Prepping for the 2021 AKC Rally National Championship | Organic Gut Solution
July is here and the 2021 AKC Rally National Championship kicks off in a little over a week at the Roberts Centre in Wilmington, Ohio. We sat down with two talented ladies to learn more about how they’re prepping for their upcoming trial and how OGS Canine Formula has aided in the process. Read on to learn more about two unstoppable teams.
Rally is a team sport where exhibitors navigate their dogs through a course using different signs. While this event is timed, each maneuver is judged based on the team’s skills and the dog’s ease of guidance. There are different divisions within Rally, and, OGS Brand Ambassadors Lindsay and Maggie are quickly rising to the top, but, like any sport, they didn’t get there without hard work and practice.
Maggie Pogue and M-M Clary Sage or “Clare”:
Owner and operator of M-M Border Collies, Maggie Pogue has been a dog breeder for around 30 years. She originally started breeding Australian Shepherds and then Australian Cattle Dogs. A friend of hers was breeding Border Collies and the two decided to trade dogs. Once she got to know her Border Collie she fell in love and quickly took to the breed. After becoming an empty-nester, Maggie took to Rally and has been taking titles ever since. Maggie Pogue and M-M Clary Sage or ” Clare “ as she’s commonly referred to will be hitting the road to head to AKC Rally Nationals in just a few days.
Clare just had her fourth birthday in May, but, as the breeder of five generations of Clare’s pedigree, Maggie probably feels like she’s known Clare much longer than her short four years on Earth. A little more than three years ago the team did their first puppy classes. They began with obedience and it blossomed into the title taking team they are today, most recently as the number one border collie in Combined Rally in the nation as listed on Front & Finish (June 2021).
Photos courtesy of Maggie Pogue.
M-M Border Collies produces between 4-6 litters annually. Maggie started using OGS Canine Formula in 2020 when she was reunited with a pup she bred. This particular dog had a dry, brittle and thin coat, but, when Maggie met up with her she noticed a dramatic difference. After starting one of her dogs with digestive issues on our holistic supplement for dogs, Maggie noticed a firmer stool within two days. Within six weeks Maggie saw a difference in her dog’s coat quality really improved and quickly decided to use OGS Canine Formula with her entire pack.
OGS Canine Formula is now a big part of M-M Border Collies, not only in dogs like Clare, but Maggie’s agility-star, Spice as well as in her breeding program. Maggie has seen her dogs produce larger litters, the mamas never run out of milk for their puppies, they maintain their weight easier, and have a better coat, which Maggie says is difficult to achieve while nursing. The most notable difference is in the weight of the puppies where both parents enjoyed their daily dose of OGS Canine Formula. These puppies yielded higher weaning weights and needed less feed to hold their weights. Once the puppies were on dry food they received OGS top-dressed in addition to the amounts passed on through nursing.
OGS Canine Formula may have helped Maggie’s dogs including Clare with allergies that cause a brittle and sparse coat. Maggie believes that OGS Canine Formula has helped the texture and fullness of Clare’s coat and helped her to increase her stamina. She’s already a high drive dog but now she’ll run around all day with the rest of Maggie’s pack and afterwards when her friends all drop to their naps, Clare brings over a toy and is still ready to play. After starting OGS, Maggie noticed that Clare’s endurance and attitude improved, she’s always ready to practice and perform in whatever’s thrown her way.
To prepare Clare for the upcoming trial, Pogue has entered as many trials as she could and has set out with the goal of finishing the team’s championship before nationals (which they successfully achieved since the first draft of this blog). In addition to getting to trials, Maggie and Clare practice about five times a week and pay close attention to the areas where extra practice is needed to keep Clare extra sharp. Additionally, the pair practices regularly at Havenlea Dog Training Centre in Ocala for Obedience and Rally. Rally classmates, Lindsay and Cooper will also be heading to the 2021 AKC Rally Nationals in Ohio. After hearing about Cooper’s digestive issues, Maggie generously gave a sample of OGS Canine Formula to Lindsay for her pup, Cooper.
Maggie’s best advice for someone hoping to qualify for nationals would be:
“Make sure your dog is prepared and that they’ve been in high stress situations so when you get there you’ll be able to relax and perform at their best...and of course have their nutrition at peak performance.”
Lindsay Clark & Cooper:
Lindsay Clark of LC’s Competitive Edge Dog Training is ramping up for Rally Nationals with her rescue, Cooper. In 2020 Lindsay and Cooper secured the title of Top-Scoring All-American at last year’s Rally Nationals. The dynamic duo hails from Reddick, Florida and is excited to take on the road trip to Ohio.
“The thing I like about OGS is that I feel strongly that a dog with a balanced and healthy stomach leads to reduced anxiety - it’s the reason I jumped on board with OGS Canine Formula.”
Since trying OGS, Clark has been impressed with the improvement in the coats of all three of her dogs as well as with the significant improvement of their digestive issues. Cooper, the dog Lindsay will compete in Rally with is a nervous dog that gets easily stressed. After OGS, Clark feels that Cooper can handle the stress of the events and seems to recover quicker from the stress of travel and trials.
Lindsay described Cooper as a “game little dog” who has tried virtually everything. A versatile, male, mixed-breed, he’s titled in barn hunt, agility, obedience rally, dock diving, and scent work. In addition to his impressive resume, Cooper is an adventurous terrier mix that enjoys kayaking, hiking, and long walks (and swims) at the beach. To prepare for AKC Rally Nationals, Lindsay and Cooper have attended local rally trials for practice and also will practice at home, in her class, or at large, dog-friendly stores to work on focus in challenging environments.
Photos courtesy of Lindsay Clark. Pictured left is photo done by Pix’n’Pages Photography.
Lindsay’s advice to newcomers is:
“Keep it fun. It’s really easy to get the dogs bored with all of the repetition but it’s really important to change it up and keep it exciting for the dogs.”
Be sure to share this blog along with a good luck message for Maggie, Clare, Lindsay, and Cooper! Follow us on social media to keep up with Maggie & Clare and Lindsay & Cooper’s journey to the 2021 AKC Rally Nationals in Ohio on July 9th.
