First Conversation with Marilyn and she didn't know any of my dogs. (When she first asked me to describe Ari I said he was my skinny dog and my only short coat. She said does he have a big chest, I said yes he does and she said he’s telling me he’s proud of his big chest!)
What can I do for you to help you not to be so stressed and vocal when you’re doing bitework? You have such awesome obedience until you see someone who has a sleeve or is in a suit and then it’s all you can think about.
He really, really likes to bite so much so that he can’t focus on what he has to do. It’s hard for him because all he can think about is biting….that’s what he’s focused on. He said I didn’t screw him up that it’s just part of his personality.
Also, what can I do so we can be a team on the field? You looked so good when Greg handled you.
(This was in Baltimore last June when I had him entered in a PSA trial. He BLEW ME OFF in the first obedience to the point where he picked up a tennis ball and wouldn’t give it to me. I don’t think he thought he was doing wrong, I think HE thought we were out for a walk and he didn’t have to listen. On the way off the field I stopped by a guy that I had trained with the week before the trial and asked him to handle him or I would pull him. So Greg did handle him and they scored 84 one day and 88 the next in obedience. 88 ranked him 5th nationally in obedience, according to an unofficial survey at that time and that’s how tough the scoring is. In protection there are 3 scenarios and you have to pass all three and he missed one by ONE point. His over all percentage was 83% which is very good and other dogs that passed didn’t get that high a percentage..)
There was a discomfort level with Greg and he had to focus.
(It could have been anyone who is a trainer.) With me there is a comfort level. He is SO tuned in to me, he knows my mannerisms, etc. (Analogy is if I have a dinner party at my house, I’m comfortable with the place. If I have to host a dinner party held at a friend’s house, I would have more focus because I don’t know what’s where. He HAD to concentrate.)
(She said that I have to switch things up with him so he HAS to focus. Different places. Different locations on the field. Switch obedience and protection. Stay outside a fence where bitework is being done.)
How do you feel about the other dogs?
- Olivia – she and Ari are friends, like business associates. He Respects her, likes her, reveres her. (She and Ari are the ones that travel together to training and trials…)
- Tori – he calls her the Princess. She’s the newest but she never incorporated into group. He feels
sorry for her. She’s not “street smart” but “book smart”. She doesn’t understand dog language and can’t relate to the others. (I hadn’t talked about Tori and I’ve always called her the princess and she hated the other dogs)
- Kobie – says she’s HIS GIRL. Arm around her….protects her. …not necessarily girlfriend but could be father/daughter relationship. (They do play together better than any of them)
- Teddy – is bigger than him. ….has a bigger
personality. ….bigger aura. No real opinion. Doesn’t want Teddy around and wouldn’t mind if he went away. (And he IS bigger than him and he and Teddy do NOT get along! They did for a short period of time until one day they go into it over me.)
Are you feeling ok? If there was one thing I could do for you, what would it be?
He said he loves to run the fence line and would love it if it were longer. It’s the Best thing in the world.
(It’s already 250 feet long and he spends HOURS running it. Every morning from 6am until I bring him in he’s out chasing the school bus and anything that moves. Sometimes for 3 hours if I’m home.) I talked to her for about 30 minutes about Ari.
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