NASS commentary - Page 7

Lol Shelley...you and I have very similar tastes! I am all for temperament breeding with excellent structure as a bonus and I am planning a litter from Yash and one from Yacco (Mike email me if you read this!!) this year from 2 Jaguar Mausespitz daughters- if you were at the NASS in Madison years ago where he made VA I'm sure you'll remember him, he's quite memorable. I plan to hold back a bitch from each litter, expect to see those 2 "repping" the HOT dogs in a few years!

I also did a breeding with my HOT bitch to HOT Santo....how's that for handler/owner/trained love? Their temperament was outstanding, and Santo has a nice alternative pedigree. Great job Ray! One of my pup's owners also said her vet, upon checkin her hips, said they were the best he'd ever seen on a german shepherd dog. (The same bitch made SG2 at a regional event) Show ratings are great to have, don't get me wrong- but I celebrate what's really important.

I think it would be lovely of the WDA to give the highest rated HOT dogs in each gender class some recognition.

And Dennis, wow, what a super, super bitch. Next time someone asks me where to get a nice working line dog, I know where I'm sending them. You have my complete respect for doing such an impressive job.

Also, Preston said: "Any GSD with correct temperament can fail the bitework at any time without being a spook, or having weak nerves due to many possible reasons, training being the main one.". I completely agree. Training, training, training is the key to consistency for many dogs!

I noticed the top males group was moved around quite a bit, amny males losing significant placements. In many cases looked to me like conditioning. Any thoughts on that, anyone?

JENNA   a female with speed in the courage test ,  but..... the helper work on this clip has nothing to do with a courage test

stands still and holding the sleeve to let the female run against it ,

Ilse from what I understand, the helper was a young man visiting from Germany and he was pretty inexperienced.  Jenna caught him by surprise.

Jenna caught him by surprise.

The understatement of the day. Ha ha ha. Jenna-girl nearly served his breakfast back to him for all the world to see. I have two females just like her. Unlike Johnson, I didn't have the sense to resist entering one of them in th NASS. Ha ha ha. (see 18-24 mos. LAST place.)

... not the wisest of ideas to pick a fight with a trial photographer.

If I suck up can you make my gray working dogs look BEE-U-TEE-FULL???

In many cases looked to me like conditioning.     DEFINITELY! Also heat tolerance, as sadly demonstrated by Margman Torsten. Its never HOT in Estonia!

I didn't think the people were too close to the protection work, but then again, I DO try to expose my dogs to close crowding before they are entered in their first event/trial/show, (its called neutralizing where I come from) along with working in a crowded stadium, which can also adversely affect a dog unused to that environment. It can be done, you just have to put on your thinking cap and beg for favors in your community. High school football games provide a fabulous opportunity if you can raise some community spirit by demonstarting  "local dog makes good" at a game, especially in a small town. Sure, you may have to entice your helper to drive 100 miles to work the dog for 10 minutes, but I've been begging for permission to track on people's property for so long I guess it comes naturally to me anymore. What's one more beg to a school principal, especially considering the possible consequences of omitting an important part of my dogs' seasoning process? LOL  I even arranged to train at a military installation one time back in California, no shortage of K9 handlers willing to crowd my dog there. Its all about how important it is to YOU.

Can I suggest a real life scenario rather than a predictable training circle? ... perhaps the Monogahela National Forest, at a roaring stream crossing in the Otter Creek Designated Wilderness Area?   GREAT STUFF! Fabulous way to freshen up a sour dog and brathe new life into a trial smart one. The first two tries might not be pretty, but  a good dog will enjoy the heck out of the ones after that!  Like a breath of fresh air into a stale training regime...

The day that you take your dog to a strange field for a trial (yes, to take a calculated risk, but also to support another local club and other friends), just 3 days back from an international flight (and vastly different training agendas), and have never worked said dog on the trial helpers or on the somewhat curious field layout, then--and only then--do you earn the right to make derogatory comments in an international forum. 

Doing that 3 days after a long flight would be just plain stupid in my book. My support for local clubs, friends or not, does not extend to jeapardizing my dog's chance for optimum performance so wantonly... but that's just ME.

FYI, many very strong dogs don't look terrific on weaker, less imposing helpers.

Visions of the ghosts of "no out" past are dancing in my head here.

SS

... not the wisest of ideas to pick a fight with a trial photographer.

If I suck up can you make my gray working dogs look BEE-U-TEE-FULL???

Darlin' any working dog that shows concentration on the track, accuracy in obedience, and power in the bitework is BEE-U-TEE-FULL in my book.

Actually I'm not sure some folks appreciate how hard it can be to take pictures that cast the dog in the best possible light.  With some dogs I'm down on one knee with the camera, finger frozen over the trigger, trying to send telepathic messages to the dog while he's going for a walk next to the handler, er I mean heeling... "Please look up at the handler.  Please please pleeeeeeease.  Just once, lift your head up."

It's fun though, and people love to get nice pictures of themselves and their dog. 

Let's just say that it's a lot easier to take flattering pictures of a 90 point dog than a 60 point dog. 

"I didn't think the people were too close to the protection work, but then again, I DO try to expose my dogs to close crowding before they are entered in their first event/trial/show"

Good plan, Shelley!  I like to throw all kinds of funky scenarios at my dog when training.  I once had all my club mates stand in rows in front of the helper and throw empty water bottles at my dog while he went in for a bite.  Or I'll ask my club mates to stand shoulder to shoulder side by side to form a human wall so that my dog has to push his way past them to get to the helper for a B&H.  Stuff like that.

Distraction training is a wonderful thing.  I once saw a guy straddle a track while a dog was working it.  The dog didn't give him any notice, just pushed on between his legs and kept right on tracking.  Nice!

Yvette

"The day that you take your dog to a strange field for a trial (yes, to take a calculated risk, but also to support another local club and other friends), just 3 days back from an international flight (and vastly different training agendas), and have never worked said dog on the trial helpers or on the somewhat curious field layout, then--and only then--do you earn the right to make derogatory comments in an international forum. 

Doing that 3 days after a long flight would be just plain stupid in my book. My support for local clubs, friends or not, does not extend to jeapardizing my dog's chance for optimum performance so wantonly... but that's just ME."

3 whole days?  Wow!  I wish I had that luxury when I travel for business.  In the last year I've been sent to France, Germany, Holland, and Japan (twice) for high priority projects, and I'm grateful if I get 3 hours to shower and change clothes before going to the office and sitting in the hot seat. 

Sorry, but I'm jealous.

"Can I suggest a real life scenario rather than a predictable training circle? ... perhaps the Monogahela National Forest, at a roaring stream crossing in the Otter Creek Designated Wilderness Area?   GREAT STUFF! Fabulous way to freshen up a sour dog and brathe new life into a trial smart one. The first two tries might not be pretty, but  a good dog will enjoy the heck out of the ones after that!  Like a breath of fresh air into a stale training regime..."

Thanks, Shelley.  You must have read my backpacking article in the USA magazine, eh?  Well maybe not but I can always hope.  I can't wait until the Mali is old enough to take on a multi-day wilderness adventure.  Woo hoo!

I must say the dog that knocked  my socks off was :Riccor von Salerno. Beautiful and his bite work was GREAT,

Pat

Hi there.  Just to clarify the intent of the pictures on the specific Nass live results site www.nassresults.com.

These pictures were NOT intended to replace the detailed pictures of every dog taken by the official show photographer.  (And kudos to Dawnmarie who was everywhere all the time - I sure couldn't do it!)

The slide shows on the results site were meant to give an "almost real time" feel for the show, the spectators, the action, etc.  for the benefit of those who could not be there.

It must take an incredible amount of time for the official show photographers to organized hundreds (probably thousands!) of pictures and figure out all the catalog numbers, etc.  I haven't looked today, but yesterday I enjoyed looking at the official pictures of the working class males.  I think this is the correct link to the photo site.  http://hometown.aol.com/designsdawnmarie/nass2007.html  you can also access the photographer web site through www.NASS2007.org.

Hope this helps!

DTW

www.JolietSchutzhund.com