Dog agility competition making debut on July 4

Cait the Pembroke Welsh Corgi will be competing in the inaugural Dog Agility Contest during the City of Greencastle's Celebrate "4" event in Robe-Ann Park.

With instruction from her owner, Cait will be jumping through tires and climbing obstacles as a demonstration for the other canine contestants.

Agility trials are a way of life for local resident Jane Glier and her dog Cait. Seven weekends in a row spent at trials have helped Cait gain a top five spot in the American Kennel Club rankings. In 2004, Cait was the top Corgi in America.

"Cait is the best agility dog I have ever had. She is really speedy, " the proud owner said.

According to Glier, the main points to training an agility dog are perfection and speed.

"Dogs have to be accurate and fast to earn competitive scores in trials. Repetition and introducing a variety of obstacles are really important in training. It really takes time and patience," Glier said.

Glier has been competing in agility for 10 years. She had a dog named Ceri that even appeared on the cable channel Animal Planet.

"Ceri was my first agility dog. She made it to the finals in the 1999 Nationals. They even showed part of her run on Animal Planet," the trainer said.

For local dogs and owners with dreams of agility competition, or even just trying it for sport, the Dog Agility Contest at Robe Ann Park on July 4 is the chance. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the competition is at 9 a.m. All dogs must be leashed, have up-to-date vaccinations, and owners are responsible for clean-up. Fee for participation is $10.

There will be three judging groups for the agility contest. The first group is specifically for dogs trained for agility competitions. The next group is for intermediate/beginner dogs that have competed or have been trained through organizations like 4-H. The final group will contain novices, dogs who have never competed, but may be able to complete some activities.

A Dog Costume and Fashion Show will be held immediately after the Agility Competition. Canines will walk the red carpet in their most fashionable and eye-catching costumes at 10 a.m. The fee for this competition is $5.

All funds will benefit City of Greencastle's Celebrate "4". For more information, call Linda Huber at 653-3100 or Shannon Norman at 653-7719.