doggie drill team - Page 1

well, angus and i have joined a doggie drill team (actually, we were asked to join; are you impressed?) and we are performing at the LA County Fair on the weekends.  angus and i are participating on sat nites. yes, it is somewhat dorky, but, hey, angus is not a "hard" dog and this gets him out and about. as the manager of a mountain "resort" ( sounds MUCH grander than it is) said, "not all dogs are meant to be warriors". i like to think that angus is an "ambassador" for the breed. he gets to be around a bunch of other dogs - he loves the golden retrievers and his little pal, a Texas Blue Lacey, named, oddly enough, Lacey. what a neat little breed. google them, they're interesting. there's another gsd, a female about 7 months old. very pretty and she and angus get along very nicely too. his preference tho, is for really dinky little dogs. anyway, before and after our "performances", he gets petted (with permission and supervision) and we get lots of complements about his behavior and temperment. there was even a lady who'd been almost bitten by another gsd who knelt down to pet angus. i was very pleased that every kid ASKED if they could pet him. there are some good parents out there. the only thing i can't seem to do is train angus to bark for the "are you proud to be an American" spot. he will shake hands tho. so, for those out there whose dogs and interests are not in the "hard drive" catagories, there are other options out there; even if they are a bit goofy. hey, my parents are in their late 70's and ride a harley - daddy has hair down to the middle of his back, mom has her red leather jacket and chaps and i am in a doggie drill team. i made a very strange turn down an uncommon path sometime after i had my son. i used to be wild (ish). the last 15 years - pta and doggie drill team...... 

It sounds like you both enjoy what you are doing. So keep doing it no matter what others might say or think. Good friends of mine posted this and I always have remembered it

Quote "Not all dog's will have what it takes to be a champion or police service dog.  We feel however, each dog can benefit society in some form or fashion.  Just like all of us are not sports professionals, singers or famous celebrities.  However we are great parents, sons and daughters and dedicated to the breed"

EK

Sounds like Angus is my sort of dog; I like 'em soft and sweet . My first was the same and I'm pretty sure that dog sold a lot of people on this breed; he was a hit everywhere he went. The drill team sounds like a lot of fun, I'd enjoy that myself.

thanks, i know angus enjoys the activity and socializing. and he is soft and sweet - i think every little girl who hugged him and ran her hands thru his hair said just that. i did try to make sure people understood that all gsds are not as mild as angus is, but that with training, these are such wonderful dogs for families. i recently read that the gsd was the third most popular breed in la county. everyone must be keeping their dogs hidden, cuz i don't see too many of them too often.

Good for you.  You're doing something with him and helping teach people the correct way to approach dogs they don't know.  AND letting people know GSD's are not the "dangerous" dogs so often portrayed.   Shoot even my ultra high drive working lines are not dangerous, just don't try to come in my house when I'm not home. 

a little update: angus and i have completed 3 nights of drill team at the la county fair. we were even "featured" last saturday in basic obedience, then one of the owners did "off-leash" work, then we did our drill.  we answer questions and allow petting after our drill and one night, angus and i went over to a young guy sitting next to an old lady in a wheel chair. angus gave the guy a very brief "hello" and turned and sat next to the old lady. he very gently laid his head on her knee and waited for her to notice him (she was petting another dog). he was so gentle and sweet and she was thrilled to see him waiting his turn. it's amazing to me how sometimes these dogs seem to know when to be extra careful.  one of the dinky little dogs (sadie, a chi-weenie) who is somewhat timid, has now progressed to flirting with angus-licking his face, little butt in the air, etc. sadly, this romance is doomed; sadie is about 8-9 inches high and angus is over 28" at the withers. o well. we are also going to be part of the drill team for the san dimas western days parade. again, for those out there who don't  or can't compete in some of the harder sports, this can be fun and show off the gsd as a socialized and family-oriented pet .

Good job.  Sounds like you and Angus could expand into therapy work too.  Go visit some senior housing, make a lot of people smile. 

animules, thanks. the people who have the training business and are in charge of the drill team are also looking to get into therapy work as a group project. we're talking about the READ program where we take the dogs to libraries to assist with reading programs (kids who have trouble reading, are not necessarily comfortable around adults, but will open up and relax with a dog to read to) and i've asked if we can look into VA hospital visits/physical/mental rehab for our veterans. so, we're definitely heading in that direction

Not every GSD is suited for what Angus is doing either - not by a long shot.  It takes a very special  dog, and it is important work.  I hope you do get into formal therapy work with him, from your description of him with the lady who had been bitten and the elderly lady in the wheelchair, he has a real knack for therapy.  Tthere are so many people who will benefit from a dog like him. 

The doggy drill team part of it sounds like a real hoot!  If you get pics, please share them with us.

Good for you and Angus.  I hope you do get to do therapy dog work. It can be very rewarding. My 6 year old GSD is very soft and sweet too; she and I have done some therapy dog work in a nursing home. An elderly lady who hadn't spoken or smiled in days broke into a huge smile when she saw my girl. My sweet dog wagged her tail and moved closer so the lady could pet her and speak to her. The nurses aide said we'd made that lady's day.

Every dog has a special talent and it's up to us good owners to find and use that talent.

And please do share photos of you and Angus in the drill team.