Westtown Woman, Her Dog Compete at American Kennel Club’s National Obedience Championship

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Image of Chris Allen and her Australian shepherd, Frankie, via Bill Rettew, Digital First Media.

Westtown resident Chris Allen and her “best friend” – an Australian shepherd named Frankie – competed in Wilmington, Ohio, last weekend in the American Kennel Club’s National Obedience Championship, writes Bill Rettew for The Pottstown Mercury.

This is the team’s second consecutive year at the invitation-only event, which demonstrated Frankie’s ability to follow specific routines for heeling, jumping, retrieving, and responding to hand signals at a 50-foot distance, as directed by Allen.

Allen is a member of the Philadelphia Dog Training Club and lives with three Australian shepherds.


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“There is no better way to cement the bond between a dog and owner than through competitive obedience training,” Allen said. “The two of you have to be such a team and so in sync that you don’t need more than one single command. Obedience is the bond made visible.”

Allen got hooked on obedience training in 1990 when her German shepherd, Juno, won a sub-novice competition.

“I wanted to challenge myself to become a better handler,” Allen said. “Could I get good enough to train a dog that will get invited to the national championships?”

Read more about Chris Allen and Frankie in The Pottstown Mercury by clicking here.

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