Jumping through hoops

From the September issue: During the day, Mike Heaner is a top dog in commercial leasing at the Kaufman Organization. But at night and on weekends, he’s focused on true canine competition.

A dog sports trainer, Heaner spends five days a week preparing his Belgian Malinois, Dixie, for competitions in locations like Indiana and Florida. The two compete several times a month in events for agility and “competitive obedience,” which tests Dixie’s ability to respond to commands. (Dog sports competitions are different from the well-known Westminster dog show, which judges a dog’s appearance and breeding rather than performance.) [more]