Extraordinary Rescue Dog Earns 100 Titles in 12 Performance Sports

The chocolate dog lifted one paw. Put it down. Lifted another, put it down. He repeated this with his other two paws. His owner/handler saw “fast paws,” and knew this canine was ready to compete.

Labeled as untrainable by his first owner and rehomed twice by age 13 months, this enthusiastic canine needed a job. That’s what Judie Niece, his third owner, believed after she agreed to take him from her mother who was about to return him to the Arizona Humane Society because he kept jumping over her cinder block six-foot backyard wall.

Judie took a chance that she’d be able to train Choco, whom she renamed Charlie. He joined her three Labrador Retrievers and her husband at their home in the Phoenix, AZ area. Judie came from a family that loved dogs. She’d shown canines in obedience, rally, and the conformation ring, so she took Charlie in as she thought she could train him. She quickly learned that he was an escape artist, a digger, a chewer, not housebroken, leery of men, and knew no commands. He scaled her wall when not on a leash but quickly bonded with Judie and her Labradors and took a liking to her husband.

ONE HUNDRED-ONE TITLES

Fast forward thirteen years. This amazing canine, labeled by the Humane Society as a chocolate Labrador Retriever, has earned 101 titles, nearly all and/ or recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), spread among 12 different performance sports!!

Good Grief Charlie Brown CDX, BN, RAE, JH, WC, CCA, FDC, HT, MX. MXJ, NF, CA, DCAT, SWNE, SWA, ONYX, MBMX, RATCH, CZ8G, CI, NDD, ABdFC-NDD, NAWBA’-NDD-V, CGC, CGCA, CGCU, TKP, ATT, DNX2, DJX, DSX3, AJ, HDN,  IRON DOG, ASCA RN-X, JS-N, DD-JJ DD-SJ, UAD-SJ, UAD-NJII has amassed more than 600 ribbons, many blue (first place) and other colors for placements, as well as title and qualifying ribbons, says Judie, whose been the president of the Papago Labrador Retriever Club of Greater Phoenix for the last ten years. She says she’s never counted Charlie’s ribbons! Her extraordinary teammate also has won trophies, 20-24 medals, 2 plaques, and other bling.

Why is this such an accomplishment?  First, he’s qualified 2,147 times to earn all his titles!!

Second, Judie estimates that Charlie qualified about 90% of the time and attributes many of his nonqualifying scores to her handling errors!

What’s Charlie’s personality like? Judie says he isn’t a cuddler but comes over for pats and attention when he so desires. At times he is aloof and other times plays with other canines. But he always wants to work! His only dislike is traveling in a vehicle!

How did Judy train this exceptional dog to compete in so many events?

Charlie started with obedience and rally because when he came to live with Judie, this “pretty wild dog” needed a good training foundation. She took him to Desert Dog obedience classes where he learned quickly. She registered him with the AKC so he could compete in its events.

At 24 months of age, Charlie earned his Canine Good Citizen certificate and Rally Novice title and then competed in obedience. After that, he trained in several different sports at the same time. Judie put different collars and/or harnesses on him in the different sports so he could distinguish what he was working on. In the early years, Judie took him every weekday night to classes for obedience, rally, and agility, and flyball on Sunday mornings.

Fortuitously, before Charlie came into her life, Judie retired from her corporate job. That gave her more time to spend with all her dogs and learn more about Charlie. She immediately learned he had a strong prey drive, and loved to work for treats.

MANY DIFFERENT SPORTS

So why did Judie train Charlie for so many different sports?

“He’s very smart. Everything we tried he loved,” she says.

“I never planned that we’d compete in so many events,” Judie laughs. “Charlie enjoys working and we are together.” He needed a job. Many, it turned out.

She kept trying different sports, thinking she would find one sport Charlie would hate. But he didn’t. The energetic tail-wagging dog loved to learn, so Judie readied him to compete in new events- and the list grew. Sometimes Charlie just watched other dogs perform and learned by watching- like carting as he observed a Bernese Mountain dog pull a cart. Soon Charlie was pulling the cart!

She took Charlie to classes and then practiced at home for obedience, rally, scent work, trick dog, and carting. The duo just went to classes for field work, agility, flyball, barn hunt, and dock diving because she didn’t have the necessary equipment/setup. Charlie learned to do what he needed to by watching other dogs for farm dog, lure coursing, and Fast CAT, as well as for the tests for Canine Good Citizen, Urban Canine Good Citizen, and Advanced Canine Good Citizen. He also earned an AKC Temperament Test (two evaluators must test and pass the dog) and Certificate of Conformation Assessment at the Labrador Nationals when he was 11 years old!

In August 2022, Charlie, at age 14, finally retired from competition at the North America Diving Dogs (NADD) regional competitions at Prescott Valley, AZ. Judie still visualizes him standing on the dock that day as he decided whether to jump. Spectators chanted “ jump Charlie.” But Charlie couldn’t hear his fans’ encouragement as he’s now deaf. He apparently didn’t feel like jumping off the dock that day but wanted to swim. So, he backed off the dock, opened a closed gate and trotted down a ramp, and leaped into the water. Spectators cheered!

Later, he gathered with his housemate, Brady (Quail Chase Here’s the Story CD, BN, RAE, FDC, NA, NAJ, FDX, CC, RATO, CZ8S, DNX7, HDJ, CGC, ATT, TKP) now 12.5 years of age with 32 titles to his name, and  Doc, a yellow Labrador, age 13, all of whom were retiring from competition that day for their retirement party. All were adorned with toys, treats, and a huge rosette!

Judie believes Charlie’s favorite sports were dock diving and flyball. Charlie has jumped 421 times, she adds.

She would have been shocked years ago that dock diving would become one of Charlie’s favorite activities. He feared water at first. Judie worked with him for five years to overcome that fear by gradually introducing him to water and then adding a retrieve. His zeal for retrieving took over his fear of water as he retrieved a ball in her friend’s pool!

He was invited in 2020, 2021, and 2022 to the regional competitions of dock diving by the NADD, and six times (2016-2021) to the association’s nationals.

In 2016, he had a cyst removed from a back hock which wasn’t healed sufficiently to compete at that year’s nationals. Charlie and Judie went with two human friends and three other dogs on a van road trip to Orlando, FL for the 2017 Nationals. But in El Paso, TX, Charlie became ill with bloat. Judie rented a car and drove Charlie home where he recovered without surgery.

The following year he was again invited to the Nationals. Judie decided that her special boy needed to travel in her van with his buddy Brady. “He’s never liked riding in a car but wants to go.” Judie says he made it to Orlando after she stopped every two hours on the two thousand-plus-mile trip. “He had a great time” she recalls.

He qualified for Ultimate Air Dog regionals 2020-2022 and Nationals 2021 and 2202 in Nashville, TN.

She thinks his least favorite sport became barn hunt. He competed for more advanced barn hunt titles at the same time that he trained for scent work. In barn hunt, dogs must find a certain number of rats hidden in bales of hay depending on the class level but can’t be rewarded in the ring with food or toys. In scent work, once a dog finds a scent, the canine can be rewarded with treats.

Judie recalls that Charlie would find a certain number of rats and then quit hunting because he thought he was entitled to a treat from Judie who couldn’t oblige in the ring!

PROUD/EMBARRASSING MOMENTS

Her proudest moment with Charlie was when he not only qualified in Open Obedience at the Heart of the Desert, AZ cluster shows but also placed first three days in a row as he earned his Companion Dog Excellent title!

Has Charlie ever embarrassed his owner? Judie hesitates only for a moment and then recalls:

She entered Charlie at age three in Novice Fast at his second agility trial. In this class, dogs must run a few judge-prescribed obstacles and then the handler picks the dog’s route over 15 additional obstacles needed to qualify. Charlie sailed through the required obstacles but instead of heading down Judie’s course, he ran over and planted his two front paws on the judge’s chest! Judie yelled, Charlie here, come! But Charlie just took off on his own course, clearing obstacles left and right and again, until he finally came back to the mortified Judie. Fortunately, not only the spectators but the judge also laughed. She didn’t enter that class with him again until 2021 when she finally mustered her nerve. Charlie qualified, earning his Novice Fast title.

When Charlie was 10, Judie entered him in a hunt test- he’d practiced on dummies but when he realized dead ducks were involved, his attention soared. He loved retrieving ducks. Judie wished she discovered his enthusiasm for ducks earlier. He went on to easily earn his working certificate and Junior Hunter degree at 11 years of age.

At age 12, Charlie scared Judie when her husband announced her “heart dog” couldn’t get up from the living room floor.

Judie immediately called her veterinarian daughter, Holly Tuttle, and sent a video of him to a friend, a canine neurologist, Kim Knowles D.V.M., M.S., Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology). Both women instructed her to use a sling to help Charlie get up. He gradually took short walks in her yard. Within three days, Charlie seemed like his old self. By then he was diagnosed with spondylosis in the L-1 and L-2 regions of his back. Judie eased him gradually back into activities.

He retired first from agility and then flyball as she didn’t want him to be injured. She then turned his focus to scent work. He earned nine titles!

What does Tom (Judie’s husband) think of Charlie’s incredible achievements? Judie says Tom doesn’t really comprehend what Charlie has done and keeps himself busy by riding his motorcycles and fishing. But the couple has an agreement. Every time Tom buys a new motorcycle, Judie gets another dog. He quit buying motorcycles when Judie obtained her fifth dog!

RETIREMENT ENDEAVORS

Now that Charlie is retired what will he do? And what will Judie do?

Judie says she will take Charlie by himself to a few events so he can spend quality time alone with her and perform some of his repertoire of sports including scent work. Charlie has certainly earned the right to do whatever he chooses- within reason of course.

As for Judie? She has her hands full training her four-year-old rescue chocolate Labrador Lucy and Petey, a terrier mix that came to live with her family after his owner- Judie’s mom- passed away two years ago. And then there is Luke- a two-year-old Chocolate that she says is the most destructive Lab she’s ever had. He has so much energy that he lacks focus, so she will work with him at events where he is the only dog in the ring at a time. And Brady and Charlie will need a little extra special alone time with Judie now that they both are retired.  Good luck Judie.

Judie cherishes the time that she has with her “untrainable,” one-in-a-million and one-in-a- lifetime heart dog.

Huge congratulations Judie, an exceptional trainer/handler,  and Charlie, a phenominal canine!! You both deserve the best!! What an incredible team!!

RELATED POSTS:

https://www.caryunkelbach.com/the-untrainable-dog-good-grief-charlie-brown/

https://www.caryunkelbach.com/akc-sports-for-all-dogs/

https://www.caryunkelbach.com/four-generations-of-canine-lovers-competitors/

 

COMMENTS: Please congratulate this amazing team and/or comment in the comment section that follows the list of Charlie’s titles. Thanks!!

CHARLIE’S TITLES: All are AKC titles unless otherwise designated.

BN                   Beginner Novice

CD                   Companion Dog

CDX                 Companion Dog Excellent           *2018 AKC Obedience Classic Invite

 

RALLY 

RN                    Rally Novice

RA                    Rally Advanced

RE                    Rally Excellent

RAE                  Rally Advanced Excellent      *AKC Rally Invitational Invite

RN                    ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America) Rally Novice

RN-X                ASCA Rally Novice Title 195+ scores

 

LURE COURSING/Fast CAT

CA                    Coursing Ability

BCAT                Fast CAT 150 points

DCAT                Fast CAT 500 points

 

CARTING/DRAFTING

CS                     Carting Started

CI                      Carting Intermediate

NDD                  Novice Draft Dog (Bernese Mtn Dog Club)

NDD ABdFC     Novice Draft Dog (American Bouvier des Flandres Club)

NDD-V NAWBA  Novice Draft Dog-Veteran (North American Working Bouvier Assoc.)

 

AGILITY

NF                     Novice FAST

NA                     Novice Agility

NAJ                   Novice Agility Jumper

OA                    Open Agility

OAJ                  Open Agility Jumper

AX                     Agility Excellent

AXJ                   Agility Excellent Jumper

MX                    Master Excellent Agility

MXJ                  Master Agility Jumper

JS-N                 ASCA-Jumpers Standard Novice’

 

HERDING/FARM

HT                    Herding Tested

FDC                  Farm Dog Certificate

 

CANINE GOOD CITIZEN TESTING

CGC                 Canine Good Citizen

CGCA               Canine Good Citizen Advanced

CGCU               Canine Good Citizen Urban

ATT                   AKC Temperament Test

 

FLYBALL

FD                    Flyball Dog

FDX                  Flyball Dog Excellent

FDCH               Flyball Dog Champion

FDCH-S            Flyball Dog Champion Silver

FDCH-G           Flyball Dog Champion Gold

FM                    Flyball Master

FMX                  Flyball Master Excellent

FMCH               Flyball Master Champion

MBD                 Multibreed Dog/ (Multibreed-Racing w/ four different breeds on the line-up)

MBDX               Multibreed Dog Excellent

MBDCH            Multibreed Dog Champion

MBDCH-S        Multibreed Dog Champion Silver

MBDCH-G        Multibreed Dog Champion Gold

MBM                Multibreed Master

MBMX             Multibreed Master Excellent

TF                    U-FLI   Top Flight

ONYX              20,000 Racing Points

IRON DOG      10 Consecutive Years of Racing  

      

BARN HUNT

RATN               Barn Hunt Novice

RATO               Barn Hunt Open

RATS               Barn Hunt Senior

RATM               Barn Hunt Master

CZ8-B               Crazy 8s Bronze

CZ8-S               Crazy 8s Silver

CZ8-G               Crazy 8s Gold

RATCH             Barn Hunt Champion

 

FIELD/HUNT/CONFORMATION

WC                  Working Certificate

JH                    Junior Hunter

CCA                 Certificate of Conformation Assessment

 

TRICK DOG

TKN                  Trick Dog Novice

TKI                   Trick Dog Intermediate

TKA                  Trick Dog Advanced

TKP                  Trick Dog Performer

 

DOCK DIVING     422 JUMPS TOTAL

DD-JJ               Dock Dogs Junior Jumper

DD-SJ               Dock Dogs Senior Jumper                 * 2018 Dock Dogs World Championship Invite

’18 UAD-SJ      Ultimate Air Dogs Senior Jumper    *2018-2022  UAG Ultimate Air Games National Invite

’21 UAD-NJ     Ultimate Air Dogs Novice Jumper

’21 UAD-NJ-II   Ultimate Air Dogs Novice Jumper II

’22 UAD-NJ      Novice Air Dogs Novice Jumper

DN                   NADD Dock Novice/ NADD-North America Diving Dogs

DNA                 NADD Dock Novice Advanced

DNX                 NADD Dock Novice Excellent

DNX II              NADD Dock Novice Excellent 2

DJ                    NADD Dock Junior

DJA                  NADD Dock Junior Advanced

DJX                  NADD Dock Junior Excellent

DS                    NADD Dock Senior

DSA                  NADD Dock Senior Advanced

DSX                  NADD Dock Senior Excellent

DSX II               NADD Dock Senior Excellent 2

DSX III              NADD Dock Senior Excellent 3

AJ                     NADD Air Retrieve Junior

HDN                 NADD Hydro Dash Novice

*NADD Southwest Regional Invites 2020-2022

   *2020 2^nd Place Veteran’s Class -Junior

  *NADD AKC EUKANUBA National Invites 2016-2021

 

SCENT WORK

SBN                  Buried Novice

SCN                  Container Novice

SEN                  Exterior Novice

SIN                   Interior Novice

SWN                Scent Work Novice

SBNE               Buried Novice Elite

SCNE               Container Elite

SENE               Exterior Elite

SINE                Interior Elite

SWNE              Scent Work Novice Elite

SBA                  Buried Advanced

SCA                 Container Advanced

SIA                   Interior Advanced

SEA                  Exterior Advanced

SWA                 Scent Work Advanced