GREAT FALLS — Max is a 5 12 months old Lhasa Apso from Great Falls who couldn’t be any cuter.
He’s fluffy, he’s smiley and the tip of his tongue tends to stay out of his mouth always.
You could possibly be forgiven for pondering Max is only a common lapdog at first look. But then it would shock you to be taught that Max is a fierce competitor.
“He loves to run,” mentioned his proprietor, Debbie English. “He would always tear around the back yard in no time.
Max is the fastest Lhasa Apso in the United States, and that’s not hyperbole. At the 2023 American Kennel Club Invitational in Orlando, he finished first in his breed for Fast Coursing Ability Testing (Fast CAT).
“That’s where he runs a 100-yard dash chasing a lure and they get timed in seconds,” English mentioned. “It gets converted over into miles per hour, and then they get points.”
Max reached speeds as much as 19 mph, which is light-years quicker than the typical prime velocity of 11 mph for his breed. But it will get higher. By one metric, Max is the quickest canine within the nation.
“I didn’t know this was a thing take all the dogs and they say, how much of a percentage above a norm that normal breed would run. Max ran 53% above what a normal lasso would run. So Max got first out of 430 dogs that were invited to the invitational.”
For his efforts Max received the Speed of the Breeds division took home an enormous ribbon, so as to add to his rising assortment.
“I’m going to need a bigger basement,” joked Debbie.
You see, velocity is only one of Max’s unbelievable skills. He’s an skilled in scent work and is taken into account an elite trick performer by AKC standrds. He’s working his means up the ladder within the obedience and rally disciplines as nicely. And he has the certificates, ribbons, trophies and plaques to point out for it.
But the factor that Debbie’s most happy with is his temperament. Max is an excellent companion and serves as a licensed remedy canine when he’s not coaching or competing.
“Lhasa Apsos are not considered the friendliest breed,” Debbie mentioned. “But Max is the exception. He loves people. There’s a group of about five of us and we go to retirement homes and rehab centers. And the dogs get the biggest smiles out of everybody when they arrive.”
But even with all Max does, he nonetheless finds time to be a standard canine.
“He is goofy. He’s lovable. He’s also a stinker,” Debbie mentioned. “He loves to shred things. I mean, he’ll go into the bathroom and shred toilet paper in no time. But he’s the best.”
And they carry the very best out of one another.
“It keeps me busy and it keeps me active and keeps me going,” Debbie mentioned. “I’ve always wanted a dog who I could train and do things with. And he loves it so we’ll keep doing it until he can’t any more.”
For extra data on native occasions and competitions or to get your canine concerned, contact the Electric City Kennel Club.
