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Yilan man charts unexpected path to ‘Olympics of Dog Sports’
This September, Eli the Belgian Shepherd made a triumphant debut at the "Olympics of Dog Sports," the FCI-IGP World Championship in Slovenia. But behind this four-legged champion is an even more remarkable story, that of his trainer Wu Chien-hsing. Wu is not a professional dog handler by any means. He runs a small guesthouse in Yilan, and he didn’t especially like dogs as a younger man. But in 2009, his life was forever changed by a stray dog. Today in our Sunday special report, we bring you a heartwarming tale of friendship, commitment, and an unlikely journey to the global stage.
Ms. Luo is at the airport bright and early. She’s here not for a celebrity but for Eli the Belgian Shepherd, who’s returning from an international competition.
In September, Eli and his owner Wu Chien-hsing traveled to Slovenia to compete in the FCI-IGP World Championship, where they won a medal.
Hailed as the Olympics of Dog Sports, the FCI-IGP World Championship is made up of three trials: tracking, obedience, and protection. If a dog fails to score at least 70 points in any one trial, it is eliminated.
Wu Chien-hsing
Dog handler
Especially with the test of chasing after an escaping suspect – other dogs might need to take five or seven steps before chasing him down and apprehending him. But my dog doesn’t. My dog can do it in just three steps. So the audience was amazed. They were amazed at how fast my dog could apprehend a suspect.
This was Eli’s first-ever appearance on the global stage, and Wu is not a professional trainer. He runs a small guesthouse in Yilan County.
Wu has managed the guesthouse for over a decade now. As a young man, he wasn’t especially fond of dogs and had never owned one of his own. But in 2009, he and his now-fiancée found a stray on the street. That was how Latte came into Wu’s life, changing it forever.
Wu Chien-hsing
Dog handler
We picked her up in Jiaosi. She was very weak and sickly. She had so many diseases, and we treated them, spending four months and NT$40,000, NT$50,000. After that, she was living a good life, and so we started to do some things with her to give back to the community.
Wu got Latte certified as a therapy dog. Together, they went to social welfare organizations and long-term care centers to bring joy to children and the elderly.
Wu Chien-hsing
Dog handler
My dog, she led me into the world of dogs. The second thing is, she was very smart. I even taught her to speak. She could say, “I love you.”
But all dogs die too soon. Latte passed away in 2017, leaving her family heartbroken. To heal his grief, Wu began using his guesthouse as a foster home for small strays. He quickly realized that not all dogs were as easy as his beloved Latte.
Penny Chang
Wu Chien-hsing’s fiancée
We took in a dog that had behavioral issues. We ourselves got hurt. We wanted to rehabilitate it so that it could be adopted. Naturally we didn’t want the dog to get adopted and then be returned immediately.
To give each dog its best chance at a new family, Wu ventured into the world of dog training.
Every week, he went to a canine training school in Sanxia, New Taipei. He started out with basic pet training. After getting certified, he moved on to specialized fields like rescue and police dog training.
Kevin
Canine training school instructor
At the time, Eli hadn’t been born yet. We assigned to him a “dog assistant,” a dog that was already well-trained. The point wasn’t for the dog to be trained, but for Chien-hsing to be trained. The dog trained him.
Wu Chien-hsing
Dog handler
I had a Belgian Malinois named A, a big strong dog. At the time I felt that whenever A was on a leash, it was like trying to control a bull. I couldn’t do it. The dog weighed 40-something kilograms and walked on my left, so of course I held the leash in my left hand. Once time after a day at the school, I couldn’t even lift my left arm.
Wu pushed on, weathering scrapes and bruises. To better understand dogs, he would even fall to the ground to imitate their movements.
Wu Chien-hsing
Dog handler
You have to know how your dog feels and how difficult a task is for them. Instead of whipping them or punishing them or criticizing them, you have to guide them to accomplish a task.
Using praise, not censure, Wu hit his stride in dog training. But then tragedy struck again when his faithful “dog assistant” died suddenly from a heart attack.
Penny Chang
Wu Chien-hsing’s fiancée
I saw that he was deeply distressed. It was the first time I’d seen him cry. He just held the dog and sobbed. Because that dog was truly exceptional. And it wasn’t old. It died so abruptly. I felt that he needed to do something to overcome his sorrow. He later asked if he could have a dog of his own, and that’s how we got Eli.
As a puppy, Eli’s lively spirit brought Wu back from his grief, renewing his enthusiasm for dog training.
Starting from two months old, Eli was trained for at least two hours a day. During scent detection exercises, Wu would hide three objects in a space as big as a soccer field, and ask Eli to track them down within 15 minutes.
Shen Chi-tung
Canine training school head
Eli is special because he has tremendous focus, tremendous power. His movements are extremely quick and precise.
The training school saw Eli’s innate talent. Wu was encouraged to take Eli to qualifiers for a shot at competing internationally. A lot of work goes into qualifying for the global stage. The dog must first pass basic, junior, intermediate, and advanced certification tests in Taiwan. It must also win a national championship.
Penny Chang
Wu Chien-hsing’s fiancée
At the time I thought, “Yeah right. There’s no way we could go abroad to compete.” But he really did work hard, and Eli was truly extraordinary. So I told him, “It’s OK, no matter how much time, effort, or money it takes, I will support you.” Because I think it’s a really special thing when someone has a dream and chases it, step by step. It’s such a rare thing to see.
In pursuit of his dreams, Wu spent two years competing with Eli in events big and small. And then, at a national competition, he defeated a professional trainer to claim the title and a spot in a global tournament.
But the journey to the event had its own hurdles. On his first overseas flight, 4-year-old Eli was confined to the cargo hold for 12 hours. Upon arrival at Vienna, Eli endured a six-hour drive to the competition site in Slovenia. Perhaps due to the stress of travel, Eli began to lose his fur, developing a bald patch.
Penny Chang
Wu Chien-hsing’s fiancée
When I saw it I thought, “It’s stress.” There was nothing to be done. He was on a long flight. And he wasn’t used to being confined in isolation.
In the days before the competition, Wu fell ill on the training field, after hours of training under the hot sun and intermittent rain.
Wu Chien-hsing
Dog handler
During a training session, I began to vomit profusely. I was like a fire hydrant. My vomiting frightened the other handlers, who were so concerned.
But the setbacks took the pressure off the big day. During the competition itself, Wu and Eli worked the field in complete harmony.
Eli sailed through the tracking, obedience, and protection trials, earning high scores of 77, 70, and 80. Elated from their success on the field, Wu found the courage to propose to his girlfriend of 15 years.
He won not just a medal, but also the hand of his beloved. But for Wu, the journey isn’t over. He plans to take Eli to more competitions and see the world. He also wants to keep giving back to society.
Penny Chang
Wu Chien-hsing’s fiancée
We offer courses to volunteers at shelters. We also go to the homes of dog owners to work with their dogs, free of charge.
Wu Chien-hsing
Dog handler
I want to offer classes. It’s not just about me and my dog. Because Eli has a bit of fame now, people want to see him, they want to pet him. They say, “Your dog is so impressive, can my dog be like that?” And I say, “Of course!” While not every dog can go overseas to compete, every dog can be as happy as Eli is and share the same bond with its owner and live each day in comfort and ease.
Wu wants to share Eli with the world, to help other dog owners solve hard problems. And with Eli at his side, Wu hopes to help more stray dogs find their forever homes.
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2023-11-19
