We have some big news to report about All-Americans succeeding at earning the top titles and honors in Agility, Coursing Ability, Fast CAT, Rally, Obedience, Scent Work, Tracking, and Trick Dog!
AGILITY
Congratulations to these dogs on earning the Agility Grand Champion title:
AGCH MACH3 PACH Resq’s Dopamine Rush BN RN MXG PAD MJC PJD MXP3 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX MFS TQX MFP T2B3 T2BP DCAT SWM ONYX RATM CGCA TKN owned by Rosemary Strasser of Omaha, NE
Roo was found as a stray when he was 6 months old and placed with Midwest Dog Rescue Network. “I was looking for a big dog, but my friend insisted I check him out,” Rosemary said. “Within a few minutes, I knew he was the perfect dog for us. Roo has been the most fantastic agility partner these last 10 years.” Roo’s career has included qualifying for the AKC National Agility Championship every year since 2016 when, in his first year there, he made it to the finals round. This year, he made it to the Challenger’s round, and he was the ‘white’ dog for finals. He’s also been invited to the Premier Cup the last two years.
“A couple of years ago, I decided we might try to finish the Agility Grand Championship, and on June 16 at a home trial in Omaha, he earned the last Premier Standard leg that he needed for that title. From his first qualifying score in Novice Standard on March 1, 2014, until June 16, 2023, that title truly represents a lifetime achievement for an amazing dog.” Besides agility, Roo plays many dog sports, including scent work, barn hunt, FCAT, and flyball. “Roo thinks everything should be done as quickly as possible, and you’ll often hear him talk back to me if I’m not as quick as he is. This little sheltie/terrier mix is the best dog we could ever imagine, and I encourage others to take a chance on a rescue dog.”
AGCH MACH3 Finnigans Give Me A Little Wiggle Room MXC PDS MJB2 PJS MFG TQX T2B5 owned by Beth Bruno of Mt. Laurel, NJ
Whereas many agility dogs come from breeders who raise them in loving, nurturing environments, Finn’s introduction to life couldn’t have been more opposite. It was a lucky break for him, his mother and litter mates who were rescued out of a shelter in South Carolina. From there, Finn was shuttled through two foster homes, all of which happened by the time he was six months old.
“It was at this point fate intervened, and we found each other,” Beth said.
Finn was taken to an agility trial sporting an “Adopt Me” harness by his second foster “mom.”
“I was there with my corgi Trixie and had been considering a second dog as companionship for her. Christy and I arranged a meeting between the two dogs and Trixie was rather indifferent to this spotted puppy, so I passed on him. Christy returned the following week, and we arranged another meeting. I came home with two dogs.
“It was chaos the minute Finn entered the house. He was loud, pushy and his over-the-top energy got him into trouble on a daily basis. On the other hand, he was riddled with fear and anxiety. This dog was a project.”
Beth decided that Finn needed an outlet and decided to start agility classes.
“We started competition a few months shy of Finn’s third birthday. There was a lot of trial and error, with him learning the sport and me adjusting to his running style that was much different than my corgi. However, once we became a team and understood each other, things began to click.”
On April 16, 2023, at In The Net in Palmyra, PA, Finn earned his Agility Grand Championship. “There are many thanks to go around to those who supported us on this journey, but most of all thanks to our special and beloved boy Finn. Good job buddy. All you needed was a chance.”
AGCH MACH3 Lizzy RN MXC MJC PADP PJDP MFB TQX MFPS T2BP4 CA SCN SIN CGC TKN owned by Patti Keating of Fullerton, CA
Lizzy is Patti’s first dog and first agility partner and together they have achieved many firsts.
“She has given me a great deal of happiness and laughter as we both navigated through this sport. Thank goodness she was patient with me, otherwise, we would never have achieved three MACHs and our Agility Grand Championship,” Patti said.
“I am truly grateful to Lizzy and her never-ending joyfulness and willingness to play, even when she feels the need to roll in the tunnel for endless seconds, while competing,” she said. “
Lizzy finished the AGCH on May 27, 2023, at the Southern California Portuguese Water Dog Club trial. “A huge shout out to an awesome agility community in Southern California, who have always encouraged and supported me. Without your help, this achievement would not have happened. “
AGCH MACH PACH4 Paige MXB MJB MXP11 MXPC PDSP MJP10 MJPC PJDP PAX4 MXF TQX MFPS TQXP T2B2 T2BP2 owned by Flora Steffan of Silverlake, OR
Ten-year-old Paige was found as a very young pup in Eastern Oregon, and Flora adopted her through a herding dog rescue group.
“When we began our agility journey together, I could never have dreamed the possibility of five PACHs, a MACH, an AGCH and almost a second AGCH! Paige is one in a million,” Flora said. “She is my treasure, my identity and best friend. No one knows me better than Paige. She can read me like a book!
I” have trained other dogs since our start in agility. Although Paige helps me train and mentor these current dogs, no can hold a candle to her consistency in and out of the ring. I am truly blessed to have such a beautiful soul my life.”
Paige finished the AGCH at the Boston Terrier Club of Western Washington agility trial on June 10.
Congratulations also to this dog who has earned the AGCH title:
- AGCH MACH10 Theodore Teddy Hill MXS3 PDS MJG3 PJS MFG TQX T2B5 owned by Priscilla Hill-Wampler & Jon Wampler of Newark, DE
MACH
Congratulations to these dogs who have added more MACH titles to their names:
- MACH2 Mischief On My Mind MXB MJG NF TKN owned by Kristina Hanson of Topeka, KS
- MACH2 Riley Kozell MXS MJG MXF T2B2 TKI owned by Robert Kozell of Lauderdale Lakes, FL
- MACH2 Rue Of Silver Creek CDX BN MXS MJS BCAT CGC owned by Judy & Eberhard Biesenthal of Woodstock, IL
- MACH2 Pepper Of Pine Ridge MXS MJS MFB T2B3 owned by Lila Bates of Panama City, FL
- MACH3 Smarti Marti MXG PAD MJG PJD XF T2B owned by Mary Dougherty of Colorado Springs, CO
- MACH3 He Shoots, He Scores RN MXS2 MJS2 MFB T2B SWD SWM owned by Teresa Rodney of Fountain Valley, CA
- MACH4 Tobago’s Galla Trace MXB2 MJC OF TKN owned by Leanne Ksiazek of Westhampton, NY
- MACH5 Abby Baker II MXS2 PAD MJS2 PJD MXF TQX T2B3 CGC owned by Jeanne Baker of Apex, NC
- MACH5 Mister Tedley MXS2 PDS MJB2 PJD MFG TQX T2B5 ACT2 TKA owned by Kathy Crain of Madison, AL
- AGCH MACH6 PACH Riley’s Jesse MXS2 PDS MJS2 PJS MXP6 MXPS MJP6 MJPS PAX MFC TQX MFPB TQXP T2B8 T2BP FCAT3 CGC TKA owned by Carol Riley of San Antonio, TX
- AGCH MACH13 Mighty Milo Vogel MXC3 PDS MJS4 PJS MFG TQX T2B5 owned by Kathleen Rose Vogel of Bay City, MI
Congratulations to these first-time MACHs:
MACH My Delyla MXB MJS OF owned by Tracie Easton of San Antonio, TX
In April 2012, Tracie adopted Delyla from the BARC animal shelter in Houston, TX, and through a DNA test, learned she is a Miniature Schnauzer/Pug cross.
“As my Novice A dog, she taught me a great deal about patience and dog training. Delyla is a small dog with a big personality. She is a big flirt with other dogs and loves any human that will give her a little bit of attention,” Tracie said. “She has me completely wrapped around her paw, and she can do no wrong in my eyes.”
They entered the ring for the first time on Sept 4, 2016. “It was a long and often frustrating road and there was a time it seemed we would never earn her MACH. In 2022, I started entering her in two trials a month, if possible. Finally, it started to look like it might be possible.”
Delyla earned her last 145 points and eight QQs in three months, “which was unheard of for her since she would usually only give me one QQ every other month or so. It was like she knew we were getting close, and she let us have this win.”
Two days before Tracie’s birthday, 11-year-old Delyla earned her MACH title on July 2, 2023, at the Poodle Club of San Antonio trial.
MACH RACH McMahon’s Marnie RM4 RAE4 MXS MJS XF ACT2 ACT2J CGCU owned by Jean Marie McMahon of Ballston Spa, NY
Jean adopted Marnie from a rescue organization in April 2017 and took her to a couple of outdoor obedience classes just to teach her some basic manners.
“I have always had dogs but had never done any kind of formal training with them,” Jean said. “The instructor saw something in her and encouraged us to try rally, so we did.
“In January 2020, the person who was soon to be our agility instructor saw Marnie working in rally class and encouraged us to try agility. We started class that week! We have been having an absolute blast! On July 2, Marnie earned her MACH at the Albany Obedience Club trial.”
That major title was on the heels of Marnie earning her rally championship in November!
“The day that Marnie and I met was a lucky one for both of us!”
MACH Avalon Use The Force MXB MJS T2B DS TKP owned by Kimberly Shinn of Hannibal, MO
Yoda is a rare breed – an Australian Koolie – and hails from Canada.
“My first flight ever was to go pick up this little blue puppy,” Kimberly said. “He loves everyone, and his favorite pastime is making the rounds at trials and handing out hugs like they are candy.”
Their agility journey didn’t start out easy. Yoda is soft, and Kimberly had no experience working with a pup like him. “Lots of struggles, determination and laughter, but at 7 years of age we are finally figuring each other out,” she said. “But staying in character, Yoda made me wait until the last minute of a three-day trial to make my day, and he definitely did!”
Yoda earned his MACH on July 9, 2023, at the Show Me Agility Club of Columbia.
He also loves dock diving and trick training because there are lots of treats involved! “He loves, loves his food!”
Photo by Xanadu Ranch Photography
MACH Cooper Godinsky MXB MJB OF BCAT SWN SCA SIA SBA CGC TKA owned by Steve Godinsky of Elgin, IL
Steve and his wife, Sharisa, adopted Cooper when he was 9 weeks old and knew right away that he needed a job to channel all his energy.
“We started him with obedience right away. With consistent training and positive reinforcement, his obedience is spot on. He received his Canine Good Citizen title when he was around 1 1/2 years old,” Steve said.
More training followed. Cooper knows around 50 tricks and has his Novice, Intermediate and Advanced AKC Trick Dog titles. They started agility when he was about 2 years old.
“We started out just doing it for fun and never thought about competing at all. After 2 1/2 years Covid hit and shut everything down. So, I bought equipment for the backyard to keep him going.” After things started to open up again, they found Dash K9 Sports to train.
“They encouraged us to start competing. I was hesitant but really glad we did! We had success from the start and worked our way into the Master level pretty fast.”
After competing for about 1 1/2 years, they earned the MACH on June 16, 2023, at a trial at WAG Dog Training Center. “I still can’t believe it…We definitely exceeded our goals! It’s never too late to try something new!”
MACH Barky Sparky MXS MJB MFB T2B3 DCAT DS DJ owned by Michael Rimstad of Chisago City, MN
Michael adopted Sparky from Northwoods Humane Society when he was 10 months old. He was surrendered to the shelter because the goats on the farm, where he was living, were picking on him. The now 6-year-old male Australian Cattle Dog mix has a love for any activity and really excels at agility. He has also competed in Fast CAT and dock diving. He earned his MACH on July 16 at On the Run Canine Center in Ham Lake, MN.
MACH Mongo McNab CD RAE MXB MJB MFB T2B3 CGCA TKI owned by David N. Lindberg of Eureka, CA
Mongo is an 11-year-old Border Collie-McNab mix, born, bred, and raised in Eureka, California. He comes from local Humboldt County cattle ranching lines, “so he is strong, tough, fearless, amazingly intelligent, and has great drive and endurance,” David said.
Right away, they started basic puppy obedience and agility training. Rally training started soon thereafter. “Mongo learned to work in the field with me as a geologist, and we backpacked together on solo trips in the wilderness. I can call him off deer, but he needs to be restrained when we meet Mr. Bear (he is fearless).”
Mongo earned his Canine Good Citizen (CGCA) in his first year, and they also have earned titles in Obedience (CD), Tricks (TKI), and Rally (RAE).
“I am very grateful to the AKC for providing us with the venues to train and compete in so many canine sporting events.” Mongo earned his MACH on July 23 at the Lost Coast Kennel Club trial. “It was extra special to achieve the MACH at your home club trail with all our friends in attendance.”
MACH Valkyrie-Yacnamara MXB MJB MFB T2B ACT2 ACT2J owned by Dr. Brooke MacNamara & John Yackel of Mayfield Heights, OH
Valkyrie is a pandemic puppy who gained confidence and socialization through AKC Agility training and trialing.
The 3-year-old is the second agility dog of the household, but the Novice A dog of her handler, Brooke. “From a young age, she was taught general floor handling during her mealtimes, including familiarity with a training teeter and a tunnel. She began agility classes at the Cleveland All Breed Training Club in 2021, where she learned how to go over the A-frame by following her big sister, Valeria Yacnamara, handled by Brooke’s husband, John Yackel.”
Valkyrie and Brooke completed the MACH on July 29, 2023, at Pinnacle Dog Sports in Westlake, Ohio.
MACH Takk Moravec MXB MJB owned by James Moravec of Middleton, WI
Takk’s previous home was the Sauk County Humane Society. He was picked up as a stray, and there was no information on his background.
“He was selected with the help and approval of our son’s Beagle that was staying with us at the time,” James said. “The name we gave him, Takk, means ‘thank you’ in Norwegian.”
After adopting him in 2011, James and his wife took Takk to several obedience classes, and he did well. “When we finished the last class, we inquired about other classes. Knowing absolutely nothing about agility, we enrolled him in a beginner’s class at Dog’s Best Friend, just for fun. We never had any expectations about where agility would lead us, but both Takk and I found we really enjoyed it.”
They started competing in 2014. Takk got his MACH on Aug. 6, 2023, at the Central Wisconsin Vizsla Club trial. “Even though Takk is approaching his 13th birthday, he still enjoys agility. He may have lost a step or two, but not his enthusiasm and skills. Of all the dogs that I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, I’ve become closest to Takk. I think a lot has to do with participating in agility together. It has made us closer and allowed me to understand and appreciate him more.”
MACH Wilkinson’s Juicy Fruit MXB MJS OF T2B CGCA owned by Tricia Hsieh Wilkinson of Soldotna, AK
Tricia says that Tango has helped her learn how to survive in Alaska and that agility has helped both of them adapt to life in their new home.
“Learning how to communicate with Mango is fun. Especially in agility, it feels like a tango dance in a ring. We both agree that agility is the best addiction in the United States. Tango may not be perfect, but she is perfect for me.”
They earned their MACH on Sept. 2 at a trial held at the Kenai Sports Athletic Field in Kenai, Alaska.
MACH Mized MXS MJS XF owned by CJ Beauchamp of Louisa, VA
Miz was found by a hunter in Virginia in September 2012.
“I was recently widowed so we adopted each other in November,” CJ said. “She’s kind, sweet and very affectionate. When we started agility, we did many seminars and workshops. She was very different from my Jack Russells!”
The team quickly made their way through Novice, Open and Excellent. “Once in Masters, she was always placing but double q’s were illusive. We didn’t care; we were having fun!”
In 2022, the QQs started coming faster and on Sept. 23, Miz earned her MACH at the Richmond Dog Obedience Club trial. “She’s 11 and I’m 70,” CJ said. “This has been a huge year of accomplishments for me and my best friend. She’s still loving agility and is enjoying her new jump height at 16 Preferred! Now if I can just keep up.”
Congratulations also to these dogs who have earned their first MACH:
- MACH Royal Kissing Bandit Kate MXB MJB XF CGC TKI owned by Brooke & Juan Santana of Belelville, IL
- MACH Power Tripp’N Vision Quest MXB MJB OF DJ owned by Mary Cheney of Western Springs, IL
- MACH Zira Hill MXB MJB owned by Jennifer Hill of Attica, MI
- MACH Firedup’s Positive Vibes MXB MJB XF BCAT owned by Nicole James of Hopewell, OH
- MACH Steel’s Zulu MXS MJS MFB T2B2 owned by Kelly Steel of Prescott, AZ
Preferred Agility Championships (PACH)
Congratulations to these dogs who have earned additional PACH titles:
- PACH2 Vedder’s Tank MXP6 MXPS PADP MJP7 MJPS PAX2 MFPB TQXP T2BP2 TKN owned by Judy Vedder of Shrewsbury, MA
- PACH2 Nevada Cricket MXP9 MXPG PDSP MJP8 MJPG PJSP PAX2 MFPG TQXP T2BP7 owned by Flora Steffan of Silverlake, OR
- PACH2 Jax Crowell AX MXJ MXP5 MXPS MJP9 MJPG PAX2 XF XFP PACH2 owned by Duane & Teresa Crowell of Clearwater, FL
- AGCH2 MACH21 PACH3 Feel The Need MXB6 PDC MJC6 PJC MXP9 MXPG MJP9 MJPG PAX3 MFB3 TQX MFPG TQXP T2B12 T2BP2 CGC owned by Janet K. Boggs of Crawfordsville, IN
- PACH3 Nancy And Nellie MXPS MJP7 MJPG PAX3 MFP TQXP T2BP owned by Nancy Margaret Heine-Caggiano of Wilmington, NC
- MACH5 PACH4 Apollo Of Waterton MXS2 MJG2 MXP9 MXPG MJP10 MJPC PAX4 owned by Lydia Langley of Lynchburg, VA
- AGCH MACH PACH5 Paige MXB MJB MXP12 MXPB2 PDSP MJP11 MJPC PJDP PAX5 MXF TQX MFPS TQXP T2B2 T2BP3 owned by Flora Steffan of Silverlake, OR
Congratulations to these dogs on their first PACH titles:
PACH Sky Dogs’ Kiefer MXP3 MXPB MJP6 MJPS PAX NFP ACT2 owned by Ashley Bisca of Hilliard, OH
Ashley had just lost her first Yorkie, her heart dog, when the local Yorkie rescue pulled Kiefer, a Yorkshire Terrier/Papillon mix, from the shelter. He was an owner surrender to the shelter at age 7 years.
“I agreed to foster Kiefer because he looked nothing like my Yorkie I was still grieving,” she said.
It did not take long for her to realize that he belonged with her, and they started training, leading to agility.
“He is truly my Novice A dog, putting up with any and all handling errors a newbie could make. It took him a full year of trialing to learn teeter confidence. Once he mastered that, we were off,” she said. “He quickly became my steady Eddie dog: My Velcro boy.
“We learned agility together when he was 8 years old. He started AKC courses at 10, earning his first PACH points. A year and a few days later, my first agility partner earned his MACH at age 11 at the Agility Club of Indianapolis on June 23,2023. He still loves the sport, but his body now prefers to run only Premier and Master JWW. He qualified for NAC in 2024 and we look forward to attending his second but final NAC in Perry.”
PACH Molly Higgins Of Creekside MXP4 MXPB MJP5 MJPS PAX OFP T2BP TKA owned by Terry Higgins of Peyton, CO
In 2015, Terry was living in Idaho and looking for an English Springer Spaniel puppy. He found a breeder and selected a little female that was named Molly.
“It didn’t take long for me to realize this was not a springer. I had springers in the past but none like Molly. She had so much energy that it quickly became obvious I needed to figure out what to do to entertain this rambunctious bundle. Wisdom Panel’s DNA test results were 50% Springer, 25% Kelpie and 25% Border Collie.”
Someone suggested that they try agility.
“I had no idea what agility was. I found a trainer and the journey began. It was a long process that required me to learn the sport and the patience to handle a dog like Molly. In the beginning, Molly would take a couple of obstacles, then grab a cone and run around the course. She soon became known as the ‘Cone Dog.’ Spectators thought this was hilarious; I tried to ignore the laughs and remained loving and patient with Molly.”
They moved to Colorado in early 2020 and found a new trainer in Beth Howland. “Everything started to click. Persistence and patience paid off. Molly earned her first QQ on March 12, 2022, and qualified for the 2023 AKC National Agility Championship, which we attended. She qualified in one run, which just put me over the moon.”
On Aug 6, 2023 at the AKC Greater Denver Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club, Molly earned her PACH.
AGCH MACH6 PACH Nostroveya’s Gemma MXG2 PDS MJB3 PJD MXPB MJP4 MJPB PAX MFG TQX T2B4 owned by Sharen Hyde of Crystal River, FL
Gemma started out as a dog on limited time, but today, she is a dog without limits.
Gemma was a 5month old puppy at a shelter in the Dallas area. The shelter was over capacity and issued a plea to the rescue groups for help. “I had a foster spot and scanned the shelter photos. I spotted a hairy black puppy and took her home as my new foster dog.”
Fostering didn’t last long. “I wasn’t actively looking for a new agilty partner, but Gemma was everything I would be looking for. A day later we enrolled in puppy agility class. She progressed quickly, earning her Masters titles in straight trials.”
Gemma has gone on to earn her Agility Grand Champion title, MACH 6, and now, her first PACH.” I have asked a lot from her, and she has always given me her all. To me, she is a once in a lifetime dog.
PACH Azbcr’s Sippin’ Cider In The Sun MXP4 MXPB MJP5 MJPS PAX MFP T2BP2 TKI owned by Norah Strebel of Salt Lake City, UT
Norah describes Cider as “a pint-sized powerhouse of athleticism, drive and enthusiasm. Everyone knows when she’s on course because she barks her joy to be playing the ‘run-n-jump’ game. She is the perfect teammate: Always ready to go and always gives her all. Plus, she is cute and loves to cuddle.”
Cider earned her MACH on Sept. 1 at the Intermountain Kennel Club trial in Salt Lake City.
PACH Murphie Burdick MXP3 MXPB MJP4 MJPB PAX T2BP2 owned by Kim & Kelsey Burdick of Guthrie, OK
Murphie, now 7 years old, was discovered at a rescue pet adoption at Petco when he was about 6 months old.
“He had a big head and small body and was a little sweetie. He was my daughter’s dog, but when he was 8 months old, she moved to California, and he came to live with me. My friend asked me to start going to agility classes with her, and I needed to choose one of my dogs to go. I chose Murphie, then about 3 years old, because he loves people, dogs, riding in the car and absolutely follows me everywhere.
“He was and is totally food driven. We had to throw a treat over every jump to get him over it. No one thought he could make it this far.”
Their first trial was in June 2019. “At first, I think people just saw a mutt that is a little overweight and will never be a true agility dog. But we worked hard, and he proved he is a champion. He loves the sport; when I put on my agility shoes, he gets so excited he can’t stand still. He will never be the fastest, but he will be one of the happiest.”
Murphie earned his PACH on Sept. 4 at the Red Dirt Agility Trial in Oklahoma City, OK.
Congratulations also to these dogs who have earned the PACH:
- MACH3 PACH Lady Luck’s Catch Me If You Can MXC PAD MJB2 PJD MJPB PAX NF T2B3 owned by Gloria Krueger of New Market, AL
- PACH Kona Whitney AX AXJ MXP4 MXPB MJP4 MJPB PAX XFP owned by Sharon Hallberg of Naples, FL
- MACH PACH Shepherd’s Liquid Courage RM RAE FDC MXB MJB MXP4 MXPB MJP4 MJPB PAX OF T2B BCAT RATO CGCA TKN owned by Katie McLaughlin Shepherd of Louisville, KY
- AGCH MACH7 PACH Everlasting’s Matilda CD BN RE MXG2 PDS MJG2 PJG MXPB MJPB PAX MFC TQX MFP TQXP T2B6 DCAT owned by Elizabeth Ann Powell of Evansville, IN
COURSING ABILITY (CAX)
Congratulations to this dog for earning his first CAX title:
- Pirlo II NAP OJP OFP CAX FCAT5 ACT1 ACT2J CGCA TKI owned by Lisa Coffman of Sunbury, OH
Fast CAT
AKC ranks the fastest dogs of each breed in Fast CAT. Congratulations to the top five fastest All American Dogs in each height division! The speed shown is an average of the dog’s three top speeds for the season up to November 14, 2023:
18″ or Greater
1. The Lovely Margo Lane owned by Leslie O’Connor of Bothell, WA – 36.23 MPH
2. Ramtish Sawyer BCAT owned by Paula Corlett of Lansing, MI – 34.85 MPH
3. Saluq’s Athena CA FCAT3 owned by Jo Ann Chase of Chaska, MN – 33.97 MPH
4. Sparrow Clark owned by Alice Clark of Gardiner, ME – 33.70 MPH
5. Maida BCAT owned by Caitlin Monjeau of Albany, NY – 33.46 MPH
12-18″
1. Missjiff Prince Of Darkness DCAT SWA SCAE SBNE owned by Charlene Wiglesworth of Kalamazoo, MI – 31.36 MPH
2. Black Ink FCAT5 owned by Jennifer Smith of Burton, MI – 31.29 MPH
3. This Girl Is On Fire AX MXJ OF CA FCAT3 RATN owned by Karen Skoyec of Venice, FL – 30.96 MPH
4. Deez Treasure Chest Of Sapphirez FCAT owned by Megan Davidson of New Stanton, PA – 30.45 MPH
5. Hydeout’s Shamus CAA FCAT5 DM AS HDS owned by Kay McDonald of Inman, SC – 30.11 MPH
Below 12″
1. Athena Marie III BCAT owned by Makayla Brewer of Cleveland, TN – 26.86 MPH
2. Miss Brindi Brindle FCAT4 owned by Evette & Ted Danielak of Three Lakes, WI – 25.33 MPH
3. Million Dollar Marble CA BCAT TKN owned by Alyssa Perry of Medina, OH – 25.27 MPH
4. Cleopatra Queen Of The Fox RN OA AXJ NF FCAT4 TKN owned by Yvonne & Ken Smith of West Dundee, IL – 24.27 MPH
5. Wasabi Spicy Tuna Roll CA FCAT10 SWN owned by Lauren Dale of Muncie, IN – 24.22 MPH
OBEDIENCE
Obedience Trial Champions (OTCH)
OTCH Sir Rudolph of Osawatomie OM2 BN GO RN owned by Jennifer Kaschke of La Vista, NE
Rudy is a 5-year-old ¾ Australian Shepherd ¼ Border Collie cross. He got his name from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer because he had a pink stripe across his nose when he was a puppy.
“Growing up, I competed in 4-H dog obedience, and I knew competing in obedience was something I wanted to return to as an adult. As I started looking for a new puppy, I knew I wanted a herding breed, and I was partial to the blue merle coloring,” Jennifer said. “When I visited Rudy’s litter, he was the only blue merle boy out of the bunch so he was the puppy I picked. He’s grown into quite the competitive obedience partner because he’s a quick learner, and he wants to please. When we started our obedience journey together, the goal was to be able to do the exercises in Open and Utility.”
Rudy’s favorite exercises are the retrieve on flat and retrieve over high jump that are in the Open class. “He also enjoys voicing his opinion if he’s really amped about an exercise, or if he thinks I’m doing the exercise wrong and need to go read the rule book. His least favorite exercise is picking up the metal scent article in Utility.”
In addition, he also dabbles in rally, agility, and scent work. In July 2023, Rudy earned his OTCH.
Utility Dog (UD)
RACH Leash Free Living’s Mandatory Party UD RM2 RAE2 CGC TKN owned by Samantha & Craig Miyamoto of Severn, MD
The Miyamotos adopted Lemon when she was a year old. They began training right away to address some behavior issues, and once those were resolved they continued with rally and obedience.
“Training and trialing in these sports has made Lemon more confident and helped her develop a better work ethic and problem-solving skills. She has become an eager training teammate. It even changed the way that she plays at home, when she realized that retrieving could be fun!”
Lemon earned her RACH and UD titles in the same weekend – the RACH on July 14 and her UD on July 16 at the Salisbury Maryland Kennel Club trials. “We’ve had so much fun learning together; we are excited to keep training. Next goal… UDX!”
Corley’s A Taste Of Honey UD owned by Peter & Mary Lynn McCafferty of Naples, FL
Honey is a Golden Retriever mix who was abandoned and left to fend for herself for more than a month in a trailer park in Georgia. She is alive today due to the efforts of Save-A-Pet in Forsyth, Ga, founded and directed by Honey’s namesake Pat Corley.
“Honey was about 1 ½ years old when we brought her home 2 ½ years ago. Due to her troubles, she was very skittish and afraid. She was very food motivated and initially I used that as a lure to begin heeling patterns and then AKC Obedience exercises,” Mary Lynn said. “We joined the Dog Obedience Club of Lee County and enrolled in AKC Obedience classes, which were a tremendous help establishing a solid foundation of confidence.
“Earning titles is definitely fun and exciting, and we’re now working on earning UDX legs, but I feel my greatest sense of pride and accomplishment is when someone I hadn’t met before approaches to say ‘What a wonderful dog you have’ and that makes me realize how lucky I am to have such a fine loving pet.”
Honey earned her third UD leg at the K-9 Obedience Training Club of Menomonee Falls, WI, on Aug. 13.
Steve Rogers UD RM CGC TKA owned by Karen & Joseph Pollard of Tyler, TX
Steve Rogers, aka Captain, is an Aussie/Lab mix that was found alone in a gutter at 5 weeks old. “We had been toying with the idea of a puppy, and when my friend found him, we decided it must be fate,” Karen said. “Captain is my Novice A dog and first sport dog. He is so much fun to train and compete with in both rally and obedience, and we have learned a lot together. He has a wonderful, stable temperament and is naturally handler focused–and the Lab food drive doesn’t hurt either!”
Karen said. Captain is also a phenomenal family companion and best friends with her two young sons. “I’m so proud of what we have accomplished together and know that we have more titles ahead of us!” Captain earned his UD in Azle, TX, on March 12.
Nirvana Under the Bodhi Tree UD BN owned by Lacee L. Johnson of Green Bay, WI
Two-year-old Bodhi is a mix of is Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Golden Retriever and Poodle.
“From day one, he was the best puppy we could have ever imagined. He caught on to things insanely fast. You showed him something once or twice and he got it,” Lacee said.
They started their training journey at Packerland Kennel Club. “All I ever did with my previous dogs was puppy socialization. I started out in the puppy classe,s then advanced puppy classes, then off to Beginners Novice. He was breezing right through these classes, and I was having a blast training him. I was introduced to a trainer named Judy Rathbun. She saw the huge potential in Bodhi. She took us under her wing and got us ready for where we are now.”
Bodhi received his UD title on May 21 at the Oshkosh Kennel Club trial. We are working on his UDX then the coveted OTCH.
Fiz – The Tidal Trickster UD RA CGC owned by Tiffany A. Huebner of Anoka, MN
Tiffany got Fiz, now 2 years old, as a young puppy after seeing him on a Facebook page sponsored by a group that rehomes pets.
“When he arrived at my training facility, he walked in with so much confidence. Fiz was the most difficult puppy I’ve ever trained, but it has been worth it. We struggled with crate and potty training, but with persistence, overcame these obstacles and our relationship blossomed. He loved fetch and had a great little heel so I knew he’d make a great obedience dog despite the struggles.”
In August 2021, he earned his Companion Dog title. The following year, in September 2022, he earned his Companion Dog Excellent title.
“I knew he was something special from the start so we continued to train and on Aug. 20, 2023, he earned his Utility title. It was a special day for us! He took second place that day with a 198.5+, winning the runoff at the Anoka County Kennel Club trial.”
They are working on his UDX title. He has two legs towards that title and even a few OTCH points.
Fiz lives with Brembo, my American Staffordshire Terrier (and other obedience dog) and two cats.” I love seeing All Americans and non-traditional breeds showing in obedience.”
Congratulations also to these dogs who have added the UD to their names:
- Hannah Of Agnes Glen UD BN GO RN SCN SIN CGCA owned by Patricia & John Crick of DeWitt, MI
- Abby Sax UD BN CGCA CGCU TKE owned by Shirley & Ronald Sax of Eagan, MN
Utility Dog Excellent (UDX)
Congratulations to these dogs for earning the Utility Dog Excellent title:
Olive Of Lindenbrook UDX OM2 BN RN CGCA CGCU TKP owned by Teralee Nan & Kevin Daley of Woodside, CA
Animal Control Services of San Jose found Olive wandering in a field as an adult pitbull.
“Nobody claimed her at the shelter, so Our Pack Rescue asked if I would foster her. I saw her cute face and joyful, enthusiastic personality, and fell in love,” Nan said.
On Sept. 2, 2023, Olive of Lindenbrook earned her UDX title along with Obedience Master 2, at the County Wide Dog Training Club trial. On that same day, she earned extra frosting with Highest Combined Score and High Scoring Dog. Olive’s journey for her UDX included a 200 in Utility and making many new friends along the way.
“Her best quality is that she loves and greets every dog and human with a wagging tail. Better than any title or score, is that she is a great dog,” Nan said.
Photo by Connor Archer – Archer’s Paradox Photography
RACH Whirley Whirlwind Wind Of Dorian VCD2 UDX OM1 BN GO VER RM3 RAE3 MX MXJ MJB MXF T2B SCN SBN RATS TKI owned by Sue Kotlarek of Romulus, MI
Whirley earned her UDX title on Sept 29 at the Ann Arbor Kennel Club obedience trial held in Monroe, MI. Whirley was adopted from the Dearborn Animal Shelter after she, and 10 other dogs and cats, were flown out of Florida before Hurricane Dorian.
RALLY
Rally Championships (RACH)
Congratulations to these dogs on their first RACH titles:
RACH Marshall’s Dakota CD RM4 RAE2 OA OAJ XF DN CGC TKN owned by Michele Marshall of Las Cruces, NM
Dakota was the second dog that Michele trained in agility and obedience, but her first Rally dog. “I entered Dakota in her first agility trial when she was 2 ½ years old and she gained the nickname ‘Black Tornado’ because of how happy and excited she was on the course. She enjoyed running her own course while I tried to keep up with her and I realized quickly that we needed more training on working as a team.”
A few months later, they entered their first rally trial and completed Novice A with a 96 and a first place. They competed at the RNC twice. Being out of the ring for two years during Covid, Dakota was almost 11 years old when they made it back to rally trials. “I made the decision to retire her from agility and concentrate on rally and work on her RACH.”
“At 13 years old, she is still a great snuggler, a little mother hen, and the neighborhood social butterfly, saying hi to all of her dog and human friends she sees on her daily walk. “
She earned the RACH on June 29 at the Colorado Springs Kennel Club trial.
RACH Lolly Golightly RM3 RAE2 TKI owned by Cherie Winner of State College, PA
Lolly came to Cherie as a rescue reject. Her first adoptive family, who had her from age 6 months to 18 months, decided she couldn’t be trusted with their active kids and house guests, and returned her to the rescue group.
“When I applied to meet Lolly, her wonderful foster mom recognized a potential match — a quiet home with no kids and two calm, mature dogs to help her navigate the scary stuff,” Cherie said.
“While she hit it off with her new big brothers right from the start, she tolerated me. I could live with that. She had a lot to recover from. She was afraid of other people, even from 50 yards away,” Cherie said. “ To help build our relationship, I enrolled us in a basic obedience class. She loved it. She got me into dog sports, and best of all, she began to trust me and make friends with other people.”
We went on to do tricks and rally, and on July 1, she achieved her RACH at the Bella Vista Training Center. Along the way, she won High Triple and High Combined four times.
“Lolly is now 8 years old (and prematurely gray!) She overcame her rough start and has become a sociable girl, a joyful training partner, and an irreplaceable friend in daily life.”
RACH Leash Free Living’s Mandatory Party UD RM2 RAE2 CGC TKN owned by Samantha & Craig Miyamoto of Severn, MD
The Miyamotos adopted Lemon when she was a year old. They began training right away to address some behavior issues, and once those were resolved they continued with rally and obedience. “Training and trialing in these sports has made Lemon more confident and helped her develop a better work ethic and problem-solving skills. She has become an eager training teammate. It even changed the way that she plays at home, when she realized that retrieving could be fun!”
Lemon earned her RACH and UD titles in the same weekend – the RACH on July 14 and her UD on July 16 at the Salisbury Maryland Kennel Club trials. “We’ve had so much fun learning together; we are excited to keep training. Next goal… UDX!”
RACH Make Me An Angel UDX OM1 BN RM2 RAE2 OAP OJP SWE SCM SBM TKP owned by Connie Kniseley of Roanoke, VA
On Sept. 17, Sprite earned her RACH at the Dog Obedience Training Club of Lynchburg, VA.
“After earning her UDX in 2018, I thought it was time to move on to our retirement sport of scent work. However, since I’m trialing another dog in obedience, and we were going to trials anyway, I put Sprite in rally and we started the journey. Sprite is not fast but is fairly consistent so as we moved up to higher levels, she began placing in most every trial and earned numerous High Combineds and High Triples along the way.”
Sprite is a Cardigan Welsh Corgi-Border collie mix from an “oops” litter.
“I wasn’t looking for another dog, but the universe tossed us together and it has been a wonderful 10 years.”
RACH Northbound Flew The Coop CD BN RM2 RAE2 AX AXJ NF DJ DN CGC TKN owned by Samantha Scicchigno of Staten Island, NY
Red earned his RACH on Sept. 24 at the Hyattsville Dog Training Club trial in Maryland under judge Karen Wrey.
“I have been grateful to show under so many amazing and supportive judges and am thrilled to earn this title in this particular judge’s ring. Karen also awarded my late Novice A dog, Marge, her RACH two years ago. Having my two Canine Partners linked forever in this way was exactly what I wanted.”
Red earns this title with 20 straight QQQs, 43 1st places, 13 High Triple and 14 High Combined awards. “From his humble beginnings chasing chickens in Mississippi to beloved pet in New York, I am beyond grateful to have him as my teammate both in the ring and out. Red will primarily spend his time the next few months hiking and pursuing his CDX title. Next year, we will return to the Rally ring in preparation for a trip to the 2024 AKC Rally National Championship in July.”
Congratulations also to these dogs for earning the RACH title:
- RACH Resplendent Cinnamon Feather CD BN RM4 RAE2 owned by Marlene Becker of Brooksville, FL
- RACH Ehdr Niki CDX BN RM3 RAE2 OA OAJ CGC FITG owned by Rhea & Jim Mccaffrey of Richmond, VA
Congratulations to these dogs on adding more RACH titles to their names:
- RACH2 Kai Updike CD RM4 RAE4 DS AS CGC owned by Chelsea & Chris Updike of Verona, WI
- RACH2 Kleine Meisje CD BN RM6 RAE4 ACT2 ACT2J THD CGCA TKA owned by Nancy Johnson & Lynwood Patterson of Stedman, NC
TRACKING
Tracking Dog (TD)
Congratulations to these dogs on earning the TD title:
Kc Waters TD owned by Wayne Waters of Quantico, MD
KC Waters earned her Tracking Dog title at a trial sponsored by Burlington County Kennel Club. The event was held on April 4 at the Horse Farm of New Jersey.
KC came to Wayne from the Belly Rubs Basset Rescue in Tennessee. “Her DNA indicates f55 percent Basset and 30 percent Treeing Walker Coon hound with a salad of terriers making up the balance,” Wayne said. “This combo accounts for her excellent nose as exhibited in both scent work class and in her tracking ability. “
They are now training for the TDX.
Congratulations also to these dogs for earning the TD title:
- Tj’s Ziggy TD CGC owned by Tammy & Jacob Wilson of Alta Loma, CA
- Beanadiction TD NAP NJP SCN TKN owned by Debra Huff & Douglas Heym of Laingsburg, MI
- Astro Clark TD SWN CGC TKA owned by Karen Clark of Anchorage, AK
- Peg’s Abc Rixso N TD SWN CGC owned by Peggy Beagle of Fairbanks, AK
Variable Surface Tracker (VST)
- Coastal’s Saint VST SWA SCE SIE owned by Sally Nesbitt & Robert Long of Spring Valley, CA
TRICK DOG
Trick Dog Elite Performer (TKE)
Testing of this truly elite trick dog level requires the dog to perform 10 tricks with at least five props and there must be a story. Congratulations to these All American Dogs who have earned the TKE:
Montana Of Woolverton Mountain CGCA TKE owned by Tina Woolverton of Easton, PA
Montana is a 5-year-old White Swiss Shepherd. In addition to tricks, he loves scent work and agility, has rally, and holds the CGCA title.
”He lives with his German Shepherd sister, Rockz, and four cats, along with Mom and Dad,” Tina said. “He loves car rides, swimming and just being with his family. He is very sweet and referred to as a gentle giant. Oh, he’s also nicknamed ‘rockstar’ because of all the attention he gets!
He earned his TKE at Let’s Speak Dog in Plainfield Township, PA, on April 29, 2023.
K’s Powerhouse FDC BCAT ACT1 ACT1J SCN SBN CGCA CGCU TKE owned by Karen Wisler of Leetonia, OH
Mya is a rare breed of German Coolie and obtained her TKE on Aug. 30, 2023, at Youngstown All Breed Training Club.
“Mya is a very energetic and busy dog competing in various performance sports,” Karen said. She recently earned her D Cat in Fast Cat and also the Novice Container and Novice Buried titles in AKC Scent Work. “She is a happy dog who loves to work with me,” Karen said.
Winnie Strong Jaw CGC TKE owned by Pamela Van Nest of Washburn, TN
Winnie Strong Jaw is the little dog that almost wasn’t. Her mother was rescued when Winnie and her brother were only five days old. The three of them were in such bad shape that the vet held out little hope for the mother and almost none for the pups.
“But not only did her mother survive, she and her brother did as well. When the pups were weaned, Winnie’s mother and brother quickly went to their forever homes, not so for Winnie,” Pamela said.
“When I asked about adopting her, her foster explained she needed a special home with someone who could handle a bossy, independent dog. My first thought was, ‘How hard could that be?’. I’ve trained and trialed several Rotties, a working-line Border Collie, and now have two English Shepherds with TKEs. Surely if I could handle them, this little thing would be no challenge at all…I was wrong. I was so very, very wrong.
“Scary smart and with a mind of her own, she is simultaneously the most challenging and most rewarding dog I have ever trained. With her, everything is a negotiation, a compromise. ‘You want me to sit pretty? OK. Maybe after I do some spinning, I’ll sit pretty—and maybe not.’ “
With the help of instructor and TDI evaluator Lisa Dryer, Winnie and Pamela became a team. Winnie started off with Star Puppy, then CGC. Next came Therapy Dog International certification. She qualified for her TKE just before her second birthday.
“Like my two older dogs, she’ll soon become a working therapy dog, visiting nursing homes to spread love and perform her tricks. And that’s the story of Winnie Strong Jaw—my spunky little powerhouse.”
Athena Knowles RA FDC CAA FCAT3 ACT2J DE DM DDB CGCA CGCU TKE ATT BN-V VHMA VSWE FITG owned by Kelly Knowles of Herndon, VA
When Kelly got Athena, the Belgian Malinois-Dutch Shepherd mix, was malnourished and heartworm positive.
’Since getting cleared by the vet to begin living her best life, we have done dock diving, agility, tricks, obedience, rally obedience, fast cat, coursing, disc, detection, tracking, and we are dabbling in herding. She is my best girl and so much fun to train and play with!”
Rose Of My Heart TKE Paula Jarabin of Santa Barbara, CA
Rosie is a 7-year-old mix who landed in a Los Angeles animal shelter as a stray when she was approximately a year old.
“On the day I met he,r I had no plans to adopt another dog and was simply helping transport a number of animals for a rescue group,” Paula said. “But when my sunglasses fell off the top of my head and Rosie calmly picked them up and stared up at me intently, I knew she was something special and I adopted her that evening. And now, six years later, Rosie is as focused and paws-on as she was that first day I met her.”
Trick Dog and Musical Freestyle have proven to be her calling – “both being super fun, creative, and fulfilling sports for us to do together. Thanks to the AKC’s Virtual Trick Dog Program, Rosie earned her TKE on Aug. 19 via a video performance.”
In addition, Rose had been in the news a lot lately as she also is the overall winner of the 2023 AKC Trick Dog Competition. In their routine, “The Honky Tonk Café Talent Show,” Rosie demonstrated the tricks needed to win a talent show.
Scout Lc Speed Demon MX AXJ XF DCAT TKE owned by Kim Ecker of Makanda, IL
Scout, a 3 year old Australian Shepherd-Poodle mix, joined the Ecker family in spring 2020, “originally as an office dog, but he proved that he had too much energy for that job,” Kim said.
Instead, he started training in obedience, tricks and agility. Since then, he has earned 18 titles in Trick Dog, Fast CAT, and agility. On Aug. 6, Scout with his favorite Junior handler, 16-year-old Lauren Ecker, earned the Trick Dog Elite Performer title at the Crab Orchard dog show. “It took weeks of preparation and months of training, but Scout pulled it off and completed the highest trick dog title,” Kim said.
In 2021 Scout won the junior virtual trick dog competition for the Advanced section. He also competed and qualified in 2022 for the junior virtual trick dog competition in the Performer section, and he is competing in 2023 for the Elite Performer Junior trick dog virtual competition. “Our family hopes that one day Scout will be certified as a therapy dog, so that he can go to nursing homes to show everyone his tricks. Scout is definitely a once in a lifetime dog, he knows roughly 50 tricks and is working toward his MACH title in agility. Scout and Lauren also hope to be picked for the Junior Open Agility World Team representing America. We are so thankful that All American dogs can compete in so many sports in AKC.”
Below is the link to Scout’s video that was submitted for Elite Performer Junior Trick Dog 2023.
Scout AKC JR Virtual Trick Contest 2023
Annabelle Dejong CGC TKE owned by Jessi Dejong of Salem, OR
Annabelle, a nearly 8-year-old retriever mix, was acquired as a 7-week-old puppy from a breeder and started her training right away.
Through puppy classes and at-home practice, her parents, two sisters, and brother worked with her, teaching her simple tricks and basic commands; however, most of her early training was implemented by her oldest sister, Emma.
“Annabelle proved to love learning. To this day, she knows 80-plus tricks. When Annabelle was 2 years old, Emma turned over the training to Jessi (now 13 years old), her junior handler. Soon, the two discovered 4-H and AKC and were finally able to show the work done over the years. They’ve just completed their second year of 4-H, having competed in two county dog fairs and one state fair.”
Annabelle has achieved all five of her Trick Dog titles and her CGC within the span of one year. “Annabelle still acts like a puppy and loves exercise, going for frequent jogs, adventures, and rides in the truck, and spinning zoomies all around the yard. She loves to work and play, but most of all, she loves to be with her family.”
Congratulations also to these dogs for earning the Trick Dog Elite Performer title:
- Charlie Brown Rogers CGC TKE owned by Patti & George Rogers of Avon, IN
- Louis Forrest CGCA TKE owned by Nadine Larson of Bettendorf, IA
- Kleinsorge’s Sparkle CGCA TKE owned by Janice Kleinsorge of Mexico, MO
- Webb’s Jax THDX TKE owned by Marty Webb of Houston, TX
- Stinson Of Eenp’s Sunny TKE owned by Bethany Spencer of Cullowhee, NC