06/02/2024
The Importance of Connection and Confidence
I have a learned a lot about confidence in the dog world, both mine and theirs, and most of it has been hard won. A lot of the talk I hear on poodles is that they lack the "intensity" found in other breeds. A common rebuttle being is that their thoughtful dogs, not untrue but I would like to challenge that. I've seen lots of poodles, and dogs, run. I've seen lots of different handlers and dog relationships and I think a lot of the time watching a dog for even an hour doesn't paint the whole picture, especially in older animals. But circling back... part of building a robust working dog is first and foremost building a trust in their handler. I for one, have been lucky (and sometimes tested violently), choosing to share my life with aloof and sensitive dogs. They do not naturally walk into a setting and trust that their handler will provide a firm base, or able to hold up their end of the bargain. I have met some poodles who excel by simply being overly outgoing, friendly, or for lack of a better word lackadaisical. But loosing the aloofness does not give me what I originally wanted in said dog. If I wanted a intense happy constantly dog I'd be running labs (great dogs just not my favorite to live with).
However you take a dog with some natural hesitation and questioning of your ability and throw them into a situation they're not used to, they will often balk. This is often interpreted in many ways in many dog breeds, I've heard everything from shy, reactive, nervous, ect. and the standard protocol is to just expose them more. Get them to trust you as a handler and teacher that they will be alright in these situations. Which is true, and you should but it doesn't always need to be blamed on the environment, sometimes the dog simply has not had the time to connect and trust you as their handler.
But circling back to the world of competition, directly hunting, I have seen and found more often than not the handlers confidence in the field will almost always translate to the dogs confidence. Retriever tests are one thing, we have tried to remove any variance so each dog gets the same opportunity for the sake of fairness. We are always at the mercy of nature, but once we include wild game as more often seen in the upland tests, we start to loose control.
I have always been a huge proponent in poodles of, if you choose to, forcing fetching your own dog. A pro can help you, (as many many years ago I was also shown) but more often than not an aloof independent dog will quickly test you and find you to be not as consistent or competent as the pro handler was. This is seen across many sports and even just regular obedience house training. Which means you as a handler must learn and more importantly become confident in your own abilities.
And just to note, finding handlers for my dogs has relied in patience in knowing I had to wait for my dogs to open up and trust them before expecting results; finding handlers that would walk in knowing that on some level they had to prove to my dog they are trustworthy teachers. Regardless of sport or activities you run, if you have a dog with some natural questioning results will come slower and you'll have to put in just as much work as them but it will be worth it.
My argument has never been against poodles as thoughtful but that they are so intrinsically connected to their handlers, that without that connection they simply do not trust you and showcase it in a lack of confidence in the entire situation. Anyone who has had the pleasure of running off breeds I have spoken to will talk about this sensitivity to handlers, this questioning of your partnership and your ability to guide them. However I will argue that there is nothing wrong with the tempermant of a naturally questioning or aloof dog, they will demand a quality handler before ever showcasing their skills. Do not wash a dog out of a program or sport over the fact that you did not meet their expectations. I have always been a believer of there are three things tied to greatness when it comes to dog sports, the handlers abilities, the dogs natural abilities, and the timing in which those two meet.
Flashback image of Cece and her litter mate, bred by Mount Zion Standard Poodles
