GSDCA TT/TC - Page 3

nicole, just pick out what works for you and your dog. doesn't matter what venue it is. when th TT first came out (think that's what it was called, the umbrella was actually popped open. that obviousley didn't last, show dogs are bred to win shows from dogs that win shows.

other stuff is often overlooked. just the way it is. and it's the fault of the parent clubs, 100%.

Rik

Rik, actually the popping open of the umbrella managed to last several decades & was a good tool. A dog was allowed to startle as long as they had the ability to recover and on their own go back to check it out. But of course over time that changed to slowly gently opening the umbrella and allowing mom to baby the dog to it. So from what Nicole said they don't even open it anymore??

In the early years there were a couple of very strong bad ass dogs who just shredded it to pieces for the temerity of popping into their face so many people avoided volunteering for that job. Lol.

 

 

tig, it was a few decades ago when I did this. :)

honestly, today, people have to decide (like nicole is doing) what is acceptable. way before I knew anything about the real GSD, I could not tolerate poor temperment. A very prominent GSD judge/breeder, who started in Euro GSD in the 70's told me that the ASL can not be reversed into what a GSD was originally intended. no hope/no way.

 

They do open the umbrella still! I agree @Rik they also seem to focus more on getting a reaction than actual stable dogs that DGAF. A dog not caring about something should not be marked down unless it is the threatening stranger portion of the test, IMO. My own dog is half ASL so I feel there is still some great genetics available if people would just stop breeding for silly things. It is a shame that breed clubs must be so political and can't just be about the dogs.

On another topic, I found out that the field site we are going to be working at for wildlife carcass detection is only 10 minutes from a very experienced stockdog trainer. I don't have livestock but I think it would be fun to see what kind of herding instincts i'm working with and dabble in that. It would be nice to get him used to livestock outside of horses too before I go to vet school. Anyone here do that kind of thing? That world is pretty new to me.

I am finding that everything I do with him he learns and masters very quickly so I keep having to pick up new activities to keep him mentally stimulated and satiated with his absurd needs. Service dog training was supposed to take two years, only took a little over a year for him to pass the PAT and graduate the program. He also breezed through the detection work stages in like two months to the point where I am the one holding him back on the progression in that (Any tips for managing long lines?? Transects are a bitch with this guy. He wants to RUN to odor, not walk).

Dock diving is fun, but I can't justify the $$ it takes to get the 15 entries required for national qualifiers though (~$300 just for entries!). My vet just bought an agility course so I guess we will pick that up prior to the field season to switch things up when not doing detection work. This dog is more drivey and has a better work ethic than WL malinois I've owned. I've successfully trained him to pretend to be calm in public while doing service work as long as I need him to be composed and settle on command or stay on place, but the rest of the time he's a damn tornado of a dog. At least he pays the bills lol.

nicole, if you want an old timer view and maybe save you a little time, pick and choose whatever activity, from whatever venue is available and you and your dog enjoy.

a GSDCA TT/TC, AKC obedience/tracking titles are worth exactly what you and your dog put into them. just ignore the clutter. There are Sch./Koer classed dogs coming to the U.S. that don't know the fuss, so it's not just AKC.

just because someone else is short cutting doesn't mean you have to or that what you and your dog work for and earn is of no value.

I have a friend who still breeds top AKC Champions and he has never compromised on what he feels is important, character (well as far as ASL character goes), hips, elbows and now he is very focused on DM. and he by most all measures is very successful. not my cup of tea anymore, but he did ignore the distractions and did focus on what he felt was/is important to him.

jmo,
Rik