The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Dogs => Topic started by: doganjo on June 06, 2011, 09:27:15 pm
-
Does anyone else train for thsi? Allez has been going for a while, passed his Silver Award earlier this year and tonight he gained his Gold Certificate. I'm very proud of him. ;D ;D ;D
-
so what does a good citizen entail for a dog?
sally
-
Well done. My old boy has his bronze, but none of my others have taken them. Silver & Gold is much more difficult
Rose
-
Well done to you :bouquet:
Di has put our two Leo's through bronze and silver all on her own. (She's wonderful with dogs). Gazer had a go at gold but wouldn't go away to the mat as he wants to be with her more than away from her :)
Once again, congratulations to you and Allez
Ian
-
Read all about it
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/dogtraining (http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/dogtraining)
The Gold involves:
road walk at heel on a loose lead - no tightening allowed at all, and no moving ahead of you; on a busy road with traffic, bikes, people, other dogs, sit waiting for a road crossing signal, cross the road at heel, walk on about 100 yards at heel on loose lead, return, sit and cross at the crossing again;
heel work off lead outside but not near traffic (we were in a park with kids, birds, dogs, squirrels, rabbits around);
recall off lead from a sit, at a distance of about 70 yards, to sit at front, then finish to heel also outside;
recall to heel from behind, also at a distance and outside;
emergency stop, also off lead and same distance, outside;
2 minute down stay out of sight of handler also outside with distractions;
send to bed;
relaxed isolation(left tied up and handler out of sight) - both tested inside;
then there are questions for the handler on care of the dog, responsibilites of an owner, dangerous dogs Act, accident law, requirements of ownership.
Dog collar, lead and tag are checked for name address and phone number, oh and you have to show you have poo bags and a brush or comb.
And lastly the dog has to stand for a throrough physical examination by the tester.
I think that was all - took about three quarters of an hour and I think in stomach churning terms my final CA exams would compare favourably! ::) ;D
-
Well done you two! :bouquet:
I once had an engraver refuse to engrave my dogs tags with dog's name, my name, address and telephone number. He said it gave potential kidnappers too much information. I gave in to him and settled for phone number and postcode - and was never easy thinking about how difficult I was making it for someone to contact me if something happened to one of them.
-
My dogs have done this, as I used to teach dog training in Banff. I found most people were very keen for their dogs to take part, something for owner and dog to do together and made them so proud when the dog recieved their awards. Must say I felt proud for them also. ;D
-
Well done. I know how difficult Gold is. My Airedale, Max, has his silver - and any of you with knowledge of Airedales will know what an achievement I thought that was, as like all terriers he has an absolute mind of his own. My rescue Cocker Spaniel, Milo, has bronze and I stopped there with both of them. Max was two and a half by that time (my OH used to joke that he must be in the remedial class!). Milo, like most spaniels I think, is just naturally very obedient and Max likes to do things at his own pace. Looks at you as if to say, Yes, I know what you want me to do and will do it when I'm ready. But I decided to do the bronze and silver with Max as I think big dogs like Airedales can be a really nuisance when they're big and bouncy if they don't have any training and that was the training closest to where I lived. I like it's style too. Max is a gentle giant, and quite timid, but of course non-dog-lovers are always a bit wary of such a large dog. Milo, is small, fat and yappy but they're both lovely. Congratulations again.
-
Thanks, everyone> :love: I really didn't think he'd get through as Brittanys are known for wanting to be ahead of the pack, but I had my young dog at a new trainer recently who had him walking to heel within a minute and then had him doing it for me too, so I put what I learned there into practice with Allez and it worked. He stayed at heel allt eh time both on and off lead. I was particualrly pleased for Andrina our trainer as she is an Assessor for the Kennel club and assess the examiners so is very strict on the Gold level. Wouldn't have done her reputation much good if we'd failed!
-
Well done! That's a hard test. You could probably compete in obedience trials, couldn't you?
I don't really understand the ID thing, tbh. Ours are chipped and have their names and my moby number stitched into their collars. The wee tag things last about a week here.
Why a brush and comb? I know for grooming but are you expected to carry it in the test?
-
Well done doganjo - if Brittany's are anything like setters ( I have 3 gordons) then that is a REAL achievement ! So good! Does that mean you will enter the class at Crufts for Good Citizen awards?
-
Allez is qualified from Crufts for life anyway as he has a Stud book number (all of my dogs have), but I can't remember who the judge is so it will depend on that..................... Have just looked and I just might enter him, and one of the girls.
-
Just noticed this thread - well done Annie & Allez - I can't imagine the work you must have put into gaining it - you must be over the moon at your achievement - congratulations :bouquet: :bouquet:
-
lol, my gsd failed miserably when she was 1, we trained for a whole year, and attempted it at that big doggy event at windsor (cant rem its name) she buggered off on the recall and was running round in circles like a silly beggar for ages, infront of loads of people... highly embarassing... and shes still daft as a brush now and shes 8!! im blushing just at the memory!!!!!!!
yet our old mongrel passed no problem ...
she was part of the world record breaker "Sit" though, her and another 1000 dogs (cant rem how many now) and she still has her certificate!! lol
;D ;D ;D ;D
-
Lol ;D
You think you got probs with you GSD PP - our Setters don't even remember their own names when their off the lead ;D ;D ;D
-
;D ;D ;D
-
Evening Sandy :wave: - love the photo btw - still can't work-out how to get mine on here, had to get Karen to post the piglet pics for me last night :dunce: :-[
-
They have to be very small, I waste so much time altering them when I should be ????????? Cleaning
-
Cleaning :o - non me comprehendo ;) ;D
-
Cleaning :o - non me comprehendo ;) ;D
Me neither - Sandy does a lot of cleaning. She reaffirms my belief that I would not want a B & B!
-
Arh, I can go to work and earn £ in my nightie!!
-
;D ;D ;D
-
Just got back from our training class where Freckles won her Gold Award tonight. Had to be upsides down with her nephew - even at 10 years old! After a lifetime of gundog stuff basic obedience was something new for her. It is totally different - quite close work needed, and focus on me rather than on the birds. Well pleased - 2 down one to go! Just Belle now. Bobby will do it with my friends Paul and Pam when he goes to live with them next week - they were devastated when they lost their previous Brittany and asked for him. It'll suit him down to the ground being an only child!
-
Well done :trophy:
-
Good going both!!! :wave:
-
You should try it, Sandy - great fun, for both dogs and owners. I like all my dogs to have something else to do other than shoots in the winter months.
-
Not a club person at all, the gun dog training now and again is enough for me!!
-
It's NOT a club! It is organised training classes. The gundog ones are fine but they aren't proper obedience. After all a retriever retrieves - that's what they were bred to do. A shooting dog is a different matter. They need to be obedient and this helps that. A lab needs to be able to sit still for very long periods of time as a peg dog,
Are you doing seens, memories, blinds, splits etc yet?
-
Well done, :trophy: it's great fun to do . Almost ready for bronze with ' obi ' our 7 mth gsd pup :love:
Also working at working trials with this boy as missed not doing it with my last boy but he had attitude problems ( brain problem we think) and severe leg pain at times. Love the atmosphere with other competitors at trials, very unlike show world I found. I think the difference being we are not competing against each other as such, several dogs can be awarded the same marks and pass the awards.
How does field trials work?
-
Well done, :trophy: it's great fun to do . Almost ready for bronze with ' obi ' our 7 mth gsd pup :love:
Also working at working trials with this boy as missed not doing it with my last boy but he had attitude problems ( brain problem we think) and severe leg pain at times. Love the atmosphere with other competitors at trials, very unlike show world I found. I think the difference being we are not competing against each other as such, several dogs can be awarded the same marks and pass the awards.
How does field trials work?
Good luck with OBi's bronze. The testers are fairly sympathetic with puppy I find. Our one was pretty tough on Monday I thought. She only passed Freckles out of 5 of them.
Field Trials are for gundogs but there are four different groups - 'spaniels', 'retrievers', 'pointers and setters', and 'Hunt Point retrievers'.
The Spaniels have to hunt in a pattern, quartering the beat they are given, within gun range (50 yards approx), flush anything in front of them, and show they are steady to the shot and the fall of game and should have the ability to retrieve on command. This applies to retrievers too, except they don't have to show any hunting ability, but they are asked to do more complicated retrieves - longer distances(300 yards sometimes), more awkward finds; where the bird may have fallen in an awkward place they have to use their noses to find it. They have to show steadiness to game falling all around them in a driven shoot. They must not move till told to do so.
Pointers and Setters have to show hunting ability, that they point/sett to game, flush on command and are steady to the flush and shot. Hunter Pointer retrievers have to do everything. Show good hunting pattern, find and point game, hold teh point till told to flush, sit to flush and shot, wait till told to retrieve no matter where it has landed, and all of them have to retrieve to hand without damage to the game. That;s the basics but there's a lot more to it than that.
-
Yes, there sounds lots to it. It is one competition I've never been to watch :-[
Tho a friend at our club is doing it with her pointers at the moment.
I love watching the different competitions with dogs. Non dog owners or pet dog owners just don't realise how much hard work and dedicated training has gone into the working or competition dog.
Still, it is sooo rewarding. And they love every minute of it ;D
-
As you know I have HPR's - the most complicated trials of the four since the dogs have to do all that is required in the field, not just bits of it.
That is not so onerous in a small shooting situation as it is very friendly and mistakes are not dwelt on. I have only entered one trial with my oldest bitch (Freckles - who just got KC gold) and she took fright after listening to 5 hours shooting as she was last to go, and there are very few trials for our group in Scotland anyway. But my late husband used to train and trial our dogs, and take them rabbit shooting on both out croft and a neighbour's farm. Even he used to comment on the considerable amount of polish required for even a novice trial.
-
I love watching dogs work - the bond with their handlers is incredible.
I did a bit of obedience and agility with our two when they were young but never focussed on either really (which may explain the dogs' lack of focus ::)). Tess was good at obedience work but too smart / lazy for agility - she quite liked the weave and the plank walks but couldn't understand why she should jump a pole when there was clearly room to go round or under it ;D
Meg was too hyper for obedience and the other dogs freaked her out - she was fabulous at agility being incredibly athletic but got too hyper. Both are 12 now and Meg's snoozing at my feet and Tess is staring at a cat ;D
-
I love watching dogs work - the bond with their handlers is incredible.
I did a bit of obedience and agility with our two when they were young but never focussed on either really (which may explain the dogs' lack of focus ::)). Tess was good at obedience work but too smart / lazy for agility - she quite liked the weave and the plank walks but couldn't understand why she should jump a pole when there was clearly room to go round or under it ;D
Meg was too hyper for obedience and the other dogs freaked her out - she was fabulous at agility being incredibly athletic but got too hyper. Both are 12 now and Meg's snoozing at my feet and Tess is staring at a cat ;D
They are both super girls and absolutely fine as they are! Why jump when you can run, why run when you can walk, why walk when you can lie down ;D ;D ;D
-
They are both super girls and absolutely fine as they are! Why jump when you can run, why run when you can walk, why walk when you can lie down ;D ;D ;D
Thank you - and that just about sums up Tess, although Meg is the opposite (why walk when you can skitter around like a mad thing, pushing your stick under your mum's feet ::))
-
just jumping into this thread. Congratulations on achieving your silver award :thumbsup: I am due to start puppy classes with my new little pup next week... I am quite sure we will be shocking but I am so hoping he will grow up to be a well rounded dog with basic commands. We've learnt sit and leave at home and sit is coming on in unusual circumstances but the down and leave have a lot of work to do ::)
-
I used to go down the KC good citizen scheme and a couple of my dogs rached the dizzy heights of bronze. My gwp didn't even pass that though as he wouldn't lie down away from me, in a village hall. He turned into a fantastic working dog, who I had many years working on the moor with, until he sadly passed away at Christmas :( Still miss the old bugger!
Good luck with the pupp classes :)
Helen
-
Thanks, wellies, it was actually Gold that Freckles got, and her nephew, Allez, got his gold last year. Her last class was last night - she asked me to buy some chocolates for their owners and dog chews for her doggy pals ;D ;D Belle is going to start after a two week break for the elections and a Championship Show, she already has Bronze, so it will be silver next for her. We don't just go to get the certificates - it is a very friendly evening out amongst people who love their dogs. ;D
-
Sorry, Gold is even more impressive :thumbsup: I hope my little guy could get somewhere near a bronze certificate at some point. He tries bless him and shows real promise but concentration and control at his young age and breed don't come easily, we'll see how he develops ::)
-
My boy, Allez, excelled himself today - got his 2nd challenge certificate(He has 4 reserves) One more for a Champion - cross everything for me guys! I have three Brittanys and all three have two Challenge certificates. Wish we could convert the reserves ;) ;D Chuffed to bits with Allez, apologies for bragging again!
-
:thumbsup:
-
Congratulations Annie and Allez that's great achievement :trophy:
-
Yay! Well done.
I think we have "met" online somewhere before, haven't we?
Helen
-
Yay! Well done.
I think we have "met" online somewhere before, haven't we?
Helen
Have we? I know quite a few Helens! ;D Give us a clue ;)
-
Have you been on the working HPR forum?
Helen
-
Have you been on the working HPR forum?
Helen
Not for a long time, but yes, that's me! ;D Either Doganjo as on here or BritAnnie
-
BritAnnie - That's it! :wave: lol
I am just Helen on there.
Helen
-
BritAnnie - That's it! :wave: lol
I am just Helen on there.
Helen
:wave: :wave: ;D Small world! ::)
-
Another great night for our training school last night. We had 7 dogs in for the Gold award (Lacey, Mia, Cassie, Lhola, Seul, Callum, and Belle; one for the Silver(Rhuairidh) - all of us passed! Chuffed to bits that Belle passed with flying colours. I now have three Brittanys with their Gold Award, and all three with two Challenge Challenge Certificates in the show ring (two thirds of the way to being Champions) So proud of them all.
Delighted for Andrena and Walter Cowan and their Andwalls Dog Training School.
-
:trophy: Well done to all your crew.
I do agility with my collie girlie but stopped with my boy last year as he kept going lame on his back leg after training so didn't want to risk hurting him. Anyway, because he stopped agility I have just started obedience with him - he is 8 and has done no obedience since his puppy classes. So, in 2 weeks he has his bronze test along with a class of 10 month old puppies!!! :fc:
Donna
-
:trophy: Well done to all your crew.
I do agility with my collie girlie but stopped with my boy last year as he kept going lame on his back leg after training so didn't want to risk hurting him. Anyway, because he stopped agility I have just started obedience with him - he is 8 and has done no obedience since his puppy classes. So, in 2 weeks he has his bronze test along with a class of 10 month old puppies!!! :fc:
Donna
Could be cruciates - so don't do any more jumping. That's what happened to Freckles and it cost me almost £2K for her operation. :gloomy: Good luck for the Bronze it'a not difficult, remember to swot up your care answers too :fc:
-
well done Annie and good luck collie wobbles!
Has anyone had a go at Rally Obedience (Rally-O) yet? I recently went to a workshop and think I may take it up with those of my dogs who don't go agility. Like the Good Citizen awards it would be brill for a young dog to get those basics instilled but with a bit of competitiveness to spurr you on.
https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/RallyObedienceTrainingAndEvents?fref=ts (https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/RallyObedienceTrainingAndEvents?fref=ts)
-
:trophy: Well done to all your crew.
I do agility with my collie girlie but stopped with my boy last year as he kept going lame on his back leg after training so didn't want to risk hurting him. Anyway, because he stopped agility I have just started obedience with him - he is 8 and has done no obedience since his puppy classes. So, in 2 weeks he has his bronze test along with a class of 10 month old puppies!!! :fc:
Donna
Could be cruciates - so don't do any more jumping. That's what happened to Freckles and it cost me almost £2K for her operation. :gloomy: Good luck for the Bronze it'a not difficult, remember to swot up your care answers too :fc:
Thanks Doganjo - we have had him x-rayed and checked out by the vet but she could find no evidence of muscular, ligament or arthritis damage so a bit of a mystery. So I removed him from a 10 week block of agility training so see what happened and saw an instant reduction in the number of times he went temporarily lame. It now only seems to happen if we have been for a really long walk (all day) - when he gets out of the car afterwards he has stiffened up.
He has had a tendency to stiffen up after long walks since he was young - as you suggest, have stopped the agility - it's just not worth the risk to his long term health.
Donna
-
I am not a fan of any over activity in humans or dogs :innocent: , the good citizen sounds ideal, a way of bonding and controlling your dogs, nice to take up something that's includes our pets.
I also love the gun dog training and beating but missed out this time, I am not even a fan of throwing balls for dogs as they twist and run full pelt, ours do anyway.
I try to be careful and our dogs have loads of fun......
-
Congratulations Doganjo and Belle. A great achievement :trophy:
Good luck Collywobbles. Do swat up on the GCDS booklet. I nearly failed on the basic questions but my boy ( who was 8yo at the time ) passed easily after reading the booklet before bed for days before our tests ::)
We both did pass the bronze :relief:
-
Colliewobbles, could it be muscular? I find that Allez is stiffening up just now as he hasn't been getting his usual hour and a half free running due to our regular woodlands being so muddy. I'vebeen taking him to a hydrotherapy pool and its made a huge difference.
-
I've only just seen this thread, been busy, well done doganjo, the gold test isn't that easy,
If any one wants to go further with it have a look at obedience competitions, basically at the lower levels its almost identical to silver and gold awards but without the outside elements, lead walking, getting in a car etc, and to be honest it's a heluv a lotta fun
Any way here's my gangs awards:
Morris - gold
Mini - gold (now an agility dog)
George my big daft lurcher - errrrrrr failed his bronze - three times, we keep trying you never know he might actually sit on command when he's not in the house one day..... It's almost impossible to fail bronze so I'm told, we do it for a laugh these days, he's a happy sole though
Julie - bronze (at 7months old) clever these collies
Colliewobbles, I always run mini gently before doing the agility for ten minutes or so just to warm her up, mind she's 5 so that comment meens absolutely nothing, sounds like your doing the right thing though
-
Hi all - thanks for all the advice regarding the agility. I do actually run another collie too and she is completely fine (5 years old).
With Brodie I have done everything - massaging/manipulating affected area, gentle warm-up, more active run-around, walk after his agility run, rest then walk after agility run - but still, when he has run at agility then rested in the car for a while he gets stiff on his back left leg. And, since he was young, he has always had a tendency to stiffen up if we have done a particularly long walk.
He is a pedigree collie with full KC parentage over many generations and our girlie is a rescue from an unwanted farm litter in Ireland. Every dog in his lineage has good or excellent hip scores. I find it rather ironic that he should be the one with potential muscular/joint problems rather than her but perhaps she is made of hardier stuff!
I hadn't thought of the hydrotherapy and there is a very good setup for that near us - think I will make some enquiries. Even so though - I will not do agility with him anymore.
Donna
-
After a wobbly start, which was entirely down to Mum, Missy passed her Bronze test tonight. :excited: :excited: :excited: :excited: :excited:
I fell asleep in front of the Television after tea and woke up at 7pm, the time class starts. We rushed over to Alva hoping to catch half an hour of class, and half way over I remembered it was Test night. Ah well I'm on the way now I'll just watch thought I - but no, our fellow class members were practising and we were told to join in. Then Jane the assessor appeared and we went straight into the Bronze test after only one round of heel work, and Missy hitting the ceiling in excitement at being back to her school after a couple of weeks in purdah (2nd season).
I was fairly certain she could do most of the exercises reasonably enough but staying in one place for a full minute is an anathema to our Little Miss Black Stockings :innocent:
But her mat seemed to do the trick and she only needed to re-focus once halfway through and didn't get up. I was elated. So she was awarded her certificate and rosette, and got a nice round of applause. Well done Denandmeg Illustrious Miss Aberdon!
I am so proud of my wee girl.
Have a go folks - it's well worth it.
-
Well done Missy :thumbsup: and Annie too of course
I remember taking my dog for this test when I lived in Scotland. She was only just old enough to take it but I did'nt think we would make it either as a minute staying still is such a long time when they are that age. When I told Jill to stay she laid on her back with her feet in the air and everyone was laughing but she did stay on the spot and passed.