THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 2, 1994 TAG: 9412010177
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY XIAOHONG ZHANG SWAIN, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Long : 150 lines
``LEFT, LEFT, left-right-left!''
``Change lines, march!''
``Circle, march!''
Little Winston, his red tongue sticking out of his small mouth, flawlessly trotted out the cadence.
The furry, 12-pound Yorkie has reason to be proud of himself.
Winston is the smallest of 14 dogs in the K-9 Cadet Corps, Chesapeake's only marching dog drill team, but is one of the few who gets to lead the team in parades.
Winston didn't disappoint his teammates at his first official performance at the Nov. 5 Urbanna Oyster Festival Parade in Urbanna, where the drill team won a first-place trophy in the specialty unit competition. Winston went on to his second success at the Nov. 11 Veterans Day Parade in Virginia Beach.
Winston can't quite describe how he feels to be part of the cadet corps. But his handler and owner, Wendy Smith of Great Bridge, speaks for him.
``The drill team gives me a chance to show him off and to have fun,'' Smith said.
Since Winston is very small, Smith said she sets the pace with care so Winston won't tire during practices and performances.
Winston was recruited by the corps' founder and commander, Buddy Hayes.
``Buddy saw us at a dog obedience trial and later at a dog show,'' Smith said. ``She wanted a small dog on the team. I was interested.''
Before trying out for the corps in October, Smith had trained Winston for nine months with Canine Training Unlimited. Members of the corps are required to complete the company's training to ensure the quality and uniformity of the team's performance.
``Since they go through the same training method, it's easier to fit people in,'' Hayes said.
A dog who aspires to join the corps must be strictly disciplined, Hayes explained.
``At a parade, there will be a lot of people,'' she said. ``No matter how noisy it is, the dog has to pay attention to the handler, not the audience.''
A four-member selection committee conducts try-outs for new canine members of the corps.
``The tests are not easy,'' Hayes said. ``We only pick the best we can get. We are at full capacity now. We won't have try-outs again for a while.''
Canine candidates must also be in good health. ``They must have all their shots,'' Hayes said.
Hayes, who owns four dogs, started the corps in 1991 under the sponsorship of Canine Training Unlimited.
``The purpose of the team is to promote dog obedience and responsible dog ownership,'' she said. ``We show people that their pets can be trained.''
The center driveway that connects the 15-house Wildhorse Ridge subdivision, where Hayes lives, has been the team's main practice stage on Saturdays.
Elaine Maciag of Chesapeake was one of the team's six original members.
``We have increased to 14 people,'' she said. ``We have improved our practice. We have done fund-raisers to support animal shelters and other pet related groups.''
In addition to the 14 handlers, the corps includes two banner boys, a person in charge of music and a person in charge of equipment.
Since the founding of the team, Maciag has spent a lot of extra training time with her 5-year-old Ebony, a female Doberman pinscher-Labrador retriever mixed breed.
``It's work, but a lot of fun,'' she said. ``The reward is people's cheering and praise. The parade is especially exciting to young people. Kids will call out the dogs' names printed on their jackets.''
Lauritz Comninaki of Virginia Beach doesn't mind being the only male handler in the corps. His dog, Kavit, a 75-pound, male German shepherd, is a favorite of the crowds at parades.
``People come out and pet the dog,'' he said. ``It's more fun to show people that you can control your dog in public.''
Even after a year with the corps, Comninaki continues to take Kavit to training classes.
``I'm working him toward a companion dog title,'' he explained.
The K-9 Cadet Corps has marched in its patriotic red-white-and-blue uniforms at the Veterans Day Parade, the Norfolk Christmas Parade, the Hopewell Christmas Parade, the Virginia Beach Christmas Parade, the D-Day Parade, the Azalea Festival Parade, the Neptune Festival Grand Parade and the St. Patrick's Day Parade.
The Veterans Day Parade is the corps' favorite, Hayes said.
``The veterans are so appreciative,'' she said. ``We put on a real good show for them.''
Besides entertaining people at parades, the corps gets many invitations by local schools, businesses and organizations to give demonstrations. It has performed at the Chesapeake Jubilee and the Chesapeake Fall Fest. The corps' schedule fills up quickly.
``We have to say `no' to some schools and organizations,'' Hayes said. ``People wait too late to call. They don't realize that they need to book early so we will have time to practice. We don't perform unless it's close to perfect.''
Participating dogs come in a variety of breeds, including miniature schnauzers, Doberman pinschers, Shetland sheepdogs and Belgian Tervurens. Most of the dogs have received pet therapy titles, obedience titles and Canine Good Citizen Awards given by the American Kennel Club.
The handlers keep a close watch on the weather before and during parades. On a hot summer day, they will put wax on the paws of the dogs to protect them from the hot surface of streets. They will cool them off by occasionally spraying water on their bodies and give them frequent breaks to drink water. On a cold day, they make sure the dogs are kept warm by adding sweaters under their jackets. When the weather is extreme, the corps withdraws rather than endanger the dogs' safety.
``We reserve the right not to participate,'' Hayes said. ``We will not abuse the dogs.''
Hayes fondly keeps photographs of the corps' performances in a thick album.
The photos show the dogs dressed in red-white-and-blue uniforms, which Hayes sewed herself. Each of four seasonal uniforms bears an American flag emblem on the top shirt.
``Most of the music we use is also patriotic,'' Hayes said. ``We like to show our pride for our country.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos by L. TODD SPENCER
[color cover photo. canine drill team. no cutline or photo credit
given]
AT LEFT: Left to right, James Jones, James Clark and Alfred Hargis
enjoy a close-up visit from Sherri Yanello's dog Cory during the
Veteran's Day parade at Virginia Beach.
BELOW: Brenda Tull and her dog Cassie get ready to participate in
the parade with the K-9 Cadet Corps, Chesapeake's only marching dog
drill team.
Anjelica Jane Goney, 4, gets a kiss from Taffy.
The K-9 Cadet Corps and their handlers, left to right, Wendy Smith
with Winston, Brenda Tull with Cassie, Victoria Nicholl with Kody,
Sherri Yanello with Cory and Lera Jones with Fritz at the Veteran's
Day parade.
ABOUT THE CORPS
Commander: Buddy Hayes
Sponsor: Canine Training Unlimited
Handlers: Jackie Baird, Caroline Brown, Lauritz Comninaki, Buddy
Hayes, Rhonda Jarvis, Lera Jones, Suzie Knowles, Elaine Maciag,
Victoria Nicholls, Anita Pearson, Wendy Smith, Brenda Tull, Terry
Upton, Sherri Yanello
Canines: Bailey, Blue, Brentwood, Cassie, Charlotte, Cory, Ebony,
Fritz, Kavit, Kody, Kriket, Taffy, Tucker and Winston
Banner Boys: Jonathan Parker, Chris Stewart
Music: Kim Parker
Equipment: Sharona Ben-Sorek
To schedule demonstrations: Call Buddy Hayes at 421-7611
by CNB