For a good mood booster head to Joe Rowell Park this weekend for an agility dog competition.
Watching different breeds and sizes of dogs race through an elaborate obstacle course is guaranteed to make people smile.
The Durango Kennel Club, hosted by Durango Agility Dogs, will conduct the AKC trial Friday through Sunday, August 2-4 at Joe Rowell Park in Dolores. The event kicks off at noon on Friday.
Ninety handlers will guide 160 dogs through the 20-piece obstacle course throughout the weekend, explained Pam Leisle, trial chair for the event.
"We welcome the public to come on out and enjoy the event. Friday night under the lights is especially exciting," she said.
Novice, intermediate, and expert dogs, and their handlers, team up for the competition, which features 300 runs per day. Dogs sprint their way through weave poles, negotiate a teeter totter, jump through tires, and get big air over jumps, among other challenges.
Do they know when they win?
"When my dog Rumble made it to the finals under the lights, he was holding his head up high just soaking it in, but mostly they get excited for the ice-cream afterwards, not the ribbon," said Leisle.
There will be a food vendor, and also vendors selling dog merchandise.
"If you have never seen it, it is like a magical dance between handler and dog. It is a lot of teamwork.
"The herding breeds do the best. But watching the novice dogs is especially fun and reveals how tough the sport is."
Organizers prefer that spectators do not bring their dogs to avoid distractions for the canine athletes.
jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com