Debbie’s competitive nature answers for her first: “Well, winning makes it the best competition. So obviously, success makes it a little brighter.” However, after retelling the story of her favorite competition, Debbie corrects herself, saying, “You know, I said winning makes it good, but really it’s the people.”
Debbie Heifner greets her three dogs, Rango, Fizzle, and Spur, at the beginning of her daily training session on Nov 18, 2020. Debbie has a history in showing horses which she did as a kid until she had her own kids. After having kids, Debbie found dog agility to be much easier to work into her daily life and in 2000, started training with her Whippet (a dog breed). Her competitive nature led her to getting a Border Collie to compete faster. Since then, her kids have grown and she has trained and retired Spur, currently runs Rango, and is training Fizzle for his day in the ring.
Debbie Heifner has been involved with dog agility since 2000 when she began training with her Whippet (a dog breed) after seeing a competition in Arizona. Debbie found dog agility to be much easier to work into her daily life after having kids than her previous hobby of horse showing. Her previous experience in training and showing animals has paid off well in the dog agility ring though. Her competitive nature led her to get a Border Collie to compete faster after her first Whippet.
Rango, 8, speeds through the weave poles in a practice run at home with Debbie on Nov 18, 2020. Rango is one of the top fastest Labradors in the country. Rango is in the top division, Masters, and working towards Championship title. He competed in the 2018 AKC National Event and qualified for the 2019 AKC National Event before it was cancelled. During the pandemic, through the UKI and USDAA home video submission program, Rango has earned his UKI International Champion title and won second place in his division in the National Championship class.
Since then, her kids have grown and she has trained and retired Spur, a Border Collie, currently runs Rango, the fastest Labrador in the country, and is training Fizzle, the Golden Retriever, for his day in the ring.
Before retirement, Spur became a MACH 6 (Master Agility Champion Six), which means he won the championship six times before he went down to a lower category due to age where he won two PACHs, or Preferred Agility Champions.
Debbie points out the treat for Spur, her eldest dog who has trouble seeing, during their brief training session on Nov. 18, 2020. Spur is a MACH 6 (Master Agility Champion), which means he won the championship six times, before he went down to a lower category due to age where he won two PACH, or Preferred Agility Champion. Debbie says, “We’ve called him the queue machine, because he was fast enough to be competitive, he’s going to be up there with a decent time and doesn’t make mistakes.”
Debbie spends her days training and hanging out with her dogs and helping out at the Columbia Canine Sports Center among other things. Her home features an agility course for extra practice and their favorite afternoon walk is through the woods behind Debbie’s home.
Debbie trains Fizzle on touching her hand which is commonly taught to be able to point and guide a dog. Debbie says, “We teach them obviously to take all the obstacles with speed and fun.”
Fizzle, one years old, waits at the bottom of the ramp patiently waiting for Debbie to release him at her home agility course on Nov. 18, 2020. In competition, dogs can be eliminated if they skip over the yellow part at the bottom of the ramp and jump right to the ground; therefore, it is important to teach dogs to go all the way to the bottom, slowly, and to wait at the bottom, to ensure their feet hit the yellow.
Debbie and Fizzle play a training game to teach Fizzle to touch the yellow at the end of the see-saw on Nov 18, 2020. Fizzle was skittish around the agility equipment at first so for his first year, Debbie has worked on building his confidence and getting him adjusted to the ways that the different obstacles sound, feel, and move often using fun games that emphasize just one part of the desired behavior.
On the weekends, Debbie normally travels to St. Louis or Kansas City for trials to compete in spending all day at the arena. (Competing in these trials earns a dog special venue-based titles and points that add up towards other titles.) “It’s really all about the camaraderie,” says Debbie. “We spend the whole day chatting, and just having a good time with our friends, and cheering each other on. That’s the best part.”
Laurie Donn, left, and Debbie Heifner, right, mark and measure out where the jump goes for the course for the UKI US Open agility competition on Nov. 13, 2020. The United Kingdom International (UKI) and United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) began an at-home video submission program in place of in-person competing to allow competitions to still take place during the pandemic.
However, with the strike of COVID in 2020, agility competitions, like any large gathering of people from numerous locations, have changed. No longer traveling to one location and gathering, some venues, like United Kingdom International and United States Dog Agility Association, have adapted to allow video submissions in place of in-person competing.
Debbie consults the course map she printed beforehand as she sets up the course for the UKI US Open on Nov. 13, 2020. For this competition, since the submissions are videos from all over, the course must be very exactly measured out and set up to ensure every dog is running the same course on an even playing field. This course required a 60×80 ft ring.
Laurie, left, and Debbie, right, strap the sandbags on to the tunnel to secure it as the dogs run through it for the UKI US Open on Nov. 13, 2020. There is no dog agility season, not for Debbie and other handlers in the Midwest region. Due to the proximity of both St. Louis and Kansas City, both major agility hotspots, there are trials available to compete in nearly every weekend keeping Debbie training and competing year-round. Debbie says, “We have judges comment a lot on how well-prepared and how well-trained Missouri dogs are compared to a lot of places.”
Debbie competed in the UKI US Open Agility Competition with Rango and her friend’s dog, Spark, via video submission on November 18, 2020 in Columbia Canine Sports Center.
Spark, Border Collie, and Rango, Labrador, wait in their kennels while the course is being set prepared for the UKI US Open on Nov. 13, 2020. Debbie’s favorite competition was in Tulsa two years prior that a large group of her friends attended. Two of their friends actually made the finals, so their dogs were in the top 20 out of 1,500 dogs. One of those friends was Krista White who competed with her dog, Spark, while sick with cancer. She passed away in December shortly after this competition, making it extra special for all those around her. Debbie still runs Spark to this day for her friend so that he can continue doing what he loves now that Krista is gone.
Debbie frowns at Spark as he barks at her in excitement during their warm-up run on Nov. 13, 2020. Despite growing older, Debbie has no plans of stopping anytime soon. Debbie says, “It’s a fun sport that anybody can run. And you don’t have to be able to run; a lot of our friends are my age or even older and are handicapped in some way. But you can train your dog to go do the stuff, even if you’re not running with them. So, anybody can participate. It’s a sport for everybody.”
Debbie leads Spark over the jump and into a turn during the UKI US Open on Nov. 13, 2020. Spark is in the top division, Masters, and working towards his Championship title. He has qualified previously for AKC National Events, competed in the AKC National Event in 2018, and was qualified for the 2019 AKC National Event before it was cancelled. During the pandemic, Spark has earned his UKI International Champion title.
Debbie and Rango prepare for Rango’s run for the UKI US Open on Nov. 13, 2020. Debbie attends trials nearly every weekend, and she’s there all day, yet usually only runs two to four runs a day during competition and each run lasts about 40 seconds. This leads to lots of down time during competitions. Debbie says, “It’s really all about the camaraderie. We spend the whole day chatting, and just having a good time with our friends, and cheering each other on. That’s the best part.”
Rango races through the tunnel at the instruction of Debbie on Nov. 13, 2020. He truly enjoys racing through as fast as possible; the dogs know it’s time to go as soon as Debbie grabs her agility travel bag. Debbie says, “He [Rango] cries as soon as he gets to the car. He’s so excited he just shakes.”
Debbie instructs Rango to jump during his run for the UKI US Open on Nov. 13, 2020. Debbie adopted Rango after her friend Judy Steiner’s dog, Josie, had puppies. Josie was the second dog in Columbia to get Master Agility Champion and attending the Invitational Competition in California with her in 2008 was the spark that got Debbie “really, really into it.”
After completing his run, Rango receives pets from Debbie while she talks with Laurie about their performance. For the UKI US Open, Rango submitted a clean run for all the events he entered and finished in the top half of his class of approximately 50 dogs. He also won second place in his division in the Nationals Championship class.
Today, Debbie continues competing and having fun, with extra emphasis on fun. Debbie says, “The art to doing this a long time like I have, to still really enjoy it, it to make sure your dog is still having a blast.”
Rango, Debbie, Fizzle and Spur walk through the woods behind Debbie’s home on Nov. 18, 2020. Debbie says, “The art to doing this a long time like I have, to still really enjoy it, it to make sure your dog is still having a blast.”
Debbie pats Rango as he, Spur, and Fizzle sit on the path during their afternoon walk on Nov. 18, 2020. Debbie says, “I think the nice thing about any sport that you do with your dog is that you’re going places with your dog all the time; you’re hanging out with them. As long as you’re making it a positive event for your dog, you become really, really close to your dogs.”
