Want to compete with your rescue?

American Kennel Club (AKC) rules do not permit any altered or spayed dog to participate in conformation competition.

However the AKC does permit altered and spayed dogs to compete in companion events such as Obedience, Rally Obedience and Agility.

Training and competing with your rescue Affen in these events can be highly rewarding to both you and your rescue Affen. Nothing develops a bond between a dog and his owner faster and more permanently than the two working as partners for a common goal.

Many of the top Agility Affens are rescue dogs. The most-titled Agility Affen, who has been repeatedly annually honored as the top Agility Affen is a rescue.

Your first step, before considering participation in these events, is to ensure your Affen is structurally sound. Affenpinschers are prone to hip dysplasia and luxated patellae and both these conditions could prevent your Affen from competing successfully --- and training could be painful to him or her if these conditions exist.

Once you know your Affen is healthy and sound, find a local dog training club and begin working toward successfully competing.

At the same time you are training your Affen, obtain an ILP (Indeterminate Listing Privilege) from the AKC. You can obtain the ILP application at http://www.akc.org/pdfs/masterform.cfm and then clicking on the Most Frequently Downloaded Forms.

There’s a world of fun and camaraderie waiting for you out there in AKC trials.