Meet Piper Hall: Competing Should Always be Fun for the Dog
Piper enjoys several sports with her young dog, Gracie, and competing in the AKC Agility League has helped them build skills and confidence that have carried over to those sports. She likes that it offers a way to train and compete without the pressure of a trial setting. Piper is looking forward to the next League season.
Name: Piper Hall
Age: 16
Hometown: Michie, TN
Grade: 10th
Family: Parents Cari & Randy Hall; brothers Luke, Jase, and Coltin
AKC: What got you started in training and competing with dogs?
Piper: My mom took me to shows when I was little and I started showing interest in it.
AKC: Is your family involved in dog training/showing?
Piper: My mom and my youngest brother (Luke) show dogs.
AKC: What sports does your dog compete in and what titles/honors has she earned?
Piper: Gracie is 3 years old and she competes in AKC agility and rally. We have participated in the AKC Agility League and have been Junior Champion, Sophomore, twice. Gracie also does scent work and I compete in junior showmanship.
AKC: Tell us about what dog training has meant to you.
Piper: When we go to a show we know that we will perform well because of the connection and confidence we have built through training. My good friend, Sally Peters, has helped us in AKC Agility League with learning new techniques that have been very helpful.
AKC: Tell us about any other dogs you may have – names, ages and what sports they compete in.
Piper: Cadillac, 2 years old, is a German Shepherd Dog and does conformation, rally, obedience, dock diving and scent work. Lucy, 3, is my brother’s first junior dog, and she does rally, obedience, scent work, herding, and dock diving. And my dogs Athena and Maci did rally and agility but they are in heaven now.
AKC: Do you own any “non-dog” pets?
Piper: I don’t have any non-dog pets now but I used to have guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, rats (for Barn Hunt), goats, and turkeys.
AKC: What are your goals in the sport of dogs?
Piper: To become the best handler I can be, to make sure my dog is having fun at all times, to help people become better handlers by sharing what I learned over the years, and to better my personal breeding program by improving the temperament, ability, and soundness of my dogs. I also want to be a judge one day.
AKC: Do you plan do to something animal related as a career?
Piper: I want to go to school to be a professional cosmetologist, and to be an AKC agility judge.
AKC: What other activities are you involved in addition to dog sports?
Piper: My mom and I sell cosmetics together.