Anne and Andrew Douglas published DogSport magazine for seven years (one dog year).

A combination of the strong Canadian dollar and competition from the Internet led Andrew and Anne Douglas of Guelph, Ont. to sell the magazine they launched seven years ago. DogSport Magazine officially changed hands on Oct. 17, with NTI Global, an Amsterdam, NY-based manufacturing corporation that counts dog agility products among its specialties, taking full ownership.

The dramatic rise of the Canadian dollar last year was not a good thing for DogSport, said Anne Douglas, the magazine’s former editor.

“A lot of our subscribers are American. We were doing well when the Canadian dollar was low, but when it went high, that really hurt us,”

The instant nature of the Web also made it difficult for the bimonthly magazine to stay relevant. “Rather than waiting two months to get some event coverage from us, people could turn on YouTube and see what the actual show looked like the day after it happened,” Douglas said.

Anne is now working as a freelance writer, while Andrew, her husband and the magazine’s former publisher, has moved into public relations.

“We were literally a mom and pop shop. We both earned our MBAs on street,” Anne said, adding, “It’s something special to create a community of subscribers and bring together thousands of people who weren’t connected before.”

NTI Global plans to continue publishing DogSport, carrying on the editorial mission of helping “dog sport competitors and businesses practice, play and perform.”