AKC holds national large-pack championship

By PAMELA JANSSON

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GOGEBIC RANGE - While many folks were sleeping in on Saturday morning, a flurry of activity was occurring at the park pavilion of the Gogebic-Iron County Airport in North Ironwood.

Shortly after dawn, dogs were everywhere - specifically elite, purebred, fully qualified beagles - in anticipation of the American Kennel Club's large-pack championship.

Butch Saari of North Ironwood, who was one of the local event representatives, said it has been about 15 years since it occurred in this region.

The competition was held at two different locations: the Gogebic Range Beagle Club in North Ironwood and the Borderline Beagle Club in Iron Belt, Wisconsin, on both Saturday and Sunday.

The airport pavilion served as ground central throughout the weekend, providing a place for owners to share meals, swap tales, and get their dogs prepared for the competitive pack runs.

Various stations were set up to measure each pooch and then to paint an identifying number on each side of his or her body. Ellen Fritz of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, who was managing participant lists in a nearby trailer, was processing about 130 entrants.

The dogs seemed to know the drill and patiently cooperated in the process.

"They're ready to go," said Sandra Givens of Louisiana as she assisted in the set up.

Victor Costanza of Frankfort, New York - who is vice president of the AKC - said the dogs understand the difference between training versus competing versus preparing for actual hunting.

For one thing, said Costanza, his dog - named Vic, like himself, and with a naturally occurring "V" within the coloration of his forehead hair - trains at a specific beagle club in New York.

In addition, competition entails larger groups of dogs than would occur in other situations.

Saari said up to 35 dogs run at a time in the large-pack championship, whereas the small-pack championship has only about seven dogs running at a time.

Jason and Alicia Zazeski of Bessemer said that the competition included two classes for male dogs and two for females: the 13-inch for smaller dogs and the 15-inch for larger dogs.

The Zazeskis were getting two of their dogs painted on Saturday morning: Bozo and Clyde.

Jason said he trains his dogs every three to four days. "They run 10 to 15 miles," he said.

Alicia said they have about 60 acres of property on which the dogs can run at length while safe from predators, etc.

Saari said the object of the AKC Championship is for the dogs to track the rabbit's scent, but he added that the dogs do not kill or catch the rabbit.

"They're judged on accuracy," he said.

"You want the dog on the line," said Mike Manning, who was measuring and judging dogs with Larry Wilson. They are both from New York.

Manning added that the dogs who stray from the path of pursuit get demerits.

Among other rules Manning explained was a contingency that, although dogs could wear electronic collars during the competition, owners could not use them to communicate with their dogs or to shock them for straying off course.

Instead, said Manning, the owner could use the collar only to locate the dog at the end of the run.

Manning has been involved in the business for decades.

"I'm third generation beagle," he said. "Since I was a kid, my dad took me."

He was planning to run three of his own dogs - Tika, Nippsey and Paddy - in the "15-inch Female Class" on Sunday.

But he said someone else would judge his dogs.

"You can't judge dogs you own," he said.

According to him, the competition involves no prize money, but he said there can be other rewards such as sponsorships, trophies and free products such as dog food, leashes and electronic collars. The owners also get hats just for participating.

Moreover, said Manning, "This is a national championship. It's a big thing for the breeding of your dog in the future."

At the end of the runs, Drake DeWyse of Engadine, Michigan - who was there with his grandfather, John DeWyse of Bay City, Michigan - said that owners often remove the paint from their dogs' hair with baby oil and a comb.

The dogs then can return to their normal routines in a world that has changed its views on how to manage them.

In times past, many owners of hunting dogs believed that hunting dogs must remain separate from the family.

That is less often the case in modern times, as shown in the relationships between owners and their dogs last weekend.

Justin Lassen of Grayling, Michigan, illustrated the difference with his dog named Lassey's Red Rock Canyon.

While the dog was being measured, Lassen's son, Colton, 3, was standing behind him, and the dog was so intent on watching Colton that the judges had to ask the boy to move in front of the dog so that he would stay still for the process.

"All my dogs like my boy," said Lassen with a chuckle.

Afterward, the dog put his paws on Lassen's thighs to enjoy a hearty dose of pets from him as well.

"Oh yeah," said Lassen. "He's my buddy."

Jason Zazeski also spoke fondly of his own dogs. "They're like family dogs," he said. "They come in the house."

But his wife added that the dogs understand they have jobs to do as well, in relation to their tracking talent.

Victor Costanza said his dog, Vic, does stay in what he called "a nice kennel" with automatic water.

Beyond that, he said he and his brother spend a lot of time with him. "We go hunting with him all the time," he said.

But, as with the AKC Championship, Costanza said the object of "the hunt" is just to let the dog run and to follow scents.

"We don't even shoot the rabbit," he said.

Results of last weekend's national large-pack championship are expected to be posted on AKC's Facebook page.