It’s all about the teamwork
In one of the recent interviews, I was asked what is more important: how good the dog is or how good the handler is. And well, I'm afraid it's not as easy as that. You can take a World Champion dog and have it run with a World Champion handler - and it might be a disaster.
It's all about the teamwork. I'm far from a perfect handler and my dogs are far from perfect too - but we make a great team. We understand each other weaknesses, can think outside the box and adjust. La might completely lack any self-control and many handlers would probably spend those 10 years of her fighting with it - while we rather spent time having fun and winning World Championships 🙂 I knew she will never hold stopped contacts - so I thought of my running contacts method, just for her, my crazy little La. And Bu might have tons of fears and many people would still try to make her overcome her fears - while I simply decided to work around it and give her enough confidence and trust in me that she can run despite all her fears.
Yeah, neither La or Bu fit into the classical description of a good agility dog. But their imperfections make them special, teach me a ton and make us a great team.
photo by Valerie Teppe
I'm definitely guilty of getting Bu with expectations: I expected from a BC to have a drive and love to play. She had neither of the two and it sure affected our relationship at first. But that taught me to forget about the expectations, accept the challenge and enjoy the journey. She might not be a dog I expected to get - but she is so much more! If I tried to make a perfect agility dog out of her, I would never learn that. So forget about a perfect agility dog - just make sure you make a perfect team with your dog. - Your dog who should first and foremost be your best friend. - And should always come first, before any result.
So for all, thinking I'm rude to leave the ring immediately after my runs on WC, not watching other team members run: I'm sorry, but my dogs are more important to me as watching others and I will always make sure to do what's best for them. From the same reason, I will probably rudely ignore you if you try to talk to me when I have Bu out. I just have to do what is best for my dogs, I owe that to them.
And for all, asking if I'm retiring La now after the great showing on WC: I don't really care about retiring with glory. La will run just as long as she loves to and I think it's good for her well being and even if she is slow and old then - she will always be simply the best for me.
Thank you for this post. There are many handlers who talk this game, but there are very few who act on it, regardless of slings and arrows of those who find fault with your inattention to the hoopla and attention to your team mates.
It is no wonder that you are a perennial champion.
So well said. I personally love the pictures before/after a run of handlers interacting with their dogs…..some of them are priceless in my mind….Thank you for reminding so many of us what is truly important….
Very well said. Years ago, before I even had a dog, I was watching some agility championship on tv. It was 2000 or so, and the winner’s dog leapt into her arms at the end, and they were both clearly so happy to have played agility together. It would be another 8 years before I could start agility training with my own dog, but I was always so inspired by that moment.
Spot on! Good on you Silvia for those comments -- they hit home with people with the dog’s interest at heart. I think it is your experience with non-typical dogs that made you. Lucky we found this site -- I’m so tired of going to courses run by people with robotic dogs that probably have not taught them much.
Case 1: Last weekend I went to a course by a top Finnish handler. In the beginning when we were all introducing our dogs, I said “here is my Bigi, he is neurotic and somewhat unstable in temper (underestimate here). I have done many years of work to get him to the stage where he has some degree of self-control and is comfortable in the agility environment and ring, and even now he really starts to enjoy the work” If I was the dude, I would have said “well done -- its challenging and educational to work with such dogs”. He said “well you really don’t have a good working TOOL there do you?” Hmm -- please to say my dog turned out to be the best worker on the day 🙂
Case 2: I recently discovered how to get my slow dog to run faster in competions -- I run, where possible, the OUTSIDE of the course (ie put myself between the scary audience and the dog). This works because of the distance but also because it makes use of the dog’s over-zealous guarding of me -- he puts that energy into the course, and viola!. You’d be suprised (well maybe not) at the sort of comments I get for my new style (“really, are you stupid” -- I have to smile at everyone who comes up after to kindly offer advice on how I can improve). Now a few mouths are shut because at our last competition, the judge gave a particularly difficult course. Only two dogs qualified -- mine, and a chihuahua ;). All aggressively-handled shelties inter alia crashed an burned. The course really showed who was a team and who was not.
Anyway I don’t write this to talk about me, but just to say folks with dogs with issues should never give up or get frustrated. Life can be hard with certain dogs, but its up to you to make it work.
Hy Sylvia i just wanted to say how beautifull this article is!thank you for this great lesson, i just hope i will always be a great team with my dog and even if at some point we all have expectations it is very important to remember what is really important ! thank you 🙂
wow silvia -- as always, great advise. my personal motto has been ‘enjoy the journey’ -- but after getting wicked (my first bc), i found myself getting caught up in a downward expectation/disappointment cycle. wicked’s behavior changed, i was stressed, and agility was not so much fun. not that long ago i reevaluated my goals, priorities, and attitude. we are now doing much better and having much fun again. we actually just got a title in the mail that i didn’t realize we had earned! we have balance back in our lives -- more hiking, swimming, tricks, cuddling (!) -- so our journey thru agility will now be longer, but so much more enjoyable! i really admire and respect your philosophy and am so grateful to train with you!! terri
Sounds like your’re on the right path! Usually, the longer path actually takes you to the final goal faster as taking shortcuts!
hi silvia -- if you ever have a minute 🙂 would you give us more of bu’s story? or, maybe it’s out there somewhere? you’ve mentioned a challenging start, some fears, and some specific training -- sounds like an interesting journey. my wicked has issues, and, b/c this is all new to me, i am uncertain sometimes how to handle her personality. we are making some progress, but when i am confused, we just play! thanks…
Yes, I actually wrote her story for recent puppy class that was asking about it, so I can make a post on it out of that, I’m writing a post on fearful dogs already anyway, will post it soon.
Very good! I sure have had moments of being stuck and not knowing the right thing to do with Spur and Roscoe, but we usually figure something out if I can be creative enough. Tricks helped Roscoe SO much, especially in competition obedience since he wanted to bite the judge doing stand-for-exam. Which is why I am your student because of your love for competition obedience heeling and tricks!!! Roscoe’s stand-for-exam was a trick (jump up and land squarely then kick out his back legs before standing still) and all the stuffy judges would smile and relax before doing the exam. 😀
When I read your 10 things to be an agility dog on your site I knew you were the trainer for me!
Can’t wait to read Bu’s story and about fearful dogs!
Amy do you have a vido of Roscoe’s ‘stand’ trick? It sounds so cute! Just reading it made me smile, I could imagine the judges smiling too 🙂
I don’t have a video of it during a competition. Roscoe is 13? or so and that was many years ago before I had video. But, he still does it and I now call it “Rev Yer Engines!!!” and used it at the ingate at agility trials because so many people in that area are so uptight/excited and nervous (ME too!) and watching tiny Roscoe rev his engines was sure to relax people/me!!! 😀 So, you can see it here in this video at :33. He loves doing his tricks!!! Such a great way to settle a nervous/anxious dog. Silvia sure has that idea right!!! 😀
Too cute! 🙂
Made me smile ear to ear! Love it! Thanks for posting it.
🙂 Too funny! I bet they all smiled!
Hi Silvia,
I agree 100% with you, specially La retiring … I never understant why a 9 or 10 or 11 or 12 year dog should retire if he is fit to do Agility
If he enjoy it !!!
he´s getting slower , and that is a problem ?? the problem is many people head .
About the other things … always the dog first , always
Congratulations in Bu work , despite all problems is an amazing dog …and both of you are an amazing team, and that is the most important
See you some day around the world 😉
Bye
Thanks, we do make a great team with Bu -- we both look a kind of crazy, her with her crawling pose and me with my silly pose when she is out, avoiding Malinois in big circles and stuff 🙂 🙂 🙂
And yes, I think it’s wonderful if they can compete until old age. Lo was competing until 12, until running agility made her sore -- then we stopped, of course.
Thank you for writing this. I am just starting out with a very high anxiety dog. He is a rescue, that was passed through a dozen homes before he was 10 months old. None of my friends understand him, or why I even wanted him. But I adore him, and have adjusted my training and even my life in some ways, for him. He has taught me more than any dog, and is making me a better trainer.
Every Qualifying run with him, will mean more to me than all the ones my other dogs have earned. We have had many days that I wondered why I chose this dog, why didn’t I get a dog with out all the issues he has, but I believe he was meant to be mine, to teach me to be a better trainer.
I know what you mean! And yes, I was told many times by many people that they would rehome Bu long time ago… But hey, my first agility dog was a Samoyed and he sure taught me to not give up just as easily! 🙂 I’m so happy you found your special dog, with special needs maybe, but hey, it does make them special! -- And I’m so happy for him to have found you!
You’re not just a great handler…you’re a great person! Many thanks for this words… =)