Top Dog? Local Trainer's Pet Competing for Nation's Most Obedient

Sandy Heimberg knows what it takes to get a 104-pound 2-year-old to do what she's told.

As long as that 2-year-old walks on all fours, that is.

Heimberg, an area dog trainer and financial secretary with , recently found out that her Great Dane, Von Scheer's Amazin' Raisin CD—Raisin for short—had earned a No. 2 ranking in the country among novice obedience Great Danes.

That means Raisin and Heimberg will travel to Topkea, KS, in October so the canine can compete for the Obedience Invitational Novice Championship at the 2012 Great Dane Club of America National contest, a D210 news release stated.

“Great Danes are a difficult breed to motivate and maneuver their bodies because they are so big," Heimberg said in the release. "Raisin is the biggest lap dog I’ve ever had. She has an incredibly sweet temperament and works really hard.”

Obedience competitions are based on 200 points, with points being deducted for mistakes, the release stated. From June 1, 2011, to May 31, 2012, Raisin has competed seven different times and earned an average of 194½ points.

“Raisin and I are going the distance in October," the Mokena resident said in the release. "She has the ‘eye of the tiger’ in her. I call her my little bumblebee; she is cute like a bumblebee, but watch out, she can sting you. She is very competitive.”

Heimberg is the co-owner of and an instructor at Superdog Obedience Training School and holds classes through the . She also has worked at in New Lenox and has trained her own dogs for 15 years.

“I really like teaching dogs new things, to use the creative part of their minds," Heimberg said in the release. "I teach classes to show other dog lovers how to enjoy and challenge their dogs mentally and so their four-legged friends can be better pets and a bigger part of the family.”

Love dogs? You'll love reading:

Like New Lenox Patch on Facebook!