London, Ont. woman and her dog 'Yukon' headed to World Championships
Kordula Juhnke never dreamed of earning a berth in a World Championship competition.
The London, Ont. accountant surprised even herself when she and her German Shepherd 'Yukon' she claimed top spot in the obedience category at the IGP Nationals in Scarborough, Ont. last month.
"He's happy to do it for me," says Juhnke. "You train with a toy, but you compete without the toy, but the dog always thinks at some point if I do this exactly how she wants me to, I'll get this toy."
Junke says 'Yukon' has a nice temperament and a clear head.
"He knows when he can play and he knows when he has to lay down and relax," says Juhnke.Kordula Juhnke, London, Ont. and her dog 'Yukon' are headed to the WUSV Championships in Lerma, Spain in early November. Seen training on Oct. 23, 2021 near London. (Brent Lale / CTV News)The connection between Junke and her dog is special, and a bond which very few owners can form.
"Kordula spends hours and hours and hours training this dog," said Bernie Van Pelt, president of the London Shutzhund Club, and Juhnke's captain.
"To have that kind of success for all that hard work, it's fantastic. Not everybody has that connection where they can relate to their dog to the degree where the dog will be so willing to work at that level for the," said Van Pelt.
The dog sport, formerly known as Shutzhund Training consists of three categories including tracking, obedience and protection work.
The first phase of competition is tracking, explains Van Pelt, “Somebody will go out for a walk on a trail, and while they're on their walk, they drop certain articles,” says Van Pelt. "A minimum of an hour later, the dog is going to be sent out to find the track and find all the articles and indicate where those articles are."
The second phase is obedience. Juhnke finished first in Canada in this category at Nationals.
"The dogs are expected to be extremely precise," says Van Pelt. "They need to be fast in their work, and when we're asking for a sit we want an immediate sit."
The third phase is protection. This phase is similar to what you would see in police dog training.
"This is a test of the courage and strength of the dog," says Van Pelt. "The handler tells the dog what to do, but the dog is very much on its own. It's very controlled, but the dog has to have the strength and the fortitude to come through the pressure, and still maintain team the bite. The bite is on our protection sleeve so nobody's ever hurt, and the dogs absolutely love it."Kordula Juhnke, London, Ont. and her dog 'Yukon' are headed to the WUSV Championships in Lerma, Spain in early November. Seen training on Oct. 23, 2021 near London. (Brent Lale / CTV News)Juhnke works as an accountant, but loves the outdoors and even does farming at home.
"This is nothing like sitting at a computer all day," jokes Juhnke. "When I'm home, he's always at my side. The dog he sleeps next to my bed and he goes wherever I go, unless I go to work, then I leave him at home most of the time."
On Saturday, friends, and fellow members of the London Shutzhund Club held an outdoor event to raise money for Juhnke’s trip, which will cost her and her team thousands of dollars.
"The one nice thing about our sport we are competitive, don't get me wrong, but we also support each other," says Van Pelt. "It's not just the local clubs, but clubs across this country and around the world. Without them and their support we wouldn't have a sport".
Juhnke, Van Pelt and team 'Yukon' leave Friday for the outdoor WUSV event in Lerma, Spain. It was cancelled last year, and this time all participants are required to be double-vaccinated.
"I always knew I had the dog to go to Nationals," says Juhnke. "I never thought about going to Worlds, but it has happened. It's the first time for our club to have anybody doing something like that."
Anyone wishing to lend any financial support to Juhnke can email Van Pelt at info@Londonschclub.com.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
'I killed four people': Trial hears video evidence of Jeremy Skibicki at Winnipeg trial
“I killed four people,” alleged serial killer Jeremy Skibicki told two homicide detectives during a recorded interview played as evidence in his trial Wednesday.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.