Suzanne Bauman had never thought of competing in dog sports with her dogs — until she got her Chihuahuas, “Teddy” and “Bear.” Now at almost 15 years old, Teddy (PACH3 Pinebarks Hot Footed Teddy CD BN RM4 RAE2 FDC MXP10 MXPC MJP11 MJPC PAX4 OFP T2BP CGCA TKI ATT) is one of the oldest dogs to compete at the 2025 AKC National Agility Championship. and he and Bauman have no plans of stopping anytime soon.
Along with this latest accomplishment, hot-footed Teddy has competed at Westminster and AKC Invitationals, even winning a breed medallion in 2023, and AKC Nationals for agility and AKC Rally. His nimble feet also achieved titles in obedience, AKC Trick Dog, Farm Dog, and AKC Canine Good Citizen.
Looking back to 2010, Bauman was happy with her two dogs and wasn’t looking for another one, let alone two. But then, she received a call that would change everything. Her friend, a Chihuahua breeder, called Bauman to see if she’d be interested in one of the puppies. Bauman had always loved her friend’s dogs and found herself saying yes. Choosing which puppy to take home though was the real challenge.
Suzanne Bauman
“It was very difficult,” she said. “I was going back and forth between Teddy and Bear, I didn’t know which one I wanted. She saw how much I struggled and at one point she turned to me and she said, ‘If you want, you can have both.'”
As puppies, Teddy and Bear had a unique energy to them that had Bauman seeking ideas on how to fulfill their need for a task. At the same time, her friend had asked her to go to an AKC event and recommended Teddy and Bear get involved.
“I realized I needed to do something with them,” she said. “And when she took me to [the show], I was like, ‘Oh, wow, this is really something I like,’ and that was the start of me getting Teddy and Bear involved in obedience and Rally.”
©GreatDanePhotos
Since 2018, Teddy and Bear have been competing in obedience and AKC Rally competitions. But once she entered the dog sports world, Bauman became curious about other events, which led her entering the world of agility once they qualified around 2020. “I tried them both at agility, and Teddy just took to it immediately. Right when I could see his passion and love for the sport, it made me love it even more, too,” she said.
Teddy is the first dog that she’s competed in agility with, which also proved to be a learning curve. But with proper training, the pair was ready to bring his skills to a competitive venue. “Teddy’s my first dog, and so I didn’t know what I was doing, right or wrong. And to have another set of eyes, and a great instructor is definitely key to our success as well,” Bauman added.
©GreatDanePhotos
Teddy has since earned the title of number one Chihuahua for agility, but that doesn’t mean he and Bauman didn’t face challenges while harnessing his skills. “The reason we stayed out of AKC agility for a while, and I think that I didn’t pursue him, was he definitely had issues with the teeter,” she said. “It’s hard for a 5-pound dog to bring down a teeter, right? So you have to make sure he goes all the way to the end. We worked on that really hard with some really great instructors. I owe a lot of credit to them.”
Now, he’s a master at his craft with one of Bauman’s most memorable moments taking place two years ago. “He went out and ran five clean runs for me,” she said, “He just goes out and runs clean and never lets me down, he’s just a solid performer.”
©GreatDanePhotos
Entering competitions has satiated Teddy and his littermate’s desire for something more, but it’s also given them and Bauman a community of friends and supporters. Not only do they get to set new goals to strive for and achieve together, but the community has become a learning source. From discovering new categories to compete in to picking up training tips, Bauman has felt an endless supply of support at dog sports and events.
“The other competitors have become my really good friends, and it’s nice to have that support, especially at these big venues right where you’re definitely competing with the top dogs,” she said.
©GreatDanePhotos
Teddy may be getting older, but his passion for the sport has yet to dwindle. Retirement hasn’t seemed to cross either of their minds, but Bauman explained that Teddy will be the one to make the decision. “When he tells me he’s ready to be done, he’ll be done,” she says.
As a runner herself, she understands how crucial it is to maintain training, which is why she will continue to exercise both Teddy and Bear outside of their formal obstacle training with instructors. Their routine typically consists of a daily hill walk in her neighborhood, where she walks both dogs up and down a hill three to four times to strengthen their legs.
“As a runner, I couldn’t go out and do a marathon without training,” she said. “Why would I think that my dog can go out there and run agility without training, right? I think the biggest thing I learned was that you have to be able to exercise your dogs properly, and I think that’s definitely helped in [Teddy’s] longevity.”
The post Chihuahua ‘Teddy’ Proves Senior Dogs Can Run at 2025 AKC National Agility Championship appeared first on American Kennel Club.
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Along with this latest accomplishment, hot-footed Teddy has competed at Westminster and AKC Invitationals, even winning a breed medallion in 2023, and AKC Nationals for agility and AKC Rally. His nimble feet also achieved titles in obedience, AKC Trick Dog, Farm Dog, and AKC Canine Good Citizen.
A Final Offer
Looking back to 2010, Bauman was happy with her two dogs and wasn’t looking for another one, let alone two. But then, she received a call that would change everything. Her friend, a Chihuahua breeder, called Bauman to see if she’d be interested in one of the puppies. Bauman had always loved her friend’s dogs and found herself saying yes. Choosing which puppy to take home though was the real challenge.
Suzanne Bauman
“It was very difficult,” she said. “I was going back and forth between Teddy and Bear, I didn’t know which one I wanted. She saw how much I struggled and at one point she turned to me and she said, ‘If you want, you can have both.'”
As puppies, Teddy and Bear had a unique energy to them that had Bauman seeking ideas on how to fulfill their need for a task. At the same time, her friend had asked her to go to an AKC event and recommended Teddy and Bear get involved.
“I realized I needed to do something with them,” she said. “And when she took me to [the show], I was like, ‘Oh, wow, this is really something I like,’ and that was the start of me getting Teddy and Bear involved in obedience and Rally.”
©GreatDanePhotos
Discovering the Thrill of Agility
Since 2018, Teddy and Bear have been competing in obedience and AKC Rally competitions. But once she entered the dog sports world, Bauman became curious about other events, which led her entering the world of agility once they qualified around 2020. “I tried them both at agility, and Teddy just took to it immediately. Right when I could see his passion and love for the sport, it made me love it even more, too,” she said.
Teddy is the first dog that she’s competed in agility with, which also proved to be a learning curve. But with proper training, the pair was ready to bring his skills to a competitive venue. “Teddy’s my first dog, and so I didn’t know what I was doing, right or wrong. And to have another set of eyes, and a great instructor is definitely key to our success as well,” Bauman added.
©GreatDanePhotos
Teddy has since earned the title of number one Chihuahua for agility, but that doesn’t mean he and Bauman didn’t face challenges while harnessing his skills. “The reason we stayed out of AKC agility for a while, and I think that I didn’t pursue him, was he definitely had issues with the teeter,” she said. “It’s hard for a 5-pound dog to bring down a teeter, right? So you have to make sure he goes all the way to the end. We worked on that really hard with some really great instructors. I owe a lot of credit to them.”
Now, he’s a master at his craft with one of Bauman’s most memorable moments taking place two years ago. “He went out and ran five clean runs for me,” she said, “He just goes out and runs clean and never lets me down, he’s just a solid performer.”
Finding a Community
©GreatDanePhotos
Entering competitions has satiated Teddy and his littermate’s desire for something more, but it’s also given them and Bauman a community of friends and supporters. Not only do they get to set new goals to strive for and achieve together, but the community has become a learning source. From discovering new categories to compete in to picking up training tips, Bauman has felt an endless supply of support at dog sports and events.
“The other competitors have become my really good friends, and it’s nice to have that support, especially at these big venues right where you’re definitely competing with the top dogs,” she said.
No Plans on Slowing Down
©GreatDanePhotos
Teddy may be getting older, but his passion for the sport has yet to dwindle. Retirement hasn’t seemed to cross either of their minds, but Bauman explained that Teddy will be the one to make the decision. “When he tells me he’s ready to be done, he’ll be done,” she says.
As a runner herself, she understands how crucial it is to maintain training, which is why she will continue to exercise both Teddy and Bear outside of their formal obstacle training with instructors. Their routine typically consists of a daily hill walk in her neighborhood, where she walks both dogs up and down a hill three to four times to strengthen their legs.
“As a runner, I couldn’t go out and do a marathon without training,” she said. “Why would I think that my dog can go out there and run agility without training, right? I think the biggest thing I learned was that you have to be able to exercise your dogs properly, and I think that’s definitely helped in [Teddy’s] longevity.”
The post Chihuahua ‘Teddy’ Proves Senior Dogs Can Run at 2025 AKC National Agility Championship appeared first on American Kennel Club.
Read more...
