MC teen, dogs in agility event

Ready. Set. Go! Concord, N.C. will soon be filled with the swiftest, most agile dogs in the nation: vying for the top spot at the prestigious American Kennel Club (AKC) National Agility Championship. Madison County resident Danielle Scott and her border collie, Cloud 9, and her cocker spaniel, Silk, will be among the contenders.

Danielle, a junior, will compete against the top dog and handler teams in the country March 27-29 in Concord, N.C. Only a handful of juniors qualified to compete. During the event, Danielle, Cloud 9 and Silk will run times agility courses, off leash, striving for a perfect score of 100. Any missed abstacles or other mistakes result in penalty faults which are deducted from the score.

Agility — the fastest growing sport — demonstrates a dogog’s willingness to work with its handler in a variety of situations. This exciting, athletic event requires top conditioning, concentration, training and most importantly teamwork, as the agile dogs negotiate a tricky obstacle course, including weaving through poles, bounding over jumps, and balancing on boards.

For information, visit http://www.akc.org.