I have been spreading my wings as a trainer in more than just size differences and temperament differences in dogs trained for the AKC ring, but I have taken on clients and friends dogs to get my experience in the ring. Some trainers have a large family of dogs, in case things happen where their dogs can no longer accompany them into the ring. I like for MY dogs to have all my attention when clients dogs are here, and I feel I have only enough energy to keep 2-3 dogs of my own perfectly happy and content. Some trainers have even been known to train a foster dog to this task, but the problem comes in when you don't want to hold up a perfect home for the dog (or now you can't part with your foster LOL). Taking on clients dogs is a unique opportunity.
From the owners, I need access to the dogs during weekdays. My client brings his dog to daycare due to this, and my friends are at work...so Bri is available to me during the weekdays. Other factors can influence me on what is best to train on that day. Today for instance, we have a moment of cold and windy (but sunny weather) that may bring more hardy Mainers out to some outdoor places. So today might be a great day to bring a dog into distracting areas to do long downs or sit on the dogs. Last few days were rainy, so we did a lot of group indoor stays with whoever was here and able to do that with Magoo and Bri. You can make an indoor environment more distracting by bouncing balls, using an untrained puppy named Boris to run around and play through the participants, opening doors, timing it to when vehicles to pick up daycare are coming ET. While it might not be worth it to go out and find distractions (as they won't be plentiful or probably on rainy days), you can still practice indoors.
I am really trying to make these practices count, and not try to overwork the dogs plus have them be practice sessions that will turn out to bite me in the butt in the ring (not ever literally of course
Other things can effect what I work on during the day. Who is here is sometimes a consideration. Magoo gets along with everybody, and so far everybody likes him (human and canine LOL). But Bri and Roxy are not so fond of each other. It's not clearly evident unless they invade the other's space, but I prefer not to have them interact too often. So since Roxy is coming here today to board, it's a good day to work with Bri off the property in distracting and public areas. Thankfully, the weather is also cooperating with this plan today.
I have realized by getting my legs in the past, even if something goes a little wrong, I can usually save both of us from pointing out by keeping my body language the same, when I am in the ring. So the dog can go "oh look at this piece of straw in the ring", "oops wait where did my handler go, I better catch up." If I instead look back, as if I am going back to the dog, I have clouded my signals up for my partner. I am no longer in a leader position, as I have instead indicated that I may go back for them. This can make an oopsy worse than it needed to be.
In training dogs that are not mine, I have found it quite different than training my own. At home, I only have to worry about the humans who live here being inconsistent. I can't control that when Bri and Magoo's owners interact with them. I can give them clues and tips, but I know they both use the term "come" differently than I do in the ring. It might have been smart of me to develop a different word for the recall in the ring, but we are a bit too far along to mess with things right at this moment. I often don't have the opportunity to work them around their owners either, which provides a much different type of distraction in the ring. As you could see in the video, Bri wasn't looking towards her owner, so she has become used to her owner being with me when in the ring from last year. Many times, training may not be used in the home of the dog at all!! So the only time they get practice is with you. Should I ever wish to become a professional handler for others (a long time from now), it will be imperitive that I have these things sorted out and planned for. First, I need to get better at my handling skills. Luckily, I enjoy the art of dog training, and the bonds it creates between me and my canine friends.
Do I want to do this ring style body langauge when just going for a casual walk with my dogs normally? Of course not... The better you can prepare your dog for a scenario that may not be usual, in general, the better you can prepare your dog for real life situations. By training my dogs and others for public as well as private performances, I can provide more opportunities of enjoyment and freedom for mine and others' dogs.
http://www.mannerlymutts.com
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