From sun-kissed Italy to California shores, and now onward to 鈥� Oklahoma? For one dog, her owners, and her handler, it鈥檚 been a journey through two countries and many states to make their Agility dreams a reality. In 2020 and 2021, MACH2 Il Granaio Dei Malatesta Ugolina MXS MJB2 PJD MFB T2B5鈥攂etter known as 鈥淢onkey鈥� the Lagotto Romagnolo鈥攓ualified for the AKC National Agility Championship. Both times, she was supposed to travel from Santa Monica, California to compete. In 2023, though, 11-year-old Monkey will travel to the Sooner State鈥擳ulsa, to be exact鈥攖o compete in the AKC National Agility Championship, held from March 16 to 19.
Monkey-ing Around for an Allergy-Friendly Dog
Before beginning their dog search, Monkey鈥檚 owners, Chris and Linda Mansolillo, had never heard of Lagotti Romagnoli. Since Chris has allergies, the couple started out looking for hypoallergenic dogs, and in their research they learned about Lagotti. 鈥淸They are] super rare, super hard to find,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd it kind of just matched our personality in terms of what we wanted鈥攁nd plus, I鈥檓 Italian, and I鈥檓 like, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 the dog for us.'鈥�
After connecting with a local breeder, the Mansolillos fell in love with Lagotti. They bought a puppy from an Italian breeder and Monkey arrived in California in late May 2012. From the beginning, Monkey鈥檚 training and socialization was more than the Mansolillos were prepared for. She didn鈥檛 like most people aside from the Mansolillos, who struggled to work with her.
Enter dog sitter Kent Tsurumaru, who had developed a reputation for working with challenging dogs. 鈥淭he one thing about Monkey, when I met her, is she flipped on her back and let me give her a belly rub,鈥� Tsurumaru says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize she鈥檚 actually aloof with strangers, and she doesn鈥檛 like to be necessarily touched or petted if she doesn鈥檛 know you. But here, I met her for the first time, and she flips on her back and it鈥檚 like, 鈥楪ive me a belly rub.鈥� So obviously she and I hit it off.鈥�
Building a Bond With Agility
Tsurumaru had fallen in love with Agility after a fellow dog owner recommended it to him. He took up the sport with his one-eyed mixed-breed dog Jamie. 鈥淪o between the classes and the trials, it got us out outdoors, started making friends,鈥� he shares. 鈥淚t was a wonderful way to do something with your dog beyond the typical walks or hikes. There鈥檚 a discipline involved with learning the handling skills, and I just got very serious and focused about it. It was always about wanting to improve, be a better handler for my dog.鈥�
Competing in the dog sport deepened Tsurumaru鈥檚 connection with his dog Jamie. 鈥淚t definitely creates a bond; it鈥檚 a partnership,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 not all about me鈥攊t鈥檚 not all about the dog. It鈥檚 how you work together, respect each other, communicate with each other.鈥� Once he met Monkey, Tsurumaru realized her 鈥渂ouncy, amazing energy鈥� might make her a good fit for the sport. He suggested to the Mansolillos that Monkey might benefit from agility classes, and the couple agreed to let him run her.
鈥淪he just took to it like the clich茅 鈥榙uck to water,鈥� and she did the jumps. She was very obstacle-focused from the beginning,鈥� Tsurumaru says. 鈥淪o whatever was in front of her, she would take it. Jamie was all about being close to me and then I would guide her with my various cues, whereas Monkey, she just went ahead and said, 鈥業 got this.'鈥�
He notes, 鈥淲ith Jamie, I ran with her because she was slower and it was just a very comfortable side- by-side. With Monkey, because of her speed and her drive, suddenly I had to run faster and I have to know what I鈥檓 doing faster. I can鈥檛 do these things last-minute or be late. So it brought this intensity. As much as I was learning from the instructor, I was also learning from her ability.鈥�
Good Things Come in Threes
Monkey first qualified for the Championship in 2020, but the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Monkey automatically qualified for the following year鈥檚 competition, but she got injured. 鈥淩ight around COVID times,鈥� Chris Mansolillo comments, 鈥渨e had noticed she was limping and kind of yelping, and some days it鈥檇 be fine, some days it wasn鈥檛.鈥� They took her to the vet and found out she needed (TPLO) surgery, which is necessary when a dog ruptures the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) in the knee.
After Monkey鈥檚 January 2021 surgery, the veterinarian prescribed weeks of crate rest. Tsurumaru would visit the Mansolillos鈥� house and just sit by his pal Monkey. Eventually, once the vet approved more movement, he took her out onto the porch. Coincidentally, the Mansolillos had recently moved near Tsusumaru, so he could visit Monkey as often as he liked.
Slowly but surely, Tsurumaru began helping Monkey build back her strength. 鈥淚 rent an agility field once a week and I would video her going up and coming down the dog walk to see the balance of her back legs and then put it in slow motion so [Chris] could see as well,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd we just took our time.鈥�
By late summer 2021, Monkey returned to agility classes. Eventually, the fiesty Lagotto returned to competition form鈥攁nd qualified for AKC NAC again. 鈥淚 was focused on getting her MACH 2,鈥� Tsurumaru says, 鈥渁nd it was just a wonderful surprise because it wasn鈥檛 necessary. Our goal, and our immediate goal, was the MACH 2. I thought, 鈥極h, maybe we qualified for Nationals as well.鈥� It was a really nice bonus for her, especially now at her age.鈥�
The Mansolillos now have another Lagotto, a puppy named Panda. Tsurumaru is already beginning to train her in agility. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also very humbling, always, with a beginner dog,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚 feel very blessed to have met Linda and Chris, and Monkey means the world to me. She really changed the course of my life. Largely because of her and my ability, my achievements with her鈥擨 guess, accomplishments鈥擨鈥檝e also been able to take on other agility clients.鈥�