I went up to Grantham today for one of Bob Sharpes workshops. Today focused on handling techniques over purely jumping equipment (no weaves), although there was also practice ring for us to use as we pleased whilst the other dogs were working (if we weren't too busy watching that is). I was a little bit skeptical as D had been placed in the advanced group, but Lesley quite rightly pointed out that I would probably get more out of that group.
I did feel a little out of my depth when I walked the first course as it was quite tricky but I knew D would attack it with his usual gung-ho enthusiasm regardless of what I thought. It was something Pip would love but I had no idea what the best way to handle D would be. With Pippa I can usually get in front of her for front crosses, and she certainly runs better when I'm ahead. With Inca I would do flick-flack push-thru as shes got the drive towards the next jump and the nimbleness on the ground. With D I opted for playing it safe (I value my legs, lol) and went for front crosses which worked but definitely pushed him wide in a couple places. My positioning for my recall start also caused him to be quite wide also. Bob got my to try it the other way, which I've not done much with D, which was definitely tighter and, when I got my positioning right, much easier for me (less running, lol).
The next couple of courses focused on this sequence during various different parts of the course and using the different ways to handle them. One course in particular the whole thing could be handled from the middle jump using the flick-flack-push-thru method provided you could push your dog on enough to get into position at the far wing. Diesel coped really well. We had a couple refusals throughout the day but that was down to me thinking he was committed to the jump and then moving, when really he wasn't quite there. That said, he was driving on much better so his confidence is definitely on the up.
I thoroughly enjoyed the day and both me and D were suitably knackered by the end of our session. I've booked a couple more training days with D in December which I'm already looking forward to. The first is focused on contacts/weaves which should be good =D.
Over the years, many people have asked for help on how to pick the perfect dog. I’m always happy to assist when I can. I usually start by asking: How many dogs old are you?
Huh? you say. Are you asking me how old in dog years I am?
No, it’s not a sneaky way to calculate your age. Rather, it’s a very important question in a list of questions that need to be asked to ascertain what kind of dog would make a good match for you.
Before I explain, let me first give Suzanne Clothier credit for framing the question in this way. What she means is: How many dogs have you lived with over your life?
Why does that matter?
Because it’s a pretty good indicator of how much dog experience you’ve had, and therefore how much dog you can probably handle.
For instance, I’ve lived with 20 dogs so far. That makes me 20 dogs old. One could safely assume from that number that I’d have a fair amount of dog experience, as opposed to someone who is only two dogs old. And they’d be right. And that I’d have less experience than someone who is 200 dogs old. And they’d be right again. Perhaps.
Huh? you say again.
While knowing how many dogs old you are can tell a lot, it won’t give the full picture. In order to get that, we’d have to ask how many breeds old you are.
You see, as much as it matters how many dogs you’ve lived with, it also matters what kinds of breeds they’ve been. Because not all breeds are created equal, and not all dogs within the same breed are created equal. What that means is that while each breed type has overarching characteristics and personality traits, within each breed there can be significant variations.
For example, I’ve lived with dogs from each breed category (herding, sporting, working, toy, etc.) with the exception of the non-sporting group. I’ve also lived with a few different breeds from within each of those categories. For instance, from the herding breeds, I’ve shared my life with 4 Shelties, 2 German Shepherds, 1 Border Collie, 1 English Shepherd, and 2 Australian Shepherds.
So even though I’m 20 dogs old, I’m also 13 breeds old. If the person who’s 200 dogs old is only one breed old (say a breeder of Labs), then I would be considered older in dog experience because I’m more familiar with a larger number of breeds.
While people who are several dogs old aren’t likely to be looking for help selecting their next dog, it’s still very telling to find out how many breeds old they are, and whether they’ll be staying within those breeds.
That’s because, in truth, people are most likely to get into trouble when they switch breeds. Specifically, when they switch from a relatively easy breed to a more challenging breed with which they have no previous experience. I’m speaking from both observation and personal experience.
Even though I was 10 breeds old by the time I got Kiera, they’d all been breeds I’d had multiple experience with. When I switched to Australian Shepherds, even though they were herding dogs, they were unlike any other herding dogs I’d had before. The learning curve was steep.
To help shorten your learning curve, here are the important things to remember in selecting your next dog:
If you’re young in dog years, it’s a great idea to seek out the advice of someone more experienced to help you select your perfect partner. You’ll be glad you did.
Even if you’re old in dog years, but you’re young in breed years and you’re thinking of switching to a new breed, it’s incredibly valuable to spend time visiting with and talking to others who live with that breed. You’ll be glad you did.
And then, armed with all that insight and experience, it’s a lot easier to go find that special dog waiting for you. You’ll be glad you did.
So then, how many dogs old and breeds old are you? Which breeds have you enjoyed the most? What breeds have presented your longest learning curves?
