Clean Run - April 2020 - 25

The Times, They Changed
A group of twelve sportsmen, each
representing local dog clubs, founded the American Kennel Club in
1884. They sought better ways to record the pedigrees of their purebred
field dogs, create a studbook, and
maintain quality in hunting ability
and conformation.
More breeds were added as years
went by, but the kennel club's concentration remained conformation
shows and field trials.
In 1936, the first dog sport debuted with the AKC obedience program. In 1947, tracking, which had
been part of obedience, was separated into its own sport. Agility did
not become part of AKC until 1994
and soon became the most rapidly
growing event.
For years, the idea of including
mixed breeds in AKC Companion
Events had been debated, but the
discussion grew serious in the early
2000s, with many meetings turning heated. It seemed no one felt
lukewarm about the proposal. They
either felt strongly that AKC should

keep its long-time tradition as a
purebred registry, or they believed
the time was long overdue to allow
all dogs to play.

8-inch jump height division at the
AKC Agility Invitational, becoming
the first mixed breed to win at an
AKC national event.

But the proponents had some compelling reasons, and in early 2009
the AKC Delegate Body voted in favor, followed by the AKC Board of
Directors approving the proposal for
mixed breeds to compete in agility,
obedience, and rally.

Tangle's registered name, MACH2
Honey Come Quick MXS MJG, is a
takeoff on his start in life, which was
an accidental breeding between a
Parson Russell Terrier and a Papillon.
Illinois resident Dana Pike left her
in-season Parson with the breeder while teaching an out-of-town
seminar, and the breeder's boyfriend
inadvertently let an intact male
Papillon out with her. The breeder
just heard a yell, "Honey, come quick;
they are tangled."

The enrollments started on Oct. 1,
2009, and the competition launched
on April 1, 2010. The AKC sent out
special AKC Canine Partners ribbons
to the first events held that weekend.
It did not take long for All-American
Dogs-the AKC breed name for
mixes-to make their mark on the
agility scene.

Early Trailblazers
First National Winner
Tangle does not even tip the scales
at 7 pounds, but he was a heavyweight in the world of agility. He
made history on Dec. 18, 2011,
when he took first place in the

Pike said watching Tangle take the
last jump in the finals and realizing
that he had won felt "Great!" "I am
so proud of everything that Tangle
has accomplished in and out of
agility. When I decided to keep him,
I would have never thought that I'd
be competing at the Invitational
with a mixed breed dog, let alone
to have done so well," Pike said after the win. "Kudos to AKC for welcoming all dogs to this
prestigious event!"

For more information on the AKC Canine Partners program, go to www.akc.org/register/information/canine-partners/get-started.

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* Competition-style aluminum
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* Lay the trainer flat on the
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April 20 | Clean Run

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Clean Run - April 2020

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