A Clipping from the Associated Press

WESTERN MASS. -- Despite a right ear filled with bacterial juices, Maverick the dog's heart continued to overflow with competitive juices this weekend as his 31-second jumpers performance in a local AKC agility event vaulted him from the open class into excellent.

It was a remarkable turnaround for the golden retriever, who had started the day treating the standard course like a grassy field, bouyantly dashing between random jumps and tunnels with little regard for the numbered order of the obstacles -- or his handler -- leading to a quick termination of the run and dejected moans from the crowd gathered to watch the noted dog.

"Why bother?" the handler said afterward. "I don't think I'll be back for jumpers later today."

But the pair did return, and Maverick quickly justified the decision, bursting out of the gate with both speed and control, easily navigating front crosses at the third and ninth obstacles (a jump and a tunnel, respectively) and mismanaging only the final weave pole for his sole fault, a refusal penalty. From there, Maverick accelerated into an orange blur, taking the final eight jumps with heady precision. By the time the raucous applause died down, Maverick's performance had earned him a second-place ribbon and -- as his third qualifying run in open jumpers -- entry into the excellent class. He does, however, remain Q-less in open standard, owing partly to the fact that "he's a total doof first thing in the morning," the time when standard courses are usually run, according to his handler.

Maverick's performance capped a weekend in which he also sank several buckets in his brother's room (see photo). Maverick has also gained acclaim over the years by kicking a soccer ball around the yard, stopping soccer kicks with his face, and catching tennis balls thrown from a distance with his mouth, making him, by any definition, at least a four-sport athlete.

Ripley, Maverick's English springer spaniel sister who also competed at the agility trial, had no comment on the weekend's events.