MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — With perked-up ears and his tongue hanging out, 3 1/2-year-old Oliver loves to play and run around outside in his yard in Pocono Township.
The miniature schnauzer is one of the most talented dogs in the United States.
Oliver's competition name is Estimated Prophet. He is the third fastest dog for his breed in the American Kennel Club's Fast Cat competition for 2022.
Leah Hall is his handler and owner.
"My other dogs do agility, so we tried to put him over some jumps, and he was like, 'no.' He got super excited and would bite you and be crazy, but I noticed he was really fast," Hall said.
That's when someone introduced Hall to the Fast Coursing Ability Tests, known as the Fast Cat.
The competition is a 100-yard dash where dogs run one at a time, chasing a lure.
Each pup runs three times, and its speeds are converted into miles per hour and then averaged.
Oliver's speed is a whopping 24.6 miles per hour.
"People can do Fast Cat," Hall said. "That's why it's so super popular. It's growing so much every day because if your dog has any prey drive at all to chase, you can do it."
While Oliver's handler says not much training goes into this, she does put a weighted vest on him and has him run uphill to help improve his skills.
She believes the resistance training is what got Oliver invited to be featured on ESPN's Fast Dogs USA segment
"I can't even believe he's number 3, let alone. I got the email. I was so surprised they were like ESPN's fastest dogs USA; you're invited," said Hall. "They invited 25 dogs out of the whole country, yes, and my little red man is one of them."
Hall says while she loves competing with Oliver, her favorite part is spending time with her pal.
"It's all about having a good time with your dog, being with your dog. I mean, the ribbons are great, but at the end of the day, it's you and your buddy like hanging out and having fun together," Hall said.
The two leave Wednesday to head to South Carolina for the show's taping later this week.
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