A Sherwood Park dog has been named the most obedient canine in the country and his owner and handler says it’s a very rare feat.
“I’ve never gone for No. 1. No. 1 is difficult to get in the Prairies because we don’t have the shows that they have in Ontario so you very seldom see an Alberta dog at the top. The last time it happened was 1984,” Lee Kozicki said.
“The last time a poodle was in the top was 1987 I believe. So it’s been a long time for both so I’m pretty proud of this little guy.”
Kozicki’s dog Scooter — a miniature poodle — has been awarded the top spot in the 2017 Grand Master Obedience Trial. Scooter scored just over 198 points out of a possible 200.
“He just aced it,” Scooter’s proud owner said.
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Kozicki has been training and showing dogs since the ’80s. She took Scooter home when he was just 10 weeks old. At the time, she admitted she was not looking for another dog.
“I had lost my last mini poodle at 16 and I was just going through the process of missing him when this dog’s breeder… came up and said he had two puppies. Would I like to come and see them?” she explained.
“One should not look at puppies if one is not interested in taking a puppy home. Long story short, home comes Scooter.”
In the first couple of years of Scooter’s life, Kozicki said she didn’t see the show dog in him. However, about a year-and-a-half later, something changed.
“He just continued to impress me. Got better and better and loved showing, which a lot of dogs don’t because it’s a tough venue. Lots of dogs there, barking and noise,” she said.
“This dog thinks the more dogs, the more noise, the better he is… he’s done really well for himself.”
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It’s taken a lot of hard work and dedication to get Scooter where he is today, but Kozicki said it comes down to much more than that. It comes down to heart. The dog has to have the passion to push him to the front of the pack.
“A dog has to have heart and it’s something that a trainer can’t put in, they have to be born with it. And I have to say, at two, I did not see it in this dog. But this year, everyone saw it in this dog.”
“It takes a special dog to go into the ring every weekend and do this and not get tired of it and give up. And he doesn’t. He enjoys it.”
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Kozicki enjoys it too. Over the years, several of her dogs have reached obedience trial champion status. One of her dogs even appeared in a commercial with Don Cherry.
But it’s not the titles and glamour that push her to keep going, even in retirement. Kozicki exudes passion for the job, something she said doesn’t feel like work.
“I’ve had a really, really enjoyable life with my dogs and with teaching other people’s dogs,” she said. “Maybe that’s the whole difference between a job and a hobby is I picked a hobby that I love and I stuck with it all these years.”
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So will she and Scooter be gunning for the title again in 2018? Only time will tell.
“I tell my students I’m resting on my laurels next year but I’m not sure they believe that. I told several of them I wasn’t going for anything this year.”
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