Ready to take over New York!

Roo!, Crush, and Mr. Dash (Photo by Aryn Hervel)

Roo! in People Magazine

From the February 17th issue of People Magazine:

Dog Show Shake-Up: Revenge of the Mutts!

By NICOLE WEISENSEE EGAN

Move Over, Purebreds. For the First Time, Mixed Breeds Can Compete at the Westminster Kennel Club

Roo is a Husky mix with "behavioral issues" in her past, says Stacey Campbell, who found the dog in San Francisco. Icey, adopted from a Virginia kill shelter, might be part Dalmatian, maybe some terrier. "Who knows?" says owner Sara Beth Pinson. Even without pedigrees, Roo and Icey - along with 13 other All Americans, as mixed breeds are called at the 137-year-old Westminster Kennel Club - are now show dogs. On Feb. 8 they'll go up against 210 purebreds in agility trials: jumping and weaving through timed obstacle courses. While mutts can't win Best in Breed, they are a welcome addition. "We're thrilled," says WKC cohost David Frei. "It brings us a whole new sense of dogs and their bonds with their handlers."

European Open 2013

Wow, wow, wow!!!  Very proud to be selected this year to represent the U.S. large dog team at the European Open in Belgium.  

Check out all the fantastic handlers and dogs that made the team!

http://images.akc.org/pdf/events/agility/world_team/2013/TeamMembers.pdf

"How I Went From Naughty To Nice" by Roo!

Hi, I'm Roo!, a 5 year old, rambunctious husky mix, that was found roaming the hills at McClaren Park when I was 11 months old.  I was rude, jumpy, and mouthy.  Did I mention that I was really mouthy and almost failed the behavior test at the SPCA two times?  Fortunately, the people there saw that I'm really all mush and just needed a job to do.  I used to be very dog reactive. I looked kind of like cujo on leash.  Now I just look at my mom and earn lots of cookies. 

In Stacey's own words, here is my story....
(can you tell how proud she is of me??)

"I had been looking for a new dog to train for competition obedience for several months, and little did I know that a boisterous, big-eared, mixed breed would steal my heart!  As I watched Roo! walk out of the shelter for the second time, I wondered if she was “the dog that got away.”  Fortunately for me, her second adopters found her a bit too mischievous, and returned Roo! to the shelter 3 weeks later.  At the time, she was an out of control, untrained adolescent dog, with an endless supply of energy, and for the first 6 months, we focused on basic house manners and learning how to redirect her enthusiasm for life.  Soon we started to train for competition obedience, and Roo! breezed through her Companion Dog Title, and quickly earned her first 2 CDX legs.   While we were training for Obedience, we started Agility as something fun to do together, and Roo! loved it.  She loves to run and climb, and my light, leggy dog is a natural born jumper; it seemed like the perfect sport for her.  After a year of agility training, we entered our first trial, and eighteen months later, Roo! earned her MACH.  It's been an exhilarating journey, and I am so lucky to share these adventures with my wonderfully naughty girl!"

Check out these links to read the amazing press coverage Roo! received after her historic victory at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show:

Roo! on ABC's Good Morning America

Roo! on NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams

Roo! in Local Newspapers Across the Nation