann authored "Earthdog Ins & Outs," a comprehensive guide to the history, breeds and training techniques involved in earthdog events. Her New Jersey-based facility, Village Green Farm Earthdog Center, encourages newcomers and assists advanced participants through classes and programs.

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• Terri Giannetti
• U.S. Customs & Border Protection K9 Handler and Beagle Breeder

Terri's first family dog, a beagle named "Cookie," joined the family when she was three years old. While in high school Terri explored her love of dogs by researching every breed, saving up babysitting money, and ultimately acquiring a golden retriever with which to compete in obedience trials. While at dog shows, Terri found herself drawn to the show beagles who reminded her of her spunky childhood pet, but with a more elegant manner. She acquired her first show dog and inspired by the epic poem and its themes of honor and integrity, named her kennel Beowulf.

In 1986 Terri met her husband Ted Swedalla at a dog show. To date, Terri and Ted have produced over 50 champion beagles under the Beowulf name, including best-in-show winning "Clues" and his grandson "Luciano," who will be on hand for you to meet and enjoy during Meet the Breeds.

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• Jack and Kathy Martin
• Founders, Infurno Flyball

Infurno Flyball was founded by Kathy and Jack Martin of Poughquag, NY, in 2005. When Jack grew tired of traveling almost two hours one way to practice flyball, the Martins began training local dogs in their backyard and eventually entered a flyball tournament. After adding members from New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, Infurno ignited.

A flyball race involves two teams of four dogs each, racing side-by-side over a 51- foot-long course. Dogs must jump over four hurdles, retrieve a tennis ball from a spring-loaded box, and then run back over the same four jumps. The first team with all four dogs across the finish, without error, wins!

"I have always had a passion for animals, but flyball has become my favorite activity to share with my dogs," Kathy says. "If your dog is athletic, energetic and enjoys having other dogs around, then they may like flyball!"

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• Jill Archibald
• Feline Agility Coordinator, Mentor, Japanese Bobtail and Egyptian Mau breeder

Dedication, perseverance and patience best describe Jill Archibald. Instrumental in developing the breed standard for the Egyptian Mau in the early 1970s Jill has dedicated herself to producing award-winning Egyptian Maus and contributing to the world of pedigreed cats.

Jill is known for encouraging novices to become more involved in the cat fancy and over the years, she has educated thousands of exhibitors and spectators about cat breeds, responsible pet ownership and feline agility. At cat shows Jill can often be heard inviting spectators to sit down to talk and meet her cats.

At Meet the Breeds, attendees will see Jill in the feline agility demonstration ring, overseeing the cats and their owners running the timed obstacle course. Jill will be available to answer questions and encourage the participants.

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• Joan Miller
• Breed Showcase Presenter, All Breed International Judge and CFA Vice President

Joan Miller has been a member of the CFA Board of Directors since 1987 and is a CFA All Breed International Judge. Her job as CFA Legislative Coordinator involves mobilizing grass-roots responses to proposals that impact breeders of pedigreed cats, caretakers of feral cats and pet ownership in general.

Joan began in the cat fancy by breeding and exhibiting national award-winning Abyssinian cats for over 20 years. This gradually led to a fascination with all cats—pedigreed, random-bred and feral. Her writings include various cat-related articles, two chapters in Dr. Neils Pederson's "Feline Husbandry" and a chapter in the "CFA Complete Cat Book."

Joan's talks on the diversity of cat nature, cat breed evolution, multi-cat-environments, cat population issues, shelter-cat handling, feline colors/patterns and other topics to veterinarians, students, pet owners and shelter professionals are presented throughout the country.

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• Lieutenant John Kerwick
• K9 Officer, President of the United States Police Canine Association

John Kerwick serves as the President of the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) and is the Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Canine Unit in New York City, which is also the largest explosive detection canine unit in the United States.

Lt. Kerwick is responsible for the day-to-day management, motivation and long term operations of a fifty-team K-9 unit that is deployed throughout the New York City metropolitan area. He also communicates regularly with federal, state and local agencies to gather intelligence regarding acts of terrorism and to identify current explosive trends and then implements those issues into current training practices.

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• Agility – A dog's agility as it maneuvers an obstacle course is judged on many levels of time and accuracy. Events include ramps, dogwalks, teeter-totters, tunnels, jumps, weave poles, and more. Dogs are divided into groups based on size and experience to ensure fairness, although no distinction is made between breeds.
• Obedience – These events demonstrate the benefits of dogs as companions by displaying a dog's willingness to obey a variety of commands through a series of exercises. Commands can range from "sit" and "stay" to scent discrimination and the following of silent signals from the handler.
• Rally – A stepping-stone from the AKC Canine Good Citizen^® program to the world of obedience or agility, rally was designed with the traditional pet owner in mind. A rally course consists of 10 to 20 stations, with signs that indicate what skill the dog should perform, which includes sit, down, turn and recall. Meant as a fun and energizing experience, the canine team moves at their own pace and unlimited communication in encouraged.
• AKC^® Canine Good Citizen^® Program – CGC is a certification program designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club. Test items include sitting politely for petting, walking on a loose lead, allowing brushing and handling and coming when called.
• S.T.A.R. Puppy^sm Program – A natural precursor to the CGC program, the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy^sm Program is an incentive program for loving dog owners who have taken the time to take their puppies through a basic training class. Dog owners who complete a basic training class (taught by an AKC approved CGC evaluator) with their pup are eligible to enroll their dog in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program upon completion of the S.T.A.R. Puppy test. Test items include sit and down on command and walking on a leash. Owners learn to create an exercise plan and learn how to obtain identification for their pup, among other skills.

• Agility – You have all heard about dog agility competitions, and have no doubt enjoyed watching dogs race through the obstacle courses with determination and speed. It's amazing how they climb up and down those high steps and race through those weave pole areas with such ease and momentum. It's hard to imagine a cat stooping to such undignified acts, isn't it? But they do! Cats are definitely trainable and most are willing to follow a feather or dangling toy anywhere as shown here in this adorable video of a Tonkinese kitten training for agility!

   

   

   

  Feline agility competitions are rapidly growing in popularity at cat shows around the world.

   

  Agility is a pre-entered competition, open to any cat, so a household pet could be the overall winner as easily as could a top-winning grand champion. Why not enter your own cat in an upcoming CFA show? Check out http://www.cfa.org/exhibitors/show-schedule.html to find a show in your area offering agility.