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by RLHAR on 01 September 2010 - 13:09
In a concentrated effort to put some conditioning on my young male I've been taking both he and my female out to a large field and throwing the ball for them up and down rolling hills. My husband has recently taken to going with us as it's a chance for him to play with the dogs that he doesn't usually get since both of these dogs are my working SchH dogs.
Last night we are at the field and he's throwing the ball and I look over about 200 yards away were a herd of about 10 deer have surfaced from behind one of the hills and are making their way to the woods that circle the field. I smile at the pretty picture it makes and go...
"Look. Deer."
My husband glances over and his face goes sheet white as he immediately panics.
"OMG, grab the dogs!!!"
I was genuinely surprised at his reaction and stood there for a moment before smiling and saying.
"Relax. Throw the ball."
He looks at me like I'm insane. What am I thinking, throw the ball?? Let the dogs get further away from us?? I making a 'throw, throw' motion with my hand and he obediently (hey the husband's trained also!) hurtles the ball out as he has been and off go my pair tearing after the ball. They catch it and I cheerfully call them "Brrrinnng!" back and back they come.
In between the pair of them tearing ass after the ball and returning, the deer trot off into the woods and blood returns to my husband's face.
As he gets the ball and throws it back out, he looks over at me quizzically and being married for over a decade I can read his mind and just chuckle before explaining.
"What do you think all that work I do with the ball out on the training field means? It's not just a case of 'look at me and prance pretty.' It's focus on me under distraction. A tank should be able to drive by and when we are working those dogs should not care. Sure, we're out here playing fetch with a ball but look around you, honey. This is a wide open field, even though we're playing, this is still an exercise in obedience. Focus is on me, focus is on working with this ball and it doesn't matter what else is going on around them."
He blinked and acknowledged that this is why *I* work the dogs and he doesn't.
But it got me to thinking, I wonder how often people lose sight of the idea of what we're doing out on the training field. Sure in the sport there is all the points and how the dog looks but IMHO that's superficial nonesense. "Fuss" / "Heir" / "Bring" every second our feet are on that field, the philosophy is "attention on me. Nothing else in this world matters, except me" and my dogs respond to that.
And it carries over into the real world. Deer, other dogs, people, motocross bikes (we had one of those go by also) cars, gunfire nothing breaks that obedience and focus on Mom that my dogs have learned through the work we do on the SchH field.
Last night we are at the field and he's throwing the ball and I look over about 200 yards away were a herd of about 10 deer have surfaced from behind one of the hills and are making their way to the woods that circle the field. I smile at the pretty picture it makes and go...
"Look. Deer."
My husband glances over and his face goes sheet white as he immediately panics.
"OMG, grab the dogs!!!"
I was genuinely surprised at his reaction and stood there for a moment before smiling and saying.
"Relax. Throw the ball."
He looks at me like I'm insane. What am I thinking, throw the ball?? Let the dogs get further away from us?? I making a 'throw, throw' motion with my hand and he obediently (hey the husband's trained also!) hurtles the ball out as he has been and off go my pair tearing after the ball. They catch it and I cheerfully call them "Brrrinnng!" back and back they come.
In between the pair of them tearing ass after the ball and returning, the deer trot off into the woods and blood returns to my husband's face.
As he gets the ball and throws it back out, he looks over at me quizzically and being married for over a decade I can read his mind and just chuckle before explaining.
"What do you think all that work I do with the ball out on the training field means? It's not just a case of 'look at me and prance pretty.' It's focus on me under distraction. A tank should be able to drive by and when we are working those dogs should not care. Sure, we're out here playing fetch with a ball but look around you, honey. This is a wide open field, even though we're playing, this is still an exercise in obedience. Focus is on me, focus is on working with this ball and it doesn't matter what else is going on around them."
He blinked and acknowledged that this is why *I* work the dogs and he doesn't.
But it got me to thinking, I wonder how often people lose sight of the idea of what we're doing out on the training field. Sure in the sport there is all the points and how the dog looks but IMHO that's superficial nonesense. "Fuss" / "Heir" / "Bring" every second our feet are on that field, the philosophy is "attention on me. Nothing else in this world matters, except me" and my dogs respond to that.
And it carries over into the real world. Deer, other dogs, people, motocross bikes (we had one of those go by also) cars, gunfire nothing breaks that obedience and focus on Mom that my dogs have learned through the work we do on the SchH field.
by Ruger1 on 01 September 2010 - 13:09
Now this is a serious brag....Good Work....Ruger1
by RLHAR on 01 September 2010 - 14:09
I just found it amusing that both when the motocross bike zipped by and then the deer showed up, my husband paniced about the dogs.
For me it was the most natural thing in the world to just keep throwing the ball and playing our little 'obedience' game and no one gave the distractions a first, let alone a second glance.
For me it was the most natural thing in the world to just keep throwing the ball and playing our little 'obedience' game and no one gave the distractions a first, let alone a second glance.
by Nans gsd on 01 September 2010 - 14:09
WOW: I am totally impressed and thank you for reminding me the homework that I have ahead of me. You are lucky they respond to you that way and under any circumstances. Can I ask how old they are and obviously well seasoned for the job. Love that: thanks for sharing. Nan
by raymond on 01 September 2010 - 15:09
seems like your husband needs a lot more focus work! Just kiddin! Will he chase a ball? Everything you said is truth in action!
by RLHAR on 01 September 2010 - 15:09
Nan,
The female is 3 and has a SchH I title. The male is 11 months old.
The female is 3 and has a SchH I title. The male is 11 months old.
by Louise M. Penery on 01 September 2010 - 23:09
It means not just focus on the ball and you--but the ability focus and contain drives....period. My boy Zeek had a tractor plow the tracking field duing a trial. The handler declined the option of a new track for Mr. Dependability. He idicated a completely plowed.
Once , years later, after someone had laid him a training track in a marshy, swampy field outside Kaiser Hospital in Vacaville, I got stuck in muddy clay while laying someone else's track and thought I'd never free myself. Finally, when it was time to run Zeek's track, I panicked and told my friend to handle Zeek (then, SchH3and IPO3) on the track. He did a wonderful job, going through mini-lakes and easily picking up the track on the other side of these bodies of water. My dogs are trained and love the work so that they will work reliably when anyone handles them. They don't need repeated trialing competiton to prove their training.
I've had Nimo ignore free-ranging chickens while playing games of two balls. Just the commands of "leave it" and "bring" did the trick.
Once , years later, after someone had laid him a training track in a marshy, swampy field outside Kaiser Hospital in Vacaville, I got stuck in muddy clay while laying someone else's track and thought I'd never free myself. Finally, when it was time to run Zeek's track, I panicked and told my friend to handle Zeek (then, SchH3and IPO3) on the track. He did a wonderful job, going through mini-lakes and easily picking up the track on the other side of these bodies of water. My dogs are trained and love the work so that they will work reliably when anyone handles them. They don't need repeated trialing competiton to prove their training.
I've had Nimo ignore free-ranging chickens while playing games of two balls. Just the commands of "leave it" and "bring" did the trick.
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