Retrieving contest fetches top dogs

Twelve dogs vied for top honours in fetching in the second-annual Four Paws Retrieving Contest held Friday at the Sorting Gap Marina as part of the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.
Entries were down seven from last year’s event but the calibre was still there, said organizer Dawnn Taylor, who didn’t believe fewer dogs meant less interest.
She also noted last year’s contest was held on a Sunday afternoon, which may have contributed to more entries.
Dogs entered in the junior, intermediate or advanced class were judged on five categories for a maximum of 10 points each, including control and attentiveness, how fast they got to the dummy, how quickly they brought it back, holding of the article, natural desire and self-motivation.
And while the word “retriever” might lend itself to a certain breed of dog, Taylor reiterated that any dog is capable of high-quality fetching techniques if given the right training.
“Without a doubt, just about any dog can be trained to retrieve,” she said.
Here are the contest results:
Juvenile division
(Land and water)
1. “Alicia” with 72 points (owner Kristi Witherspoon)
Land division
Intermediate class
1. “Cabella” with 45 points (chocolate lab, owner Sherry Gushulak)
2. “Baylee” with 41 points (yellow lab, owner Patti Johnson)
3. “Sam” with 39 points (border collie cross, owner Roseanne Kellar)
Advanced class
1. “Cedar” with 49 points (yellow lab, owner Kevin Begin)
2. “Tally” with 48 points (yellow lab, owner Ross Crowe)
3. “Trouble” with 37 points (black lab, owner Harry Bell)
Water division
Intermediate class
1. “Cabella” with 44.5 points
2. “Sam” with 37.5 points
3. “Smudge” with 37 points (healer cross, owner Sandy Tibbs)
Advanced class
1. “Tally” with 50+ points
2. “Trouble” with 50 points
3. “Cedar” with 44 points
Overall champion was “Tally.”