Sassy 13-year-old dog from Johnstown is an Agility Grand Champion

Katie, a 13-year-old, 10-pound Maltipoo, a Maltese Toy Poodle mix, earned the rubric this summertime of Agility Grand Champion from the American Kennel Club.

“She is the archetypal canine successful Colorado to bash it,” to beryllium named an AKC Agility Grand Champion, said Alison Day, of Johnstown, Katie’s owner.

The feat was accomplished implicit astir a five-year play with much than 100 competitions successful astatine astir a twelve states.

“It was an accumulation of qualifying runs” dating backmost to 2016, Day said. “It was a lofty goal, that sounded impossible, but I thought, ‘I tin bash it,’ and I conscionable ne'er gave up. Neither did Katie.”

Katie, Day and her husband, Pat Clements, traveled to Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, Montana, Wyoming and different states anterior to Katie’s AKC rubric show connected July 2 successful Castle Rock astatine the Douglas County Fairgrounds successful an lawsuit hosted by the Mile Hi Golden Retriever Club. 

“We did immoderate traveling,” Day said.

Day describes Katie arsenic a “sassy” dog. “She is precise opinionated, precise wide astatine communicating what she wants.”

One of her favourite walk times astatine location is fetching a bluish ball.

“She is beauteous outgoing, but erstwhile she wants her shot thrown, she is beauteous demanding,” Clements said.

The mates raised Katie since she was a ten-week-old puppy, backmost successful 2008.

“She loves to compete,” Day said, adding that Katie has flooded a “bad knee” successful pursuit of the champion title. The keen canine rival is present considered “semi-retired.”

“I’m honored and thrilled to beryllium Katie’s mom,” Day said. “She is simply a large small dog.”