Walter's Fiona an obedience winner
Barb Walter makes training time with her mixed-breed dog Fiona a game.
That regular training has paid off for Walter, a lifelong dog owner from Butler and president of the Butler Dog Training Association, who has led Fiona to several American Kennel Club titles in obedience.
Fiona recently won a rally excellence title in an obedience competition at the Westmoreland County Obedience Training Club, but didn't qualify for the open title competition.
“It's the journey that counts. It's fun training your dog. It's fun working with your dog. It's fun to have that relationship with your dog,” said Walter, who is married to city Councilman Michael Walter.
Four years ago Walter adopted Fiona from a shelter in Ohio, which got the pooch from a rescue organization that found her running lose.
Fiona shares the Walters' home with their two golden retrievers — Gus, a retired 10-year-old therapy dog and obedience competition veteran, and Jonah, a 3-year-old therapy dog.
The titles Fiona has won required a lot of training, which fits her personality.
“She's a smart little cookie. Fiona wants something to do. If you give her a job, she will be happy,” Walter said.
Fiona has titles in beginner novice, regular obedience, companion dog and rally excellence competitions, she said.
Beginner novice competition requires dogs to heel while their owners or handlers walk them in an L pattern.
The dogs must sit and stay while the owners walk the perimeter of the ring and then come when the owners stop and command them.
Companion dog competition includes heeling on and off a leash, coming at an owner's command from across the ring, sitting and staying for one minute with other dogs present, and sitting and staying for three minutes.
The competition for an open title is even more challenging.
Walter said all heeling is done without a leash and dogs have to retrieve a dumb bell twice — once while jumping over an obstacle. The recall test requires dogs to come to a command, stop and sit in the middle of the ring, and then walk the rest of the way across to their owners.“It's a lot harder,” Walter said.Regular training is required to keep a dog's skills sharp for competition.“We train at least twice a week and we do little bits of training at home everyday. If you don't, it falls apart pretty quickly. And they like it,” Walters said. “It's a game. You make it a game.”Some of that training is done at the association's facility on Evans City Road in Renfrew, where other people who compete with their dogs work together to prepare for competitions.“We help each other out,” she said.Walter said she tries to help first-time dog buyers who often ask her for advice about selecting a dog.She tells them to research different breeds and pick one that fits their lifestyle. Some dogs are happy with little activity while others require regular exercise, she said.“It's a personal choice. It depends on what you're looking for. A lot of people don't research a breed before they buy one,” Walter said. “You just have to find the right dog for the right person.”
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