This NC dog, fastest Norwich terrier in the nation, competes in the big leagues Saturday
.jpeg "Little Boo, from Raleigh, will compete Saturday in the Westminster Kennel Club’s agility contest.")
At age 5, Little Boo is ranked the fastest Norwich terrier in the country, nimble on the teeter-totter, perfect on his jumps, lightning-quick through a tunnel.
And Saturday, the Raleigh-trained pooch will hop obstacles on the grandest canine stage: Westminster Kennel Club, master agility championship.
“He can walk backwards,” said his owner, Jennifer Hollar. “He can do high-fives.”
Motivation from Little Boo
But along with dexterity, Little Boo brings an extra reason for hometown cheers.
Hollar suffers from chronic headaches, waking every day in pain. Normally, she said, “There is no break.”
But for more than three years, Hollar and her husband, Keith, have trained Little Boo themselves, constructing obstacles out of Hula Hoops, shoe boxes and a 2x6 board. Working together doesn’t erase her pain, but it gives her a reason to stay active, some motivation to focus elsewhere.
“You have this little soul that is relying on you, so you have to get up and you have to engage,” Hollar said from New Jersey on Friday, where she awaits Little Boo’s moment. “It’s a joy.”
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As a companion, Little Boo demonstrated a social ease almost immediately, following Hollar to long doctors’ appointments in Winston-Salem, waiting for six hours in a stroller.
Little tricks started to develop around the house, which soon turned into lessons, which soon turned into Boo’s first trials.
‘Fun to see your dog do so well’
Victory took time. At first, when her husband would show Little Boo while Hollar waited as a spectator, the terrier would run away from the course and roll over next to her in the stands, belly pointing skyward.
But he got faster and more adroit to the point he now stands atop the “power 10” listed by Bad Dog Agility.
“It’s fun to see your dog do so well,” Hollar said.
On Saturday, Little Boo and the Hollars have only eight minutes to scout in advance.
But they bring the eyeballs and acute ears of a dog who can spot trouble, solve problems and smooth life’s bumpy course.
This story is part of our regular “On the Bright Side” feature. Got a suggestion for a story that will bring a smile to our readers? E-mail Josh Shaffer at jshaffer@newsobserver.com.
This story was originally published June 17, 2022 at 12:25 PM.