This article originally appeared in the award-winning AKC Family Dog magazine. Subscribe now!

Twelve years ago, Kelly Halloran made the trek from her New Jersey home to Arkansas to attend graduate school. Being far away from family and friends, she was lonely and needed a buddy.

“I had been wanting a dog for a while, but my living situations never allowed it. I always had dogs growing up and wanted a dog of my own. I missed the companionship and entertainment a dog brings into the home.”

Searching online, she saw a photo of a handsome spaniel mix at a nearby shelter and decided to check him out. But upon arrival, she learned that dog had been adopted.

Deciding to look at the available dogs, she walked through the rows of kennels, and her eyes kept landing on a medium-sized mix with a cute, scruffy beard.

“He wasn’t exactly selling himself, though. He was jumping up on the kennel door and barking up a storm. He was actually hoarse from barking so much,” Halloran says. “In retrospect, I should have known Ozzy was going to be a handful.”

The staff let her take him for a walk, and she signed the adoption papers for the “terrier mix” that same day. The only history was that he was picked up as a stray and no one claimed him.

Ozzy came home with Halloran to her dog-friendly apartment building. He was estimated to be about 1 1/2 years old and obviously had no prior training. She realized quickly she needed to put in a lot of work.

“He would bark for a long time after I left him to go to work, which was a big problem in an apartment complex,” Halloran says. “A couple of times he even broke out of his crate. When this happened, he would mark in the apartment, destroy my blinds, and scratch up the front door trying to get out. When I came home, he would jump and nip at me in excitement to the point of ripping my clothes.”

Taking Ozzy on walks, a new experience for him, was also a challenge.

“Ozzy would lunge and bark at most moving objects with wheels, especially trucks, bicycles, and skateboards. He wouldn’t miss an opportunity to chase wildlife either,” Halloran says. “In the beginning, Ozzy was suspicious of strangers too.”

Halloran sought help and enrolled Ozzy in obedience classes at Dogtastic training school in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

“I enjoyed working with Ozzy so much that we were quickly attending class multiple times a week and progressing through the class levels,” Halloran says.

The skills helped build Ozzy’s confidence, resulting in better behavior at home and an improved relationship between Ozzy and Halloran.

“A lot of rescue dogs come with undesirable behaviors; it’s the reason a lot of dogs end up in rescue,” Halloran says. “However, through training you can not only address problem behaviors, but you can build a remarkable bond with your dog that you can lean on in future situations.”

Dogtastic also offered specialty and sports classes. Halloran had never heard of dog sports or considered competing. But, with the improvement in Ozzy’s behavior, she didn’t want to stop training, so she signed up for trick class.

“It was these specialty classes that first gave me the idea to pursue dog sports with Ozzy. We had a lot of fun in the trick classes and were able to earn our Trick Dog Novice title—Ozzy’s first AKC title,” she says.

In 2016, a fellow dog training student asked her if she wanted to share the rental of an agility field at another facility.

“I began renting the field and focusing on agility training with Ozzy. The instructor saw me working with Ozzy and invited me to join his weekly class,” Halloran says. “Around this time, I also entered Ozzy in his first agility trial at a local fairground. We were far from a qualifying score that day, but I was totally hooked on agility.”

From that time, Ozzy embarked on his lifetime dog sports journey. At 13 years old, he has accumulated an amazing array of honors in a variety of sports, including the AKC Trick Dog Performer title, the AKC Masters Agility titles, Barn Hunt titles, Fast CAT titles, and the AKC Obedience title Companion Dog.

“Ozzy has been a fantastic Novice A dog, versatile and enthusiastic,” Halloran says. “He’s up for anything that involves food and spending time with me.” Ozzy’s favorite reward is boiled chicken, she adds.

In 2019, Halloran moved back to New Jersey and joined the Princeton Dog Training Club. It was at their club’s trial on December 15, 2024, that Ozzy won one of his top titles—the AKC Rally Championship. Rally is a sport related to obedience, in which dogs and handlers make their way through a course composed of stations that specify obedience skills to perform.

In addition, Ozzy has qualified for and achieved good showings in several AKC National Agility Championships. His official name with titles is impressive: RACH Ozymandias Rags To Riches CD, RM4, RAE2, RC2, AX, MXJ, MXP3, MXPB, MJP5, MJPS, PJDP, MXF, T2B, BCAT, RATS, CGCA, TKP.

As for future goals, there are still a couple of “big agility titles” they hope to conquer, and she is considering trying scent work and open obedience with Ozzy.

But the major focus is keeping her veteran dog healthy and happy.

“Fortunately, Ozzy is doing exceptionally well as a dog senior. He is running as fast as ever in agility,” she says. “I attribute his continued good mobility to an active lifestyle, joint supplements, regular visits with a rehab vet, and luck.”

It has been quite a life for a dog that was running loose as a stray and no one wanted—and for a handler with her first dog as an adult and her first competition dog. For those who are considering taking the dog sports plunge, Halloran advises them to find a good support system, and to not be too hard on themselves or their dog.

“Have patience with yourself and your dog. Learning is hard and takes time. Remember that dog sports are a game we play with our dogs for fun,” she says. “And lastly, find people who will support you and your dog as a team. Dog sports are better with friends.”

For those starting with rescue dogs, she said the path to success may be a little rougher, but worth the extra effort.

“When I first adopted Ozzy, I struggled with his separation anxiety and reactivity. Through years of training and relationship building, Ozzy is now the best dog I have ever had.”