Mondio Ring— International Dog Sport Coming to Town

It's a spectacle of a very different kind: a field full with carefully themed objects, decoys running around, wearing padded suits, a judge observing and dogs – many, many dogs.

As a I make sure I attend the Mondio Ring, the international dog sport championship whenever possible. I encourage local residents to do the same whether you are a dog owner or not, you will enjoy this show on April 20-22 and maybe learn a thing or too. Or, you just might stand in awe.

Mondio Ring is a relatively young sport, founded in 1985 in Belgium, testing the dog's ability to conquer difficult exercises to protect the handler. It is a fine balance of discipline and independence consisting of three phases: Obedience, Jumps and Protection. Not only the amazing teamwork between dog and handler makes this sport so exciting for spectators – every tournament has a unique theme. It is not unusual to see a on the field, or a pack of lions, gorillas and wilderbeasts, made out of plastic, of course, in a jungle environment. Mondio Ring is a tribute to a dog's courage, intelligence and speed and its dedication to protect and work with its handler through great team work.

During the obedience part, the dog has to find a handler-scented article, refuse food while the handler is away and retrieve an object, among other things. The jumps include scaling a wall, an unbelievable sight for those who have never seen it. The most exciting part however, is the protection part, where the dog displays an extraordinary amount of courage, intelligence and speed to flush out the decoy, move through shields to bite the 'bad guy' and guards an object. The last one is especially fantastic to watch and requires phenomenal training. The handler points to an object, which can be anything, for the dog to guard. The dog may not move away, except when the decoy is closer than about 7 feet (2 meters) – that's the distance where the dog will bite. The further away the decoy is able to pull the dog, the more points are deducted. A good dog will let go of the decoy and move back to the object. There are other no less amazing parts of the protection phase, some even include gun shots.

Mondio Ring is a truly spectacular dog sport and it is impressive to see the team work and camaraderie between the dog and its handler. But hey, don't take my word for it! The Mondio Ring National Championship is coming – take the opportunity to watch this breathtaking and heart-stopping tournament right here in Costa Mesa, on April 20 to April 22 as part of the OC Pet Expo.

For more information visit http://socalmondio.com/ . Don't miss this chance to watch some of our country's top dogs compete.