Ringsport - Page 1

Alphapup

I guess I missed our chats!  I don't know what it is, but every time I read your posts, I feel the need to respond.  You have SOME valid points, but many times I feel that you have a very narrow and closed mind.  I'm not trying to be the defender of SchH, but you slam the sport every chance you get.  Have you ever titled a dog in any sport?  You continuosly bash SchH for not producing "iren and steeel", which I believe is iron and steele.  Who has ever com on this board and made the statement that SchH dogs are bad ass?  Get over it.  It is a fun sport for many!  It is a triathalon.  Not everyone in the world is insecure in their masculinity, that they need a bad ass dog on the end of a leash.

I do agree with you that not every dog that has recieved a SchH3 is breed worthy.  Heck, some of the dogs I've seen that have recieved SchH3 are a joke.  The fact of the matter, is that it is a SPORT.  Believe it or not, some people out ther have tracking and obedience as their favorite phase.  Most people are in the sport to have fun with their dog.  They are not out there to prepare their dog for service or war. 

As to the comment that SchH is choreographed is awesome!  Have you ever been to a club and watched obedience?  Do you really believe that everyone does the trial pattern all day and every day in their training?  How else can you judge people fairly without having everyone do the exact same thing? Are you telling all of us that PSA, Ring and all other SPORTS don't have a structure in place?  Unless you are training for law enforcement, military or exec. protection dogs, it is a SPORT. 

Alpha, I'm sure that you and I could co-exist in some universe.  I want to express that I don't think you are 100% wrong, but I think sometimes you are narrow minded.  The gsd is supposed to be a versatile working dog.  I wish you would stop bashing people who go out and actually train and trial their dogs.  There are plenty of other people out there doing less that you could single out.  Besides this was started as a ring thread.  Please concentrate on the topic at hand. 

I guess I kind of agree with Don, partially, though the experience I had with the SchH club i attended was horrible.  I made the error of saying one afternoon, "I am going to start doing some AKC agility training for fun."  I got the most upturned noses and comments about how stupid an idea that was and you know what.  I did it anyway and dog-gone it's fun.  The dogs LOVE it, I love it and frankly and I dont mean to step on toes, but those low life AKC obedience people cheer for you and mean it, NOT cheer for you and then lean over to the friend next to them and whisper about what a piece of mud pie your dog is and what a boob you are for owning such a mud pie.  I enjoy a lot of different dog sports and I dont trash any of them. Neither am I a coward about standing my ground or a hiney kisser just to make someone like me. 

Be careful with overgeneralizations "all schH" or "all ringsport" or "all .... fill in the blank"  It will almost always come back to bite you in the unsleeved area :)

I doubt anyone saw my post and was able to catch the show while it aired, but thought it worth trying anyway. I watched the program this morning to somewhat educate myself and obtain a fundamental understanding on what the sport is about.  The show was most likely a toned-down version, seeing as there were no dogs flying in the air---which was good for me....didn't have to hold my breath. The program really focused on Malinois', not GSDs. A challenge that I thoroughly enjoyed was 'guarding the basket'.  The handler was nowhere in sight, and the dog had to think for herself as the decoy tried to steal the basket that her paws were in.  The decoy made several attempts from different locations...always trying to confuse the dog.  She was graded on  her ability to fend him off while protecting the basket. (That dog was on her own---no directions.)  She was allowed a bite and was given 5 seconds to out herself.  I loved it.

I also enjoyed the challenge where the dog is sent after the decoy from afar. Then...just 2 yards from reaching the decoy at high speed, she is called off the attack by the handler.  The dog abruptly turns away before biting.  Remarkable. (As I'm not someone involved in schutzhund, I don't know if this exercise is foreign to that club.....but, I don't ever remember having seen this particular routine before while watching videos.

The 7 1/2 jump from the top of a non-graded wall didn't sit well with me, though.....a little too steep for my taste......the landings were scary.  I would have run up and caught the dog. (LOL).

(There were 2 dogs focused on in the 'guarding the basket' challenge.  One waited until the decoy actually touched the basket, the other attacked when the decoy got too close (about 2 ft away).  I preferred the former dog's reaction to the latter, but wondered what would be considered the proper response (didn't get  a clear picture from what was said).)

LMH.

  Watched it and thought it was very interesting, more so if you are into Mals...A few weeks ago they had on the K9 competitions which were all GSds, that was terrific to see...I did enjoy "guard the basket" and think it takes a good dog with lots of training to accomplish that feat...Mals are nice but for me there is only 1 breed of dog; German Sheperds...For me watching a GSD work (as in K9) is like fine art, Beauty in motion...

  There are no bad GSDs out there only bad GSD owners...I speak from experience having had a very hard male that was very difficult to handle..We did come to a working agreement and I never bit his ears or muzzle but did use a strong choke collar on him while walking that made him into a decent enough boy...As soon as the walk was over which we did about 3 miles day every day the choke came off and his regular collar went back on...I'd like to think that he was the exceprtion rather than the rule when it came to GSDs...Talk about smart, but extremely hard with everyone but me...

  Sundays iun the early Am on the Animal Chan there seems to be something every week with either Mals or GSDs...

  RAB

roborob--I have also seen the K9 competitions---that show shed a favorable light on the sport of  Schutzhund, IMO. I agree, it was terrific.

I remember reading somewhere last week that you're getting a pup in the fall.  I even checked out the litters on the website you mentioned. You must be very excited awaiting the births----good luck with whatever pup you choose.

LMH,

 Excited is putting it mildly, we expect the breeding to take place very soon which should result in available pups sometime in Oct...???In the meantime we are taking (buying) a 2 yr old female from the breeder that never came into heat but is a great dog with an impccable pedigree, her name is Cora vom Haus Winheim, check her out...

 If you checked the website then you know who the bitch and sire are, both ahould produce terrific pups as I know "Falco" is as good a stud as is around and have seen his progeny...(We are planning on getting the pup, a male out of the breeding between "Jara" and Falco which is the 2nd planned breeding...)

 I have resisted too many posts as sometimes its better to allow ones actions to speak for themselves... 

 Thanks for your support, its nice to have,

  Rob