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At 15 years old, Minnesotan Ella Lambert has already developed a strong passion for AKC sports. She and her dogs are active competitors in Tricks, Rally, Disc, Dock Diving, and her favorite, Agility, which she calls her 鈥渉eart sport.鈥� Lambert is also a Certified Trick Dog Instructor (CTDI) who helps junior handlers and adults get involved in Tricks as a sport with their dogs.

Getting Started

Lambert started training with her family dog in February 2018 and began competing in September 2019. She has two dogs鈥擹oey, her eight-year-old Labrador Retriever, and Zeke, her two-year-old Golden Retriever. What Lambert loves most about dog sports is the opportunity to build and deepen her relationship with her dogs. 鈥淧rior to training and competing, Zoey appreciated everyone in the family, but she definitely has a greater bond and newfound respect for me now, as do I,鈥� Lambert says. 鈥淎s a result of this, I was able to build up the training bond with Zeke starting from eight weeks old and now we are inseparable.鈥�

Falling in Love With Agility

Lambert has done a variety of performance sports with her dogs, but she has completely fallen in love with Agility. 鈥淲hile we鈥檝e tried many sports over the years, Agility is by far my favorite,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he partnership that forms between a person and dog throughout training to be competition-ready is unmatched.鈥�

One of the most exciting parts of the sport, she says, is that as a handler you can have as much fun as your dog. 鈥淲hen my dogs are rushing through the tunnel or expertly placing their feet between the weaves, I鈥檓 right with them thinking of my next move. If my dog isn鈥檛 having fun, neither am I鈥攍uckily agility makes us both happy and excited!鈥�

It鈥檚 the experience of running together in agility that brings Lambert back to the ring time and time again, regardless of whether they walk away with ribbons. 鈥淭he feeling of crossing the final jump with the timers on either side and knowing you qualified is the best, but winning isn鈥檛 everything,鈥� she says. 鈥淨ualifying or not, happiness is Zeke and Zoey.鈥�

Becoming a Trick Dog Instructor

Lambert got her introduction to dog sports through Tricks. 鈥淓ven though agility is my favorite dog sport, I will always give credit to Tricks for turning me into the handler I am today,鈥� she says. The inspiration to get involved came from her best friend who had started competing in AKC sports after being involved with 4-H for years. 鈥淎fter my parents taught Zoey to shake as her first trick, I slowly gained interest and started on her repertoire of skills,鈥� Lambert remembers. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 until a year later in April of 2019 that I got her first Trick title, at the novice level. While it seems like such a small accomplishment now, that title is what sparked my decision to become a Certified Trick Dog Instructor (CTDI).鈥� Being a CTDI has given Lambert the opportunity to help other kids, teens, and adults get involved in this highly flexible and accessible sport.

Earning Virtual Titles

Like so many other competitors, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Lambert and the activities she and her dogs were able to participate in. 鈥淭he last trial I went to was March 1st of last year, which is absolutely crazy to me now since none of us saw the next year after that coming. As someone whose main focus was on dog sports, I was a bit panicked to see everything canceled because I didn鈥檛 know how I would keep Zeke and Zoey (and myself!) on track with our training.鈥�

She says that AKC鈥檚 announcement of virtual title programs聽became 鈥渁 light at the end of the tunnel鈥� and she immediately got involved. 鈥淶eke has struggled a lot with focus and had not really competed prior to the pandemic, so I immediately jumped on the Rally opportunity, and he got his RN (Rally Novice) in the summer. Not only did we keep our training up during heavy times, I got to learn about and teach my dogs a sport that I would never have gotten into without the virtual option.鈥� Although she has been able to return to outdoor Disc and Agility competitions since late summer 2020, Lambert says that 鈥渢hese online options helped me and my dogs out a ton and I personally believe they changed the entire dog community as well!鈥�

Proudest Moments

Sometimes the biggest successes with dog training aren鈥檛 the largest rosettes or the most prestigious shows鈥攖hey are about the deep connections we have with our dogs. When looking back at proudest moments so far, Lambert notes that the moments that stand out for her are the way that she and her dogs have overcome obstacles. 鈥淚n July 2020, my eldest dog earned her NJP (Novice Agility Jumper Preferred) title under judge Mike Teh. After overcoming my performance anxiety and a few NQs, we completed the necessary requirements, and I was absolutely thrilled. As my first dog and, a senior one at that, it meant so much to me that we were able to do it together!鈥�

With her younger dog, Lambert鈥檚 proudest moment so far is overcoming his puppy struggles with focus and engagement to earn his Rally Novice title. As a junior handler, Lambert really enjoys surprising people with what she and her dogs can achieve. 鈥淐ompeting with animals is a lesser-known activity when it comes to teenagers and kids, so it鈥檚 really fun to show that we have the same abilities as all of the older, more experienced people.鈥�

COVID Impacts

The pandemic significantly impacted Lambert鈥檚 training and competing over the past year and a half, and coincided with other challenges. 鈥淐OVID put an immediate dead end to any progress I was making with Zeke and Zoey,鈥� she says. 鈥淎round this time I also developed depression and my anxiety got a lot worse鈥攕howing was a huge part of me and handling my emotions and it was all gone once coronavirus came. The period from the start of the pandemic to the end of summer was one of the hardest I鈥檇 ever had to deal with.鈥�

Although Lambert and her dog have been active in virtual competitions, and she鈥檚 enjoyed the experience, they also highlighted what she was missing. 鈥淰irtual titles absolutely helped but it鈥檚 not quite the same. I missed the buzz of the crating space, the cheers after a clean run, and the overall good group of people dog sports brought in my local area. But at the same time, COVID taught me what it really means to persevere through tough times. If we can get through a pandemic, we can get through any challenges!鈥�

Perfect Doesn鈥檛 Matter

For kids and teens who don鈥檛 come from families already involved in dog shows, it can feel daunting and overwhelming, but Lambert encourages people of all ages to get involved. 鈥淚 would encourage anyone who is thinking of joining dog sports to go for it, even if you鈥檙e past junior age,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou will not regret it at all鈥攆ind a local club or some people near you and get to work learning and growing as a dog handler. Being a handler has changed my life and I know it could do the same to any wistful reader.鈥�

She also recommends embracing the challenges. 鈥淭he biggest piece of advice I鈥檇 give other kids and past me is that you will not always be the best, if ever,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 distinctly remember one of our first Agility trials when Zoey was super unfocused and had an accident halfway through her run. After cleaning it all up, I left immediately and cried the whole way home.鈥� Anyone who has competed with their dogs will understand this feeling, but at the time Lambert felt alone and isolated in the experience. 鈥淚 was so used to perfection that, when we made a mistake, I thought I had failed myself and my dog. The truth is that you will make mistakes, you will face failure, and you may never see yourself at a national competition with the biggest rosettes. But as long as you are happy and your dog is happy, you are a winner.鈥�

Looking Forward

Lambert has big plans for the future. She鈥檚 looking forward to finding a mentor and getting involved in Conformation and other dog sports. Lambert鈥檚 young dog Zeke turns three this fall, and she is making plans to begin competing with him in Agility. Outside of dogs, she鈥檚 also learning English-style horseback riding and starting her sophomore year of high school.