You Be The Judge - Page 1

First thing in the morning when I wake, and last thing at night, do I take care of my dog’s needs first or my own?

When I train, am I tuned to the look in my dog’s eyes, particularly when travelling to trial?

When away at trial, do I think it is important to keep my dog with me to know how my dog is responding to travel and training which is evidenced by their mood when off the field and in rest mode?  Is my dog resting, is he uneasy?  How do I know these things?

What support do I give to my dog before a trial, what motivation, how do I support a tight and trusting relationship?

Am I really tuned to when I should call it off, a no go.  I have spent X amount of money, driven this far, or flown this far.  Can I say sorry, my dog is not well?  We cannot trial.

Or do I lock my dog in a vehicle, go to sleep, have breakfast, drive somewhere, let dog out for relief, at last, train the dog and put the dog away again while I socialize with my fellow competitors?  Feed him last thing at night and leave him locked in a vehicle in a strange place? 

You be the judge. 

Love it!
Amy

I don't do trials, (no time) but work them, train them and just let them be dogs. I would think high 90s% maybe even 100% of the time my dogs come first, even before me. Food, water, "breaking" (bathroom), comfort. I hope some don't think it's wrong but even to the point of if I was sitting down to eat and for whatever reason forgot the time and it was their "feeding" time I would leave the table, go feed them and "break" them before I would eat. I even go to the point that if one is laying down or even sleeping that I look out for them, say either walk over them or around them. I will not make them move or think they are in my way and think they should get out of my way. Now, if I am carrying something heavy or moving something heavy then they either know and move themselves or I give a command or make a certain noise and they know to move. And to go for a ride in the truck! They're in heaven.... doesn't matter if it's only a mile down the farmroad to the mail box or a roadtrip for the weekend! They're there.

Some people/gfs in the past thought the dog(s) were in their way and needed to move, or needed to just move when they walked by or tried to say the dog(s) were just always at their feet and that they couldn't walk anywhere without the dog(s) being there. Or that the dogs would follow them everywhere.

Its all about being tuned into what your dog needs. It ain't about us. I prefer them in my room, and socializing right along with me afterwards, but sometimes, for some dogs, it actually is better if the dog is allowed to rest quietly in the vehicle he/she knows and is comfortable in rather than being dragged all over the host hotel and made to sleep in a strange hotel room the night before an event we are entered in.
The rest of the time, they're stuck with me. :-)

It is always about the Dog, not you, your ego, who is watching, or socializing with others.
 
Comfort for the Dog First, handler second.

Kim

DON'T YOU THINK THAT YOU SHOULD TAKED CARE OF YOUR NEEDS SO YOU WILL BE AT THE TOP OF YOUR GAME TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR DOG'S NEEDS. JMO. I LOVE MY DOGS AND WILL DO ANYTHING FOR THEM TO MAKE A GOOD LIFE FOR THEM BUT I CAN'T DO IT IF I AM NOT AT MY BEST. MY DOGS COME FIRST A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE TIME, HOWEVER THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I HAVE TO COME FIRST NOT ONLY FOR ME BUT FOR THEM TOO.

Lovejags

You make a valid point, having said that. If your "not at your best", then just leave the dog alone.

It does not hurt your dog to "not work for a day or two".

As long as your dog has clean water, food and comfort they will be fine. Sometimes, dogs just want  to be dogs and left the hell alone to do what dogs do.

My reference is to people who work their dog regardless of the mood their in or other mitigating factors (in the handlers mind).

Dogs, like people have good days and bad days, and days when they just don't give a shit about you Winning a Trophy and looking good in front of the crowd or taking down some scum who stole a car.


Watching/Reading your dog is a true art form. Their Dogs! Not people, that can speak with you verbally.


Comfort for the Dog First, handler second.

Watch your Dog, Your Partner, watching and listening are Art Skills that can, and should be applied to Dogs as well as People.


Kim

What have i said so many times on here, The first thing my eyes go to when i come out to the Dogs at 5 oclock in the morning is to look at the Eyes of the Dog, same with the Pigeons the Eyes are the Window of the Soul of the Dog so to speak they tell you every thing
Steve1
Oh' i should add , If i am not feeling at my best or for some reason feeling a bit Ratty then i do not train the dogs and they normally get trained every day, Because if i train them in the way i am feeling it will reflect of how they do and it will not make the Dog happy to see his handler not in the right mood

As far as basic needs like food and potty, my dogs come first.  It's not about placing them above myself, or the attitude some people have where they will treat me like a doormat if I don't eat my meals first in front of them, I simply can't sit down to relax if I know they are pacing around, hungry or have to potty.  I come home from work and immediately let all the dogs out even if I'm about to burst myself.  I go outside, clean the yard, feed them, change the water in the trough, and often play and train so I don't sit down for my own meal until 8pm or so.  They are dogs, they depend on me for their basic needs so why make them wait.  I'd rather get them taken care of, do their training, exercise them, so I can sit down and relax later in the evening while they are napping.

As far as training, if I am not feeling well I do not train seriously/formally.  I have had a sinus infection in February and currently am not doing formal obedience training with one of my dogs.  He is my "partner" dog, we are very much in tune with each other and when I am not my normal self, his performance suffers.  It's not fair to ask him to be at the top of his game when I can't bring any energy or motivation to the training.  My puppy I am still doing obedience with because he has more drive overall and is less effected by subtleties like my mood and health.  I don't need to put as much of myself into his training at this current stage in his life.  In April I entered a trial with the other dog and pulled because I was not feeling well and was not able to proof the training as much leading up to the trial.

The bottom line for me is that *I* am not comfortable unless I know my dog feels comfortable and sure of himself.

In my training and missions, my dog needs are met way before mine. This means my dog gets water before I do, gets put away comfortably before I do, and is tended to, before I can even think of relaxing. This isn't anthromorphizing my dog, it's simply a relationship of give and take. He assists me, and inturn I assist him.