What started out as a small family show in front of her parents and grandparents turned into a teenager’s dream when she managed to train her dog to such an expert level that her Border Collie recently became the first KUSA-registered trick dog champion in the Eastern Cape.
In fact, Chelsea the 4-year-old fur baby, is the first Kennel Union of Southern Africa (KUSA) trick dog champion outside of Gauteng, and she was single-handedly trained by her owner, 16-year-old Tyla Tuck.
Tyla, a grade 11 learner at St Dominic’s Priory, said that it had always been her dream to get a Border Collie since she was nine, and watched trick dog routines on America’s Got Talent.
She started training the family Chihuahua, Donut, and came to the realisation that dog training is her passion.
“I begged my parents for a Border Collie puppy and they finally caved in when I was 12 years old, bringing me Chelsea as a surprise for my birthday.
“My love for dog training grew the day she came home. I started teaching her tricks and realised her talent. When COVID-19 hit, lockdown gave us the perfect opportunity to spend quality one-on-one time together,” said Tyla.
She explained that it took blood, sweat and tears to get where they are today, but that every moment was worth it. Although the training started out as being just for fun, she persevered when she realised how rewarding it was for both of them, subsequently aiming for the highest KUSA trick dog title.
She explained that KUSA trick dog is a series of trick tests run by the Kennel Union of South Africa, ranging from Elementary to Champion.
“One had to perform at least 15 tricks from each level and different categories, perform the trick three times, film it, edit the clips together and submit it to the KUSA trick dog judges. It took us six months to go from Elementary to Champion,” she said.
“Since the day that Chelsea came home I’ve been training her basically every day, multiple times a day. It took a lot of hard work, patience and dedication to get where we are today but it paid off. By the time Chelsea was two years old, she already knew 100 tricks and today she knows just about 200 tricks and commands.
“I would decide on a certain trick and figure out how I wanted to train it. Chelsea is such a fast learner that it takes her between a couple of hours or a few days to master a trick depending on what it is and what mood she’s in.”
Tyla said that her goal was to go as far as she could with Chelsea but that her expectations have already been exceeded.
“I am very ambitious and motivated and very proud of Chelsea that we, as a team, have come so far. At times I was close to giving up, but my love for my dogs and my passion for training made me persevere.
“The most challenging part of training is finding the time in my busy schedule to train my dogs at least twice a day, oftentimes more. I aspire to be a veterinarian when I’m older so balancing my studies with training and competing in agility competitions over weekends is simply not an easy task,” said Tyla.
“Border Collies are working dogs so they need to be stimulated on a daily basis, multiple times a day. I’m fortunate to have parents who support my training and are willing to help.”
Tyla describes Chelsea as goofy and sweet with an outgoing personality making people instantly fall in love with her.
“Chelsea has taught me way more than I could ever teach her. She was the dog that started it all for me. She will do just about anything for a tennis ball or homemade treats. I train with healthy treats made from chicken liver, hearts, carrots and eggs as I believe in a good nutritious diet.”
Tyla added that she has got her sights set on performing a trick routine at a big talent show such as America’s Got Talent.
“I have started doing trick routines locally but would like to take my talent worldwide one day. I have also had a couple of requests to start trick dog training lessons which I will also be pursuing when the time is right.”
