PULLMAN– Teams of world class competitive dogs and their owners will compete in this year’s annual Palouse Hills Dog Fancier’s Agility Competition, March 9-11, at the University of Idaho’s Kibbie Dome.
Some proceeds of the event will go toward funding scholarships for the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. The event starts at 4 p.m. on Friday, March 9, and runs daily beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. All events are free.
Nearly 150 dogs are registered for competition in the popular sport that involves running a dog through an obstacle course of jumps, ramps, tunnels and chutes. The dogs must complete the circuit error free and in the fastest time under their trainers’ command. The sport has received extensive television coverage on both ESPN and the Animal Planet networks
in recent years.
Among the competitors will be Barb Davis, a math instructor at North Idaho College, and a six-time member of the American Kennel Club/USA World Team competing at the international level.
“This event isn’t just fun to watch but also to participate in,” said Denise Waiting, a Washington State University veterinary technician and president of the Palouse Hills Dog Fanciers. “It’s open to anyone with competitors already registered from ages 7 to 70. It’s a sport where both the owners and their pets benefit.”
“You rarely see a badly behaved agility dog,” said WSU veterinarian Dr. Debra Sellon, who is also a competitor. “The training involved with agility includes all the key elements you need to make good canine citizens.”
Competition involves three separate events. One is a standard competition, with a set number of jumps, poles and tunnels for the dog to maneuver. The second is a speed event, where canine athletes move quickly through a series of poles and jumps. And this year, a third event is being added, where the owners are judged on a course they design themselves, with extra points for distance and difficulty.
