London, Ont. woman and her dog 'Yukon' headed to World Championships

Kordula Juhnke never dreamed of earning a berth in a World Championship competition.

Kordula Juhnke never dreamed of earning a berth in a World Championship competition.

The London, Ont. accountant surprised even herself when she and her German Shepherd 'Yukon' she claimed top spot in the obedience category at the IGP Nationals in Scarborough, Ont. last month.

"He's happy to do it for me," says Juhnke. "You train with a toy, but you compete without the toy, but the dog always thinks at some point if I do this exactly how she wants me to, I'll get this toy."

Junke says 'Yukon' has a nice temperament and a clear head.

"He knows when he can play and he knows when he has to lay down and relax," says Juhnke.The connection between Junke and her dog is special, and a bond which very few owners can form.

"Kordula spends hours and hours and hours training this dog," said Bernie Van Pelt, president of the London Shutzhund Club, and Juhnke's captain.

"To have that kind of success for all that hard work, it's fantastic. Not everybody has that connection where they can relate to their dog to the degree where the dog will be so willing to work at that level for the," said Van Pelt.