done this before I didn’t know what to expect, but I picked him up and set him up on the table with wagon in tow. He stood still for the exam. Then she said to take him up and back on the diagonal, which we did. He came to a perfect stand in front of her and presented. Then she said to take him around. He loved the applause as he proudly walked around the ring. Agility training is great fun for most dogs, although han- dlers need be in at least decent shape to run around the ring with them. The obstacles are fun for the dogs and are ad- justed to each dog by their height. Don’t try to go too fast with training of any sort. Don’t move on to new obstacles too many at a time. Let the dog choose his own pace. You can start training early; just don’t let young puppies jump too soon. When training obstacles, both Agility and Obedi- ence jumps, start low and move up to the correct size for your dog. Each dog will learn at a different speed, in any- thing. Let them tell you how fast to go. Therapy work at nursing homes, as well as presentations at schools, Girl and Boy Scout meetings, and 4-H events, is great work as well and beneficial for everyone. It teaches about dogs as well as their care, shows that little dogs can do fun stuff as well as large ones, gives children a chance to be around dogs they may not have seen before, and they learn about different breeds. Nursing home patients will respond to animals when they won’t even respond to their own fam- ilies or doctors. Many a patient has responded early on by petting a dog’s head, and all of a sudden they take off and start working with their therapists and doctors. Once, at a nursing home, a patient would not talk to anyone, not even look at them. There was a therapy session with dogs pres- ent. The gentleman laid his hand on the dog’s head, and be- fore we left he was scratching the dog’s ears. Two days later the club president received a call from the nursing home re- questing to please bring the dog back, as the gentleman had started talking and asked for the dog to be present. Nurs- ing homes have parties for their residents, costume par- ties, holiday parties, and all sorts of activities. Get your dog its Canine Good Citizen certificate and go for a Therapy
Dog title. This allows you to take your dog to nursing homes and hospitals. Older and sick people really appreciate the effort of those who bring pets in for them. After all, they may have had to leave their own pets in order to live in as- sisted living or nursing homes. Small dogs can also play a role as service dogs in areas of di- abetic alert, hearing, seizure, and more. Sometimes, there is no training needed; the dog does it by itself, and after sev- eral times of a certain behavior at a certain time, the owner realizes what the dog is doing. Other times, some training is needed with outside assistance such as Hearing Ear Dogs. Service Dogs will usually wear a vest to let others know it is working and not to interfere or try to pet. The service they provide is priceless and done out of love. One of the newer events are Trick Dog titles. While I have not done this myself as yet, I know there are quite a few small dogs out there doing it. One of those is a Chihua- hua, Sweet Beans Original Outlaw TKN, who at just four months old and weighing in at less than two pounds earned his first Trick Dog title in spite of the pandemic and no dog shows. The tricks he performed were suitable for his age and size, and included hold, retrieve, jump over bar, touch, spin, sit, come, get in box, two-feet step up, four-feet on, and teeter. Just goes to show that simple, everyday activi- ties can be turned into a command for a trick. One trick Mr. Mouse did was a simple bow. (He was always trying to get my attention with his chest down and butt in the air.) I turned that into a “pretty bow” command and, instantly, he learned a new trick. This was before Trick Dog titles, but he loved to perform at nursing homes and seminar events. Most dogs prefer human companionship. They can have beauty, intelligence, stamina, charisma, and the character- istics needed for all areas of exhibiting, either individually or all rolled into one package. Even if you are not interested in competition or titles in other venues, find something your dog likes to do, train it, and enjoy the time with your dog. Your dog will love you for it. And above all, in this time of uncertainty, stay safe. And remember, your dog is more than just a pretty face.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Susan Ritenour lives in Strasburg, Virginia, in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. She grad- uated from Strasburg High School and earned two Associate’s Degrees from Lord Fairfax Community College after the age of 40. Susan has always had a love of animals, and Chihuahuas have been a big part of her life since a very young age. There was always at least one dog in the family. She has been in the show world for over 30 years.
Susan became interested in showing in Obedience after acquiring a Chinese Shar-Pei. She successfully put a CD on him as well as his CGC. During this time, she started looking for her next Chihuahua and got “Mouse” from Carolyn Mooney. From her friendship with the Mooneys and John Cipollina, the rest is history. Mouse earned his Canadian CD and AKC CDX as well as his Therapy Dog title and CGC. He also pulled a wagon for rescue and pa- rades, collecting over $900 for rescue in his lifetime. Susan’s first homebred puppy won the Sweepstakes at the first Chihuahua National Specialty she attended. She has bred and shown several Top 10 Breed and All-Breed Chihuahuas as well as BISS and other Specialty win- ners. Other breeds which Susan has owned and shown include the Japanese Chin and the Chinese Crested. 26 • T op N otch T oys , O ctober 2022
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