Dogged pursuit of the prize: Danvers woman, four-legged partner going to Crufts

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March 2, 2007

By Amanda McGregor , Staff writer The Salem News Fri Mar 02, 2007, 12:05 PM EST

DANVERS - A local border collie named Snap is honing her jumps, sits and heels for an international competition that is the Olympics of the dog world.Snap is one of three agility dogs on the U.S. team heading to the Crufts championships in England next week, which is the largest dog show in the world.She and her owner, Linda McHugh, are seasoned competitors, but Crufts will be a new frontier for the prize pair."When I get back to the States, going to a dog show will never be hard for me again," McHugh said. "In other countries, obedience is huge."More than 22,000 canines will vie for a range of titles at Crufts, including the prestigious Best in Show, made famous by the mockumentary film "Best in Show," released in 2000.Snap, however, will compete in the obedience trials, so she will be judged on her ability to follow McHugh's commands and execute tasks, such as seeking out among a cluster of handkerchiefs the one that bears McHugh's scent."You try not only for your team placing, but for your individual placing," said McHugh, who talks quickly and admits to being "fiercely competitive.""I just have to do the best I can without getting nervous. I want to go over and have her healthy and do a good job."To prepare for Crufts, McHugh had to take a crash course on English obedience (which differs from American) by watching DVDs, reading and viewing clips online on YouTube.To get Snap's dog passport, she had to go through reams of paperwork, vaccinations and even have an international microchip implanted in Snap in order to enter England, which has strict animal immigration laws."She finally got her USDA stamp. It's been quite a process," McHugh said. "She has a bigger passport than I do."MuHugh has been renting large warehouse spaces on the weekends to teach Snap the English style, which involves more distance work and endurance than American agility work.One evening in McHugh's apartment, she demonstrated her use of intricate signals and commands that prompted Snap to scurry specific distances, circle around McHugh's body and assume precise positions with stick-straight posture."She sits perfectly centered," she said. "A paw on my foot is half a point off."They leave Wednesday for Crufts, which is in Birmingham, England, and runs from March 8 to 11."I'm nervous. I have to fly her in cargo, and I'm really nervous," McHugh said. "I'll worry the whole flight until I get off and see her, and hopefully she bounces off the plane."'Got the bug'Snap has been a show dog for roughly five years. And as a coach, McHugh doesn't mess around.She keeps herself and Snap on a demanding schedule, with daily practices and regular trips to dog shows around New England and across the country. Last year, they trekked to dog shows on 50 out of 52 weekends, all to accumulate enough points to qualify for Crufts."That was my goal, so I really poured it on last year," said McHugh, 44, who works as a legal assistant for a Boston law firm. "I showed a lot, won a lot. I traveled more than I ever did before, despite the fact that I work full time."In the evenings, they practice in McHugh's yard on Elliott Street, and in the winter, McHugh rents indoor spaces. She estimates she spent more than $15,000 last year on travel and registering Snap in competitions.Prize ribbons are piled on the floor of McHugh's home office, among other accolades that fill the apartment. Snap is an American Kennel Club Obedience Champion, ranked No. 1 border collie and herding dog in the United States this year, and she's even a cover girl - she appeared on the cover of Front and Finish magazine, a publication for dog trainers.McHugh grew up in Danvers and has been training her dogs in obedience for 16 years, starting with a pet Dalmatian."I took a pet class, then I just got the bug," she said.When she first got Snap, she was easily carsick and didn't seem like a show dog prospect."I couldn't even take her in the car to Danvers Square," McHugh said. But Snap's health improved, and "she really grew on me," McHugh said.Since then, Snap, age 7, has grown into a 35-pound champion obedience dog, and a smart one at that."She has a vocabulary of 50 to 100 words," McHugh said. "I say, 'Do mean dog,' and she bares her teeth. She's very intelligent."She's gone way beyond a teammate. Everything we do together," McHugh said of Snap. "She is the once-in-a-lifetime dog."Q&A; with Snap's ownerDoes Snap get distracted at dog shows with all the commotion? * I try to make as many possible distractions in the training so she learns to ignore them in the ring. I use squirrel decoys. I'll even use my grandmother and have her come here and hold a cookie.Snap's U.S. teammates? * The two other dogs are from Texas and West Virginia, both golden retrievers. They do send an alternate - it's a border collie from Wisconsin - in case anything happens.How is British obedience different? * The U.S. heeling pattern is 30 seconds. In the UK, they're doing it for 51/2 to 6 minutes, with two whole minutes in fast pace. It's really hard. I've probably never been in better shape.Ritual before shows? * We do a mini warm-up and I pinch her butt and play. It gets her all psyched up.Any show foibles? * She burped up a treat once and got excused.Best part? * I like the challenge that I'm not the only factor here. (Snap and I) are working as a team, and I love getting into her mind.Uniform for Crufts? * I have to wear blue pants with red and white stripes and "USA" down the leg, with a white polo shirt and a Team USA jacket. We have to wear them anytime we're in a public location or at an awards ceremony.Do you like them? * I'm told these pants will make a swishy sound, so I had to buy some at Wal-Mart so Snap would get used to it. Behavioral philosophy? * Dogs need to feel wanted and have a job. Behavioral problems are caused by people ignoring their dog. ... People here, they go to a local pet class and then they're done. They don't really know what's out there. Like all dogs? * I hate puppies - I like the end product. There are so many untrained dogs who bite and jump all over people. A dog has to know who's boss, but is also part of the family.How much time does obedience take up? * Since 2002, my life has revolved around Snap and our schedule. I spend all the holidays away. I haven't had a people vacation in I don't know how long. I've devoted all my life, all my time to this.Grooming? * She's wash and wear. She's not a breed dog. I brush her teeth once a week.Will Snap retire after this? * Of course not. She's only 7. This is by no means the end of Snap. I'm going for lifetime points. I want to make top 25 lifetime points within the next year and a half.

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Dogged pursuit of the prize: Danvers woman, four-legged partner going to Crufts

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