Sandy Waite hopes the rest of the country soon finds out what she already knows about her dog, Cruiser.
‘He’s by far the best dog I’ve ever had,? said the 57-year-old Ortonville resident.
In September, Waite will be traveling to Sturbridge, MA for the Tibetan Terrier Club of America’s National Specialty obedience contest, held in conjunction with the Tibetan Terrier World Congress.
Waite said there are three different classes of obeidence, and in each of those classes, there are certain exercises the dog is scored on. She said Cruiser will be competing in the two highest level classes.
Waite has been bringing various dogs to competitions for about 15 years. She was first introduced to dog obedience at Stonington Kennels in Goodrich, a boarding kennel and grooming salon, where she took her dog at the time, Taffy, a Vichon Frise.
‘The owner, Carolyn Hamilton, encouraged me to take some classes and get involved,? she said.
Cruiser, who is seven years old, has been competing in shows for about four years. He and Waite have traveled to competitions in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and hold two Canadian titles as well, but they focus on Michigan and Ohio. They take part in about 10-15 competitions per year.
‘He already has a whole pile of titles,? Waite said of the dog.