[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Just Wondering
- From: EJDegen@xxxxxxx
- To: GrnRam415@xxxxxxx, showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2005 18:06:23 EDT
I started with performance sports and *love* the relationship that I develop
with dogs that I work. Conformation came later for me and I really love
having a dog that can work and looks beautiful doing it :-)
I've done obedience, tracking, herding, flyball, and agility. Each sport
has its own benefits. Every dog has a sport that they may prefer or excel
doing. For example, my first PAM CH, Tori, was a great girl, but would have
needed a LOT more accesibility to sheep time than we had available to us when
she
was young. With her, I decided to spend her time (and money) on things
other than herding because she *loved* herding....too much. Agility was a lot
less stressful for me :-)
Agility is a blast because every course is unique. Various areas of the
country have different personalities at their trials, but over all I've found
agility to be relaxed and less formal than obedience. Everyone is rooting for
everyone else to do well. Also, I didn't have to put as much time &
intensity into training agility as some other sports. Not that agility is
EASY, or
that we couldn't do better if I *DID* put more time/effort into training....
There's not much else like the feeling of "partnership" that you get when
you're heeling with a really good dog. Heeling done right should be a "dance"
with you and your partner. It's a beautiful thing. To get to this level
does take a lot of work, but it's worth the time if you have it.
I started herding (before AKC had a program) because THAT was my first dog's
favorite thing to do. He did obedience for me and I did herding for him.
His love for it caused me to also fall in love with the sport. I have been
eagerly awaiting the day that we will retire from the military and I will be
able to spend a lot more time herding with my OWN sheep...my only regret is
that Scamp was never able to live on a farm. The drawback of herding is COST
and accessibility.
Tracking is a great sport and WONDERFUL to start young puppies. I started
tracking my last dog at 11 weeks. She was certified for her TD at 4 months
and earned her TD at the national in her first test at just under 9 months of
age. We were able to do TD tracking when she was still a baby and too young
to do a lot of other sports (altho I like to introduce a lot of stuff to the
babies, I teach them, I don't *train* them). The drawback of tracking is
finding the location to do it and it can be time intensive. I also won't
track
in the summer (hate bugs & heat). The great thing about it is that you can
not track for YEARS and the dogs don't lose a thing.
Flyball is a fun team sport. The level of fun depends on your team. It's
VERY noisy :-), but it's an inexpensive sport that is a great stress reliever
for the dogs and doesn't take a lot of training to be able to participate.
My Golden *loved* flyball as did my GSD Tori. I've taken a flyball class with
Cassie (PAM CH Carousel Farms Caisson TD PT AX OAJ) and she LOVED it and
when we have more time (someday!) and we live somewhere with a good team,
she'd
love to play.
So, in summary, every dog is different. YOU have to decide what YOU like to
do and then try out some different sports. Your dog will tell you what they
like....and you may start doing several new sports :-)
Julie Degen
Msg: #3 in digest
From: GrnRam415@xxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 14:00:22 EDT
Subject: Just Wondering
I have noticed a lot of brags on the list, in the last year or so, of many
CH, GV's etc, getting titles and such in performance events. So, I was
wondering, for those of you that do performance events with your dogs, what
do you
choose and why?
There is no real reason for me asking, just curious to see what you do with
the dogs after they finish.
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