Cute little shih-tzus steal the show-and edge out the sporting breeds
ONE HOT Sunday afternoon, an 18-year-old senior student at International School Manila went to the park with her shih-tzu in tow. She only wanted to watch a dog agility race, but ended up joining it—and bagging silver.
Rex, her shih-tzu who’s just a little over a year old, never had any formal training, said Lindsey Joy Velasco.
The toy dog, with its long silky hair and natural dolled-up cute looks, suddenly found himself competing against larger, more “serious-looking” breeds such as the sporting and herding groups of retrievers, shepherds and Malinois.
The “A-maze-ing Garden Adventure,” a dog agility obstacle race held last Sunday at Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati, saw 44 human and dog teams. Around 70 more dogs with their families showed up.
Obstacle setups
Organized by Better Dog Canine Behavior Center, the afternoon event aimed to raise funds for the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).
The Gardens had 10 theme obstacle setups, with planks, rings, tunnels, sandpits, pools, tires, A-frames and a human sled. The obstacle was to test how well the owners knew their pets.
Velasco has been training Rex since he was nine months old. Even if she decided to join the race only at the last minute, she was confident, as the pooch has always been a great learner. Rex is so eager to learn that he obeys on command, with or without food as incentive.
The race’s most challenging part, she said, was getting Rex to focus on running through the tunnel. Rex just kept walking around it, so that Velasco’s friend had to run through the tunnel himself for Rex to follow suit.
“This is a fun agility race. Anybody with a pet dog can join. Our aim is to get people out of their condo units and have a good time bonding with their pets,” said Jojo Isorena, canine training and behavior specialist at BetterDog Canine Behavior Center.
Not all obstacles were complicated. There was something as simple as the Fastest Sit—who sat the fastest on the command “sit.”
Other challenges were tricky, such as the human sled. The human friends must pull the sled while making sure their canine remained seated on the sled.
Just don’t shout
“We don’t have strict rules on how each team must accomplish the goals, the way pros compete. Owners can do almost anything to get their pets to do something. If it takes a trail of treats to make the pets obey and climb up a plank, then go ahead. Have a great time with your dogs, but don’t shout at them,” Isorena said.
Raising your voice at your pet would disqualify your team. Each obstacle course was manned by a referee.
“We didn’t expect a big crowd, but we hope we could get that much attention. We’ve always wanted to have an environment where people can relax with their pets. By staging this event and creating a pet-friendly establishment, we show our appreciation for our pet companions at home,” said Joyce de Guzman, marketing manager, Ayala Land Inc.
The Ayala Triangle Gardens has never had that many canine guests. There were poodles, terriers, bulldogs, pugs, Chihuahua, Jack Russels, schnausers, huskies, beagles, and even asPins (asong Pinoy, or mongrel) from PAWS.
Top prize went to Alessandra Oledan-Rodriguez and her pet shih-tzu Nikki. Third place was Marichu (for Maritina Romulo) and beagle Max. The accidental participant, Rex, was second.
“The best part of the race was learning the strength of the relationship between me and Rex, the strength of the bond. I have an understanding of Rex’s hidden skills and his strong drive to please. He’s now enrolled at Better Dog’s agility classes,” said Velasco.
Just how far did Rex go to show his love for his friend? He jumped through the Fountain of Tears, an obstacle that required him to jump over a bar and through a waterfall.
And he hates water. Absolutely hates it, said Velasco.
ONE HOT Sunday afternoon, an 18-year-old senior student at International School Manila went to the park with her shih-tzu in tow. She only wanted to watch a dog agility race, but ended up joining it—and bagging silver.
Rex, her shih-tzu who’s just a little over a year old, never had any formal training, said Lindsey Joy Velasco.
The toy dog, with its long silky hair and natural dolled-up cute looks, suddenly found himself competing against larger, more “serious-looking” breeds such as the sporting and herding groups of retrievers, shepherds and Malinois.
The “A-maze-ing Garden Adventure,” a dog agility obstacle race held last Sunday at Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati, saw 44 human and dog teams. Around 70 more dogs with their families showed up.
Obstacle setups
Organized by Better Dog Canine Behavior Center, the afternoon event aimed to raise funds for the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).
The Gardens had 10 theme obstacle setups, with planks, rings, tunnels, sandpits, pools, tires, A-frames and a human sled. The obstacle was to test how well the owners knew their pets.
Velasco has been training Rex since he was nine months old. Even if she decided to join the race only at the last minute, she was confident, as the pooch has always been a great learner. Rex is so eager to learn that he obeys on command, with or without food as incentive.
The race’s most challenging part, she said, was getting Rex to focus on running through the tunnel. Rex just kept walking around it, so that Velasco’s friend had to run through the tunnel himself for Rex to follow suit.
“This is a fun agility race. Anybody with a pet dog can join. Our aim is to get people out of their condo units and have a good time bonding with their pets,” said Jojo Isorena, canine training and behavior specialist at BetterDog Canine Behavior Center.
Not all obstacles were complicated. There was something as simple as the Fastest Sit—who sat the fastest on the command “sit.”
Other challenges were tricky, such as the human sled. The human friends must pull the sled while making sure their canine remained seated on the sled.
Just don’t shout
“We don’t have strict rules on how each team must accomplish the goals, the way pros compete. Owners can do almost anything to get their pets to do something. If it takes a trail of treats to make the pets obey and climb up a plank, then go ahead. Have a great time with your dogs, but don’t shout at them,” Isorena said.
Raising your voice at your pet would disqualify your team. Each obstacle course was manned by a referee.
“We didn’t expect a big crowd, but we hope we could get that much attention. We’ve always wanted to have an environment where people can relax with their pets. By staging this event and creating a pet-friendly establishment, we show our appreciation for our pet companions at home,” said Joyce de Guzman, marketing manager, Ayala Land Inc.
The Ayala Triangle Gardens has never had that many canine guests. There were poodles, terriers, bulldogs, pugs, Chihuahua, Jack Russels, schnausers, huskies, beagles, and even asPins (asong Pinoy, or mongrel) from PAWS.
Top prize went to Alessandra Oledan-Rodriguez and her pet shih-tzu Nikki. Third place was Marichu (for Maritina Romulo) and beagle Max. The accidental participant, Rex, was second.
“The best part of the race was learning the strength of the relationship between me and Rex, the strength of the bond. I have an understanding of Rex’s hidden skills and his strong drive to please. He’s now enrolled at Better Dog’s agility classes,” said Velasco.
Just how far did Rex go to show his love for his friend? He jumped through the Fountain of Tears, an obstacle that required him to jump over a bar and through a waterfall.
And he hates water. Absolutely hates it, said Velasco.
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