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| I have been in the dog sport for 25 years, starting in 1977 with my first dog, a Basset Hound. Basset "Esther" went on to become a UDTX, Can. CDX TX, Ber. CD. Esther was followed by Border Collie, "Skye", who was my first OTCH and also earned a TD and a Canadian CD. In 1984 I began looking for a smaller breed, and thus began my love and commitment to the Papillon breed. My first Pap, "Zipper" (Am/Can CH & OTCH Denzel Loteki Top Secret TDX, Can. CDX TD) became the first Toy dog and the fourth dog of any breed to win the coveted titles of Champion/Obedience Trial Champion/Tracking Dog Excellent. Zipper earned 12 High in Trials in his career, along with a perfect score of 200 and a Gaines Classic Placement. Zipper was followed by my dog of a lifetime, "Zack" (Am/Can CH & Am/Can OTCH UOCH UACHX Loteki Sudden Impulse UDX TDX MX MXJ, AD VAD, EAC-V EJC-V NGC-V NAC, CL4-R CL3-HFS, Can UDT) who became a CH/OTCH/TDX just two years after Zipper. Zack has had an exciting and distinctive career, finishing his OTCH in just 17 shows and his TDX on his first try. Zack was the #9 obedience dog in the country, all breeds, for OTCH points earned in 1992 and was the #10 obedience dog, all breeds, in the Delaney System for 1992. He was the #1 obedience Papillon for 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 (Delaney System) and was the top Toy Dog in obedience for all systems in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994, along with being ranked as the top obedience Papillon in Canada for 1993. Zack was HIT/HC at the 1993 Papillon Nationals. He has a Gaines Regional Placement and was invited to the first ever National Invitational Obedience Tournament in 1995 where he won the Toy Group, and was invited again in 1996. He also participated in the first AKC Agility Nationals in 1996 and was one of the very few dogs to participate in both the first AKC Obedience Invitational and the first AKC Agility Nationals. Zack has earned 39 High in Trial Awards and 25 High Combined Awards and started his "new" career of agility at age six and a half, becoming the fifth MX dog (first toy, and first from Novice A) in the country in 1996. Zack was also the first dog in the country to earn both of the UKC titles UOCH and UACHX. Believe it or not, Zack is still competing in CPE agility at age fourteen, and in February of 2002 earned yet another title. Zack earned his first title in November of 1988, and with his latest title in 2002, this makes an incredible 15 years in a row that he has earned a title. Zack was a tough act to follow! But my next dog did his best. Zipper's son "Rudy" (OTCH UUD UAg2 Loteki Secret Agent UDX TDX MX MXJ, PD1, OAC OJC NGC, CL4-R CL3-HF) earned his OTCH, TDX, and MXJ in 1999. Rudy placed both days at the 1994 Top Gun Obedience Tournament and earned a perfect score of 200 en route to his UCDX. Rudy was the Top Obedience Achievement Papillon for the Papillon Club of America in 1998. Rudy earned 8 High in Trials and six High Combined awards in his career, along with HIT at the 1998 Papillon Nationals, and HC at the 1999 Nationals. He was invited to the 2000 AKC Obedience Invitational, although we did not attend. Rudy earned his TDX on his first try, and he and his sire "Zipper" were the first father/son OTCH/TDX Papillons. Rudy is also an excellent therapy dog. My next dog was yet another Papillon, "Rumor" Am/Can CH OTCH MACH UCDX UAg1 Loteki Denzel Spread The Word UDX TD MX MXJ, AD, OAC OJC NGC, CL4-RH, CL3-FS. Rumor was High in Trial at the 1997 Papillon Nationals and placed fourth in the 12-inch division at the 1998 AKC Agility Nationals. Rumor earned his OTCH and MACH in 2000, becoming the first Toy Dog and second dog of any breed to earn the titles of CH OTCH MACH. Rumor earned his OTCH and MACH in 2000, becoming the first Toy Dog and second dog of any breed to earn the titles of CH OTCH MACH. Rumor earned four High in Trials and three High Combined's in his career and was the 2000 PCA Top Obedience Achievement Papillon. He was invited to the 2001 AKC Obedience Invitational, although we did not attend. Rumor was also a Group Winner and multiple Group Placer in Canada. He is currently working on his TDX title. When my first Border Collie died in 1992, I vowed to someday have another. "Some Day" came in November of 1999, when a Border Collie girl named "Riva" joined the family. Riva is formally known as V CH UAg1 Outburst Chasing Butterflies TD PT OA AXJ, OAC NGC, CL3-HFS. Riva is a total delight, and she introduced me to the world of herding. Border Collies are like potato chips, you can't have just one, so Riva was joined by a second Border Collie early in 2001, "Ray", also known as Ettrick on Edge. Riva and Ray are hard at work in obedience, herding, and agility. I have been teaching obedience and tracking for 20 years, and my students have earned more than 40 TD's and 35 UD's. In 1997 I began teaching agility, and my students have earned well over 200 agility titles. I co-authored "Competitive Obedience Training for the Small Dog" with Barbara Cecil in 1994, which was a finalist for the 1995 DWAA Dog Training Book of the Year. Barbara and I also have three videos geared towards training the small dog, which were produced by Canine Training Systems. They are called "Small Dog Fun" and the three tapes are Novice/Puppy, Open and Utility. Barbara and I have a second book due out in the spring of 2002, a sports psychology book for dog sports entitled "Fear No More: Competing With Confidence." I give seminars and camps around the country for competitive obedience and tracking. My seminars are geared for those trainers working with small dogs, and for trainers working with a soft dog of any size. I also hold training camps in obedience and agility at my home. I live on 22 acres in rural Iowa with my husband, George, a veterinarian. We added sheep to our farm late last year, which sure beats traveling 45 minutes one way to practice herding! I enjoy perennial gardening, and am a voracious Iowa State fan, but I must confess I am also hopelessly addicted to e-mail. At this point in my life, I generally show just enough to earn whatever title I'm working on, whether it's a CD or an OTCH, as I find much more pleasure in the time I spend working with my dogs rather than traveling every weekend to a dog show. I am lucky that there are now so many local events in obedience, agility and herding in my area! Many people have contributed to my journey in the dog sport, and I have learned something from virtually everyone I have met. But my most important teachers have been my best friends, my dogs. I do consider every title I put on my dogs to be a testament to the love and respect we have for one another. |
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