Puppies!
Stan x Shred
2 weeks to go and she's bloody huge!!!!
Puppies in bound!
Sarg
Sarg with some nice transitions last night.
Excellent helper work from Kaizen K9's Kang!
Let dogs be dogs
Let dogs be dogs
We like dogs because they are dogs. They arent fashion accessories. So don't believe the people who say keep them on a short leash and keep them next to you all the time. Dogs deserve to dog. Get them on a long lead if and whenever possible. Ideally, one day, off leash if it is safe to do so. They deserve freedom.
Obviously there will be times when you'll need to hold them short. There will also be times when you need to teach them to walk on a loose leash next to you, calmly. However, do these things when required and with Empathy. Treat them as a necessary evil, not the way it has to be all the time.
Because no flesh and blood dog would rather trot next to you than run around and explore the world. Let your dog be a dog!
Creating a pack... dog trainer skill? Or natural dog behaviour?
Creating a pack!
Marvel at my amazing skill of creating a pack of dogs!
Hopefully the sarcasm was not lost here...
Dogs live in packs. They innately know how this goes. So given the opportunity, most dogs will quickly organise themselves into a pack structure, safely.
Creating this isn't some unique or complex dog training skill. Dogs are experts in dog behaviour. They know how this works and they will typically take care of business. (Obviously there are some exceptions)
Good dog training skill is creating strong behaviours with competing motivators that a dog will perform with love. Not letting dogs run in a pack.
Most people can get dogs running together with enough time. Because the dogs do it... not the trainer....
Let's stop celebrating it like it's some amazing achievement and let's start celebrating real dog training.
Delta!
Heidi, and her mum Jolene, are doing some great work with this fun Rotty bitch!
Delta is full of life and exuberance. These guys are harnessing it rather than suppressing it. Great stuff ladies! It's a beautiful thing!
The Electric Collar = Freedom!
And every dog deserves freedom!
The time has come for dog trainers around the world to demonstrate the benefits of ecollars or they may be banned everywhere, and many dogs will suffer as a result.
This is Frank. Frank has a history of dog aggression and high predatory behaviour towards other animals. He is a dog that would love to chase and try and kill kangaroos. His owner is one of our staff members. Frank is the first dog she has trained. So, a relatively inexperienced dog trainer, using an ecollar (along with sound dog training practices) has taught her dog a reliable recall even when in predation.
Now, go google, YouTube, insta search, look far and wide for a single "expert", a single highly experienced "positive only" dog trainer doing the same with a dog they own. An aggressive dog. A dog that has exhibited true predatory behaviours. A dog that is in predation.
You won't find one. Not one... Why? Kat is a young dog trainer early in her career and she has achieved it with her first dog. The positive only/force free "experts" cannot achieve it. At all...
The simple answer. A dog, that has retained its natural instincts can never be taught to reliably recall from prey, or perceived prey, without the use of some corrective action. Regardless of what quadrant you want to call it, or ethological principle you think you're using. An ecollar can provide this guidance without causing injury and with the minimum of stress. When used correctly ecollars can improve a dogs quality of life.
Imagine if Frank was owned by Zac George, Susan Garrett, or one of their zealots. Stuck on leash for life, treats forced into his face, harrassed relentlessly for "engagement", drugged, or kept in a small yard.
Such abuse shouldn't be tolerated. Especially when those perpetuating, promoting, and teaching this abuse speak so loudly against the tools that provide dogs like Frank timely and safe freedom.
Congratulations to Kat and Frank! Fran
Fragg and Samantha IGP 3
A = 94 B = 97 C = 95
To many who watched this teams run outs and performances at Ironside Dog Sports latest trial you may have thought this came easy to Samantha and Fragg. It's a reasonable assumption due to the free flowing, almost effortless display where dog and handler appeared to know what each other were thinking.
Well, you would be very wrong. This team have had quite the journey to get here, with many ups and downs.
Samantha failed her first three attempts at IGP1. One with her first dog Synda, and two attempts with Fragg. This included the heartbreaking DQ in Adelaide when Fragg, ahead on points and destined to win almost everything, failed to release the last out.
From what I've seen in this unforgiving sport, most people run and never return after one failure. Samantha is made of something else. She is resilient and fearless. Each time she came back stronger and more prepared. This attitude helped her overcome these failures. She saw them as attempts, not failures and persevered.
Frag was raised until his was around 6 months old in a kennel bank. When he arrived he was a hectic mess. Completely dog focused, lacking food and play drive and displaying almost zero self confidence. I remember saying to Samantha that he will not recover. She had other ideas.
Fast forward to this trial. Frags genetics have come through. He is confident, strong, fast across the ground and tenacious. He's diminutive but extremely powerful and highly trainable. Samantha brought that out through diligent hard work, determination, skill and a never give up mentality. At the same time she established excellent control and taught Frag to focus in the tracking.
The result we saw on the weekend wasn't because Fragg is an easy dog to train, it wasn't because this comes easy to Samantha, and it wasn't because of anyone else.
This teams results are due to Fraggs excellent genetic make up, Samantha's work ethic, determination, strength of character, t
