Why do I compete with my dogs?

As a trainer I like to test my skills.  I love to keep learning and the dogs that I have shared my life with are the best teachers I could ask for – whether I wanted the lessons or not!!!  If you’ve worked through any problems with your dogs, then you know what I mean by that statement!

To me, competing in any sport really pushes my skills which I truly believe will help me work better with your dogs.  It’s not just about training to a level where it’s ‘good enough’ it’s about learning how to proof all that learning and trust that it will work no matter what distraction or environment I am working in. 

I currently complete is Scent Trials, Hoopers and Rally with Cuba & Hallie.  Bramley has started his gundog training and scent training (with Jon) and hopefully he will be ready to start doing some competitions next year.  I am fully aware that you might have no interest in competing with your dog and you simply want a dog that will come back when you call them or not bark at another passing dog, so why would me teaching my own dogs be helpful in my learning journey?

The short answer I can give is I want to show that my dogs can work in all environments, can listen and respond and do a skill that we have spent many months/years’ learning.  Working through the problems that we discover as we progress and seeing how each dog is different and has different learning and time frames.  My expectations must be managed, and my disappointments also are part of the journey.   Not giving up is also a big lesson to learn.  Plus I get to share all the mistakes I make along the way with you (I have lots of funny stories to share!).

Bramley has just turned 1 and we are struggling with all the usual challenges of having an adolescent.  His recall can definitely be ‘wobbly’; his desire to meet and play with other dogs is very high and we are finding our way through the balance of using long lines and management whilst still giving him all the outlets that he needs.  If you’ve got a teenager, then you will totally understand that feeling of despair of all that training you did during those first few months seemed to have been lost.  If I want him to compete (or just enjoy our walks) then I want to work through all these challenges and have him working off lead in distracting environments, so working on the basics is essential.   

Your dog might not be suitable to compete for a variety of reasons.  Cuba I hoped to do agility with, but he kept getting injured, so I choose to move to Hoopers which he loves.  We have now also found Operational style scentwork (different to how we started training), and we have progressed so far in the last 2 years.  Hallie, I wanted to do obedience with but with her chronic back pain, I wouldn’t ask her to do that.  Finn (my first Collie) I hoped would do agility, but he honestly didn’t enjoy doing it, so we stopped.  I know lots of dogs that I wouldn’t ask to go and compete in a show environment whether that for behaviour or physical reasons, however, as a Trainer I do think if you are going to help others train their dogs, for whatever goal, then you need to put your skills to the test and see how far you can progress.   

​Jo x