The First MACH Dachshund

MACH Jackie Brink v Dorndorf L CDX TD

by Patt Nance

7/28/01 - They came to the start line, Maxine and her red dachshund bitch. It was a bright day and a light, hot breeze wafted over the grounds of the agility trial in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Many of the exhibitors knew that Maxine and her Ginger were just seven points away from the coveted AKC Master Agility Champion title. They assembled at ringside to watch the longhaired dachsie run.

Cocker exhibitor and frequent traveling companion Becky Cembrowicz: "That Saturday morning, Maxine and I got stuck in traffic on the way to the trial. Maxine was just frantic knowing that this could be the big day. We finally pulled in as our class was walking the course. Not taking time to park the van, we pulled it up to the curb beside the ring and Maxine ran out onto the field. She had just enough time to walk the course quickly two times. Keep in mind that she usually walks it at least 10 times, with a full 10 minutes to study her moves. But time was up. The 8" class was running first and Maxine had to get her dog."

She could feel the tension and tried not to think about anything other than running this Jumpers with Weaves course cleanly with no time faults. After all, this course was really not much different from the multitude of Excellent courses she and Ginger had run before. Yet...it was.

With Ginger beside her, Maxine looked to the timer, then to the scribe. Receiving nods of readiness from both, it was time. "Over!" Dog and handler rushed into the run, Maxine's arm and voice commands taking Ginger over the first jump and on to the next.

Who could have imagined this moment on that weekend back in June, 1993? It was the weekend of the DCA National Field Trial in eastern Pennsylvania, and Maxine Brinker of Illinois was slated to judge Field Champions. Maxine had a red longhair super performer at home, a bitch named FC Mayrhofen Sassafras UDTX CG VC CAN UDT. Maxine's only dachshund to date, "Sassy" had seen to it that Maxine got a sweeping and successful indoctrination into teckel sports. Now elderly, Sassy went along as companion on Maxine's field, water, and obedience training excursions with her young labrador retriever. Maxine had occasionally thought about getting another dachshund but her loyalty was with Sassy and the thoughts remained vague.

Also present at the National field trial was Patt Nance of Ohio: "In early 1993, I bred two 2 year old sisters to an unshown littermate of Champions Myron and Miranda v Turner L that I liked very much. In April, the bitches whelped their first litters nine days apart; Ingrid v Dorndorf L CD ("Spree") at the home of her co-owner Gail Brink, and FC Ilsa v Dorndorf L at home with me. Several weeks later, I took both litters with me when I traveled to the DCA field trial at Stein's Hollow Beagle Club in Pennsylvania."

Coming to the weave poles after the first three jumps, Ginger's entrance was perfect. She wasn't pushing hard yet but rather hesitating, and Maxine encouraged her as she moved through the weaves. A double bar jump was next.

Maxine Brinker: "At DCA, I came walking out of the field and up the road to the clubhouse. I saw Patt Nance playing with a young puppy on the porch. She had wadded up a napkin and was throwing it for the little one who was chasing and retrieving it. I went up and said 'Ha, ha, that is cute. Here, let me throw it for her.' I tossed the paper a few times, the puppy brought it back each time, and then I picked her up."

Patt Nance: "In the afternoon sunshine, I had been bringing one pup at a time onto the large porch to play and socialize and receive some individual attention. At the time that Maxine came out of the clubhouse, I was playing with a little red bitch pup out of Spree's litter while talking with Helen Hamilton who was scrubbing the grill. Spree's field work had caught Maxine's eye; she had watched Spree get called back High and finish NBQ at this, her first trial. A little later, her retrieving puppy also captured Maxine's attention, and after Maxine played with the pup for a bit, she picked her up. They seemed to like what they saw in each other. Asking if she could take the youngster for a walk, Maxine set off back down the road carrying the puppy."

Over the double bar and several more jumps in quick succession, Ginger was really turning on. This course was proving to be quite fast and flowing; such a course is generally relished by handlers and dogs alike. There were a number of areas where a call-off or a push-out was necessary, but remarkably little tight twisting and turning. Judge Marq Cheek of California had done a good job designing this course and he was out on it too, carefully observing this team. The dachshund was running very, very well.

Patt Nance: "A little while later, Maxine returned with a wet puppy and asked if she was for sale. When I said 'Yes', Maxine stated 'She's mine.' Seems that she had taken the pup down the road to the creek. With her strong background in performance retrievers, Maxine has an affinity for dogs that love water. The little dachsie pup had played in the creek for all the world like a baby lab. That did it! This pup was going to live life with Maxine in Illinois."

Maxine Brinker: "I had traveled to the trial with wire and smooth breeder Henry Winther, also from Illinois. I had to work hard to overcome his protests about a new passenger on the return trip. 'Oh no you don't!', Henry flatly refused. 'No longhair is getting into my truck even if it is a puppy.' 'I've never had a longhair in my truck before and I'm not going to have one now.' 'Well, okay, but this will be the last time a longhair ever rides with me!' Henry was teasing of course, and he was doing a very good job of it!"

At home in Illinois, the pup quickly gained new friends and a name. Sassy took to the little squirt as quickly as Maxine had. So did Maxine's elderly mother who lives with Maxine. It was she who gave the pup her call name while searching the cupboard for the spices needed to make an apple pie.

From the beginning, Ginger went almost everywhere Maxine did. She was one well-attended and well-traveled little dachshund. Having long declared herself "Too chicken!" to ever be a breeder, Maxine had Ginger spayed. She started her basic obedience and tracking training while working and competing with her labrador. Ginger earned her TD title at 13 months and her CD the following year.

Then, when Ginger was two, Maxine was introduced to the great up and coming sport of dog agility. She enrolled Ginger in a local agility class and they both proved to be quick and enthusiastic students. Obedience and tracking took a back seat to the fast-paced, high-spirited running of obstacles for the twosome. In time, they were fortunate to come under the tutelage of Dr. Mike Bond, a respected agility trainer, competitor, and judge. Maxine soon realized that some of her beginning agility training would have been better done differently. But she also realized, with the help and encouragement of Mike, that Ginger had the inherent makings of a really good agility dog.

At 17 pounds, with sound build and sufficient ground clearance, Ginger's overall size and conformation lends itself to quickness, flexibility and agility. Abetting her physique are her happy and humorous personality, spirit of cooperation, and deep love for and confidence in Maxine.

Trainer Mike Bond: "Ginger is one of those little dogs that when she walks into a room, you know she is there. She is fun. And she has a hard-working and very dedicated trainer. Maxine was great to have as a student. She was good at taking whatever instruction I had to offer, evaluating it, and tailoring it to fit her dog. She knows what works with Ginger. And Ginger is a very aware dog that is tuned in, and locked on, to Maxine. Watching them is like watching a pair of figure skaters or a ballet routine. Maxine just has to lean a bit to cue an obstacle and Ginger knows what she wants her to do. Their personalities mesh. Gin adores Maxine and also wants to please her, and Maxine has never betrayed her trust."

"Gin, GO OUT! OVER!!" Maxine verbally pushed Ginger away from her and, with feathered ears flying, her dog confidently responded. Ginger moved away and sailed over the correct jump in a close cluster of jumps, any other of which would have caused a heartwrenching NQ in a moment's lapse of concentration. So far, so good. Members of the hopeful crowd of agility enthusiasts began to hold their breath.

Maxine Brinker: "The obstacles that gave us the most trouble in early training were not the weave poles, dog walk, or teeter, but the tunnels. I remember calling Patt more than once to tell her how much Ginger disliked the tunnels. However, with patient training, tunnels eventually became Ginger's obstacles of choice! In fact, after a while it became evident that Ginger invariably ran faster after the tunnels than before, as if she became super-charged while inside them! Now, the more tunnels on the course, the better Ginger likes it. She looks for them!"

There was only one tunnel on this Jumpers course and they were coming up to it. The problem was that it wasn't the next obstacle; they had to take a nearby jump first. Maxine needed to make sure that Ginger did not focus on the tunnel too soon.

With too little fanfare, Dan and Debby McNamara's illustrious little black/tan longhair "Barney" had become the first Master Agility Excellent (MX) dachshund; Barney retired from agility shortly thereafter. In 1998, Ginger claimed the second MX title in the breed and earned her Companion Dog Excellent obedience title. In June, 1999, she finished requirements for the Master Agility Excellent Jumpers with Weaves (MXJ) title, and qualified to compete in the AKC Agility Nationals.

11/15/99 - Patt Nance: "Ginger returned home to Illinois last weekend from the AKC Agility Nationals in Colorado with a 3rd and a 4th in Jumpers with Weaves. She and Maxine were competing against 26 of the very best small dogs in the country. They have been outstanding ambassadors for our breed in the agility world. I am very proud of both of them!"

It was in 2000 that some formless dream began to solidify. It began to look like Ginger actually had a shot at the difficult and prestigious AKC title Master Agility Champion (MACH). She was earning Double Qs with astonishing regularity, but 750 points seemed like such a long, long way off. Trial after all-breed trial, however, Ginger ran, and qualified, and placed, and the points slowly added up.

Maxine kept herself between Ginger and the tunnel as they approached the triple bar jump. "OVER!", and Ginger cleared the triple with ease. On and around they went toward that tunnel!

In Spring, 2001, the MACH pressure intensified. Having accomplished Double Qs 19 and 20 the weekend before Christmas, after a three-months lay off they needed less than 100 of the required 750 points. In early April, Ginger turned eight years old. By mid-April, Maxine and Ginger had attained 707 points and 23 Double Qs. The dog rated #2 in Agility MACH Competition for Dachshunds by AKC had 133 points and 1 Double Q. If Ginger remained healthy, it looked like the MACH was a nail-biting matter of when.

Mike Bond: "Training for the MACH is a lot of hours of work and if you can come out on the other side of hard work still having fun, that's the ideal. And that's what Maxine and Ginger manage to do. Maxine has her dog in shape and is smart about keeping her there. In a training session, she knows when to quit and therefore has a dog that hasn't burned out or broken down, but has stayed sound."

Seemingly energized in the 12 ft. tunnel, Ginger sprang out of it running as fast as she could go. Just three jumps remained between her and the finish line. She scrambled for the first one with Maxine alongside.

5/11/01 - Barbara Axel, Camp Guthrie Dachshunds, North Carolina: "So close...I can taste it already. A great thrill for Maxine and a wonderful accomplishment for all dachshunds!"

6/24/01 - Maxine: "Ginger took 1st in Standard titling today. It was hard. When she ran, it was hot, not Ginger's kind of weather. Ginger ran a beautiful Jumpers course but didn't make time. Not many dogs were making time. But that's the way it goes. We only need 17 points. I was very proud of my girl. She really tried and that is all I can ask of her."

"GO!"

7/1/01 - Karin Boyd DVM - Sunlight Dachshunds, New York: "I am waiting with baited breath for the big news. I know that Jumpers is hard. I know what she is going through. However, for Ginger to have her Double Qs and to be so consistent as to have that many MACH points, she and Maxine are Champions in my book."

"OVER!!"

7/27/01 - Dan, Debby, and "Barney" McNamara, Illinois: "Maxine Brinker and Ginger are competing at our Cream City Canines Agility Trials in Waukesha, Wisconsin this weekend. They are entered all three days, today through Sunday. Ginger ran Standard titling five seconds under course time today and took 1st Place for 10 MACH points. She needs seven more points for her MACH. We hope to present her MACH ribbon personally at our trial."

"OVER! GO!!", and they dashed across the finish.

7/28/01 - "I'm not sure if the word has leaked out yet or not. We have our first MACH Dachshund! Maxine Brinker and Ginger finished quickly this morning. Excellent Jumpers with Weaves ran first at 9:00 am with little dogs going first. Ginger gave us a scare as she slowed in the weave poles but Maxine kicked into overdrive and ran all out. Results are Course Time 50 seconds, Ginger's time 42.80, MACH points earned  7. Just what she needed to complete her MACH. She actually ended up with 10 points as she finished in 2nd place and earned the multiplier.

Maxine did a victory lap with the final jump bar in hand, got a big hug and a swing from the judge, Marq Cheek, and lots of celebration. The event was capped off with a special MACH ribbon, pin, and patch presented to her on behalf of Cream City Canines.

We are thrilled that Ginger finished here! Never did we think starting out with Barney in agility that so many doxies would follow and to see this was something. Emotions were flowing. Can't wait until the 2002 Nationals in Wisconsin. We should having quite a showing of the doxies."

Debby McNamara, Cream City Canines, Badger Dachshund Club, DCA 2002 Agility Trial Secretary

Editor's Note: Maxine and MACH Ginger continue to compete in agility, their first love. Maxine says she also looks forward to showing in Utility obedience, to running in some upcoming field trials, (Ginger is field pointed), and to the arrival of another God-given gift, another longhair puppy.