This time aroundI have a friend that has pups the same age and, Well, Maybe, Its more like let the practice begin. They are way to young to *train on* but its fun to put them on sheep andget a peek aswhat might beunder the, https://abcollie.wordpress.com/2014/11/26/pupdate/. Before I start the article a little back story. Made me feel good that maybe I had helped a friend regain her enjoyment of trialing. that seems there is overload with training information. Im the type of person that always has to justify travel and this was a great one! I think everyone who competes feels this on occasion. There were times I got upset and wondered why I ever got into this and other times I wanted to give up. THE HOOK What is it? To get the latest on pet adoption and pet care, sign up to hear from us. Petfinder currently includes pets and adoption organizations from the regions listed above. I stumbled through this detrimental state and was more than ready for the next. Especially as I get older, I am feeling more and more the urge to be competitive, but in the sense that both I and my dogs are working to the best of our ability. I wanted to improve and this was what I was aiming for to be consistent. I have a friend that has just bought a place and has her first sheep. This is not so much an article as a short memo to a question I was asked today. So, I started traveling around the country in order to learn how to work different courses and sheep. Ive been to trials where for the entire two days there is nothing but tension. Good conversationsgetyour creative juices flowing. My two are as, First off I want to state I am a steadfast believer in good breeding. I relished every location for its own special charm. If you dont like the judging dont go back. We were working and I mentioned her sheep wouldnt let a dog control them. I remember when my goal was just to FINISH an open course. I didnt resent anyone elses wins because I didnt feel they had taken something away from me. I can remember when I first started in novice I was overwhelmed at everything. Wining doesnt always mean first place sometimes its just walking off the course knowing you and your dog worked together as a team. Rock-A-Bully and Friends. You can complain and be miserable or you can work hard and enjoy the dogs. All trademarks are owned by Socit des Produits Nestl S.A., or used with permission. I believe a lot of bad sportsmanship comes to play when people gauge their own worth on winning or losing, thereby feel worthless if they dont win. This was my enlightening time! The reason being that second place run best personified a working relationship between myself and my dog. I told her perhaps she was trying too hard and with that not handling her dogs the way she use to. At the time I was only attending local trials. Other than the previous, her foster mom says she is the "definition of perfection. The pups are rapidly becoming dogs. Thank you for helping homeless pets! So, their work is either offense or defense. They all think they want to work, but not all are mentally ready. To me, to converseimplies a two way street lectures tend, Cove: I did a review of Core awhile back (https://abcollie.wordpress.com/2014/11/26/pupdate/) so thought I would do one about Cove (his sister). It was all so new to me I felt I was learning with each outing and even though I was apprehensive about the unknown it was always exciting and fun. Its been a long hot summer hoping for a cool fall and winter so, Although Its really to hot to work dogs this time of year when you have a *bunch* of puppies you just have to take them out for a spin. I went places that I would have never normally go. When I did win it meant a lot to me because I felt I had paid my dues. ", Additional Comments for the Shelter/Rescue, Skip carousel of pet photos and or videos. I soon went back into my trials are like tests mode in other words did I do my homework correctly? I have come in second at trials and kept a vivid recollection of the run. I have always enjoyed learning new things and this was how I approached my early trialing. Unfortunately, there are ramifications to this type of behavior. When you are in the right frame of mind trials can give you a goal as to what you need to work on instead of where you have failed. So, beyond the wins, I was enjoying traveling, trialing, and visiting with all the people. Candy has been involved in dog training and trialing for decades. Also, the owner plays a big part before the, Ive invariably thinkwhen I first start pups wow is it alwaysthis much work? My dogs and I improved and did it with enjoyment. Will be a challenge for me as they are all different. She was a street dog so may need some patience as she does tend to try to get into things when you aren't looking. My most difficult time came when I had won a few large trials and was placing fairly regularly. I wanted to make sure she knew that I wasnt making a judgment call but only trying to help sort through her problem. Not to mention the judges that are doing their best when all they get is grief. Although winning was not my driving force it was always appreciated. However, winning is nothing more than recognition for those hours of work NOT a statement of a persons worth. Whats is that old saying hard to describe but youll know it when you see it. Her achievements on the trial field are too many for easy recall. Go dog trialing and see our country. Candy is house trained and still learning to like the crate but is doing well. How was it they seemed to finish a course when most were not? The second stage seems to be what I remember about starting them always forgettingthe originalparts that arent as enjoyable. Then someone said something to me that struck a chord. It has been a long journey, but hopefully I have many years left to enjoy my sport! If your attitude is to run your dog as well as the circumstances allows your overall approach to trialing will be better. This got me thinking of trials and the differences in people that trial. Why do some people seem to enjoy themselves and others are almost always miserable? However, even more important were all the people that went out of their way making their trials memorable and comfortable for the contestants. The mistakes I made (and there were plenty) only meant that I needed to go home and work on that problem. I know there are times when we should speak out to right a wrong. I met people that I would have never known if not for the trials. I get upset when I see things that arent fair and I can complain with the best of them. Its funny how some people you enjoy getting together with to share ideas and others you find yourself tuning out. What I remember most about this time was the people that were helpful to me. I was at a trial when a friend I havent seen in a while came up to talk. Eventually, I not only finished but started placing and then winning. Then one daythingsbeginto click and the fun begins. I met so many enjoyable people that even if I hadnt been following my passion I would still look back on that time with fond memories. This is a full-screen carousel of images and or videos of this pet. She does seem a little too interested in cats so we believe she may not do well with them in her home. Outstanding dogs come pre-packed to do both. She seemed to be listening and open to what I was saying. Please check back in the future for any potential expansion. To The harder I tried the worse I ran becoming a vicious circle. The positive type of dog creates The second type only reacts to the sheeps movement. It was always appreciated and remembered. It wasnt to win every trial I entered but to handle consistently. We believe Candy is a border collie mix. I wanted to stretch my dogs, myself and my abilities. I worked long hard hours figuring out why I wasnt doing well. Then spend many more hours working on the areas I was having trouble in. I didnt do it to complain they received better treatment than I but to find out what made them good. I would like to end with the fact that I received a very nice note from the person I talked to at the trial thanking me. I was taking losing personally which made me try harder and of course that only compounded the problem a lose-lose situation. Both pups are sired by Kevin Evans Jimmy out of a bitch that Carol Campion imported named Sue. If you go to the trial with the attitude you must win and IF you dont you arent a good handler you will not enjoy trialing. People have been asking me why I stopped writing and my reply is there is SO much written with Facebook, etc. In addition to being one of Americas top hands, Candy is known for selling useful Border Collie trial dogs of all ages and training levels. This is an inline carousel of images and or videos of this pet. But, that said it takes two to tango and a trainer has a LOT to do with how a dog develops. Thank heavens due to the fact that I enjoyed trialing more than winning it didnt last long but was painful! They spent the entire time just, . Since I went with the attitude that I was broadening my horizons I enjoyed almost all of the trials. Since I still wasnt that sure why I had been winning I began feeling tremendous pressure. Right on, Candy! Their comment was it isnt, Afterreading some *dog forums* I often wonder if some people know the difference between conversations and lectures? I like to remind people they are the same person whether they win or lose. Those are the goals I aim for at a trial, and I have learned the gracious art of retiring when it wont serve either me or my dogs to keep slogging on just to finish the course. Open is so much more difficult Than PN its hard to imagine until you get there. It was looked at as a time to learn all I could about trialing and dogs. How they might not win every trial but they were in the top 10 most of the time. However, I knew that if I wanted to improve my skills the only way to achieve this was to go to as many places as I could. Our sport is subjective not a timed event needing no judging. They are a year old (January 2015). I tried to keep a good attitude most of the time. The Sponsor a Pet program is handled by The Petfinder Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, to ensure that shelters and rescue groups receive donations in the easiest way possible. I cant begin to name all the people that have picked me up from airports giving me a room or bath. You always do the best you can and the rest you have no control over. She has been around children as young as 7 and done very well. Petfinder recommends that you should always take reasonable security steps before making online payments. It was this attitude that kept me trialing and prompted me to improve. Usually,. What is it you ask? Some competitors seem to thrive on turmoil and spend all their spare time stirring things up. She is sweet and calm and good with big and small dogs. The most damaging being the host of the trials will get tired of all the hassle and just stop putting on trials. The point Im trying to make is my overall attitude was: I wasnt there to just win but to do the best of my ability. If I only enjoyed winning the rest (which I can assure you take most of your time) would have meant nothing. I would sit at the fence and watch the good handlers in order to learn. I started reflecting on the different stages I went through in trialing. There are a lot of methods allowing a dog to work sheep but basically, a dog either creates movement or reacts to movement. I felt people were expecting me to do well every time I went to the post. So, novice people enjoy your trialing: its a SPORT not a life or death situation. As my physical ability to run (not any more) disappears, I am finding I need my dog to take more of the responsibility on the course, and be able to be bideable enough to respond instantly to my flanks, but also to know what the job is , sometimes before I can tell them. We hope one day she realizes she won't have to find her own food, that she will know she will always be cared for and fed. In our blog series of Trial Tips from Top Hands, this one comes from Candy Kennedy. The main point of this article is to get people just starting and others that are at a crossroad WINNING is NOT the most important reason to trial. Please click OK below and a new tab will open where you can sponsor a pets care. We talked for quite a while and after the talk, I felt she had understood what I said and hadnt taken it personally. I crashed and burned big time. Its not the lift per se but is crucial to the outrun and lift not all dogs have it but makes you appreciate the ones that do. All those good genes will be wasted if not trained properly. In my travels I visited, Virginia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, Canada, and many other really captivating places. Dont get me wrong: I had a drive to do well and worked long hard hours trying to accomplish that. I shortly moved up to Pro-Novice and did well enough that I felt confident to move up to open. I also know watching every run with the thought of finding something wrong with it wont do anything except make you miserable! I would have lost a LOT. Design by: analyticgear.com | [emailprotected], Copyright 2022 Oregon Sheep Dog Society | Powered by WordPress, Raising Dogs to be Sound for Life by Cynthia Mills. Some people seem to go to trials with a totally different attitude. I dont think anyone really values winning if they havent worked for it. We touched on the subject of how she was not enjoying trialing and was looking for some input.