Shih Tzu “Tova” Competes at National Obedience Championship

For a dog originally bred to be a lapdog, “Tova,” a Shih Tzu, might surprise you with her skills in the obedience ring. Between this sport and others, Tova currently has 79 AKC titles. Still, people ask her owner and handler, Judy Harding, if she would ever consider changing breeds, given that they compete at a high level. “I like the challenge of a dog that isn’t meant to do anything and can manage to do it all,” she says.

At 11 years old, Tova (Hallmark Jolei Hot On The Trail Tova OTCH2 PACH RACH2 VCD3 UDX7 OGM BN RM5 RAE5 FDC MXP7 MXPG MJP4 MJPB PAX XF MFPB TQXP CGC TKE) is one of the oldest dogs competing at the AKC National Obedience Championship in Wilmington, Ohio, on July 16 and 17. Since first entering the Obedience Championship in 2022, this will be their fifth time competing at the event.

It All Started With a Little Broadway Magic

Harding is no stranger to the Shih Tzu breed. She’s had one of these charming companions since she was a child. Over the years, her parents had boys and girls, but the Shih Tzus she’s had as an adult have all been girls. So naturally, in her search for a Shih Tzu puppy, she had her heart set on a girl.

However, when she contacted a breeder, there was only one female puppy in the litter. The puppy had already been spoken for by a Broadway actress. As it turns out, the timing wasn’t right. Tova ended up coming home with Harding and her husband, Thomas. They also have a Standard Poodle who gets along wonderfully with Tova.

“All my dogs have perfume or cologne names,” she says. Tova is the name of a perfume that the actor Ernest Borgnine’s wife, Tova, created. Thomas says it started with their puppy who was born fifth in the litter. They called her “Chanel No 5.”

And just like the airy and floral perfume she’s named after, Tova loves to spend her days sunbathing. “She will look outside and see that it’s a pretty day and come to me, and I’ll say, do you want to sunbathe?” Harding says. Then, Tova moves quickly out the sliding door and flattens out on the deck until she gets warm and comes inside. If it were up to her, they would leave the door open so she could go in and out as she pleases.

Harding and Tova’s Journey With Obedience

Harding got involved in obedience in the 1990s. She started training her Shih Tzu and mixed-breed dog, who couldn’t show with purebred dogs at the time. By the time her third Shih Tzu came along, they were making steady progress. “Unfortunately, at 8-and-a-half, she got lymphoma, and it broke my heart because she was doing really well,” she says. “She was getting closer to being ready to show in utility.”

At 6 months, Tova, whose paws had never touched grass, had her own ideas about obedience training. “She loves people and other dogs, so in the beginning, she thought going to class meant going to visit everybody,” she says. “It took her a little while to get into it and decide that she should be listening instead of just wanting to see everybody.”

Before long, Tova had exceeded Harding’s expectations by earning her first OTCH (Obedience Trial Champion). “I’d never gotten an OTCH before, and I didn’t envision getting an OTCH on this dog,” she says. Initially, the goal was to see if they could make it through the CD (Companion Dog) and CDX (Companion Dog Excellent) titles.

“We got our CDX and thought, let’s try UD (Utility Dog) and then let’s see how she does with a UDX (Utility Dog Excellent),” Harding says. “We accomplished that and started earning points.” Tova’s first OTCH point was in 2021, followed by her first OTCH in 2024 and a second one a year later. “It started happening a lot quicker,” she says.

In 2024, Tova received her first and second 200 scores a month apart. The following year, she earned her OGM (Obedience Grand Master), which requires 2000 points. Plus, she’s well on her way to earning her third OTCH. Their ultimate goal is to get a VCD (Versatile Companion Dog) title, for which dogs must earn titles in obedience, agility, and tracking.

Novelty and Variety Help Tova Thrive

Tova enjoys competing in different sports and events. True to her breed, she isn’t accustomed to doing the same task repeatedly. And although she isn’t a working dog, she has a strong work ethic. “She’s the all-time Shih Tzu in OTCH points, and it’s because she likes to work and she likes the social aspect of the whole thing,” Thomas says.

Tova has earned titles across multiple sports and venues. She earned her RACH (AKC Rally Champion) title in 2020 and her PACH (Preferred Agility Champion) in 2024. Showing her versatility, she finished AKC Trick Dog in 2023. They made it all the way to TKE (AKC Trick Dog Elite Performer), where they performed a routine.

With each title, the competition gets tougher. But you can hardly tell from Tova. “In agility, she was going faster as she aged,” Harding says. “She was gaining more points quicker the older she got.” Now that Tova is close to turning 11, she isn’t working quite as much as she used to. “Her getting older is making me a little sad because we’ve had such a career that has taken me way farther than I have been with any other dog,” she says.

When Tova isn’t training or competing, you can find her following Harding around. She’s always wondering what they’re doing and if they’re going somewhere that day. “My husband tells me if I go somewhere without her, she’s like, I’m supposed to go with her,” she laughs. It’s as though she’s saying, Mom and I do everything together.

Competing at the National Obedience Championship

Their trainer retired, but before that, they trained once a week at a facility and at home. She and Tova have showcased their skills at multiple events, including the AKC Rally National Championship, AKC Obedience Classic, AKC RACH Invitational, and Westminster Masters Obedience Championship. As for the National Obedience Championship, Harding says that she would be ecstatic if they made it to day two when the top 20 compete.

For Harding, it’s important to show what the Shih Tzu breed can accomplish. A fellow competitor once asked her why she had gotten a Shih Tzu, knowing that she wanted to participate in dog sports. Her answer: “You also have to live with the dog.”

First and foremost, she says dogs are your family. She got Tova to be a companion. Her philosophy on sports is to make sure her dogs are having a good time. “Tova has excelled in all of them,” she says. “Every step you take, it’s tougher, and you have to be willing to keep at it.”