Wish Method of dog training part 2

Cut and paste seemed to be the most efficient way to respond to some of the comments from yesterday's blog.

First, Linda's comment about the Open A ring. Glad you Q'd on Saturday, sorry you didn't make it on Sunday. Open A=the heartbreak class, for sure.

Yes, it could have been a bit dicey, but wasn't since judge and stewards were doing their job. My biggest complaint with the current popular methods of dog training is the total lack of any ability to teach a dog how to behave in a responsible manner. Dogs break their stays because they can and they know they can and there isn't any reason why they should stay when there are other more interesting things to do.

I have to say that there aren't many things that make me quite so mad at current dog owners as I get toward those who choose a power breed and then simply REFUSE to train it. Instance on doing warm, fuzzy, gooey things that appear to make the human feel good doesn't do anything toward meeting the mental needs of a power breed. I get to say this because with very few exceptions I have always owned a power breed and did quite well with them in obedience. Nope, it would never have occurred to any of them to stay break and bother another dog. In fact, it never occurred to them to stay break even when another dog broke and came up to them looking to start something.

Train your dogs as if their life may depend on it. You never know when that will become true.

Linda said...
Excellent post! Sorry we didn't meet, I was there both days in Open A, Q'd yesterday with a 4th place :) Unfortunately, it didn't happen for us today. Btw, a Rottie got up in the Open ring during the out of sights and went and stood over another dog - the steward and judge were quick to react and no harm was done but it could have been dicey.


Now, moving on to Doranna's comment. The way to solve the problem is to train to the point were both of you are comfortable in the Open B ring. The Open B dogs have much better training, the handlers are far less likely to be bringing an untrustworthy dog in the ring.

Over the years I have had many of my dogs threatened while doing stays in the Novice ring. It is just one of the things we train for, however once, just once I was in the Novice B ring with a Great Dane. She was working on her third leg, having gone high scoring Dane and high scoring working breed two days in a row. The sit/stay was sort of dicey since 4 dogs down from us was a nasty Lab who broke and would have started trouble, but for the fact we were already on our way back to the dogs.

These days it would never have turned into a problem because the judge would have shown them the gate right then and there. But that is now and this was then and the dog stayed to do the down/stay. We had hardly gotten to the other side of the ring and turned when that nasty piece of work was up. He just stood there for a second or two and simply launched himself over the backs of the other dogs to land on top of the Dane.

Believe me when I say I sure as hell didn't wait to see what would happen next. Actually as soon as I saw him turn and look at the dog I was handling I was out of the line-up and headed across that ring. Only took me three bounds to get there and I had him be the collar and hauled off. Sadly, my Dane was took shook up to even handle a redo. So no third leg that day and it ended up taking almost 5 months to get her back. Most of the problem was the lack of any matches. Once spring came and the matches started back up she got over her shakes and finished up with a third high scoring working breed.

These days I realize it is much more difficult to prevent problems and all but impossible to fix a problem. There simply aren't enough matches and finding an outdoor match, at least around here, is even more difficult.

For all of you who though the dog park idea was so great, how's it working for you now? Are you still able to take your dog to the park and train?

Are you still able to get together with friends, set up a ring and hold your very own impromptu match at the local park?

Gee, can you go the local dog park and train your dog? Not just novice level, but open and utility level?

How about this one: when was the last, or should I say first, time anyone used the local dog park to hold a fun match?


10:46 PM
connerybeagle said...
This is exactly why I haven't taken Connery Beagle up to CDX, in spite of my longing for a VCD2 (we're still working on #1, but we're close, and he's got his MACH). After being viciously jumped at not one but two dog shows, what are the chances I want to do the long stay exercises while forced out of sight so I can't intervene if necessary? Trust the stewards to do it? I don't think so.

--Doranna

If I can find enough volunteers to stake out the ring and jump in if *any* dog breaks his stay and heads toward the Beagle, one day I might try it--but if that happens enough times, it'll teach him the wrong thing about what "stay" means. Anyway I'm not there yet. It took 6 months to get over the first attack (giant breed). It took 18 months, x-rays, therapists, and unending retraining to get over the second. I don't happen to think either of us would recover from a third.