There’s only one Irish Terrier competing at the 2024 AKC Rally National Championship: “Griffin” (GCH CH Bay-Lei’s MacGryphon BN RA CA BCAT CGC). But he and his owner, Jan Moller, or Rockford, IL, are ready to represent their breed on the biggest AKC Rally stage of the year. Moller knows to never underestimate what terriers are capable of, especially when it comes to Griffin. He’s an accomplished show dog who has titles on both ends of his name. While he excels at AKC Rally, he has also achieved success in the conformation ring. Griffin has won Reserve Best in Show, been a multiple Group Winner, and received multiple group placements, a National Specialty Select and Award of Merit winner, and a National Owner Handler Series (OHS) Gold. But despite all those wins, at home he’s just “Bubba.”
Introducing Griffin to AKC Rally
Although this is Griffin’s first trip to the AKC Rally National Championship in Wilmington, Ohio, Moller is no stranger to the sport. She’s participated in AKC Rally for 15 years: all with Irish Terriers. Initially, she hadn’t planned on becoming active in dog sports, but was looking for a way to socialize her first Irish Terrier puppy, who lived a sheltered life on her small farm. After participating in her first training classes, she never looked back.
“It was the core amazing, serendipitous group of women that just were fabulous,” explains Moller. “I’ve made some incredible dog friends through the sport.” Her love of AKC Rally made getting Griffin into the sport an obvious choice. She says he loves the sport and just lights up when people are watching him. “This is a dog who thinks he’s king of the world,” says Moller. Griffin is now 7 years old, and though his conformation career is winding down, his AKC Rally career is just getting started. He’ll be competing in Novice at nationals, but earned his AKC Rally Advanced title earlier this year.
Getting Competition-Ready
Moller keeps her training sessions with Griffin “short and sweet,” noting that he gets bored doing the same cues over and over again. When it comes to training, Moller tries to avoid unnecessary repetition. “We never train more than 3–4 minutes at a time ever.” She likes to practice AKC Rally skills with him in unexpected places to keep his responses sharp. She also incorporates AKC Rally into their daily life by asking Griffin for AKC Rally behaviors while out on a walk or when getting in and out of the car. Moller says practicing AKC Rally skills in locations where he’s not expecting it helps to sharpen Griffin’s focus and get him ready to compete.
Moller is especially proud of Griffin’s ability to go from showing his stuff in the Conformation ring to being able to focus in the AKC Rally ring, even at the same show. She noted that once she had to rush out of the conformation ring after having gotten a group first, to not miss her ring time in AKC Rally. The judge was shocked he was also an obedience dog. Moller laughed and explained that when Griffin is in the breed ring, he’s always on fire. It can be hard to image him having the focus needed to succeed in AKC Rally, but he’s a dog who understands the different sports. Moller says that when it’s time for AKC Rally, Griffin always has his game face on.
Finding Success with Terrier Breeds
When people think of competition obedience dogs, the Terrier breeds aren’t always at the top of the list. Moller admits that competing in AKC Rally with terriers isn’t always easy. “They’re dogs who were bred for centuries to do stuff on their own,” Moller says. That independent nature, which helps terriers to do their jobs, can make them challenging AKC Rally partners at times. That said, she loves Irish Terriers as a breed and enjoys the challenge they bring to a sport like AKC Rally.
Moller explains that terriers are always thinking and analyzing a situation. They’re going to question why you want to approach something one way, and might have their own ideas. But she says this makes the training process fun and interesting. “You have to come to a consensus [with your dog] for how you will go forward,” she adds. Moller also emphasized that with terriers it’s essential to keep the training sessions short, so they stay engaged. Moller also takes pride in entering the ring with an unusual breed. “I think most judges are very thrilled to see those rare breeds come through,” she explained. She says that judges and other competitors are always excited to see an Irish Terrier, and she takes special pride in knowing Griffin can succeed and hold his own in sports that might come more naturally to other more biddable breeds.
Strategizing for This Year’s Competition
The 2024 AKC Rally National Championship will be a first for both Griffin and Moller. This is their first “giant competition,” as she calls it. Moller’s primary goal for the competition is just getting there, having fun with her dog, and “not making a fool of myself.” She notes that she has no worries about Griffin’s performance. “[The AKC Rally National Championship is] going to be about controlling my nerves and my competitive level,” she explains.
Moller is also especially looking forward to watching the other teams, particularly those competing at the higher levels. AKC Rally is a social sport, and for Moller, one of the best ways to learn is to watch more experienced teams, especially at a competition like this, which will bring the best AKC Rally dogs from around the country together. Moller confesses that while she doesn’t expect to be in the top 10 of dogs competing, she would love to get a qualifying score. Best of luck to Griffin and all the other dogs competing at the AKC Rally National Championship this year!
Don’t miss the AKC Rally National Championship on July 18-19 in Wilmington, Ohio! You can livestream all the action day-of through AKC.tv.