A10
WEDNESDAY
August 15, 2018
WALLOWA COUNTY’S NEWEST SPORT
K9 ‘nose work’ training planned
T
he Wallowa County
Humane Society will
introduce the new
sport of K9 Nose
Work to Wallowa
County with an affordable
two-day workshop in Joseph
Sept. 15-16.
“We want to help dog own-
ers engage with their dogs,”
said Carol Vencill, president
of the society. “Whether it’s
young dogs or old dogs, big or
N. River Street, Enterprise.
The sport challenges dogs
to find hidden scents. It is sim-
ilar to, but less demanding
than, search and rescue work
or detection of explosives or
contraband. The sport of Nose
Work was founded in the late
‘90s by three trainers expe-
rienced in these fields, who
saw an opportunity for every
dog and owner to seek a closer
relationship.
confidence in dogs,” Beithan
said. “It’s really the easiest dog
sport for the human end of the
leash. People learn to under-
stand their dogs better, and to
read their body language, and
then just stay out of the way.
The most important thing is to
keep it easy. Dogs never get
tired of being successful.”
The two-day workshop is
divided into four three-hour
sessions each of the two days.
‘Whether it’s young dogs or old dogs,
big or little, it’s a fun sport that owners
and dogs can do together, and dogs can
use that wonderful sense of smell…’
Carol Vencill
president of the Wallowa County Humane Society
Ellen Bishop/For the Chieftain
Lola Johnson rewards her dog, Zita, for locating the target scent during an outdoor Nose
Work trial.
little, it’s a fun sport that own-
ers and dogs can do together,
and dogs can use that wonder-
ful sense of smell that nature
gave them.”
Workshop organizer Lola
Johnson has more than seven
years experience in Nose Work
She has won multiple awards
with her dog, Zita, and is start-
ing a younger dog, Sissi, in
Nose Work. She plans to
develop a Nose Work club that
will offer practice sessions and
additional training.
Johnson, Zita, and Sissi will
be on hand to demonstrate and
answer questions 7 p.m. Tues-
day, Aug. 28, at the Wallowa
County Humane Society, 104
Nose Work is a recog-
nized canine sport governed
by the National Association of
Canine Scent Work, with certi-
fied instructors and judges and
contests across the U.S. and
Canada, Australia, Japan and
Sweden.
Nose Work training begins
with dogs finding treats hid-
den in boxes and progresses to
more difficult “finds,” includ-
ing work indoors, outdoors and
around vehicles.
Certified K9 Nose Work
trainer Joyce Beithan, of
Ridgefield, Wash., will conduct
the September workshop at
Carol Vencill’s barn in Joseph.
“Nose Work really builds
The cost is $30 for the first
session, and $20 for each addi-
tional training session. These
additional sessions will be
designed to help build addi-
tional skills in each participat-
ing dog
Information sheets and reg-
istration forms are available at
The Wallowa County Humane
Society, 104 N. River St.,
Enterprise, as well as The Dog
Spot in Joseph, The Bookloft
and Wallowa County Grain
Growers in Enterprise and
Main Street Feed and Supplies
in Wallowa.
Info: Carol Vencill 541-
432-1630 or Joyce Beithan
206- 819-7297.
‘I like everything about it.’
— Claire Farwell, 15-year-old Enterprise High School sophomore who plays for the Wallowa Valley Cubs
Softball is Farwell’s sport
Summer season
with Lightning
team wraps
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
Claire Farwell loves soft-
ball, and she doesn’t care who
knows it.
Although a three-sport ath-
lete who also competes in vol-
leyball and basketball, softball
is her favorite. The 15-year-old
Enterprise High School soph-
omore plays for the Wallowa
Valley Cubs combined high
school team as well as summer
softball in La Grande.
“I like everything about
it,” she said. “I like the team
aspect where I can contrib-
ute –– and win,” she said with
a laugh. “I’ve put more time
into it than either basketball or
volleyball.”
Farwell played summer
softball with La Grande’s
Union County Lightning
team, getting plenty of practi-
cal experience under her belt.
She’s been playing summer
ball in Union County for sev-
eral years and is also the only
returning high school softball
player who played summer
ball.
“We didn’t have a Juniors
team here when I was in junior
high, and I really wanted to
play softball,” she said. “Jeff
Edison (Cubs assistant coach)
got me a tryout with the
14-year-olds (La Grande team)
when I was 12. I knew I wasn’t
going to make the team, but
the coach from the U-12 team
called me that spring and said,
“Hey, do you want to play?” I
was like –– yeah.”
She noted the difference
between high school and sum-
mer ball.
“I think summer ball is
more competitive,” she said.
“You see teams that aren’t that
good, but you also see teams
than can beat our high school
team or stand with them pretty
easily.”
The Union team, which
recently ended its season, trav-
eled extensively. Its last tour-
nament was in Selah, Wash.,
near Yakima, and they played
as far south as Boise and Fruit-
land, Idaho.
The Lightning team did
well, placing second in several
high-profile tournaments.
She doesn’t have a prefer-
ence for either of the two teams
for which she plays.
“I like my teammates on
both teams,” she said. “They’re
different age groups, and the
coaches on my teams are both
really good.”
Farwell credits her parents,
Lisa and Troy Farwell, for sup-
porting her success, including
driving her to practice.
“My parents are very com-
mitted to me,” she said. “Since
I’m only 15, I only have my
driver’s permit, so I usu-
ally drive home from prac-
tice, because I don’t want to
be stressed about getting there
late.”
She practices with the team
in La Grande once or twice a
week depending on tourna-
ment schedules.
On top of that, she also
works at Wallowa Lake clean-
ing vacation cabins.
“I stay pretty busy,” she
said with a laugh.
Farwell plays multiple posi-
tions but generally is at second
base or shortstop, and she even
pitches on the Cubs JV team,
although she’s particularly
fond of the catcher’s position.
“I really enjoy catching; I
can be in on every play,” she
said. “I don’t like pitching
that much because it’s pretty
stressful.”
She added she was most
comfortable at second base
because she spends the major-
ity of her time at the slot.
The summer season ended,
but Farwell is looking ahead
and has already tried out to
play for next year’s team.
“I’m thinking I made it
because it’s the same coach,
and he’s probably going to
want the same team,” she said.
Farwell plans to play the
sport through her high school
years but isn’t yet sure about
playing at the college level.
“I feel like college sports
are just stressful from peo-
ple I’ve talked to,” she said.
“You don’t have a college life.
I might look into it, though,
because I really enjoy it.”
She hasn’t decided on a
career yet, but is considering
teaching or orthodontics.
“My mom’s a teacher, and I
like kids, but I haven’t looked
at colleges yet,” she said.
Farwell said that the next
season with the Cubs may pro-
vide some opportunities for her
to branch out.
“I think we lost seven
seniors, and that was about half
our team,” she said. “It’s leav-
ing a lot of slots open.”
Submitted photo
Enterprise High School sophomore Claire Farwell at her fa-
vorite softball position, catcher. The three-sport EHS athlete
also plays summer softball for the Union County Lightning
team because of her love for the game.
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