PETS

BY SAMANTHA GRATTON | PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID DILT

Come on, Lyra! Ready?” Wendy Dilts changes her Sheltie’s collar so Lyra knows it’s time to practice agility drills. Using signals and praise, Wendy skillfully guides 8-year-old Lyra through a tunnel, weave poles and a series of jumps in her backyard.

Wendy and her husband David have had five Shetland sheepdogs—or Shelties over the past 30 years, but only Lyra and

Chase, their other Sheltie, have competed in dog sport competitions—with a number of ribbons to show for it. “You always hope you’ll come home with ribbons. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t,” David says as he gazes upon dozens of green, white, yellow, red and, of course, blue ribbons his Sheltie,

Chase, won during past competitions.

Nearly 15 now, Chase began training with David at age 2. That was the goal when David chose him from Southwinds

Shetland Sheepdogs in Raleigh, owned by

Katina Komorek. Over the years, Chase has competed in agility, rally and flybal dog sports, sometimes earning a perfect score. “You can take it as far as you want to take it,” David says.

Agility competitions measure a dog’s ability to quickly run through an obstacle course consisting of features such as a tunnel, tire swing, teeter-totter and jumps. Rally competitions focus on commands and include a mapped course displaying signs for handlers to instruct their dogs to perform certain obedience commands such as “sit,” “lay down” and “turn around,” while also mixing in some agility elements like jumps. Flyball showcases fast, energetic dogs who race down a stretch of hurdles and step on a flyball box to trigge the release of a ball. The dog then retrieves the ball and races back to his owner.

Preparing for these competitions takes a lot of time and effort, but can be a fulfillin activity for both the handler and dog. David jokes that while some people golf or collect sports cars, his hobby is to train Chase for dog competitions. This sometimes requires long days of practice in less than ideal weather, and staying committed to the goal

“no matter how frustrating it can be, but it all pays off. “I’ve never bonded with a dog as much as I have with Chase,” he says. Chase has experienced some surgeries and no longer competes, but Lyra recently started training for rally events and has also won a few competitions. Wendy says knowing the personality of your dog helps when choosing what sport to compete in. She and Lyra are still working on findin their rhythm with rally, but have gained great support and guidance from certifie professional dog trainer Penny Leigh, one of several trainers the couple has worked with over the years.

Before competing with a dog, there are prerequisite dog training courses. After passing basic obedience classes and the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good

Citizen test—which consists of 10 steps focused on teaching a dog basic good manners and obedience at home and out in

dog can move up the ranks from novice to advanced and beyond in a specific type o dog sport.

But training isn’t just for dogs who will enter sports competitions—any dog can benefit fom participating in different training courses. Leigh, who has been training dogs professionally for 16 years, recommends that all dogs get more training. “Every dog needs to learn some basics just to be a good member of their community and household,” she says. “I encourage people to keep training with their dog. It really increases the owner/dog bond. Working together like that increases your bond, the dog’s IQ—and dogs enjoy having a job.”

People of all ages bring their dogs to Leigh for competition training—from junior handlers who are under age 18, to seasoned veterans of the industry more than 80 years old. Friendships form among the handlers and dogs alike.

“It’s lots of fun, it’s rewarding, and you meet a great group of people and develop friends for life through the sport,” says Leigh, who also works as a program manager for the American Kennel Club—the country’s largest and oldest dog registry, and the governing body for thousands of dog shows and competitions across the U.S.

Leigh’s own dogs have competed in national championships. She says some people assume that dogs who compete on the highest levels aren’t also beloved pets, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The same dogs you might see on TV competing in renowned dog shows are also pets who play catch in the backyard and snuggle up with their owners on the couch. “If you love your dog and you like doing things with them, it’s just taking it to another level,” she says.

There are quite a few dog competitions right here in the Triangle. Find one near you at akc.org/sports. Wendy and David Dilts with Chase and Lyra.

Photo by Lundie’s Photography.

• Agility: Novice Preferred and Open Agility Preferred Titles • Rally: Novice, Advanced and Excellent Titles • Agility Course Test (ACT) 1 Title • American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen (AKC CGC) Award • Novice Trick Dog Title Chase also participated in a Raleigh-based flyball tam called, “Go Dog Go” for approximately two years. The team won several regional competitions.

• ACT 1 and ACT 2 Titles • Novice Agility • AKC CGC Award • Novice Trick Dog Title