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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 2019)
8 Wednesday, November 27, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Huge success for local vet’s dogs in AKC competitions By Jodi Schneider Correspondent Dr. Little Liedblad of Broken Top Veterinarian Clinic has been involved with competitive dog training for over 15 years. She9s traveled the country with her dogs, Suture, Kanga, and Kiva to American Kennel Club (AKC) shows. Liedblad got excited about obedience and agil- ity training when Suture, a female Australian cat- tle dog, came into her life nearly two decades ago. It took time, commitment and TLC to understand what it took to train a dog for AKC competitions. Liedblad said, <I have always wanted to <do things with my dogs, and I started training at Debrut9s K-9 Country with Lori Nickerson in 2003 with Suture, first in obedience and then with agil- ity and rally.= Rally, obedience and agil- ity have their own unique properties in AKC competi- tions, but they have one simi- larity in they all have begin- ning, intermediate and then advanced levels of competi- tion for where and how you receive awards and titles. Rally consists of following signs within a competition ring and completing the writ- ten command with accuracy and speed. Obedience initially mimics Rally with the begin- ning novice class following signs and then graduation to progressively more complex classes where a judge gives you verbal or physical com- mands for you to follow and be judged on your accuracy in performing those skills. Agility is a sport where you and your dog complete an obstacle course, of which there are several different variations. Suture9s first agility title was won in the summer of 2005. Their first major AKC award was the RAE or Rally Advanced title in 2011. Following that, Suture and Liedblad were awarded the MACH, or Mastery Agility I chose the AKC as my venue of choice early on and have been true to them ever since.= Kiva is a nine-year-old Belgian malinois, a purebred, that Liedblad received from a friend, and Kiva began com- peting with her in 2012. Liedblad said, <Kiva now has a UDX or utility dog title, a RAE, and a Trick Dog title. Kiva also recently received her first PACH, or Preferred Agility Championship title this year!= Kanga, Kiva and Liedblad are excited to be going to their second agility invi- tational event in Orlando, Florida this December. <This is an elite invitation and to have two dogs going is pretty exciting.= Only the top five ranked agility dogs in each of the 173 AKC recognized breeds are invited to attend this pres- tigious event. About five years ago the AKC launched a new title called the Agility Grand Champion Award. It is a title designed to celebrate the life- time achievement of dogs that excel across all AKC agility classes 3 the Agility Grand Champion (AGCH). <Kanga and I received her AGCH on August 17, 2019!= Kiva may be on her way to earning the same title 4 but Liedblad noted that it will probably take another year of training for her. She said, <On a daily basis I thank the relationship I have with my dogs. It is a bond Championship. They then earned the UDX title, or Utility Dog Excellent award. Liedblad said, <During the early years of training, I thought I was good, but I knew so little about dog training. It has taken so many years of training and more training to fully understand how little I really knew.= While training Suture back in 2009, a friend of Liedblad9s called to ask her if she had seen the cattle dog on a rescue website in Bend. <I hadn9t seen the dog but, being persistent, Donna sent me a photo link to Kanga, and I could not resist contacting the rescue home and the next week,= Liedblad said. <Ten- month-old Kanga came home with me. Kanga9s lessons began upon arrival. Her competi- tive streak kicked off in 2010, when her friend Debbie put a rally novice title on her over a weekend. She noted, <With Debbie9s love and support, the training and showing in AKC sports continued.= Kanga has over 20 vari- ous obedience, agility and rally titles including a UDX, a RAE, and an Advanced Trick title, which allows you to demonstrate 5 expert tricks based upon your mutual strengths. <The AKC is one of many clubs that put on or support dog sports,= Liedblad told The Nugget. <As there are so many clubs and so little time, PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS Dr. Little Liedblad (center) and her dog Kanga are well known to dog-lovers in Sisters. and a sharing that cannot be Kanga, perhaps another grand duplicated. Each dog gives champion award or maybe we will stay with our feet more you something special. <Agility, I am sure, is an on the ground and begin addiction. The gratification of working on more complex a beautiful run. The laughter Rally titles that the AKC has and the sharing and the fail- put into play. Doesn9t really ures are often as rewarding as matter, as long as we are all playing together!= the grand win.= Liedblad added, <For HAPPY THANKSGIVING! The staff at Sweeney Plumbing thanks you for your business and your fr iendship, Sisters! Happy g in v i g s k an Th he from t w Cre s ’ t y o H 541-549-4349 | 260 N. Pine St., Sisters Licensed / Bonded / Insured / CCB#87587 HOODOO NIGHT SKIING H Hours: M-F M F 8 to 5 5, S Sat. 8 to 4 4:30, 30 Cl Closed dS Sundays d 440 N. Pine St. • 541-549-8141 • www.hoyts.net PARENT MEETING Thursday, December 19, 6:30 p.m. at SPRD Fridays, January 10 – February 21, 4:45-9:30 p.m. Lesson Package: $325 includes lessons lessons, equipment equipment, transportation, chaperones, and lift tickets Scholarships Available View activities & classes, and register online! www.SistersRecreation.com 1750 W. 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