Classes, sports and titles?

We don't have any titles yet but I do consider Neiko a working/sporting dog. Not in the herding sense though.  I have him in agility and disc dog stuff right now and we'll compete in both when the time is right. 

I do want to introduce him to herding though eventually. 

 Emma has her CGC and will get her RN this weekend. We're hoping (against all hope! LOL) to get her into the obedience ring in January or February. Those stand for exams are killing us, in practice. She *hates* that part! She does have a job, though. She comes to work with me, and keeps me company. Her job is to behave while we're there, and work on lead. She does it, fantastically well:)

No Titles here.  And there likely won't ever be titles.  Possibly some race finishes in the far off future, but for now, my dogs jobs are just to pull me on skis... well, once they get new harnesses.  I'm slacking right now.  So, my dogs are runners.  Thats it, but they do work hard when they actually get the chance. 

Hopefully after the first of the year we can get back to some normal obedience -- so much had to come to a halt while Billy was on immune-suppressors.  We had to stop pet therapy with him (the vets flatly told me to NOT do pet therapy while he was so immune suppressed because a kids' cold could have killed him because he was so ultra susceptible.)

However, he's off those but you don't just build back the immune system over night and now we've got the liver/pancreas infection to deal with.

 BUT I'm hoping we can start back to Grandma's House (home for developmentally disabled kids) in January.  Billy LOVES it there -- it is HIS place.

Luna and Kee go to Give Kids the World on the first Saturday ... and I'm hoping that we can also start back to obedience class in January.  It just didn't work while Billy was sick (how much could I, in conscience, leave him home while the other two went and did things?)

As far as titles and stuff -- zero.  I am absolutely, completely the most UN-competitive person in the world.  I hate, loathe and despise it for myself -- it probably comes from having been the kid who had arthritis who never could be 'first' in anything ever.  I just plain hate contests of any sort (except for "best tail wag" and mostly that was because Billy needed some confidence).  I know others enjoy it, but I look at the risk of injury and I think Huh??? when I spend as much on vet bills as I do why would anyone court injury?  *grin*

I know I'm an enigma -- but we sure do like pet therapy!!

Callie, it's not likely to be injured walking around a ring at a heel, LOL. I wouldn't be caught dead running around an agility ring (you know me and Emma, I'd trip on her, end up flat on my face, and she'd run into an obstacle, LOL), but rally is *fun*! It's all done at a normal, walking pace, and the highest jump Emma has to do is 8".

However, I am competetive. I love to win. I won spelling bees and chess tournaments Nerd child, anyone? 

We got Kenya's CGC and are currently in a pet therapy training program.  When we are done, we will be tested and can join the local therapy dog group (however in order to go to the childrens hospital, we have to take the Delta Society's test).

We have taken classes in agility and rally.  We are starting a rally practice group tomorrow night and taking another class in January.  Now that her registration to me is complete, we can compete at any time (we've done one AKC match).  We'll continue with agility in the spring (all of the training is outdoors here and now is 20 degrees and snowing).

I want to get at least an RA in rally and am not sure about agility yet because I haven't decided which venues to compete in.  Probably CPE for starters, since it's so relaxed and Kenya's breeder/trainer/previous owner hosts trials at her home/training facility. 

I have a slight interest in finishing Kenya's UKC grand champion conformation title (she is U-CH and has two legs for the grand champ), but she was spayed, so I'd be cheating.  Probably not! 

I'm also interested in trialing in obedience, either UKC or AKC, I don't care.  Right now I'm mainly focusing on agility because she is already 4 years old and I'm just starting (she is already trained and has her height card for AKC competition).  We can dabble in more formal obedience later on. 

my dogs are definatly working dogs!  Kodi, sence she is disabled, cant "work" as far as hunting etc, (and i dont hunt, so no use training her there) but she is my demo dog as i am a trainer at our local petco.  Diesel has obedience titles (RN and CD), has been used to "hunt" coyote.. (hes quite dog aggressive, so he has better eyes/nose than us humans do when we go out in our pasture at night to try and shoot the pesky coyotes that are hurting our cattle!) and he will soon be doing therapy work at our local hospitals pediatric center (he loves kids so this is great for him!)..as for Tessa- she will be all around working for sure..shes young now, so just doing obedience for now(entered in her 1st show-rally novice Jan. 19th..the week after she turns 6 months old!) and she also comes to work with me, and is training for my demo dog(she does VERY well for a 4 month old puppy!).., but she will also hopefully do agility, herding and ring sport/schutzhund.  I will start working her on our yearling cattle before to much longer (about to wean some off and put them in the front pasture-dont want her around 80 head of long horn cattle just yet!)..and i do plan on eventually using her to help us moving cattle..ive even played with the idea of maybe one day training her and Diesel in carting!.  So yes, my dogs are working dogs, both in the field and in sports! 

jennie_c_d

Callie, it's not likely to be injured walking around a ring at a heel, LOL. I wouldn't be caught dead running around an agility ring (you know me and Emma, I'd trip on her, end up flat on my face, and she'd run into an obstacle, LOL), but rally is *fun*! It's all done at a normal, walking pace, and the highest jump Emma has to do is 8".

However, I am competetive. I love to win. I won spelling bees and chess tournaments Nerd child, anyone? 

Yeah I know there are safe sports -- we've done some rally and ... *sigh* I hate it.  That's just plain ME.  I am just literally the least competitive person ever ... it's downright un-American .. but I just plain don't like it and it's hard for me to understand what others find so attractive about it *grin*.  I want to give everyone success and build them 'up' ... LOL

No competition or sports here.....I own a mixed bag of dogs, some are guard dogs,and doing an excellent job of it, some are motivators for exercise and play.....Shepherds and Husky mixes.....go figure.....lol

Wow, what cool "working" dogs everyone has, it's interesting to read this as where I moved from (Hawaii) there wasn't much for organized dog sports, so coming here and starting the kids in classes has really opened my eyes to it, and there seem to be many more here (Nevada) that are interested in working with their dogs... but, clearly this being a dog forum, I was sure that practically everyone would have a 'job' for their dog (whatever that means to you and your pet.)

Keep it coming guys!   

All of my guys have their CGCs.

Bevo & I compete in obedience & have began rally.  Bev has his UD & is two legs away from his UDX.  He has his RN as well.  We are currently taking a break from the obedience ring, but we are training hard to get him registered as a therapy dog.

Shooter has earned his CD.  My ultimate goal for Shooter is a UD, which at least in my opinion, is a big accomplishment for a stubborn dachshund.  He has just started earthdog classes, & we are also training to have him registered as a therapy dog.

Well, Jack was suppose to be my agility/Rally/obedience/hunt test dog, but the whole elbow dysplasia put an end to that idea.  From what I understand, even though he has been cleared by his vet, he would be DQed from even Rally because he will always have a bit of a hitch to his step at the jog.  However, Sally's trainer is an APDT Rally judge and she said that he could do Rally in that organization as long as he had a pass from the vet.

However, the vet did tell us that we could take beginner agility classes as long as we stay away from weaving and jumps.  I also found a place in the Chicago area that does tracking classes, and I think he could do that without a problem.   

Dess, the terv, has his CH, CD, RN, PT and leg/placement in HSAs (AKC)  and a JHD in AHBA.  He will be competing for his RA this spring.

Nora has 10 points toward her CH (one major).

Both dogs have herding lessons.  I teach obedience, so I dont usually have time for classes in those (rally/ob) at the moment.  We just practice.