Scottish Terrier “Pickles,” who is 11 years old, is no stranger to the AKC Agility Invitational Now in its 20th year, the Invitational will be held on December 13th and 14th as part of the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin. Out of those 20 years, eight of them have seen Pickles and his owner-handler Pat Speas, grace the ring, continuously returning as one of the top three Scottish Terriers in agility to compete on this stage.
Pickles is one of over 700 dog and handler teams that will come together to at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida to compete in a variety of agility trials. Dogs will race around predetermined obstacle courses with their handlers to quickly navigate the course without fault. The dogs with the fastest, cleanest runs will receive accolades in their respective height divisions.
Showing Promise From Puppyhood
Speas, from Cumberland, Virginia, has been training and competing alongside her dogs for decades. She brought Pickles home 12 years ago, who has been a steadfast companion ever since. Pickles accompanied Speas on visits to the nursing home while her mother was ill and was a beacon of support following her passing. Pickles’ early acclimation to nursing homes and rehabilitation centers helped her when training to become a certified therapy and service dog. Her mellow, yet highly attentive, disposition has also allowed her to excel in agility.
“She just catches on to everything,” says Speas. Despite the rumored “Terrier ‘tude,” Speas says she never had trouble training Pickles. “[She] has the personality [where] she doesn’t get too excited over anything. She just sort of goes along with the flow.”
After obtaining her Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification, Speas began introducing Pickles to agility trials. Between agility classes, at-home training sessions, and observing Speas’ other dog, a German Shepherd Dog, practice agility, Pickles quickly understood the ins and outs of the sport. Speas also worked with Pickles to get her RAE title in AKC Rally, but the event didn’t excite her as much as agility.
A Highly Resilient Scottie
Speas and Pickles were off to the races with agility training before things suddenly came to a halt.
When Pickles was just a year old, she had to get a double patella surgery due to a luxating patella. This occurs in about 7% of Scottie puppies. The surgery immediately put their training on pause, which Speas says was a challenge.
“I had a hard time that first month,” she says. “She was so full of energy and was bouncing [around], wanting to do agility.”
After a few months of recovery and a green light from their vet, Pickles and Speas were back at it. Speas says Pickles only excelled following her surgery.
“[When] we went back into training, it didn’t slow her down a bit,” she says. “She bounced back. Her recovery time was very quick.”
Pickles’ Success Over the Years
In the 11 years Speas has had Pickles, the pair has found a lot of success in agility trials. Over their career, Pickles has received 10 MACHs and is close to receiving her MACH 11. Speas is certain that if the pandemic didn’t happen during her “prime,” Pickles would hold even more titles.
Back in 2020, just before COVID-19 hit, Pickles competed in the agility competition at the 144th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Though Pickles didn’t place, she was the first Scottish Terrier in history to make it to the finals. Pickles and Speas have attended Westminster six times since.
In 2023, Pickles became the first wheaten Scottish Terrier to earn the title of Agility Grand Champion. Now going into her eighth AKC Agility Invitational, Speas hopes Pickles will only continue to shine.
Undoubtedly an Agility Dog
As fun as it is to watch Pickles do an agility run, Speas says her favorite part is watching Pickles complete a course.
“At the end of the run, she is so proud and excited that she’s done good,” she says. “She’s leaping and jumping, and she’s the happiest dog in the world when she gets to run that course. She’s just ecstatic.”
Speas has even had people comment on Pickles’ post-run jubilance.
“I’ve had more people come up to me afterwards and say, ‘Your dog really likes this! She’s so happy!’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, she’s just as happy to be doing it as anything,'” she explains. “It’s fun to watch that. I love seeing her at the end.”
A Good Life In and Outside of Agility
Pickles is Speas’ “very best friend.” Not only is she great in a competition setting, but the pair loves participating in a variety of activities outside of conformation, especially anything outdoors.
In the summer, they take some time off of agility training to canoe down the James River, Virginia’s largest river. Pickles loves the water, and it’s a great way for the pair to bond even further.
“She’s exceeded my every expectation,” says Speas. “I couldn’t ask for a better dog.”
The AKC National Championship, presented by Royal Canin, has crowned its 2025 Best in Show! Learn more about conformation and follow your favorite breeds at dog shows throughout the year.