We have 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
Master Agility Champion (MACH)
MACH Viking Conqueror Of My Heart FDC MXB MJB owned by Carol Brown of Hailey, ID
In December 2019, a stray black and white Border Collie mix was found on the streets of Hailey, Idaho, with no home to call his own. He was taken to the Mountain Humane shelter and given the name of Erik. While his history was unknown, it was immediately apparent that he loved people and other dogs. Carol Brown, a long-time volunteer for Mountain Humane, helped manage the play group dogs and noticed him. “He could coax even the shyest dog into interacting. He could match the energy and play style of other dogs. Without even realizing it, over two weeks of watching him in Play Group, I gradually fell in love with him. I knew I had to adopt him!”
Carol adopted Erik on December 15, 2019. She had been competing in agility with her Border Collie, Roxy. After teaching Erik basic household manners, she also began to teach him agility. Erik started competing in agility in October 2021. He rose through the competitive ranks quickly. Erik advanced from the Novice class to the Excellent class in four competitions, placing on the podium almost every time. He then moved into the Masters level of agility competition.
On April 20, 2024, Erik earned his MACH under AKC Agility Judge Dave Sliger at a trial in Caldwell, ID.
Erik is also an educator for Mountain Humane. For the past four years, this good-natured dog has helped teach school children how to approach and interact with dogs safely. He is sure everyone he meets is his new best friend. Kelly Mitchell, Senior Director of Shelter Operations and Outreach, noted, “we have always known that shelter dogs can do amazing things. At Mountain Humane, second chances are the name of the game. Carol and Erik are great examples of this!”
Photo Credit Randy Gaines Photography
MACH Jackie Russell RN FDC MXS MJS DCAT SWN RATN CGCA TKA FITG owned by Teresa Brogden of Wading River, NY
Jackie arrived at Kent Animal Shelter on Long Island in January 2015 shaking and hiding in the corner of her kennel when Teresa, a volunteer, arrived to take her for a walk. With Teresa, she stopped shaking and just wanted to give her hugs. When Teresa took her back to her kennel she resumed shaking, so she applied to adopt her that day.
Teresa tried to sign up for basic obedience classes but was turned away due to Jackie’s fearfulness. The trainer told her to take Jackie somewhere different every day and to return for another evaluation in a month. When they went back a month later, Jackie was still terrified of just about everything, but the trainer could see that they had done their homework, so he agreed to accept them in the class.
After months of classes, Jackie had achieved her Canine Good Citizen and Novice Trick Dog titles, but she was still fearful and often would shut down in class if something scared her. One day their trainer suggested agility might help Jackie’s confidence, and he connected Teresa with a local trainer. “As he predicted, her confidence began to skyrocket almost immediately!” Teresa said. She had no aspirations to compete, but they both fell in love with the sport, and soon they were attending multiple classes a week. One of the trainers told her that they made a good team and should consider competing.
Their AKC agility career began on April 7, 2018. At 10 ½, Jackie’s confidence continues to grow, and they achieved our MACH on April 28, 2024, at the Dog Agility Club of Long Island’s trial at Doggie U K9 Academy in Bay Shore, NY. They continue to set goals and hope to compete at Westminster in 2025.
MACH Calhoon’s Sky Blue CD PCD BN MXS MJG MXF T2B2 FCAT3 CGC FTN owned by Kathleen Calhoon of Elgin, IL
Sky is a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix and was adopted in 2018 from Midwest Border Collie Rescue in Crystal Lake Illinois. Her birthday is May 3, 2018.
Kathleen and Sky train at Car-Dun-Al Obedience Dog Training Club in Huntley, IL and Sky has earned her Companion Dog, Beginners Obedience and Preferred Beginners Obedience titles. Other titles earned are BCAT, DCAT, FCAT4, Novice Fetch and Intermediate Fetch.
Sky earned her MACH title on April 28, 2024, at the Car-Dun-Al Dog Obedience Club Agility Trial. Sky is working on her MACH2 and looks forward to attending the AKC National Agility Championship in Tulsa next Spring.
Her favorite activities are agility, Fast CAT and playing in the yard or house, as long as a ball is involved.
MACH Running On Moonshine MXB MJS XF T2B BCAT CGCA TKI owned by Kayla & Steven Murfin of Spokane, WA
Kayla got Moonshine in 2014, described as a 6-month-old Maltese/Chihuahua mix. She had absolutely no idea what adventures this little dog would take her on. “He was way more dog than I expected in such a small body, and he showed me right away that he is too smart for his own good,” she said. They started agility in 2017 out of desperation for something to channel his energy and intelligence into and both fell in love immediately.
A few years after they started trialing, Moonshine qualified for the AKC Agility National Championship and their most exciting agility adventures began. They qualified and attended NAC in 2022 and 2023 and qualified to attend in 2024. In September 2023, Moonshine tore his CCL during an agility trial after getting QQ #19 towards his MACH. He had a TPLO in October 2023 and his rehab journey began.
On May 11, 2024, at the Spokane Dog Training Club Sontag trial, after a long 7 months of rehab, Moonshine returned to agility and got QQ #20 for his MACH. “Moonshine’s love for agility fueled his drive to recover and come back to the game stronger, better than ever, and a little bionic,” Kayla said. “I could never have imagined that we would make the friends, take the trips, or go to the trials that we have when we started this journey together and I wouldn’t have it any other way. There is nothing better than playing our favorite game with my best friend.”
MACH Aislinge Bray Terriers Kit N Kaboodle MXB MJB ACT1 ACT1J TKA owned by Linnea Green of Duvall, WA
Kit was born in the Catskill Mountains of Delhi, NY on September 16, 2020. Linnea and her husband flew to NY to get him at 8 weeks old. “He has been such a joy to play with and train. He is an awesome and loyal agility partner,” Linnea said.
They began with foundation agility classes in June of 2021. Kit’s first AKC trial was on September 17, 2022, at Fun Fur Paws in Mt. Vernon, WA. In July of 2023 he got his first qualified run in JWW MAS and in September of 2023 he got his first qualified run STD MAS. He has been steady and consistent throughout all his trials.
On May 19, 2024, Kit got his MACH, the first of “hopefully many more,” at Run Wild Dog Sports in Auburn, WA. At the end of the three-day trial, he had exactly the 750 points and 20 double Q’s needed for a MACH. His qualifying run was the last run of trial, and he needed just eight more points and that is exactly what he got. “I was over the moon with excitement to have achieved this award with Kit.”
MACH Tucker King Kirby MXB MJS PJD MFS TQX T2B2 owned by Jennifer Kirby & Jeanne King of Mount Vernon, WA
Tucker, a Poodle/Border Collie mix, earned his first MACH on May 24, 2024, at the Olympic Kennel Club trial held at Run Wild in Auburn, WA. Jennifer and Jeanne got Tucker, their first agility dog, on Insurrection Day, Jan 6, 2021, at 10 weeks as a hiking and mountain biking companion.
they quickly saw his drive for agility but were unable to get into any classes due to COVID, so they signed up for One Mind Dogs online. This gave them outstanding foundations and they quickly moved into learning handling techniques. They now attend regular classes at Fun Fur Paws in Mount Vernon and Chuckanut Dogs in Lynden, WA.
Trialing began when Tucker turned 15 months, and they have never looked back. “Agility has become a huge part of our lives, and we love the community of friends we have made and continue to make at each trial. We had a blast at NAC 2024 where Tucker was Fearless, Fast and Focused and cannot wait until next year. We love our Tdog so much,” Jennifer said.
MACH Gus Bladerunner Gandy MXS MJS XF T2B owned by Amy Gandy of Safety Harbor, FL
Gus is a cattle dog mix rescue from Alabama who Amy adopted in 2016. He was heartworm positive and were it not for the efforts of Ewenity Farms Working Dog Rescue and the love and attention of his foster, he wouldn’t have become a member of Amy’s pack. Gus began his journey with Amy as shy and insecure and grew into a playful confident dog. His sister was already competing in agility, and it was clear to Amy that this athletic dog needed a job.
Gus began agility training in 2017, and it has become an integral part of his life. He enjoys training, treats, and Q’s. “Well, we’re not sure about the Q’s but he sure likes lining up for the next run with his mom and getting to that treat bag as quickly as possible,” Amy said.
Improvement continued but Gus had a setback in 2021, when he lost the vision in his right eye. Despite this, he was able to return in 2022 and ultimately competed in the National Agility Championships in 2023 and 2024.
Gus earned his MACH on June 7, 2024, at Bratty PAWS Dogplex in Punta Gorda Florida. “We couldn’t be prouder of our sweet boy. Despite his origins, setbacks, and the slowest weaves imaginable, Gus is a confident, fun-loving partner who has brought so much joy to his agility team and family.”
Congratulations also to these dogs who have earned their MACH titles:
- MACH Baker VII MXB MJS MXF T2B ACT2 ACT2J THDN CGC TKI owned by Debbie Ranallo of North Royalton, OH
- MACH Blue Cedar’s Spiderwoman CD BN RA MXB MJG PJD MFB T2B2 owned by Timmari Putti of Inlay City, MI
- MACH Wind Cave MXB MJB XF ACT2 ACT2J owned by Laura Scanlon of Manchester, CT
- MACH Once Upon A Dream’s Oliver Blue MXS MJS owned by Jacquie Lomax of Long Beach, CA
- MACH Slow Southern Style MXB MJB owned by Niki Ryan of Edison, OH
- MACH Kuzco’s Poison MXB MJB owned by Jennifer Hill of Attica, MI
- MACH Jeremiah’s Joy To The World MXS MJB MXF T2B2 TKI owned by Lisa Phillips of Pattison, TX
- MACH Najda’s Jax RN MXB MJG T2B CGC TKA owned by Francine & Raymond Najda of Olmsted Township, OH
Congratulations to these dogs who have added more MACH titles to their names:
- AGCH MACH15 Mighty Milo Vogel MXS4 PDS MJC4 PJS MFG TQX T2B5 owned by Kathleen Vogel of Bay City, MI
- MACH5 Sullivan’s Louie MXB2 MJS2 CGC owned by Robert & Kit Sullivan of Richmond, VA
- MACH4 He Shoots, He Scores RN MXG2 MJG2 MFB T2B SWD SWM owned by Teresa Rodney of Fountain Valley, CA
- MACH3 Gurley Go Dawgs Reagin MXC MJG owned by Larry & Tammy Reagin of Richmond, VA
- MACH3 Cosmic Rayn Of Stardust MXS MJG XF DCAT owned by Sonja Davis of Chesterfield, MI
- MACH2 Valeria Richards Yacnamara MXG MJG MFS TQX T2B4 owned by John Yackel of West Lafayette, IN
- MACH2 Dobby Gibbs MXS PAD MJS MFB TQX T2B2 BCAT owned by Deidra Notheis of Sacramento, CA
- MACH2 Cooper Godinsky MXS MJS XF BCAT SWA SCE CGC TKA owned by Steve Godinsky of Elgin, IL
- MACH2 Gorman’s Athena MXS MJS PJD MFB TQX T2B2 owned by Diane Fairfax Gorman of St. Paul, MN
- MACH2 Riggle’s One Mans Trash Is My Gem MXS MJG MFB TQX T2B owned by Rhonda Riggle of Pasco, WA
- MACH2 Sofia Erickson MXG MJG NF owned by Carla Erickson of Weston, MO
- MACH2 Wushu MXS MJG OF owned by Sue Vold of Leavenworth, KS
- MACH2 Ellie Kochiss MXS MJS owned by Brittany Kochiss of Trumbull, CT
Preferred Agility Champion (PACH)
PACH Kricket II AX OAJ MXP4 MXPB MJP4 MJPB PAX owned by Sally Hinzman of Fairbanks, AK
When Sally got Kricket, she was expecting a purebred Lhasa Apso. He arrived in Fairbanks, Alaska, sight-unseen. As he grew up, his parentage became questionable. “The first years he ran agility, his nose was on the ground through the entire course, so making time was always a problem,” Sally said. “If there was anything on the field that was edible, he was sure to find it.” As Kricket got older, he learned that if he did well on the course, he would get lots of treats at the end. “I hope my next agility dog will be just like Kricket, only five seconds faster.” He received his PACH on April 21, 2024, at the Tanana Valley Kennel Club trial at Camp Li-Wa in Fairbanks, AK.
MACH2 PACH Lunatic Supermutt MXG MJG MXP3 MXPB MJPB PAX MFB TQX T2B owned by Stacie Sansone & Michael Curtis of Maryville, IL
Luna is an 8-year-old mix of several breeds and is the Novice A dog who “changed everything” for Stacie. She was rescued as a puppy shortly after Stacie graduated from college and moved home. At the recommendation of a coworker they began agility classes when Luna was 2 to channel her crazy energy. They got hooked and now, six years later, they have achieved MACH2 and now PACH. “Even better, she led me to find a great community and some of my best friends,” Stacie said. “I’m so grateful to Luna for being the absolute best Novice A dog a girl could have!” Luna has been very forgiving through the process of Stacie learning how to be a handler and handles it well when she gives late cues.
People love to watch Luna run because she looks so happy and has a funny “hopping” way of getting through the weaves. The pair have tried other sports including FastCAT, Barn Hunt and dock diving. They hope to try Scent Work when they slow down with agility but there are no signs of that yet; Luna’s favorite part of the week is still going to agility class. “I treasure every time stepping to the line with my best friend for as long as she’s still enjoying playing the game of agility with me.”
Luna earned her PACH on May 11, 2024, at the Capitol Canine Training Club agility trial at The Sports Academy in Glen Carbon, IL.
AGCH MACH6 PACH Piper Pie Swanson MXC2 PDS MJB3 PJS MXP3 MXPB PADP MJP3 MJPB PJDP PAX MFB2 TQX MFPB T2B10 FCAT3 CGC TKI FITG owned by Diane Swanson of San Antonio, TX
In January 2017, Diane Swanson and her boyfriend Dave Dean fell in love with a photo of Violet. They agreed to foster the dog and took her in “officially” when she got along with their cats. They re-named her Piper.
Soon, Diane and Dave realized Piper knew very little. She didn’t know what treats were, how to go on a walk, how to navigate stairs, how to play, or even how to just be a dog.
“I hope you don’t think Piper will ever be an Agility dog,” Dave told Diane. He had 31 years of dog training and evaluation experience working for the federal government, so his opinion mattered. But the couple didn’t give up. Piper was doing a ten-obstacle agility course in their back yard just one month later.
Growing up in Michigan, Diane never had pets. Each summer, she’d catch a toad, make an indoor home for it, scrounge up bugs to feed it every day, then release it in time to hibernate for winter. She’d bring home every stray dog she found, begging to keep it.
“Mom taught me how to call the number on the tag, and let the people know we were holding their escape artist,” Diane says. “I was desperate to have pets.”
When Diane got older, she filled her Texas home with pets: a few dogs and several cats. Once, when her mom visited her house, she told Diane she wanted to be reincarnated as a pet in her home — even a toad — because she saw how well Diane took care of her pets.
Piper earned her PACH on May 25, 2024, at the Poodle Club of San Antonnio trial in San Antonio, TX.
PACH Luna Venkat RE FDC MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX XFP T2BP BCAT SWE SIM SHDN THDN RATN CGCA CGCU TKE ATT BN-V VHMA VSWB FITG owned by Hether Venkat of Surprise, AZ
Luna, an almost-11-year-old Border Collie/Australian Cattle Dog mix, earned her PACH title on June 1, 2024, in Farmington, New Mexico with the Durango Agility Club. Heather adopted Luna when she was 2 years old, after she was rescued as a pregnant stray in Douglas, AZ in 2015. It wasn’t until Heather was chatting with a coworker during the summer of 2017 that they thought it would be fun to start taking agility classes together with their dogs.
All it took was one class and Heather was hooked. Luna not only opened her up to the world of agility, but to dog sports in general, and since then they have achieved titles in Scent Work, Rally, Trick Dog, Fast CAT, Barn Hunt, and more. When they started trialing in agility Luna was already 5 years old, and at first Heather worried that it would be too late for them to accomplish their goals. But they never gave up. Even when Luna struggled with weaves during trials, while she was perfect in practice, Heather worked through her weave stress and learned how to best communicate with Luna to help her hit her weave pole entries and encouraged her verbally while she was weaving.
Heather had to work through being a novice handler and learning agility herself. She is proud of all that they have worked through to accomplish the goal of her PACH, to prove that it’s never too late to get started in agility. Heather doesn’t know when Luna will want to retire, but she hasn’t shown any signs that she’s ready just yet, so Heather is more than happy to continue playing the game together.
Congratulations also to these dogs who have earned the PACH title:
- PACH Zuma Of Wilson World MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX owned by Caroline Wilson of Dana Point, CA
- MACH PACH Mosley’s Zekerman CDX RM MXB MJS MXP3 MXPB MJP4 MJPB PAX MFB MFPB TQXP T2B T2BP BCAT SWN SBA TKA owned by Nikki Mosley of Guntersville, AL
- PACH Embrace The Darkness AX OAJ MXP4 MXPB MJP5 MJPS PAX OF MFP owned by Alison Hoffmann of Belleville, IL
- PACH Desert Sundog MX MXJ MJB MXP3 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX OF T2B owned by Cheryl Morris of Boone, IA
Congratulations to these dogs who have added more PACH titles to their names:
- PACH3 Zema Russian Winter MXP14 MXPB2 MJP12 MJPB2 PAX3 MFPB owned by Carol Schwick of Hernando, FL
- PACH3 Keenan-Taylor’s Joey NA NAJ MXP11 MXPC MJP11 MJPC PAX3 MFPB T2BP3 THDA CGC TKN owned by Darlene Keenan-Taylor of Oakham, MA
- PACH2 Bug OA OAJ MXP6 MXPS MJP7 MJPG PAX2 XF MFP T2BP4 owned by Carol Franks of Albuquerque, NM
- AGCH MACH PACH7 Logan’s Flash Of An Angel Trixie MXB MJB MXP18 MXPG2 PDSP MJP19 MJPG2 PJSP PAX7 XF MFPG TQXP T2B T2BP5 BCAT RATO CGC TKA ATT owned by Mrs. Antje L Logan of Grosse Tete, LA
- AGCH MACH7 PACH2 Everlasting’s Matilda CD BN RE MXG2 PDS MJG2 PJG MXP5 MXPS PADP MJP5 MJPS PAX2 MFC TQX MFPB TQXP T2B6 T2BP DCAT owned by Elizabeth Powell of Evansville, IN
Coursing Ability – CAT
One of the easiest ways to get involved in the world of dog sports is with a Coursing Ability Test (CAT). Designed specifically for newcomers, each dog chases after an artificial lure on either a 300- or 600-yard-long course and must finish in less 1 ½ minutes and 2 minutes, respectively.
CAX – Coursing Ability Excellent
Brynster The Sprinster FDC CAX FCAT7 CGCA CGCU TKN owned by Cassandra & Andrew Cockrell of Marion, IL
Brynlee is an almost 4-year-old Corgi/Miniature American Shepherd mix that Cassi got from a coworker in the summer of 2021. “We agreed to take her as a companion for our other high energy dog, not realizing how impactful a role she would have for us. We got into FastCAT as an energy outlet for our other dog, but Brynlee turned it into something we take seriously.”
Brynlee started FastCAT in November of 2021, but didn’t try CABT (Coursing Ability) until December of 2022. “She was an absolute natural, and CABT quickly became one of her favorite sports,” Cassi said. She tries her hardest to outsmart the lure and cut it off, regularly making her second runs more difficult for the lure operators. “If she wasn’t having so much fun, I would apologize to the lure operators, but you can just watch the joy on her face while she runs.”
“It is difficult to find CABT in the Midwest, so we are regularly traveling four-plus hours to be able to play the game. With that drive, earning a CAX in just under a year and a half is an accomplishment we never thought we would achieve. I’m glad we were wrong.”
This summer, Brynlee also started competing in agility. “It’s the only thing that comes close to her enjoyment and love for CABT, Cassi said.
Brynlee earned her CAX title in April with Time to Fly Performance Dog Sports and the Louisville Kennel Club in Louisville, KY.
Lady Midnight CAX FCAT3 CGCA CGCU TKN owned by Ann Crum of Dayton, OH
Tovie was born to run. “Seriously, it’s all she wants to do. Every time you open the patio door, she’s out in a flash, attempting to reach top speed by the time she reaches the back fence at her home. Then, she cuts around to each corner, attempting the same speed feat until she reaches her starting point,” Ann said.
She was rescued at around 14 months, and it wasn’t going to be easy to place a big, black, and reactive pup. But she joined an amazing family in Ohio who gave her lots of love and training.
Because she loved running so much, the Crum family tried her in Fast CAT last year and she quickly became a highly ranked All American Dog. She loved the trash bunny so much, that she tried CAT. It wasn’t surprising to see that she was a majestic runner on a CAT field, truly a beauty. By the time she achieved her CAX in Louisville, KY on April 21, 2024, it was clear that her true love was the longer game. She is well on her way to CAX2 now.
When she’s not feeding the need for speed, she’s either training for her agility debut, taking neighborhood walks, playing with doggie friends, or snuggling on the sofa. She’s a treasure to her family, and they can’t wait to see what the next running adventure brings.
Photo by Pawz to Pose
Hay There Tag Along CD BN RE FDC CAX FCAT2 RATN CGC TKN owned by Lia Peach of Haymarket, VA
Tag is a Border Collie/terrier mix that Lia adopted from a rescue group when he was 6 months old, and she was 13. Tag had some difficulties that made him hard to train, like shutting down and hiding. Their training sessions were short, but with lots of patience, consistency and praise Lia was determined they could work through it. She wanted to make training fun for Tag, so they trained with their 4-H club and competed in rally, obedience, showmanship, and agility. As a club they got our CGC titles together. Tag and Lia loved rally best. They earned his RE title and in fact they tied for tenth in Rally Advanced at AKC Nationals in 2019.
Shortly after that, Lia moved away to college. Her mother was 65, and Tag was 9, so her mom asked if she could do fun activities with Tag to help them both stay fit. “Tag and I thought it was a great idea, but then COVID hit,” Lia said. Fast CAT was the only event open. They loved it and earned his FCAT2 title. Lia would join them when she was home. They also did Farm Dog certification, Barn Hunt, and coursing. Tag retired the day he earned his CAX on April 26, 2024, right before he turned 13.
“Tag is the best first dog I could ask for,” Lia said. “He’s friendly to everyone and to other animals. His closest friend was Tuesday, my sister’s guinea pig!” He loves to find turtles on his walks, and would like one as a pet too, but they leave those friends behind. Tag is well behaved and a joy to be around, so they include him in all their adventures.
Athena Knowles RE FDC CAX FCAT5 ACT2J RATN DE DMA DDS CGCA CGCU TKE ATT BN-V VHMA VSWE FITG FTA owned by Kelly Knowles of Leesburg, VA
Athena came into Kelly’s life as skinny and heartworm positive crazy little dog. After getting her healthy and cleared by the vet, they began training for “all the things,” Kelly said. “Athena is good at everything except nothing, she is terrible at doing nothing!”
As a 3-year-old, Athena and Kelly took a K9 handler course, where they trained and certified as a team in Narcotics Detection and Tracking. They worked as a contract team for about a year, before Kelly decided sports were more fun. Since then, she and Athena have trained and competed in a variety of sports, including but not limited to Disc, Fast CAT, lure coursing, Dock Diving, Rally, Obedience and Agility. On April 27, 2024, Athena ran her 25th successful CABT run, earning her CAX title with The Potomac Valley Samoyed Club at White Post, VA with their awesome lure operator Ching-Yao Yu.
Henrich’s Barnegat Light OAP OJP MFP CAX FCAT2 ACT2J CGC TKN CAX owned by Laura Henrich of Manahawkin, NJ
Barney earned his CAX title on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Walkersville, Maryland at a trial hosted by the Dog Owners’ Training Club of Maryland. He first started CABT competition in 2021. “He is our beloved family member who also competes in agility and Fast CAT,” Laura said. “He approaches every competition with exuberance!”
Smelly Ellie Robbed The Deli FDC CAX FCAT RATN CGCA CGCU TKP ATT VHMA VSWE FITG CAX owned by Macy B. Van Cleave & Andrew S. White of Gainesville, FL
Ellie was adopted as an older puppy from a local rescue and struggled with confidence and anxiety when she was younger. Macy started working with her on earning virtual AKC titles to both bond and increase her confidence. After much time and effort, and when Ellie was 3 years old, she took Ellie to a dog show for her CGC evaluation. Macy decided to try a Fast CAT fun run while there, and the rest is history.
Ellie fell in love with CAT and Fast CAT, and just blossomed into the dog Macy knew she could be. “The confidence she has gained through dog sports has been amazing to see,” Macy said. When she isn’t chasing plastic bags, Ellie loves playing with her two Great Dane sisters. Ellie earned her CAX title in Perry, GA at the Crossroads Cluster on May 11, 2024.
Meeka Schmeeka Baker CAX DCAT CGC FITB CAX owned by Michele Baker of Cumming, GA
In early June of 2022, Michele agreed to foster an incoming Golden Retriever/Poodle mix for a rescue group she worked with. She wasn’t sure what to expect. Meeka was nervous at first, but it only took a couple months for the family to fall in love and adopt her.
She breezed through obedience classes and achieved her CGC, becoming a therapy dog going to facilities to spread her love. Michele tried several sports to build Meeka’s confidence and see what she would like but nothing really held her interest. Knowing that no chipmunk is safe in their yard, she thought “why not see if she would like to chase the bunnies? She chased them on television.”
Michele investigated Fast CAT and CAT, enrolled Meeka in the AKC Canine Partners program, and found their first event. Her first CAT run was in September 2023 at the Biewer Terrier Club in Camden SC, and she was hooked. “When it’s go-time she runs all out after those deceitful bunnies, and she has caught them a couple times, smiling the whole run,” Michele said. “She will run, rain, mud or shine to chase those elusive bunnies.” Meeka achieved her CAX in May 2024 less than a year later at an event held by the Oconee River Kennel Club in Hull, GA. “We are so proud of our girl, and grateful to all the Clubs, Lure Operators, Field Trial Secretaries, Judges, and all those who have helped us along the way.”
Remington Fleur De Lis CAX DCAT CGC TKI VHMA FITG owned by Natalie Schaut of Guyton, GA
In 2021, 4-month-old Remington and her littermates were found in the woods by Rusty’s Legacy in North Carolina. Ever since she was adopted by Natalie, she has loved learning, but she is highly anxious. “We started visiting a local Zoom Room when it opened, and an amazing trainer there opened the world of AKC sports to us,” Natalie said. “We had a local FastCAT event, and she encouraged us to try.”
FastCAT has turned into the best way to help Remi gain confidence and run out her never-ending energy. Even today, FastCAT trials are “part recall, part lure chase,” but near the end of last year, they decided to attempt CAT. Natalie told everyone in line she just recalls with FastCAT, so she just knew Remington would not run CAT. “I begged the judge if we could get something even if we failed, just to show we at least tried.” The judge laughed and told Natalie to just see what she does first. The lure started to fly, and Remington was gone. She needed a little help staying on it, but she ran it and passed. They have run CATs at every event they have participated in since, and on May 19th, 2024, almost exactly a year from when she did her first official FastCAT trials, Remington earned her CAX in Hull, Georgia with their favorite lure company, Time to Fly.
Congratulations also to this dog for earning the CAX title:
- Zoom-Zoom CAX FCAT owned by Jessica, Conner, & Nicholas Roslan of Ravenna, OH
Congratulations to these dogs who have added more CAX titles to their names:
- Epona RN CAX3 FCAT3 RATN TKN owned by Meg Reidy of Ranger, GA
- Ruch’s Gem In The Rough CAX2 FCAT27 ACT1 ACT2J RATO CZ8P CGCA CGCU ATT FITG owned by Sherri Ruch of Kempton, PA
- Red Rock’s I’M The One CAX4 FCAT owned by Anita Rabidou of Montgomery, AL
FastCAT
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 September 10, 2024:
18-inch or Greater
Rank | Dog Name | MPH |
1 | Buckminster DCAT | 34.70 |
2 | Saluq’s Athena CA FCAT5 | 33.17 |
3 | Maida DCAT | 32.89 |
4 | Tcs Path Of Destruction BCAT TKN | 32.88 |
5 | Binks Bonks Brand BCAT | 32.78 |
12-inch up to 18-inch
Rank | Dog Name | MPH |
1 | Sincity’s Polyjuice Potion CA DCAT ONYX RATS CZ8B DE DM HDM CGC TKA | 31.34 |
2 | This Girl Is On Fire MX MXJ MJB OF CA FCAT4 RATN | 31.28 |
3 | Another Punch BCAT | 31.25 |
4 | Mvto’s Sweet Kiwi CA BCAT CGCA CGCU TKA | 31.20 |
5 | Black Ink FCAT7 | 31.02 |
Below 12 inches
Rank | Dog Name | MPH |
1 | Bruno Bridges FCAT | 27.25 |
2 | Lang’s Lily Ann RI BCAT CGCA FITB | 26.72 |
3 | Miss Brindi Brindle FCAT9 | 25.57 |
4 | Michelada BCAT | 25.28 |
5 | Tito Goes Where We Go FCAT | 24.39 |
RALLY
Rally Champion (RACH)
RACH Gus Robinson BN RM2 RAE3 ACT2 ACT2J CGC owned by Dakota Berdahl of Arvada, CO
In 2019 Dakota’s husband made the remark one random day, “we should get a dog.” She looked him dead in the face and said, “You should have never said that.” Within two days they had Gus. Dakota had scoured the shelter sites looking for a medium to large dog who had been there for a while. When she saw Gus’s eyes and spotty face, she knew he had to be hers. His shelter name was Picasso, the staff said, because of his spots that looked like a painting. “We changed it to Gus because he just felt and looked like an old soul cowboy (He is mostly heeler after all).”
Gus had been in the shelter for almost a month. Dakota assumed this was because most people thought he would be a high-energy dog. This was a challenge she was ready to accept. “However, to our surprise he is the laziest, most gentle creature,” Dakota said. She decided to train basic manners and tricks with him, and it came naturally for them. She researched dog sports on the AKC website and right away had his CGC, CGCU, CGCA and trick dog titles. So began the journey to understand Rally! They are both self-taught thanks to YouTube and began trialing in 2020 before everything was shut down due to COVID. Once trials resumed, they competed when we could and finally in 2024 secured his RACH. They have received several High Combined awards and High Triples and Gus is even ranked as the 5th All American Dog in AKC Rally. “He’s my first sports dog and the best one I could ever ask for!”
Gus earned the RACH on May 5th, 2024, at Mountain States Dog Training Club, Colorado.
RACH Little Miss Sophie Hertogs CD BN RM4 RAE2 RC FDC CGCA CGCU owned by Susan Hertogs of Hudson, WI
Sophie was adopted from the Washburn County Humane Society in 2019 when she was 6 months old. She is an All American Dog, a mix of several breeds. Susan started dog training with her at Animal Inn, Lake Elmo, Minnesota, in 2021, and participated in rally trials in 2022 through 2024, in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
They completed the RACH requirements on May 11, 2024, at Bloomington Obedience Training Club, Bloomington, Minnesota. “Thank you, everyone, who has judged, taught, convinced, and listened to me so Sophie and I could earn this RACH award. Competing in Rally, making new friends, and traveling around with Sophie has truly been a wonderful experience!”
Congratulations also to these dogs for earning the RACH title:
- RACH Krikit RM4 RAE3 RC OAP NJP NFP CGC TKI owned by Patricia Chase of Canyon, TX
- RACH Avery Puppy RM3 RAE2 RC OA AXJ AXP NF owned by Claire Batson & Clayton Walker of Simpsonville, SC
Congratulations to this dog for earning another RACH title:
- RACH2 Sweet Golden Bliss CDX PCD BN GN RM6 RAE5 RC FCAT CGC owned by Shelby Buono of Evansville, IN
Obedience
Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH)
OTCH Cartim’s Little Orphan Annie UDX2 OM4 BN owned by Caryn Hasselbring of Orlando, FL
While running an errand on a Sunday in March of 2013, Caryn noticed two large black dogs in the middle of the street as she approached a busy intersection. They were frantically weaving in and out of traffic as if searching for someone. Seeing that they needed help she pulled over and began to get out of the car. When the dogs saw a potentially helpful person, they flew through the traffic coming to an abrupt halt in front of her. Caryn opened the back of the SUV, the dogs gladly hopped in, and they drove off to see if they were microchipped (they were not).
“Attempts to locate an owner were unsuccessful so they moved in,” Caryn said. The younger one was a tall, lanky Shepherd mix who couldn’t have been more than 10 months old. Caryn named her “Annie.”
It didn’t take long to see that Annie was special in many ways. She had excellent attention and exuberant energy. They began to train, and Caryn enrolled her in classes at Orlando Dog Training Club. She set as her goal a UD title, something she had never before attained.
However, a friend watching her train was adamant that Annie would be her “OTCH dog.” Caryn was skeptical but decided they would try.
Annie earned her OTCH title on May 4, 2024, at the K-9 Obedience Club of Jacksonville. Along the way she earned ten High in Trials, five High Combined awards, placed in the top ten in Utility at the AKC Obedience Classic in 2022, two UDX titles, four Obedience Master titles and unending support from the local obedience community that admires her.
Photo Courtesy of Pix ’n Pages
UDX
- Fiz – The Tidal Trickster UDX OM1 RA CGC owned by Tiffany A Huebner of Anoka, MN
Congratulations to this dog on earning a UDX2:
- OTCH Cartim’s Little Orphan Annie UDX2 OM4 BN owned by Caryn Hasselbring of Orlando, FL
UD
CoCo Jordan UD NA NAJ CGC UD owned by Jerry Jordan of Milwaukee, WI
CoCo is an exceptionally responsive dog with a joyful disposition who adores greeting people and being petted. Although it was anticipated she would weigh between 25 to 30 pounds, CoCo has grown to 21 inches at the withers and weighs 50 pounds.
She is a delight to train, displaying excellent listening skills and a quick learning ability, and she tackles her routines with boundless enthusiasm. As a proud member of the Milwaukee Dog Training Club, Jerry is thrilled to announce that CoCo achieved her Utility Dog (UD) title on June 9, 2024, at an AKC obedience trial sponsored by MDTC and hosted by the Western Waukesha Dog Training Club in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Scent Work
Congratulations to these dogs for earning their Scent Work Detective titles:
Blue Lechowski SWD SWM owned by Kelly Lechowski of Mundelein, IL
Kelly was in college when she adopted the now 9-year-old Blue from Blue Earth Nicollet County Humane Society in Mankato, MN, on Nov. 19, 2017. “When Blue was younger, she loved hiking and long walks, until she discovered dog training,” Kelly said. Blue received her CGC on Nov. 1, 2020.
When they moved to Chicago, IL, from Minnesota, they took up the sport of scent work with Margaret Simek at One Happy Dog. Margaret told Kelly that Blue found her calling in life when she got into scent work. Today, she refuses to go for a long walk but will run for hours and hours to find a hide. Kelly and Blue began training in scent work in July 2022 and worked their way up to the Detective title with Cream City Canines on April 21, 2024, hosted at Raymond School in Franksville, WI. They continue to train and compete in scent work as that is Blue’s favorite thing to do.
Schwarz’s Jackson Slim CD BN RM FCAT SWD SWME DE DM TKN owned by Patricia M Schwarz of Floresville, TX
Patricia and Slim began scent work training shortly after Slim joined the Schwarz household five years ago when he was about 10 months old. According to Team Slim, there is no more rewarding or challenging way to spend a day than at a scent work trial.
In 2024, they have attained two major milestones in Slim’s scent work career by completing the Scent Work Master Elite title in January and the Scent Work Detective title a few months later. Patricia feels great satisfaction seeing their hard work to become a cohesive scent work team get rewarded, and she gets excited about the ribbons and title certificates. “Slim remains chill about it all; he just loves to play the game,” she said.
Slim earned his Scent Work Detective title at a Bexar County Kennel Club trial in San Antonio, Texas, on May 4, 2024. “It is one of our proudest achievements.”
PACH2 Karl’s Kenny Dog MXP9 MXPG MJP10 MJPC PAX2 MFP BCAT SWD SWM SCEE SBEE SEAE CGC TKN ATT owned by Teresa Seger-Yeggy of Elburn, IL
Kenny is a German Shepherd/cattle dog mix. He was rehomed with Teresa when he was about 4 years old. They began training in scent work as he was edging closer to the end of his agility career. “He took to it immediately and absolutely loves it,” Teresa said.
At the Midwest Regional Scent Work Championships in 2022, Kenny earned second place in the Excellent division. Then they began their quest for Detective, earning it on July 7, 2024, at Common Scents K9 Scent Work Club at Camp Big Timber in Elgin, IL.
In Kenny’s Detective run, he earned an impressive five first places out of his 10 Qs. At 12 ½ years old, he is now retired and enjoying some much-earned relaxation. “We had some very memorable runs, met many wonderful people and I couldn’t have asked for a better canine partner.”
Sarmiento’s Zoee RI SWD SWME SHDM RATO CGCA TKA VHMA owned by Cynthia & Alex Sarmiento of Oakley, CA
Zoee, a German Shepherd mix, was born in January 2018 at a ranch in Central California to a working dog. Her first five weeks of life were spent in a barn and a rescue in Livermore, CA rescued the litter. Through the pain of just losing her twin to cancer, Cynthia adopted Zoee at 8 weeks old. “My lifesaver,” she said.
Cynthia was keeping Zoee busy with obedience, tricks, and agility foundation work. But in August of 2018, Zoee hurt her knee. She had a luxating patella that required surgery. Since she was still young and her bones still developing, the decision was made to wait and in June 2019 she underwent surgery to repair the luxating patella. There was a long rehab process with no walks, toys, or playing of any kind for six weeks. The first surgery failed, so in August 2019 there was a second surgery that ended in another strict, regimented recovery/rehab process that lasted until December 2020. During that time, Cynthia had started online Scent Work classes with Zoee to keep her mentally stimulated. She turned out to be a natural.
They started competing in October 2019. “It is a journey to get the ten legs for the SWD, but so worth it!” Cynthia said. “The joy, the tears, the Scent Work family and everything else in between. It built a strong bond between us.”
Zoee received her Detective Title on May 31st, 2024, at Dream Big Training Center in Lodi, CA with the Mensona Kennel Club. “Thank you AKC for giving mixed breeds with Canine Partners opportunities beyond what we thought possible.”
Schneider’s Woodson SWD SWE SCM SIM SEM TKN owned by Karen Schneider of Geneva, IL
Karen adopted 11-year-old Woodson, an Australian Shepherd mix, from a local rescue group when he was 12 weeks old. It soon became apparent that his very bright mind would benefit from something fun and challenging, so they began doing agility. Woodson loved playing agility in class and practice, but trials were stressful for him. So, when he was 3 ½ years old, they started Scent Work classes with the intent of building his confidence. “It only took a handful of classes to realize that he doesn’t just like doing it, it is his passion,” Karen said. They began competing when he was 4 and he is titled with multiple placements in several venues, but his journey has been so much more than that. He is now a confident dog that loves going to novel environments. Their Scent Work adventures have taken them to 14 states, many state parks, and all the Great Lakes.
Besides Scent Work, Woodson enjoys learning tricks – his Intermediate title is pending approval. He is an ambassador dog for Safe Humane Chicago and volunteers with Karen in their Lifetime Bonds program. They work with incarcerated juveniles to teach them about dogs and how to train them. He has helped build their confidence so they can go on and train shelter dogs to enhance their chances for adoption.
Woodson continues to compete in Scent Work with exuberance!
Congratulations also to this dog for earning her SWD title:
- It’s All About Mia SWD SWM SEEE SBEE owned by Suzanne Edholm of Pleasanton, CA
TRICK DOG
Trick Dog Elite Performer (TKE)
Brecken CGC TKE owned by Celeste Rusin of Downers Grove, IL
Brecken is a 4-year-old mix of a pup. He was rescued at 7 months old and adopted by Celeste at 10 months old. He was scared, nervous and anxious around people. Celeste gave him some time to warm up and adjust to his new environment and then got him started in training classes so he could interact more with people.
These training classes eventually turned into Trick Dog classes. Celeste was nervous since Brecken was very shy, however, he impressed her and everyone in class. Brecken loved learning new tricks, even though he wouldn’t always perform them during class. “At home, when he would do a trick, he would get so happy, tail wagging and running around the house,” Celeste said. Before long, Brecken earned his Novice Trick Dog Title in July of 2022, then his Intermediate, Advanced and even Performer Titles not long after.
When it came time for the Performer Elite Title, Celeste wasn’t sure if Brecken would be able to perform in front of an audience. However, Brecken surprised everyone and was able to do his routine! He earned the TKE on May 23, 2024, in Darien, IL. Throughout his journey, he learned over 50 tricks, including many with props. He may still be a little wary of people, but through the classes (with an amazing trainer named Donna) and Title Certifications, Brecken has gained confidence. In fact, training with Donna was the only place besides home, where he would perk up in the car, and not be afraid to get out of it.
Donna’s amazing help, the classes and titles have led Brecken into trying to find even more fun in the world. He loves going to his beginning agility classes now and cries when Celeste pulls into the parking lot because he’s so happy to go.
Lexi Strong TKE owned by Lisa Strong of Long Beach, CA
Lexi was 4 months old when Lisa got her as a rescue through Petfinder, and she started training her right away. Lexi loved the attention, and she was quick to learn. They went through basic obedience classes, Canine Good Citizen classes and then started trick training. They have tried all sorts of dog sports including agility and rally. Lexi showed Lisa that she was a very sensitive dog, especially with children. They eventually were approved through Pet Partners and for a few years now they have volunteered as a therapy dog team at Millers Children’s Hospital in Long Beach.
Trick training is something they were encouraged to do by a friend, and Lisa saw how much Lexi loves to learn new tricks. Moving up through the levels was a fun way to measure their growth. “The last level was one that I never thought I would achieve; it seemed too hard,” Lisa said. At an agility class at Zoom Room, she learned they were certified to evaluate her if she wanted to try the next level. Looking at the requirements, Lisa realized that Lexi only needed one or two more tricks to qualify. But recording the performance also seemed like a challenge. But luckily, she had a friend who was willing to record and narrate their performance. Lisa took the video to Zoom Room in Long Beach on May 25, 2024, and they approved her Elite Performer work.
Lexi has been a joy to have; she is 6 years old now. “I have never had a dog that is just mine,” Lisa said. “We had family dogs as I raised my children but now my kids are grown, and Lexi is my companion.”
Super Nova II SCN CGCA CGCU TKE FITS owned by Holly Hill of Chino Valley, AZ
Lily, 9 years old, has been learning and performing tricks since she was 10 weeks old. “She is doing what simply comes naturally,” Holly said. She creates her own trick; Holly modifies and refines it to make it work, then Lily performs it. She is very creative and excels in Trick Dog. On several occasions she has been invited to perform for children and adults at both canine and public events. In fact, she just completed a demonstration at the Chino Valley Library in Chino Valley, AZ for the end-of-summer reading classes for children. She was truly amazing, and everyone enjoyed watching her.
Lily has perfected over 150 tricks: from back weaves to getting a drink for Holly out of the refrigerator. She is such a good friend and expresses nothing but kindness to everyone she meets. “She is the greatest partner that anyone could have and together we hope to have many more adventures and accomplishments.” She is quite the dog!”
Congratulations also to these dogs who have earned their TKE titles:
- Vaeda’s Mountain Sky RN CGC TKE owned by Vanessa Hautekeete of Norwalk, IA
- Bella Huang TKE owned by Lili Huang of Brooklyn, NY
- Mocha Wei CGCA CGCU TKE owned by Mengyang Wei of Cary, NC
- Beartse CGCA CGCU TKE owned by Mr. Patrick Tse of Brooklyn, NY
- Mus CGC TKE owned by Shenjie Chen of Long Island City, NY
- Ceci Serena Noon-Bakke CGC TKE owned by Ingrid Bakke & Tim Noon of Renton, WA