Yes, that’s a mouthful, but then it would be for a dog who is more than just a pretty face. The Curly-Coated Retriever breed champion will have packed a lot of accomplishments under her collar when she turns thirteen this fall, and though she is “semi-retired” from performance events, she’s still loving to work. She and her owner, handler and trainer, Aubrey LaCrosse, are currently working on obtaining AKC Tracking, Master Rally, and Barn Hunt titles. Qwik earned her breed championship before she was two years old, and her Master Hunter title when she was five years old. The alphabet soup of titles following her name indicate accomplishments in obedience, agility, and rally, as well as Versatility Companion Dog Titles.
Form follows function for this multi-talented girl. In 2016, she was Best in Gundog Sweepstakes at the Curly-Coated Retriever Club of America National Specialty.
The key, Aubrey believes, is getting the dog to think the task is their idea. The idea works well, and that this breed lives to please their owners makes training all the smoother.
Our “not just a pretty face” series is a response to the ignorant charge by some that today’s purebred dog can’t do the job for which their breed was created, or that they just can’t work at all. Rubbish. If your dog has proved that he or she is not just another pretty face by having excelled in both conformation and other disciplines, we want to hear about it. Send your over-achiever’s “resume” and photograph to us here with “Not Just Another Pretty Face” in the subject line. To see the other “pretty faces,” do a site search on our website for “Not Just Another Pretty Face.”
wonderful curly! Great representation of the breed! Super dog and even more talented trainer.
We agree! We get goosebumps when we read the “resumes” of the dogs we’ve covered (and will cover) for the Not Just a Pretty Face” series, and Qwik was no exception. It was lovely of you to write, Cathy, and we’re sure Aubrey, Qwik’s owner, handler and trainer, appreciates it!
I love Qwik! We Curly folks are very lucky to have Qwik and Aubrey represent our breed!
Qwik has a fan base! Well deserved, we think.
Quick I’d a great ambassador to a wonderful breed!!!
Qwik is one of my favorite Curlies! Aubrey is a fabulous trainer. I’m a member of the fan club 🙂 Great you are doing this series!
Many thanks, Kitty! We’ve had it “up to here” with people who say purebred dogs can’t do squat, so we aim to provide proof otherwise!
I have seen this dog in action. She is a perfect example of all the good things about our breed. She is full of personality and skill. We all admire and applaud the example she and her handler have given us.
Also a big fan of Qwik and Aubrey. They are an awesome team, which all the titles show. They have indeed been an inspiration for me.
I love the fact that there are Scandinavian ancestors in Qwiks pedigree and that I have a relative of hers in my house, who also love to work and have titles as well 🐾🐾😊
I was very lucky to be able to photograph this grand old lady retrieving during the 2017 National 🙂 It is so wonderful to see we still have a true Dual Purpose breed all over the world! Keep up the good work all!!
And thanks to your terrific photograph, Hannie, the rest of us can appreciate Qwik’s accomplishments! Thank you for writing!