2017 Nov Dec

Obedience & More
Rosalind Hall • Guntersville, Alabama
Sharon Willis and Her Dogs
I
have admired Sharon Willis for a long time and have enjoyed
getting to know her and her husband Joe. To me, Sharon
embodies many qualities that enhance our sport of obedience.
She is a tough competitor who always strives for a highquality
performance, yet she shows good sportsmanship by taking
an interest in others and complimenting them on their achievements.
What I admire most about Sharon is her calm poise and clean
handling in the obedience ring. She always presents a professional
picture in the ring, and it shows her dogs off to their best. It also
helps that her dogs are extremely well trained and very consistent.
Sharon got her first aussie in 1973 while she was showing her
quarter horse in Western Pleasure. She says it was “the beginning
of a love affair.” But she did not start training for obedience
competition until 1991 after her husband bought her “Bullet,” who
became Ch. Brookbridge Syl Ver Bull It, CDX, who finished his
conformation championship at 11 months of age. Unfortunately,
Bullet was injured at seven and his career was cut short. But
fortunately, Sharon had been training him with Nancy Patton at
Dogwood Training Academy where she trained and taught until
Nancy passed away in 2000. Bullet never NQ’d in obedience
competition, which is an amazing record.
Sharon was hooked and has continued training her Aussies ever
since. She and Joe are part owners of Atlanta Dogwood Obedience
Group (ADOG) in Atlanta, Georgia, where Sharon trains and
teaches, carrying on Nancy Patton’s legacy. Sharon says, “As I
mentioned earlier, I started training with Nancy Patton, and she is
responsible for my training philosophy. She taught me how to show
my dogs. I currently train periodically with Connie Cleveland. She
has taught me about ‘effort’ and ‘lack of effort’ from a dog. That
has been very helpful in training.”
I asked Sharon how she chooses a puppy for obedience. She
replied that she picks her pup, usually the get of one of her males,
for conformation first and obedience second. This indicates two
things to me. First, her dogs must have stable temperaments which
they pass on to their offspring. Second, Sharon has the talent and
knowledge to develop her pups to their greatest potential. To
that point, she says “In my opinion, not every dog is capable of
getting a 200 score or an OTCH title, so when I reach the level of
competition that individual dog is capable of reaching, that is my
proudest moment. Each of my dogs is special to me, and each of
their accomplishment is special to me.” It seems to me that Sharon’s
understanding and appreciation of each of her dogs may be part of
her recipe for success. But she goes on to say that “Kenji” (HOF
OTCH 9 CH Blue Isle Dance the Night Away UDX3 DNA VP)
Sharon and Kenji
has achieved every title that she ever dreamed of putting on one of
my dogs. “He has been my greatest dog and one of the great dogs
of our breed.” It has been my pleasure to watch Sharon and Kenji
in the ring together many times, and they truly are a great team.
Sharon’s advice to new obedience competitors is to “work
hard and enjoy being with your dog”. Her recommended reading
is Competition Obedience; A Balancing Act by Judy Bryon and
Adele Yunick and Dogs Are Problem Solvers by Connie Cleveland.
I think new obedience trainers and handlers could learn from just
AUSSIE TIMES November-December 2017 81