WAPATO, Wash. - Yipyip, the 11-pound toy poodle, can pull his weight and then some. Next week, Yipyip and his people, Louise and Morris Hyzer of Wapato, are headed for Loveland, Colo., where the little guy will compete in the 2003 International Weight Pull Association championships.
In previous competitions, Yipyip has pulled as much as 180 pounds.
The Hyzers are accustomed to snickers and occasional stares from folks who suggest a poodle just isn't tough enough for the game. They're wrong, said Louise Hyzer, 68.
Yipyip is not a "frou-frou dog," she said.
Perhaps Yipyip should thank his mother, because his father, Pierre, is definitely frou-frou, she said.
"He'll stand on one toenail to keep from getting his feet wet," Louise Hyzer said.
About 90 dogs from 11 regions across the United States and Canada will compete in Colorado on April 26-27.
"I'd like to see him take some kind of ribbon or medal," said Morris Hyzer, 80. "That'd sure please me."
Four-year-old Yipyip participates in three or four contests a year, usually in Union Gap, Seattle and Leavenworth. Morris Hyzer puts him through his paces a couple of times a week.
Yipyip, wearing a yellow harness, is tethered to a cart with a few bricks on top, then he crouches low to the ground and starts to pull.
"You can tell when a dog's enjoying himself," Morris Hyzer said. "He's ready to go. I say `pull' and he knows what to do."
In previous competitions, Yipyip has pulled as much as 180 pounds.
The Hyzers are accustomed to snickers and occasional stares from folks who suggest a poodle just isn't tough enough for the game. They're wrong, said Louise Hyzer, 68.
Yipyip is not a "frou-frou dog," she said.
Perhaps Yipyip should thank his mother, because his father, Pierre, is definitely frou-frou, she said.
"He'll stand on one toenail to keep from getting his feet wet," Louise Hyzer said.
About 90 dogs from 11 regions across the United States and Canada will compete in Colorado on April 26-27.
"I'd like to see him take some kind of ribbon or medal," said Morris Hyzer, 80. "That'd sure please me."
Four-year-old Yipyip participates in three or four contests a year, usually in Union Gap, Seattle and Leavenworth. Morris Hyzer puts him through his paces a couple of times a week.
Yipyip, wearing a yellow harness, is tethered to a cart with a few bricks on top, then he crouches low to the ground and starts to pull.
"You can tell when a dog's enjoying himself," Morris Hyzer said. "He's ready to go. I say `pull' and he knows what to do."