by Dave Hamel
Welcome to April!! When is it supposed to warm up?? If you are anything like me, you all must be looking forward to some warmer weather and some good days outdoors.
Well, our second session has started with that infamous instructor "Mark Mcguire" at the head. I'm sure I will hear about that yet a few more months. If you get by the basic class and see Mark McCuen instructing, make sure you tell him thanks for stepping in. For the second session, the basic class looks to be a large gathering. Welcome to all the new members and welcome back to those retaking that course. I am teaching a Novice Prep class for the advanced session.
The club plans for our January 2005 Obedience trial are firming up. We have commitments from our judges and we have a Trial Chair and Secretary already lined up. As the summer and fall draw close, if you hear solicitations for assistance for our event consider donating some time.
For the fall the club has been very unsuccessful at arranging some sort of event during our previous trial time. In lieu of this period we have been discussing the possibility of holding a Rally match at the fall Bark in the Park, in Chesapeake. This will coincide with some other coordinated events. More details will come out shortly.
by Denise Call
It seems some feathers were ruffled from January's Pup. My intentions were not what they were taken as. At basic class orientation for the first session there was an e-collar on a dog. The fact was noted and questioned by new members of the basic class.
Comments were brought to board members and the issue was brought up at the next board meeting, as it should have been. The board discussed the issue. Other clubs in the area were asked their policy. After discussion the board voted to not allow the use of e-collars during the basic class. This is the board's decision and that is the last you will hear from me on this issue.
I have just returned from Karen Pryor's Clicker Expo in Philadelphia. Three days of lectures and workshops on operant conditioning, clicker use and the latest in new techniques. There were many workshops and topics to choose from. I wish I could have gone to all but time did not allow. I did fill every available block of time and signed up for as many working slots as I could. Everything from Clicking for Puppies, to Service Dog Training, to Speed Shaping, to Tracking were covered. One lecture, which caught my interest, was police dog training. Yes even I was dumbfounded! The Seattle Police Department trains all its police dogs using operant conditioning and clickers. Some how training a dog for protection work just never crossed my mind in the context of positive training. According to the lecturer, Steve White, head trainer for SPD the reliability of their working dogs increased once they stopped using compulsion. All dogs for patrol, bomb dogs and drug dogs are trained without force. We got to see many film clips of the training sessions and then clips of dogs working in simulated situations. I also attended the tracking sessions and have some new techniques to try. We even got to work with a litter of eight week old puppies in the clicking for puppies and if that wasn't fun. I am always a sucker for puppies. There were all kinds of trainers and pet owners in attendance. Search and rescue groups, zookeepers, trainers from Sea world, pet dog trainers and every dog sport you could think of. Even people who train rescue animals, not just dogs. One lady rescues turtles and has trained one to do an agility course. The big joke was she would have to form a new club, NATA (North American Turtle Agility). Definitely not a speed event.
Our second session of basic class has already had orientation and will start classes on March 31st. Mark McCuen will be instructing and I will assist. David Hamel is teaching the advanced class Novice Prep. Hope to see you out with your four-legged friend.
One final item, there will be a training meeting after the advanced class on April 14th at 9 PM, at east Side restaurant on Portsmouth Blvd on corner of Elmhurst. All those who have taught classes or are interested in teaching classes in future please attend. Remember this is your club you take classes here and we want to hear what works for you, and what doesn't. Maybe you have an idea or suggestion that you would like to see PCOTC implement.
by Dave Hamel
When anyone asks the question "Are you a dog trainer?" what do you tell them? Many of us would come up with visions of the instructors in various clubs that have lead us through classes and lessons. But only a few of us would immediately say "yes". To train means to bring up; to rear and educate. Another view of that might be to undergo a course of exercise or instruction, physical, mental or moral. Isn't that a lot of what we do with our dogs?? No matter what level you think you might be at, the definition of a trainer is one who trains, educates, develops or prepares others. Synonyms to training can be to lead, rear, habituate, inure, practise, discipline, drill, bend, or direct. So the next time someone asks that question, what will your answer be?
As a trainer, we are always looking for ways to communicate different concepts to our friends and there are a number of techniques and tools that can be used to properly make this happen. These could include everything from a clicker and touch pads, to a huge variety of training collars such as slip, prong, or electronic and a myriad of other devices, both commercially sold and created by the more imaginative of us, to gain specific actions or behaviors from our friends. These might be heeling stick, dowels, whistles, an endless supply of PVC (or wire mesh) in a variety of shapes and configurations, and many others. Frequently, the list of techniques we employ is more extensive and varied than the different tools. I've often marveled at some of these methods, used the ones that made sense to me, and thought up new modifications to fit my needs. Again, isn't that what we as trainers are supposed to be doing? We all choose the tools and methodologies that fit our training programs AND our sense of what is appropriate. The key to all this is . did the correct behavior get communicated?
One thing that we need to remember is that communication is always a two way street. Just as you are communicating with your dog, they are always talking to you and you should be listening for all the things they are saying. Do you speak Canuus? Most might say no, but don't you watch all the ways they move during a training session. Do you watch their head? Is it up? Down? Looking elsewhere? These motions are their way of telling you everything from their being ready and focused to being in a total state of avoidance. Do you watch their ears? Are they up and forward showing how alert they are or are they laid-back showing their fear or worried attitude? Have you watched their back position to see what they are telling you about physical stress or fatigue? Do you look into their eyes when training? Remember, the eyes are the gateway to your soul. They will be able to see your fear and doubt or your earnest commitment to everything that is happening. This can be as important as any verbal command that we use.
Regardless of what tools we choose, how we use them has a significant impact on what our friends get from the training and how they respond. Every tool or device has the potential to be used in a positive or negative way depending on how it is applied. Most individuals who are familiar with clickers know that they are used to indicate a desired behavior. This is reinforced by a treat or snack accompanying the clicker. What impact would it be on the dog if it were used every time an inappropriate correction was applied? It wouldn't take long before every time the dog heard a clicker it would be scared and apprehensive. The point is that the clicker is only as good as the trainer's intentions and the methods used in the training. As another example, let's look at the simple act of retrieving a dumbbell. For us retriever types, this usually comes as easy as breathing. But for many breeds this is a significant task. During the training of this exercise, if a trainer is excessively hard on a dog through voice or leash corrections for mistakes or poor work it wouldn't be long before the results were visible. The trainer could quickly end up with a dog that merely sits cowering at their side when a dumbbell is tossed. Full of indecision and a lack of confidence. This all highlights the fact that any tool or technique can be used inappropriately, much to the detriment of our friends. The outcome achieved is only as good as the intentions of the teacher. We must always remember that within this team we are the teacher, the dog is the student, learn to teach well.
"E-collar" for a large portion of our training population, to even say the word brings out visions of some poor canine sitting there completely tormented with it's fur in a smoking ruin. Complete and utter destruction. Unfortunately, this type of misconception has put this tool in the category of undesirable far too long. E-collars have come a long way in both operations and techniques. The very first ones on the market were single setting/always on devices that were as difficult to use, as they were to defend the use of. To the contrary, the modern day devices are very reliable and highly sophisticated devices that can deliver everything from a tickle to a significant correction at distances of miles. There are many who might believe that e-collars are for field training, but what do you imagine field trainers are using e-collars for? Obedience! Sit, heel, come, fetch . The only difference is field trainers are trying to work with their dogs at distances of hundreds of yards instead of 0 to 50 feet.
As with any concept you are trying to teach a dog, the initial teachings are done in close and taught in a positive manner to build confidence and style. An e-collar would be added later to a learned trait to develop absolute compliance. An example of a simple training technique that an e-collar might be used for would be to teach a whistle sit. In this case the training phase would begin with you heeling a dog on a leash, each time you stop you would blow your whistle, pulling up on the leash to get the dog to sit. With repetition, the dog will begin to sit with just a whistle. A next step might be to have the dog walking around you on a long line and performing the same actions to show the dog that the whistle means sit no matter where the dog is. Lastly, an e-collar might be used on a low setting to insure full compliance with the whistle sit which is a KNOWN command by this point. Like the examples in the previous paragraph, any tool or techniques can be used incorrectly, including the e-collar. Using an e-collar with an inappropriate power setting, trying to use it to "teach", or poor timing can all create undesirable results.
Am I a trainer?simply put yes. Please note that there were no adjectives or verbs in that sentence such as "good", "bad", or anything in between. Would that matter to any of my dogs?? It would, only if I didn't make the time and effort to try to learn better ways to communicate with them. The quality of a trainer is not measured by other individuals, it is measured by the results they achieve through the breadth of their knowledge AND how they apply it. The point in all this is that everyone should obligate themselves to learn as much as possible about the different ways to teach your companions all the things you want them to know and do. From the breadth of knowledge we amass we will select training tools and techniques that fit our sense of right and our companions ability to learn. Every tool or technique is not appropriate for everyone or all situations. The knowledge and ability to choose what tools and techniques we use and to use them correctly is what makes us trainers.
PCOTC's Web Site
www.pcotcdogs.org
Merrimac Dog Training Club www.merrimacdogs.com
Tidewater Dog Performance Club
www.tdpc-hjjdogs.com
American Kennel Club:
www.akc.org
Canine Freestyle Federation:
www.canine-freestyle.org
Clean Run (agility information):
www.cleanrun.com
InfoDog: www.infodog.com
International Weight Pull Association: www.iwpa.net
North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association www.navhda.org
Tidewater Dog
Performance Club:
www.tdpc-hjjdogs.com
United Kennel Club:
www.ukcdogs.com
Working Retriever Central (hunting & field trial info):
www.working-retriever.com
American Veterinary Medical Assn.: www.avma.org
Association of Pet Dog Trainers: www.apdt.org
Carting information:
www.cartingwithyourdog.com
The Dogpatch (General Info):
www.dogpatch.org
Dogwise (Books, videos & more): www.dogwise.com
North American Flyball Assn.:
www.flyball.org
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals: www.offa.org (check out their genetic databases where you can sort by breed!)
Two Dog Press (books & fun stuff): www.twodogpress.com
5:30am: Started the day as a hero! When the sound of
the newspaper hitting the driveway roused me from my
deep slumber the impact indicating the paper was much
heavier than normal I realized that no one in the house was yet
awake! I roused my master by licking him in the face. He
appeared very angry with himself for having overslept, shouting
and waving his arms. His ill temper even seemed directed at me
a bit, which is silly since it is I who saved him from being
fired. Funny thing though: He didn't go into work, but spent the morning
leafing through the large newspaper and drinking
coffee. He seems to do this once a week, and I don't know why.
7:30 am: Invaders! The people who live next door came out
into their yard, obviously getting ready to lay siege to our
house. Snarling and barking, I let them know in no uncertain terms
that I was prepared to tear them from limb to limb it they came
any closer, and was able to repel the invasion. This is an almost
daily occurrence; you'd think they'd learn. My master added his
voice to the fray as well, yelling angrily. I am sure the
people couldn't hear him, but it was nice of him to lend his support.
10:00 am: I was forced to move, as the patch of sun in which
I was lying had, for some reason, slid over a few feet. It's not
easy being a dog.
1:00 pm: I have the most thoughtful master in the
world! While it's true he left me alone in the house for several hours,
he did set out a treat for me on the kitchen counter. It was even
gift-wrapped, a courtesy I wish he'd skipped, since it led to me
having a lot of plastic in my teeth. The roast was delicious,
though frozen in the center. I don't
want to seem ungrateful, but crunching through two inches of
rock-hard beef is hardly my idea of a delicacy.
2:00 pm: Most unpleasant experience when my master returned home and was
furious that I had not eaten the plastic wrap which had been
covering my present. He kept pointing at the small pieces of
Styrofoam and other debris and raving in a most irrational fashion.
I'm sorry, but he should know that I can't eat that stuff; it makes
my stomach upset. When he began rolling up a newspaper I
realized he'd lost all reason and bolted for the front door, which
was fortunately open just a crack.
4:00pm: Spent the afternoon with the girls. A most
productive day; I was able to mark territory for two blocks. "Drip 'til
you drop" is our motto. We had a small snack at an outdoor
cafe we like, with meatscraps and bread served out of
circular containers with easily displaced lids. Ran into that
rogue Sebastian, who lifted his leg with irritating nonchalance does
he think I don't know about his obsession with Muffy, that
snotty schnauzer from down the road? Last month there wasn't a
male in the neighborhood who couldn't be found outside her fence,
and Sebastian was at the head of the pack. I let him know I
want nothing more to do with him.
5:00pm: What a treat! On the way home a flock of ravens
drew my attention to a squirrel that had been flattened by
an automobile. After several days in the sun, the aroma was
so delicious it made my nose quiver. I rolled in the wondrous
fragrance for several minutes, and
when I stood up I positively radiated eau de roadkill.
Let Sebastian drool over Muffy he doesn't know what he's missing.
6:00 pm: Of all the times to get a bath! My master, still in a foul
mood, made me stand outside in the chill air while he shampooed and rinsed me several times. Every time I shook the water from my fur he, too, became drenched, and in the end he was shivering. Why in the world does he do stuff like this?
9:00pm: Time to sleep, though I am not allowed on the
bed whenever anyone's home. Ah, the life of a dogat night.
Submitted by
C. Lee Hussey
PCOTC & all club members: It's with great gratitude and heartfelt "Thank You" for all the expressions of compassion and sympathy sent to Preston and I on the loss of our Special and Nobel Say. He was truly my companion, a gift from his mother (Echo) and we had a WONDERFUL life together! It's just never enough.
Sleep softly and peacefully my magnificent baby boy......
Janice Dezern
From Sharon Wright:
I would like to brag on Razor. At the Belroi's UKC trials March 6&7 he was super performer:
Trial 1: 1st UD leg, HIT & HC and a PERFECT score of 200.
Trial 2: 2nd UD leg & HIT
Trial 3: 3rd UD leg for the title U-UD, HIT&HC
In the classes (UB&OB) he had 5 firsts and one second.
Razor was HIT on 3/18 at the Alamance KC with a 198 out of OB.
Razor was HIT on 3/19 at the Durham KC with a 198 out of OB.
Razor was HC on 3/21 at the Fayetteville KC (391.5).
We also obtained 1 UDX leg so now we have 2. We picked up some OTCH
points also.
From Aleta Channel:
SR U-CDX Channell's Chocolate Mousse UDX JH OA OAJ ASCA-UD FMX TDI MDTC's Agility Trial, Hampton, VA., 2/21-22/04
· Saturday, 2/21/04, Mousse earned his 2nd Open standard leg with a 1st place, 100, and 18.02 under course time :) The boy was smokin' ;)
· Sunday 2/22/04, Mousse earned his Open standard title with a 1st place, 95, and 13.94 under course time.
BRASC Trial, Weyers Cave, 3/13-14/04
· Saturday, 3/13/04, Mousse earned his ASCA-UD title ... 2nd place. Same day he took 1st place in Open and HIT.
· Sunday, 3/14/04, Mousse earned his first UDX leg with two 1st places, 15 OTCh pts., and HC
MDTC's Agility Trial, Gloucester VA
· Sat. April 3rd - Mousse earned his 2nd AXJ leg - 1st Place.
· Sun. April 4th - Mousse earned his 1st AX leg - 1st Place.
From Dave Hamel:
Over the last few months Stonefields Pat Hand - aka "Jake" has been
traveling with his handler Darlene Bergan to a few shows around the area. For
a young Chessie he has been doing well for himself. On February 3rd,
Jake took Reserve Winners Dog in Greenville, SC (Greenville Kennel Club) at
the age of 9 1/2 months. Over the weekend of April 3rd and 4th, Jake took
his first Winners Dog (and his first point) at the Piedmont Kennel Club on
Saturday and took another Reserve Winners Dog at the Columbia Kennel Club
on Sunday in Raleigh. We are looking forward to the coming months as
he breaks out into the "big dog" class.
May 1-2, 2004: Belroi Agility and Obedience Center, Gloucester, VA: Belori Agility Club & Tidewater Dog Performance's 2 UKC Agility Trials. Pre-Entries only, no day of trial entries. Limited to 150 entries per trial. Pre-Entry Fee: $16.00 and $13.00 for same dog in same trial. Trial Secretary: Buck Boyd, 383 Glen Cove Drive, Hardyville, VA 23070, 804 776 700, bboyd@rivnet.net BAC Premium and UKC Entry Form can be downloaded from "http://www.belroiagilityclub.com/" web site.
May 1-2, 2004: Gosnold Hope Park, Hampton, VA: Langley Kennel Club All Breed Sanctioned "B" Match - includes eye clinic, microchip clinic, tatto clinic! For details contact Jennifer Meermans at matoaka98@yahoo.com
May 8: Junction, VA: Blue Ridge Dog Training Club's AKC Tracking Event. Closes April 21. For more information contact Patrice Leipham at (540) 831-0204
May 9: Chesterfield County: Richmond Dog Obedience Club's AKC Obedience Trial. Closes April 21. For more information contact Joe Berman at rdoc2004trials@netscape.com
May 15: Red Wing Park, Virginia Beach, VA: Pets Supplies Plus K9 Karnival. Enjoy canine activities, exhibits, and festival foods. This event will feature the 2004 Skyhoundz® Regional Competition, a canine disc contest, for the first time. Any and all dogs can register for the Skyhoundz® Competition (small entry fee) or 13th Annual Dog-Gonest Dog Show. Bring your dog with the family to enjoy a dog-day afternoon in the park. Call 427-2990 or e-mail fun@VBgov.com for details.
May 15: Belroi Agility and Obedience Center, Gloucester, VA: Gloucester Kennel Club's AKC Agility Trial. Closes April 30. For more details contact Nelson Fletcher at belroiao@aol.com
June 5: Woodbridge, VA: Mattaponi Kennel Club's UKC Agility Trial. Pre-Entries only; $15; $10 second dog same trial entry. Closed May 18. For more informaiton, contact Patty Abel at ahelsrhere@hotmail.com
June 6: Woodbridge, VA: Dulles Gateway Obedience Training Club's UKC Agility Trail. Pre-Entries only; $15; $10 second dog same trial entry. Closed May 23. For more informaiton, contact Joan Wilson at poodlerama@msn.com
MDTC is located at 15 Newsome Place, off Pembroke Avenue in Hampton. Registration for each run-through is from 8-10 am with judging starting at 8:30 am.
Obedience:
Saturday, May 29
Saturday, June 26
Saturday, July 17
Saturday, August 21
Agility:
(on new matting)
Saturday, May 1
Saturday, June 5
Now I lay me down to sleep,
The king sized bed is soft and deep.
I sleep right in the center groove,
My human beings can hardly move.
I've trapped their legs, they're tucked in tight,
and here is where I pass the night.
No one disturbs me or dares intrude
til morning comes and "I want food!"
I sneak up slowly to begin,
and nibble on my human's chin.
For morning's here, it's time to play,
I always seem to get my way.
So thank you Lord for giving me,
these human persons that I see.
The ones who hug me and hold me tight,
and share their bed with me at night.
Amen!!!!
The Portsmouth Chesapeake Obedience Training Club, Inc is a nonprofit organization composed of people who enjoy working and spending time with their dogs. We are interested in helping you train your dog to be a well mannered family member and a source of pride.
President:
Vice President:
Treasurer:
Corresponding Secretary:
Recording Secretary:
Board Members:
Janet Willis
757-523-0906
board1@pcotcdogs.org
Denise Call
757-558-1120
board2@pcotcdogs.org
Oliver Aguilar
757-306-4193
board3@pcotcdogs.org
>Mark McCuen
757-465-5099
board4@pcotcdogs.org
The PUP
deadlines:
We make every effort to distribute The PUP the first Wednesday of each month. In order to help us make this deadline, please submit information by the 25th of the previous month. Please send any submissions for The PUP to pupeditor@pcotcdogs.org