'Connection and communication': Local deaf rescue dog to compete in AKC Agility Championship

 

HARTFORD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A local pup is hoping to pick up some prizes at a national agility competition next week - and her skills are extra special.

Four-year-old Aspen is fast and focused when hopping over hurdles.

"Any time we do anything with training, she's super excited to do it, really quick to learn," said her mom and handler, Kassandra Schmid. "She picks up things really well."

The Hartford-based rescue dog already has some agility titles with her team from Dream Acres Agility in Mequon, she's heading to the AKC Agility Nationals in St. Louis next week.

"We thought it would be a great way to get some experience in a bigger venue and event," Schmid explained.

Aspen's agility style is a bit unique because she was born deaf.

"I don't know that a lot of people realize how many deaf, hearing impaired, or vision impaired dogs are in dog sports," Schmid said.

Schmid tried agility with Aspen as a puppy, and she caught on right away.

"Agility is really about having a strong connection and communication," she said.

Their communication is all through visual cues.

"A lot of hand cues for normal training, and then for the agility course, we use positioning on the course," she explained. "She just really checks in a lot while I'm running the obstacles with her."

Aspen competes alongside hearing dogs, doing obstacle runs and 16-inch hurdles.

"There's probably not much in agility that we couldn't do at a high level, so it's really just figuring out how that communication goes," Schmid explained.

It's their mutual trust keeps her skills strong.

"What might work for us for certain things at a higher level might be different for someone that can use words, but that doesn't mean we still can't have that communication there and make it work on the course," she said.

While they'd like to come home from nationals with a ribbon, what's most important is that they're both having fun.

"At the end of the day, it's about really just doing the activity together and having it be something that we both enjoy," Schmid said.

The AKC Agility League National Championship is August 29 through 31.

It will be broadcast on akc.tv and the American Kennel Club's YouTube page.