2023 Top Agility Dogs

Full Results PDF

Agility is open to all breeds, including mixed-breed dogs. Dogs compete in groups according to size, jump heights, and speed requirements set for each size range.
 
Agility is as much a physical as a mental workout for both owner and handler. Agility athletes speed around an intricate course, over or through various obstacles, including jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and teeter-totters. The team to complete the course the quickest and cleanest wins.
 
2023’s Top Ten Agility Dogs include 3 Soft-coated Wheaten Terriers and several senior dogs! Congratulations to all of Canada’s Top Agility Dogs! 
 

#1 – AGMCH10 GAGMCHV AGMCHV2 Marolou Highway MXPV AGMX11 AGSCX MXP JTX2 CGN

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Call name: Highway for her friends High when on course Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier Date of birth: July 5, 2014 Breeder: Louise Beakes Owner: Diane Guillotte Handler: The only one Highway will run for! Diane Guillotte What can I say after such a successful series of trials with my beautiful Highway, year after year, but THANK YOU HIGHWAY! Since she came into my life, this little marvelous, pesky, playful, energetic, and creative dog forced me to pay attention and be watchful. To stay on top of things and at her level, one cannot rest on its laurels. The cutie always has a trick up her sleeve to make sure I am paying attention to our team and I can tell you she invented more tricks than I’d like to talk about, but it’s somehow typical of a terrier… think, infer, and be independent. Now, she is 9 years old and I enjoy each and every day that we have together and I thank her each time we run a course and play together. I want to thank my breeder, Louise Beakes, for this little wonder, Physio4X4 that helps us stay in shape, my friends who share the same delusions, and the organizing clubs that allow us to run.

#2 – AGMCH MOTCH Clubmead's Full Speed AGMXJ3 MXP RE AGSC CGN JT

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Call Name: Rip Labrador Retriever Date of birth: October 2, 2019 Breeders: Stuart and Diana Mead Owner: Kiersten Lloyd Handler: Kiersten Lloyd Rip turned 4 years old on October 2, 2023. Rip is my 11th Labrador. I have trained and competed in obedience and/or agility with all of my Labradors. But Rip is special. This past year she had competed in obedience, rally obedience, and agility. Agility has been my main sport for the last 26 years but due to COVID I returned to training and competing in Obedience as well as agility with Rip by my side. Rip is a kind, soft dog who is also smart and honest. She comes from a long line of field trial champions. Rip is the product of the breeding of excellent purebred Labradors who are healthy, well structured, and proven workers. Training Rip has been an enjoyable adventure, once I realized that she was a soft temperament who was also a perfectionist. Rip is quirky and can sometimes do silly things but the more confident she gets the faster and more reliable she gets. Rip is tall and lanky in structure who never grew into her feet. I lovingly call her my Giraffe. I am very grateful to her breeders Diana and Stu Mead of Club Mead Labradors for trusting me with this girl. I am also grateful to Rip for doing so well last year despite my judging half of the Agility trials we attended. I look forward to our next adventures.

#3 –  AGMCH2 GCHB Valifyre Without A Trace VS ETD XP AGMXJ3 S

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Call name: Vanish Papillon Date of birth: May 26, 2018 Breeders: Constance Wigmore, Kelley Laan & Case Laan Owners: Anneli Hilton Handler: Anneli Hilton Vanish and I have had an incredible year! Ending up as the #3 Top Dog, #1 Toy and #1 Papillon is the icing on the cake! 2023 was a year heavily focused on agility with some big goals in mind, here are the highlights. In March we headed to Ontario for the CKC Team Canada tryouts. This is such a big competition with some of the best canine athletes and their handlers in this country. Vanish was in tough and on the smaller side of his competition group but he tried super hard and ran his heart out! In June, we attended the AAC AB/NWT Regional Championship and placed 3rd in the very highly competitive 8” height class. In August, we attended the Alberta Kennel Club summer classic which is our very favorite show! Vanish earned Top Toy Agility recognition at this show after four glorious days of agility with perfect weather. September took us all the way out to New Brunswick for the UKI Canadian Open which is a stepping stone to earning a spot on the world team. Vanish had an amazing weekend and place 3rd overall in the National Championship rounds. When all the dust settled on our summer competitions and we gathered all our results to apply for world teams, Vanish and I were named as alternates to both the Agility Association of Canada and the WAO Team Canada for 2024 events. In December, we were moved into a full team spot for the WAO Team and will be heading to the Netherlands in May 2024 to play on the world stage! We could not be more excited! Great dogs don’t just happen, they are the result of great breeding, great training, and great ownership. We are so proud to be part of the Valifyre family and an ambassador for the versatility of this wonderful breed. “Every dog has the potential for greatness you just have to believe you will find it.” (Photo credit: Born to Run Photography)

#4 – AGMCHS3 Marolou Motion AGMXS4 AGSCS XPS JTXS CGN

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Call name: Motion. MOMO when running a course Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier Date of birth: December 18, 2018 Breeder: Louise Beakes Owner: Diane Guillotte Handler: She is trying! Diane Guillotte Thank you, Louise Beakes for this special being. Thank you, Diana (Physio4X4) for taking care of us. Thank you, my travel friends, for your tolerance. Thank you to all the clubs, you are fantastic! I wish you all to do dog agility some day! The bound, the connection, the emotions that we share with our 4-legged friends when we play agility, they have no price! Let’s talk about Motion: Miss perfect has so many qualities! She is a thinking dog, she is methodical, she applies herself to the task and always gives it her 100 %. She is charismatic, always happy et she makes everyone happy where ever she goes. I learn so much by being with her, she helps me to stay focus on basic values, to have fun, to enjoy every happiness moment life brings us, and to never listen to those who say it’s impossible. We should all have a MOMO in our life!

#5 – AGMCH6 RCH Hyperhounds All Fired up AGMXJ7 VB SDN MXP AGSC CD CGN 

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Call name:  Spark Shetland Sheepdog   Date of birth:  October 5, 2013 Breeders:  Kim Boyes Owners:  Kim Boyes Handler:  Kim Boyes    I am thrilled that Spark has made the CKC’s top 10 list for agility dogs in Canada for 2023. Spark is that once in a lifetime dog that we all dream about. She loves agility and gives me 100% of her efforts every time we enter the ring. There’s nothing she loves more than racing around the agility ring barking with pleasure in true Sheltie fashion. We always have fun, regardless of the outcome!   Spark has been successful in multiple agility venues competing in CKC, AAC and UKI.  She has won regional and national events, and had the privilege of competing overseas on several Canadian agility teams. She’s proven up to whatever challenge I have thrown at her and loves every minute of it.   Spark turned ten this past October and she’s showing no signs of slowing down.  She’s still as sassy as the first day we walked to the line together years ago. I am hopeful that I will have several more years of fun playing agility with such a special girl as my teammate. (Photo credit: Chipperfield Photography)

#6 – AGMCHV Daisy S AGMXJV2 JTXV RA NPV CGN

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Call name:  Daisy Mixed Breed Date of birth:  February 10th, 2014 Breeders:  N/A Owners:  Lyndsay Goodfellow Handler:  Lyndsay Goodfellow To say I’m proud of this little dog is an understatement. I could not have asked for a better teammate or best friend. She really does her best despite finding trials a bit daunting. Daisy is a sensitive dog who really only does agility for me and for the joy of running together. The past few years she’s gained an enormous amount of confidence and I’m so proud of the wonderful partner she’s become.    Daisy is a rescue Shih Tzu/Terrier mix who was found on the streets by Animatch Dog Adoption. She’s the first mixed breed dog to be in the Top Agility Dogs and she is living proof that agility is for all dogs. I’ll never be able to thank Animatch enough for trusting me with her.    Daisy has been the perfect partner for me, and she really enjoys working. She also loves rally, scent detection and above all else, sprinter. But what we both really love is just spending time together.    My most memorable moments during our agility journey are making podium 2 years in a row at Quebec’s AAC Regional Championships in 2022 & 2023 and making podium at our first ever AAC National Championships in 2023.   We couldn’t have accomplished anything without the support of our amazing agility club, Club Agilité Canin de St-Lazare and the outstanding training facilities at Guides Canins INC. A huge thanks to Diana Raghunandan of Physio 4X4 and Dr. Catherine Belanger Lavoie of Chiroculture for keeping my athlete in top shape. I’m so thankful for all the clubs and volunteers who organize such great trials. I also want to thank our agility friends, the Quebec agility community and all our instructors for the support over the years. Especially long-time instructor, Lucie Dessureault, who never lets us give up.  (Photo credit: Lise Paquette)

#6 – AGMCH AGMCHV2 CH Eiregobrach's Surfer Girl MXPV AGMXJ2 JTX AGSC

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Call name: Willow Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier Date of birth: March 30, 2013 Breeders: Darla Dickson & Shari Robinson Owners: Darla Dickson & Kevin Jorgensen Handler: Kevin Jorgensen Darla Dickson: Willow was our pick puppy out of a litter of five by our CH Keepsake’s Aili Cat and Shari Robinson’s GCHEX Keepsake’s Surfin’ USA. Darla showed Willow to her conformation Championship while Kevin began working toward the development of Willow’s strength and conditioning in preparation for agility. Willow demonstrated unwavering loyalty, innate intelligence, mental acuity, and a remarkable level of trainability at an early age. She quickly grasped commands and excelled in obedience training, agility courses and other mentally stimulating activities. Now a veteran, Willow continues to display excellence in agility performance. Kevin has grown as an agility handler, one who is dedicated, patient, understanding of his dog’s body language and behavior exhibiting a strategical plan for the course incorporating four paws, two feet one team! (Photo credit: Chipperfield Photography)

#8 – RCH AGMCH GCH Cutwater Where The Wind Takes Me SDE SDC RMX CD VS SDX NS XP JTX AGSC TDGCH CGN DJ 

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Call name:  West Portuguese Water Dog  Date of birth:  June 9, 2018 Breeder: Jane Harding Owner:   Astrid Homet Handler:  Astrid Home It’s always a thrill to step into the agility ring with my amazing partner West, and I’m very proud of the team we’ve become. I love his drive, his willingness to work with me and his enthusiasm for his job. And, of course, the cuddles on the sofa at the end of the day.   While West was always intended to be an agility dog, he’s excelled in many other areas as well, and has helped me discover new passions in dog sports. Among other things he’s obtained his Agility Master Champion, Rally Champion, Scent Detection Excellent and some master titles, Disc Dog titles, and is a Trick Dog Grand Champion. In addition, he’s earned titles in dock diving, sprinter and obedience, and not least, he has his conformation Grand Championship. He’s also sired his first litter – ten wonderful pups born in early February 2024. He truly epitomizes the word “versatility”!   I thank his breeder, Jane Harding, for the decades of care and expertise that produced this wonderful dog. I also thank her for her tireless support and hospitality, and for introducing me to the North American Portuguese Water Dog community.   Thanks also to my agility coaches Lucie Dessureault and Marc Gagné for their help and guidance.   But most of all, I’m grateful to my teammate West for his kind and gentle nature, his companionship and above all his enthusiasm for whatever I ask him to do. He’s one in a million. (Photo credit: Erika Anderson)

#8 – CH Belcol Sweet Desiree AGMXV NPV SDO VB RM AGXJV CD JTXV ITD CA

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Call Name: Desi Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois) Date of Birth: May 28, 2014 Breeder: Christine Klockenbrink Owner: Sarah Walters Handler: Sarah Walters   What an honour to make it into the Top Dog All Breed lineup! Our goal for 2023 was to simply try and remain in the Top Five Belgian Shepherds! (Desi has been in the CKC Top Dog Agility Belgian Shepherds 2019, 2020, and 2021). We missed all of 2022, due to my cancer treatment. So, we had to work hard at the beginning of 2023 to rebuild our stamina and team work.   Desi is my fourth Belgian Shepherd, but my first one I have raised from puppyhood with the goal of dog sports. I can’t thank her breeder enough; for breeding her and selecting the perfect dog for me. Desi has surpassed all my expectations! She is a true ambassador for her breed - steady temperament and versatility, beauty and brains. Fun to work with and always eager to try anything!   Not only does she do agility, but we’re close to our rally championship, and she’s working on her Scent Detection Excellent title. She also has a Versatile Belgian Excellent award; a Platinum Meritas award, both from the Belgian Shepherd Club of Canada and a CKC Versatility Bronze award.   I’ve learnt so much from having Desi as my partner and grown so much as a trainer. My goal each time I step into the ring with Desi is for her to have fun! I want her to enjoy herself, and for my handling to be smooth to avoid confusing her.   But her most important job is that of my companion. Helping me with the day-to-day farm chores (she loves to bring the horses in!) And being by my side through my cancer treatment in 2022.    A big thank you to those who have supported me along the way - cheering me on and encouraging me.  Thank you to our veterinarian and canine body workers for helping Desi remain in tip top shape. And thank you to Hyper Hounds Dog Training for the coaching and providing a wonderful facility for us to practice. And once again thanks to Desi’s breeder, Christine Klockenbrink of BelCol Belgian Malinois. (Photo credit: Chipperfield Photography)

#10 – AGMCH AGMCHV3 Majesty Thirds A Charm AGMXV4 MXPV JTXV AGSCXV JTX

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Call Name: Jake Golden Retriever Date of Birth: October 25, 2013 Breeder: Majesty Golden Owner: Kirk Peterman  Handler: Kirk Peterman Jake had another awesome CKC agility year in 2023 as he turned 10 years old. Age is not slowing my big boy down. He runs with the exuberance of a puppy. We accomplished new goals and milestones; he amazes me every day. He has been a great teammate to learn and grow with during our agility adventure. Thank you to Majesty Golden for Jake, he defines “Man’s best friend”! Jake’s Registered Name is Majesty’s Third’s a Charm, due to circumstances we had to wait patiently through 3 litters, he was worth the wait!! Huge shout out to Leslie Dawson North-Just4Dogs for coaching us to be a great team, Dr. Laura Taylor; Jake’s favourite doctor who keeps him in top shape and Jessica Oxley; Jake’s conditioning coach, who has meant so much to him for the last 7 years. Finally, Tina, my wife; thank you for supporting our agility craziness and being a great Momma to Jake. Jakey, what can I say, you’re the best! Besides being a great teammate, you’ve been the ultimate companion. It’s been a great ride learning agility together, but you’ve been much more showing me how to be patient, understanding, and compassionate. You’re the captain of our agility team and have set the bar high for Gunny Highway, Grizzly Adams, and Elvis. Let’s run it back in 2024!! Can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store for us. Love you, Buddy!