Ladies: how old is too old for SchH? - Page 2

Oh, so you had this medication here too? In Germany, the last of the cases happened in the year I was born (1962), and I remember how grateful I was that my mother did not take it. In elementary school, I had my classmate Cornelia who was severely deformed on both, arms and legs.
I have seen people in wheelchairs doing Schutzhund (in Germany). The SV is pretty easygoing when it comes to trial regulations and bending it a bit for a handicapped or injured person. The man in my earlier post was allowed help by a fellow club member during the tracking part. She held his tracking lead for him and walked behind him. But here in the U.S., they are very strict with their rules. In one of the (UScA) trials I attended years ago, somebody was denied participation due to a handicap (don't remember what it was) making it necessary to do a sidestep when throwing the dumbell which would have meant leaving the basic position. I won't mention the judge's name but I thought that this was unnecessary and cruel.
1doggie2, I hope that this is just temporary and that you will see an end to that ordeal. I wish you all the best and please don't despair!
Chris

I totally hear you....I have an old back injury from work that leaves me with so much pain that I have a hard time moving my legs some days, & Beckett knocked me over & I had to have my right shoulder reconstructed; & then my right knee went out & had to be replaced....I have the desire, but every time I get started, something breaks. I'm going to keep trying, but you get such crappy attitude from some folks...I got told that Beckett wasn't too much dog for me, I wasn't enough of a person for him....that one really hurt, as I wasn't even supposed to be walking on my new replaced knee, let alone working my dog, when I was working him & got that comment.....but small minds won't make me quit, but it's gonna make me very careful about who I train with from now on......who needs the negativity??? It's tough enough when your a little over the hill.....I'm 53....We should form a Geezer Club! Who knows the German for 'the Geezer Group'??? LOL! jackie harris 

Although the thread does not apply to Men however I am 70 years old in June this year, but so long as i can stand up and walk then i will train Izzy to get her titles
If i cannot stand up i will get a Zimmer Frame on wheels to get me along that is a  lightweight frame which you put in front of you to keep your balance and walk 
However it has not got to that stage i hope for another 20 years, I never think really of how old i am i just do what i have to do On the odd occasion my back goes it did a couple of months back but a bit of work on it and keeping moving however painful it was to do so is the way to go, No i may look old outside but inside i feel i am a teenager and i have much to accomplish before the body gives out, So keep chugging along, you are never too old to do it whist you can walk
Steve1

 I would love to see an 80+ y/o woman (or man) on one of those scooters drive out onto the schutzhund and run their dog. If your capable of handling your dog then age shouldn't matter.

How about "Der Altzheimer Gruppe'? ROTFLOL!!

I got thrown off my friend's TB horse, and hurt my ankle so badly I was on crutches for a week.  I wasn't supposed to be riding at all, but I felt sorry for the horse being cooped up in her stall, as the stable owners refused to turn her out.

So, I went up and lunged her to take the edge off, then got up and rode without stirrups. She loved to jump, and as I'd been taught to jump w/o stirrups, I put up a small fence. I was very cautious taking her in to it, as she tended to jump really big, and I didn't want to get left behind and possibly fall of and aggravate my injury. I heard this comment from the sidelines: "Wow, I wonder if Gertie will be able to get over that great BIG fence?  

I tore a strip off the person after I was finished riding... 

That was one thing we all loved about our instructor. To  him, the main thing was desire and a sincere love of horses. Your level of talent and ability, and most especially the horse's pedigree and how much you'd paid for it were waaaay down the priority list!

I saw him do UNBELIEVABLE things with horses others had rejected.  School horses that had come off the 'meat wagon' from the local horse dealer went on to do very well in provincial level events. I rode a couple of these horses myself. The horse I owned I got for a dollar, and later I competed with a former school horse that had come off the 'meat wagon'!  The horse I learned to ride on had been donated to the school by its owner, who could no longer control him!  He was a great beginner horse, but once you got more experienced, and tried to boss him around too much, he'd get annoyed, and toss you off. And you absolutely could not trust him out in an open field. Yup, found that one out the hard way...

The most important thing my instructor taught me was not to listen to the naysayers. I leave the 'naying'  to the horses! 


EDIT: Steve, I was watching an obedience competition at a local show, and an elderly lady tried her CD test with her service dog! She was using a Zimmer frame (or walker, as we call them on this side of the Atlantic.)  Unfortunately, the dog did not pass, but with a bit more work, he could have.

My riding instructor was still teaching and training at the age of 87 when he took ill with lung cancer. He was gone within 6 months of the diagnosis.   I think it was due to all the dust he inhaled while teaching. Stables often use recycled motor oil to keep the dust down in the riding  arenas, and of course, petroleum products are carcinogens. He had smoked, but quit when his children were still very young.

I came on thinking we'd be talking about the dog being "too old" to start SchH training....  Who knew???

Age is just a number.  The question is, can you enjoy the training routine and the bond this creates between you and your dog?  As far as "shows", you can always hire a handler.  Like in any other sport, experience may allow you to substitute guile and skill where you used vigor.  The moment the pursuit of becomes a chore and you cease to look forward to it, then itmay become time to hang up the competition gear.

Kalibeck, I feel just like you. I have broken 12 bones (including my tailbone, jaw twice, shoulderblade, and two vertebrae) in the past, and they ALL are catching up with me. It's all from bicycles, horses, dogs, etc....Charlie I DO feel like it's becoming a chore. I dread getting out there, even though I'm happy when I've done it (and then take a two hour nap). I DO require quite a bit of help because I don't have the strength to stop my dog any more, or correct her. I think that Bernard Flinks DVD, which I've seen a couple times, would probably be the method I would have to use...I could probably pull it off if I had a coach in LEASHLESS training. I also feel like the crap with UScA kind of broke my spirit. Well, thanks for listening to me whine, and especially thanks for the encouragement. I dunno...maybe it's the wrong sport at this time. Maybe I should settle for AKC obedience or something. Lots of people love it, and it still counts as bonding. I have to say, always having to beg someone to hold my long line gets disheartening.

Vom Marischal:

While I detect some wearyness due to the injuries, I also detect a great deal of love for the task of properly training a dog.  Have you thought about using apprentices for the mopre physichaly demanding tasks?

You mean taking someone with me, and teaching him/her how to do it?
JEEZE! I NEVER would have thought of that!!!!!!!!