SAUGUS – A 3-year-old American Eskimo pup is taking her tricks to a national level as she and her owner head to California for the American Kennel Club’s Agility Invitational.Lake Circle resident Chris LaVoie said “Becca” has been competing for nearly three years, but this is her first national competition.Agility is one of the fastest growing dog sports, according the AKC. It is an athletic event that requires conditioning, concentration, training and teamwork as dogs and handlers negotiate an obstacle course racing against the clock.On a gray Monday afternoon, Becca whips around a makeshift course set up in LaVoie’s backyard. A line of black tipped white poles are planted near the fence. Becca weaves through the poles, clears a two foot jump, clears another, lower jump and gets a treat for her efforts before she is off again.The white ball of fur is rarely still, which is one reason by LaVoie thought she might excel at the agility competitions.LaVoie, who owns her own dogsitting and walking business, “A Walk in the Park,” said Becca was about 8 weeks old when she began to notice the grace in which the little dog zoomed around the woods while on their daily walks.”She would just fly around the woods,” she said. “She’d leap and run and circle around us and I’d just think, ?Wow, she’s got something.'”It was shortly after that LaVoie attended an agility competition in Boston.”I had never heard of it before,” she said.A little research later and LaVoie said she came up with a Fit-n-Trim Dog Sport Training in Rowley. Becca was enrolled by the time she was 9 months old and since then has spent most weekends traveling around New England competing and her hard work has paid off. On Dec. 10 Becca and LaVoie will board a plane headed west for Long Beach.Becca scored her invitation by collecting enough competition points to put her in the top five in the country for her breed. She’ll be competing against about 100 other dogs in her class.”We’re very honored to be invited,” LaVoie said.Competition gets underway on Saturday, Dec. 12 where LaVoie will guide her pup through obstacles that include jumps, tunnels, a large A-frame structure and “everyone’s favorite,” the see-saw.The finalists will be aired on cable TV’s Animal Planet.LaVoie, who owns a second American Eskimo named Koury, is excited about the competition namely, she said, because Becca simply has so much fun running.As Becca weaves through the poles, Koury nudges her out of the way and beats her through the circuit. Koury also competes, but LaVoie acknowledges the larger dog is not as fast as Becca.”She’s in it for the treats,” she said with a laugh.Becca is in it for fun.Even if Becca wins the Invitational, LaVoie said she would continue to enter her in competitions.”I should have named her Jumps for Joy,” LaVoie said. “That’s what she does, she just loves this.”