Any dog can have a champion day

Sit! Stay! If you can train your dog to obey simple commands, you're ready to explore the world of dog shows. From simply walking dogs around a ring to making them jump through hoops and crawl through tunnels, there are contests for kids with all kinds of dogs and all kinds of abilities. There's even a competition where the judges rate the handlers, not the dogs.

The first dog show in the United States was the First Annual New York Bench Show of Dogs, held in New York City in 1877. More than 1,200 dogs competed. This event became the famous Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, which is still held each year in February. This is a "conformation" show, which means that the dogs are judged on how well they conform to ideal standards for their breed.

Other dog competitions challenge a dog's athletic and intellectual abilities, and also the abilities of their trainers and handlers. One of the most exciting events for both dogs and spectators is the agility trial. Dogs must make their way through an obstacle course of jumps, tunnels, hoops, and seesaws.

At one point the dog may have to sit completely still for a brief period. At another point, it must weave its way quickly through a series of poles. The dog must complete the course within a certain period of time, so the trick is to go as quickly as possible without missing an obstacle.

The dog's handler guides the dog through the course while a judge watches to make sure each obstacle is completed correctly.

Agility is a great event to watch. There is a lot of action, and the dogs seem to have a lot of fun. Some bark happily and wag their tails all the way through the course. The handler runs around the course near them, directing the dog to each obstacle. "Here! Here!" one handler shouts as the dog rushes from jump to jump. Each handler has his or her own signals.

"Weave, weave, weave!" one calls as her dog weaves through a line of poles. Another directs the dog through the weaving with a loud "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" At the finish, the dog leaps joyfully over the final jump and the handler praises its efforts. Some smaller dogs leap into their handlers' arms for a kiss and a hug.

There are two goals in an agility trial. The team (dog and handler) that completes the course correctly in the shortest time wins a prize. But simply finishing the course the proper way also is rewarded.

Shanna Wilkinson started competing when she was 13, working with her Shetland sheepdog, Holly. "My mom had entered dogs for years in obedience competitions," she says. "And I thought the agility trials looked like fun." Like all competitors, kids and adults, Shanna began at the Novice level.

As a team collects points for successfully completing a course in competition, it moves up to the Open and finally to the Excellent categories. Shanna and Holly practice at home every day. Holly goes over, under, around, and through obstacles in different setups in their yard. Now 18, Shanna competes at the Excellent level.

When Shanna and Holly began, they worked only a few times a week. Sessions lasted only five to 15 minutes. For many dogs, that's as long as they can keep their attention on training at first. Gradually Shanna and Holly's sessions got longer as they moved up in the competitions.

The competition gets tougher as you progress. Dogs are allowed a few small mistakes in Novice competition. They might knock down a bar on a jump or hesitate before going through a tunnel. By the time they reach Excellent level, a single mistake can disqualify the team.

Beside agility and conformation, other competitions are open to kids and their dogs as well. In obedience competition, handler and dog work in a ring, with the dog obeying such commands as "heel," "sit," and "stay," as well as performing tasks.

At one point, for example, several objects are laid in the ring. The dog must use its sense of smell to find the object that has been held by its handler.

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