Cathy Kennedy wouldn’t trade “Gabby,” a 6-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound (Treeing Walker), for anything in the world. But she has gotten offers while they’re out shopping or checking into a pet-friendly hotel. “I’ll take your dog if you take my teenagers,” is something Gabby’s owners, Kennedy and her wife, Mary Menard, of Tallahassee, Florida, are used to hearing when they travel with Gabby (“Gabby” Gabriella of Rustlewood Farm CD BN RE CGC) and her littermate, “Teagan.”
In fact, the couple first got into obedience training because they wanted to travel with their dogs. Kennedy, a retired police officer, and Menard, a retired registered nurse, hadn’t planned on entering competitions. They just wanted well-behaved travel companions. Since then, Gabby and Kennedy have taken their skills to the ring, competing in obedience, AKC Rally, and Barn Hunt.
Now, they’re set to compete at the 12th AKC Obedience Classic on December 13 and 14, as part of the AKC National Championship week, presented by Royal Canin. Aside from being the only Treeing Walker Coonhound among more than 250 competitors, Gabby is sure to deliver a memorable performance with her impressive stride and lovable personality.
From Last Pick of the Litter to Furry Soulmate
Before welcoming Gabby into the family, they had a Treeing Walker named Tucker. “He died at the old age of 15, and we had one dog left that was a rescue and also 15, his name was Levi,” Kennedy says.
After Kennedy retired in 2019, the couple thought it was time for a puppy. They initially planned to get a Labrador Retriever, but changed their minds when they saw an advertisement for a Treeing Walker puppy. They contacted the breeder and arranged to meet Gabby, who was the last puppy in the litter. “When I went to meet her, she ran under some shelving,” she says. “So, I sat down, and as soon as I called her, she came over to me and sat in my lap.”
At 14 weeks, Gabby was ready to come home. Since they didn’t want to spring a puppy on Levi, they decided to check into a dog-friendly resort. “It was probably the best socialization she could get because there were kids and people in the lobby, and they all wanted to see the puppy,” she says.
When they arrived home, their concerns quickly faded. “Levi loved Gabby from the moment he saw her,” she says. “But we realized that we needed to get Gabby a growing-up friend because Levi was not going to be around for long.” That’s when they learned that Gabby’s littermate, Teagan, needed a new home after being in an unsafe environment. They called the breeder and offered to take Teagan. “We took Gabby with us, and she got to see her mom and Teagan, and remembered everybody,” she says.
These sisters have their own unique personalities. Gabby is an old soul, and Teagan is an athlete. “If one of us is sick, Gabby will lie in bed with us all day, and Teagan will come in and do a run-through like, okay, you’re not dead yet,” she says. “Gabby is my next furry soulmate, and when Tucker died, the powers that be led me to Gabby and Teagan.”
It Takes a Village to Train a Treeing Walker Coonhound
Kennedy and Menard began by teaching Gabby and Teagan to sit and stay. Soon, they realized that teaching obedience skills to a Treeing Walker puppy wasn’t going to be the same as training Labrador puppies, which are keen to please their owners. So, they turned to one of their best friends, Kelly Norred, who owns “Lundi,” the Beauceron.
Norred suggested joining the Tallahassee Dog Obedience Club and coming out to the park on Sunday mornings to train. “We would watch while they were training,” Kennedy says. Then Norred and the other trainers would turn their attention to helping them work with Gabby and Teagan.
Even now, Kennedy and Menard still train with them every day. For instance, they might work on a Rally sign or an obedience command. If they’re getting ready for a competition, other dog club members are sure to get involved, whether that means setting up rings at their home or practicing their skills in a round-robin tournament.
“We are so fortunate to have magnificent trainers who have trained a lot of dogs,” she says. “They help fine-tune what we’re doing, and train us as handlers even more so than the dogs.” She adds that, in dog sports, training the handler and polishing what they do with their dog are what help them win competitions.
Using a Softer Approach With Gabby
Treeing Walkers closely bond with their owners. But they’re also very smart and independent, which can make them challenging to train. Kennedy, who had been accustomed to teaching defensive tactics to other police officers, realized she needed to adjust her training methods for Gabby.
“I’m used to wanting to drill something repeatedly, and you can’t do that with these dogs,” she explains. “I cannot really raise my voice or get stern with Gabby in the ring or when we’re training because she will shut down.” To keep her engaged, Kennedy has to make training seem like a game.
That said, her police officer skills do come in handy. For instance, one of the Rally signs requires the dog to back up three steps. “I would get Gabby next to a wall and put my hand down and try to back her up,” she says. “Even with the linear wall, I was still having problems.”
Then, one of the trainers suggested that Kennedy change her body language, something she’s very familiar with in police work. “So, I started accentuating my shoulder turn, pushing her back, and that seemed to work,” she says. “That’s what Gabby needed, and she will do it 8 times out of 10.”
A Nose as Strong as Her Opinions
Sometimes, Gabby struggles because she thinks she can anticipate the next sign in Rally. “I have to be careful because Gabby will start making up her own stuff,” Kennedy says. As for obedience, their biggest challenge is when Gabby tries to get vocal during a trial. “It’s like, you can’t talk to me, and I can’t talk to you,” she says. “Gabby has an opinion about everything, and she’s not afraid to tell you her opinion.”
Not surprisingly, as hounds, Gabby and Teagan are naturals at Barn Hunt, having competed in the sport since they were a year and a half old. More recently, Kennedy has put their hunting skills to the test by participating in North American Sport Dog Association (NASDA) scent games and AKC Scent Work. Their next goal is to compete in Scent Work.
Gabby seems most upbeat during AKC Rally and Scent Work. When they’re training, she’ll give a tell on the rat. But when Gabby is competing in Barn Hunt, she tends to do “drive-bys,” meaning that she’ll look at the rat and keep going. “It was such a subtle tell that I couldn’t read it,” she says.
At home, it’s a different story. “If Gabby smells a mouse in our barn, she goes crazy,” she says. “And I’m thinking, why can’t you do that on the course?” The issue seems to be that although she can smell the rat, she knows she can’t chase it.
Their Journey to the AKC Obedience Classic
Gabby began competing in obedience when she was a year old. The following year, she received her Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification. At 5 years old, she received her Beginner Novice (BN) and Companion Dog (CD) titles in obedience. “It’s kind of a big deal for a Treeing Walker,” Kennedy says.
Along with Teagan, Gabby started competing in Rally when she was 3 years old. Recently, they both qualified for their AKC Rally Advanced Excellent (RAE) title. It was a full-circle moment because the judge they showed under is the same one from their very first Rally trial. In addition, Gabby has qualified to compete in the AKC Rally National Championship for the past three years.
Kennedy is excited to showcase their skills at the 2nd AKC RACH Invitational, followed by the 12th AKC Obedience Classic. “I’m grateful we did well enough to get the invitation,” she says. “There are quite a few of us from the (Tallahassee Dog Obedience Club) club that are going.”
The last time they attended the AKC Rally National Championship, they made T-shirts with all the club’s dogs’ names. “We’re doing the same thing with the Obedience Classic,” she says. This time, their T-shirts say “moving together as one team” and feature the yin-yang symbol with a paw print and human handprint.
“It’s been an incredible journey, not only with the girls, but with the people who have helped us train them,” she says. “They aren’t an easy breed to train, but they’re worth it.” Many experienced trainers have told them how remarkable it is to compete at this level with a Treeing Walker.
And it doesn’t hurt that they’re wonderful travel companions. Whenever they call to make a reservation at one of their favorite hotels, the staff always asks if Gabby and Teagan are coming. “If Gabby can’t go with me, or Teagan can’t go with Mary, we just don’t go,” she says. “They’re always with us.”
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