Meet Reagan Wallace: Dog Training Is the Best Part of Her Day
Name: Reagan Wallace
Age: 15
Grade: 9th
Hometown: Saint Peters, MO
Family: Parents, Traci and Britt; brother, Hayden
Reagan got her start in training from her aunt, who is active in a rescue organization. Things really took off when she got her All American Dog, Zeus, and she is well on her way to a big collection of titles with him in several sports!
AKC: How old is Zeus and how did he come into your life?
Reagan: Zeus is 6. He’s from a rescue my aunt works with and was originally returned with his littermate. He was a hot mess when his littermate was around due to littermate syndrome. I was looking for a dog to do agility with and was interested in him, so my aunt let me keep him over quarantine as a “foster” even though we all knew he was staying.
AKC: What got you started in dog training?
Reagan: My aunt Laurie did. She fosters for a rescue and trained her deaf pit bull foster named Ziggy in multiple disciplines. Ziggy was never adopted for long because he liked to make trouble, but he did Human Remains Detection training, tricks, and agility while with my aunt. As a young kid I always looked up to them. My aunt didn’t let the fact that Ziggy was deaf stop them from doing cool things. Once I got Zeus, she and I did some agility classes together, and she is still one of Zeus’ favorite people.
AKC: Is your family involved in showing dogs?
Reagan: Technically no, they are not. My mom has run Zeus in agility during ring rentals and worked his downs for me (he absolutely hates downing on the rubber surface in the rally ring), but they do not compete with dogs of their own. That doesn’t mean they aren’t amazing though. They pay for my entries, drive me to shows, feed me at shows, and have even driven me to Florida for the AKC Juniors Agility Competition and Pennsylvania for a seminar camp for juniors.
AKC: What sports does Zeus compete in and what titles/honors has he earned?
Reagan: Zeus competes in agility, obedience, and rally. Agility is our main focus. Zeus has his AX, AXJ, and XF titles. He has two rally novice legs and one beginner novice leg. We just started obedience/rally in December, and I’m really proud of how he’s doing because of his lack of formal training for it.
AKC: Tell us about what dog training has meant to you.
Reagan: Dog training has changed my life. Before I started dog sports, I played basketball. I had played it for six years, and it wasn’t something I was passionate about anymore. Dog sports gave me something to do that still involved human interaction, LOL. I love the relationship I’ve formed with my dogs. Training is a part of my day I look forward to and the dogs enjoy. Zeus runs up my cul-de-sac to greet me every day, and it’s things like that that keep me going.
AKC: Tell us about any other dogs you may have – names, ages, and what sports they compete in.
Reagan: I co-own a variety of dogs:
- Dickens: He’s an English Cocker Spaniel and competes in agility (co-owned with Laura Haverstack)
- Charmer: She’s a Golden Retriever and competes in agility (co-owned with Carol Hardy)
- Bling: She’s a Border Collie and competes in agility (co-owned with David Frasca and Kaylin Smith)
- Cherry: She’s my Golden puppy who’s training for agility and competes in rally and obedience (co-owned with Karen Winter)
- We also have two senior dogs: Truman and Ranger. Ranger is blind, going deaf, and is diabetic.
AKC: Do you own any “non-dog” pets?
Reagan: I do not. But my brother has an axolotl (a species of salamander), and my mom has some fish.
AKC: What are your goals in the sport of dogs?
Reagan: I would love to compete at the international level in agility. I love the complexity of the courses and the training needed to be at that level fascinates me. I would love to compete at the Junior Open Agility World Championship one day with one of my dogs. Other than that, I would love to get some more rally and agility titles on Zeus!
AKC: Do you plan to do something animal related as a career?
Reagan: I’m not sure yet. My school was just bugging me about not having a plan for my future as well, ha-ha! I’m just currently taking it all in. Vet medicine sounds interesting so that might be something I pursue.
AKC: What extracurricular activities are you involved in addition to dog sports?
Reagan: None really. I attend a bible study that meets in my history class once a week and hang out with my youth group, but other than that just dog sports.