Incredible Dog Challenge: Small/Medium Dog Agility Western Regional | NBC Sports

The Incredible Dog Challenge is brought to you by Pina Pro Plan nutrition that performs and welcome back beautiful Huntington Beach California and the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge well puff and David Jeffers are the champions in large dog agility and they'll be competing at the National Finals at Purina Farms and we have more Champions to be crowned the medium dogs took to the agility course and three teams made it to the podium in third it was Diane me and her 5-year-old old female Australian Shephard keyi they had some difficulty getting through the course clean occurring 10 F seconds in finishing with a time of 44.2 two and taking second it was Laura Hartwick and Banksy from Santa Cruz California they had a very fast raw time of 3285 even though they knocked down a bar finishing with a time of 3785 but it was the two-time Western Regional Champ here in Huntington Kate Moro and prize taking the prize in medium dog agility with a time of 3.17 punch in their ticket once again to Pina farms and the national championship finals davidu in fourth and Leslie wils and Champion rounding out the top five so that brings us to small dog agility continues to be a beautiful day in Huntington Beach toffee and Leslie Rudy seven-year-old female pmri Welch Corgi schen Leslie says toffee has short legs but a long stride long stride that's right so they look look like they're running slower but they're actually covering more ground because of that body length and they do great out here you may be wondering what's the difference between large medium small well look at the height of the jumps the height of the jumps and the height of the tire are set to the height of the dogs they even out the playing field by measuring them at the height of the shoulder blades and setting those jumps appropriately a five fals there it'll turn into 5 Seconds as they bounce their way through the weave pole section they saw the Piner pole PL Incredible Dog Challenge on TV in 2001 and that's when they started their agility career sat tofi and Leslie with a 4.45 when you add those 5 Seconds onto the time well the bar went down right before the dog walk but that did not face toffee getting right up there and executing everything else well throughout the course Debbie McGee and Tabby make their way out onto the arena and we had a chance to catch up with deby and ask what makes Tabby an incredible dog and how an unexpected phone call created a lifelong Bond I've always liked Corgi since my son had one and I immediately fell in love ever since then I've had corgis myself I wasn't looking for a puppy when I got Tabby the breeder called me and she said I have this puppy and I think she should be yours and she apologized she said I I never do this I don't know why I'm doing it about 10 months after I got Tabby U my son passed away and uh Tabby has been just a source of comfort and joy to me so I know that she is a gift for me from God to help me during this time that's been so difficult I feel like she just is here really to bring me comfort and joy all the time I think corgis are great agility dogs because they enjoy um being a partner with you especially you know now that she's three I feel like we're really coming together in a partnership and I feel that we're just really becoming connected as a team and I feel that her her energy and her fun come out when we're doing agility it means so much to me to have that bond with Tabby that we love the same things and she loves me and she just she wants to make me [Music] smile so Tabby and Debbie great story and now a shot at qualifying for the national championship finals fieled by Pro Plan Sports here we go with Tabby and Debbie I think they both smile a lot of those pictures there Tabby looks smiling in the pictures as well you know we talked about that long stride so they don't look like they're running quite as fast but corgis are athletic they're strong they're a hurting breed so they are equipped for this event to do really well out there especially with that special bond that we just heard Debbie talk about time to beat 41.4527682 [Music] [Applause] and a clean one coming through with a time of 36.6 one so new leaders and guaranteed a spot on the podium that's what you like to hear going through the weaves and small dog style hopping through with both Paws in front clearing those low bars set to the low height of the dog nice performance Liza Buckner and he up next in small dog agility the 10-year-old male mixan lies says that he turns efficiently and he loves a big crowd and works harder when they are here in no better place than Huntington Beach for this oh yeah they can feel the energy of the crowd out there on the field also going to show you that any type of dog can be successful in agility fa a mixed breed doesn't take any special type of background just takes the work and the practice to get quick out here you have a fast dog that wants to work that you can uh train and you've got got an agility dog look at this little guy going quick through the waves look at this the rescue dog being rescued to try and to get a spot to the National Championship Finals in the Incredible Dog Challenge coming through with a great time 3566 they took over the top spot super good teamwork out there going through the weaves kind of doing a one step across which is more what you see with large dogs having to wait for the Teeter to hit the ground before jumping off so there guaranteed second at worst as Primo and Sarah Rutland now take to the Pina Arena 5-year-old male papon fielded by Pro Plan sport as well they are first place here at Huntington Beach in 2022 let's see if they can earn a spot to the national finals today in 2024 a national championship title is definitely the goal at the end of the season here you know I just mentioned the Teeter Totter we're going to have to watch Primo coming up on the Teeter a little bit of confusion right there going through that throttle of jumps but the Teeter is the only obstacle that moves and for small dogs it's tough cuz they don't have the weight and they cannot jump off until that yellow contact hits the ground Primo absolutely bolting through the Purina Arena born in France mother was a world champion and now they're heading to the National Championship Finals with that time shelene of means butterfly in Italian look at those ears flying through the obstacle happy faces all around so an exciting small dog agility competition wraps up Tabby and Debbie in third Hefe and Liza second but congrats to Primo and Sarah Rutland for taking the win next up incredible fetchet dogs take to the skies when we return but first America's youth are struggling with mental health and Pina is working to get more dogs certified as therapy dogs and is even raising a litter of puppies to become service dogs or facility dogs to help if you like dogs too subscribe to NBC Sports YouTube channel for more