I will say it and stand behind it: Good Dog owners obedience train their dogs.
D-Square and Andretti Ducati in a sit-stay. It was a good 5 minute photo session while the sun went down and I got the lighting. Nobody moved even an inch.
It's like saying Good Parents teach their children basic manners. A well mannered child is most often enjoyable to spend time with (even if you're not really a 'kid person') A rude and unruly child is a pain in the butt to even be within earshot of for anybody. Same goes for dogs. A well trained dog who respects the obedience rules that are expected of him is very often a pleasure to be around, even if you're not a "dog person", an untrained spoiled fur-child is almost always a pain in the butt for even the most hard-core dog lover to tolerate.
With my dogs I do a lot of 'competition' events.
We do Conformation Showing, which I call "Standing and Looking Pretty". Contrary to popular belief, the most successful show dogs MUST have excellent basic obedience skills. They must stand and stay rock solid to be viewed and handled by a complete stranger. They must have excellent leash manners and move fluidly with their handler, they must be in tune with their handler and be able to anticipate what they will be expected to do based sometimes on only the handler's body positioning. A dogs keen attention to it's handler is a valued attribute in the conformation ring.
2 year old Darby Crash (GCh. Aragon Aroi Silver Lining, RA) giving me his full attention in a very busy show ring at the AKC Eukanuba Invitational Dog Show in December 2010
We participate in Lure Coursing, which is a test of speed, agility and basic chase instinct. Every dog must be willing to come when called, practice basic leash manners and respect other dogs space. They must play nice with other dogs and be able to control themselves under extreme excitement.
D-Square (DC Windrock Luck be a Lady Eldomar, FCh.) competing lure coursing in Livermore, CA.
We compete in Obedience and Rally trials, both of which test a dog and handlers ability to communicate with each other and respect each others space. Obedience competition is the ultimate test in a dogs ability to follow and respect the commands his handler gives him. The dog must have extreme devotion to reading and understanding his handlers verbal and more often non-verbal cues. Attention is a non-negotiable requirement. (Actually, K9 Agility is the ultimate test of teamwork and control, but for this write-up we're going to say it's Obedience)
Andretti Ducati (Windrock Sin City Playboy, JC, CD, RA) heeling like a pro during his last leg of Novice competion. He got his CD that day (and stung by a hornet). This was in 2007, he has since retired from Obedience competition.
I take my dogs everywhere: into The City (San Francisco), to public markets and fairs, to restaurants (only those that allow dogs), on shopping trips, on road-trips and to so many miscellaneous public venues it's impossible to list them all. Needless to say, impeccable dog manners are absolutely non-negotiable. Whichever dog I take with me into the public's general reach, be it just one or all 4, must be calm, collected and under control at every moment. They cannot bark, shy, lunge, bounce, pull at their leash, invade other dog's or person's personal space, get underfoot, touch/mouth/lick/taste/grab food or objects. They must do what I ask them to do the first time I ask them to do it, without making me constantly repeat the command, raise my voice or pop the leash. They are required to pay attention to me in addition to their socializing, enjoying and observing everything that's going on around them. I know this seems like a lot of stress to put on a dog, but really it's not because all of my dogs have the basics practically laser engraved in their brains.
What are the basics? Well, good question. The 'basics' are probably a little bit different for every dog owner, but for us they consist of a few core-training behaviors, and these are as follows:
Sit, Stay.
Down, Stay.
Stand, Stay.
Come
Heel
Watch or Look: to get the dog to make eye contact and regain his attention
Easy: to ask the dog to be calm or slow down
Off: to ask the dog to back off or stop a behavior
Back it up: to have the dog back up a few steps to give me a little room to move or reposition him
Okay: to release the dog from a requested behavior or to allow the dog to follow a behavior he wants to do
Andretti performing the "long sit" in a large mixed class. Nobody is allowed to move in this exercise; no laying down, no investigating your neighbor, basically, no having fun. Just....sitting with the handlers at the other end of the ring. Borrrrrinnnggg.
We've also added a few non-traditional behaviors for socializing in large crowds:
Get close: to get the dog to snug up very tight to my leg as we heel through a large crowd
Forge: to have the dog stride out and forge a path close in front of me, single file, usually applicable in a heavy crowd where there's no room directly next to me
Leave it: to have the dog damper down or turn off his interest in something he's keen on investigating
Go Say Hello: to encourage the dog to greet a stranger in a polite, controlled manner
And a few for visiting stores/shops that allow dogs:
Stay Tight: keeps the dog pivoting with me as we maneuver through a sometimes tight store
Back It Up: puts my dog into a voluntary straight back up, again to get out of a tight space in a store where there is literally no room to turn around.
Be Small: for when unwitting folks get stompy footed around my dogs, they attempt to become very small and inconspicuous. Andretti has (on his own idea) taken this to mean lay down under a bench or table until the crowd of rude foot-flingers passed by. It worked, and the shop owner was beyond impressed.
No Touch: This means no nose-investigating things on shelves, or food on tables; no touching anything.
Throw down; This means to relax and settle in for a very long down, both Darby and Andretti will flop down on their sides and pretty much take a nap on this command.
"Throw Down" is especially useful in restaurants that allow dogs. I can put down a pad, tell them to throw down, and they don't move. They don't bother the waitstaff or other diners, it's what keeps us welcome an many places (even some who don't openly advertise as 'dog friendly', but are on a case by case basis. We are unfailingly an exception for them)
Phwew! That's a lot of basics!! But each and every one of them has a show ring application for conformation or Obedience/Rally and more important, every one of them has a real-life application.
Lyric, Andretti, Darby, Whisper and Echo executing a long, unleashed Down-Stay at a public dog show in 2009. Three grown-up dogs and 2 six month old pups trying so very hard to do what we were asking them to do.
One of the most practical applications, aside from public manners, has been a unique combination of commands; back-it-up, down and stay. It comes together as the command we call "Perimeter". I know that sounds like a mouthful, trainers usually suggest that obedience commands be short and simple. However, for this one I purposely chose a four syllable word because it gives the dogs time to hear it and obey it before the end of the verbal command. What is "Perimeter"?
Glad you asked. After being very frustrated with a mob of 4 dogs crowding the front door everytime someone would knock, or one of us would put the key in the door upon arriving at home, I decided that there was no excuse for a pack of otherwise very well trained dogs to behave like such an unruly mob. My little brain spun...they all know and respect 'sit' and 'down'. Hmmm. They all know and respect the 'stay' command. Hmmmmmm. They all know 'back it up' real well. Ah-hahhhh......so I did the math, and started teaching the combined commands in steps. All of this without front door stimulus, but in the area of the front door/entry hall. Back it up......with a target of the edge of the hardwood flooring and the carpet. This is where the front entry hall turns into the living room. Perfect, this is where I want to see the dogs when I enter the front door from the outside. Working with one dog at a time, with lots of treats, the command, and a fair bit of foot stomping at first, 'backing it up' to a 'target' of the carpet was achieved. Every time the dog would follow the command, retreating backwards smoothly with eye contact, I would reward with 'okay' and treats the moment they hit the carpet. It took only a few times for each of them to get that concept. After they had that down, I bumped up the expectation to 'back it up', and then 'down' the moment they hit the target. This was easy, as down is one of everyone's best tricks. And then the easiest part, 'stay'. 'Stay' is an anticipation game in this application, everyone pays very close attention for the release command, which garners a huge display of praise and a treat, and sometimes a huge jackpot (triple treats) on random occasions. Once each dog had each part of the command solid, I started asking for "Perimeter! Back it up, back it up, down, stay.........Okay!!!" combined with me moving forward as they retreated to the target area. This is what the practice of the combined commands looks like with Darby. Normally I would not tell him to come and then put him directly into a back up/perimeter. This was only for demonstration of his understanding of the word.
I was very happy when they individually 'got it', but was amazed and beyond proud when they all grasped the concept and performed it, together as a pack, after just a few tries. It proved to me that solid individual training is imperative to any type of group compliance. We reenforced the command many times before I moved the operation OUTSIDE the front door. When a command is taught solidly, it can usually be given effectively from a distance (or in this case from behind a closed door) with very little retraining. This is what it looks like after about 2 days of training, from behind the door:
This was about a year ago July, and the command has only become more reliable since. Guests can now come over and not be mobbed. We've advanced to being able to release one dog at a time, and then return them to 'perimeter', until the initial excitement has worn off a bit. It is the epitome of practical application of combining basic obedience commands.
Now that I've had my say, for the ULTIMATE in teamwork and control, check out these two very VERY greyhound specific Agility sites; two people I am personally honored to be friends with. Helen Hamilton, DVM of Aragon Greyhounds is the breeder and part owner of Darby Crash and a longtime friend of mine. She has some of the most accomplished obedience, agility, conformation and tracking greyhounds of all time, in the history of greyhounds. And I'm not talking about one dog accomplished in just one or two of those things, she has multiple dogs accomplished in ALL OF THOSE THINGS, EACH DOG!!! Jennifer Bachelor of Never Say Never is a friend whom I met through Helen and has visited Stine Ranch on one occasion and always leaves nice comments on my FaceBook page. Oh, and one of her greyhounds is GOING TO BE A REAL LIVE MOVIE STARLET in a real live movie with Mark Whalberg (Markie Mark, remember?), Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) and Ed Harris (you know, Ed Harris.)!!! I'm serious! Check out her blog to find out which one!
A couple of months ago Kira Stackhouse of Nuena Photography contacted me about having one of my greyhounds be the AKC purebred representative in her new hardcover book Project Dog! Project Dog is a 'coffee table style' book that features over 170 purebred dogs, one page for the AKC registered representative, and the opposite page for the purebred rescue/adopted representative of the breed. The entire book is over 300 pages of beautiful photography and a complete question/answer biography for each chosen dog! We were SO HONORED that she chose us!! Kira is a very talented and creative photographer based in San Francisco, this is the largest project she's taken on to date, and it is completely a labor of love. Love for dogs!!!
We met Kira in San Francisco at the California Museum of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, the setting she chose for Darby's photo shoot. It was raining, of course. San Francisco in October = rain. Pleh. But it didn't stop Darby's enthusiasm.
Post- professional photo shoot, in the rain, on the way back to the car where it was warm!
When all was said and done, Darby and I sat down and filled out the questionnaire for the biography and then sat back and waited. After a few days Kira sent us the proof for his page.
Here's Darby Crash's spread in the book;
All total, it took Kira over a year of hard work (she quit her full time marketing job to take on this project), but the book is finally done! It went to print about 4 weeks ago, and the first 100 copies have been delivered for Project Dogs official launch party tomorrow at Wags Hotel (a posh doggy daycare and overnight dog-care hotel) in San Francisco. Darby Crash is one of the 50 dogs who have been chosen for the runway show at the peak of the party!! I'm using a lot of exclamation points because we are so excited to be a part of this project.
Saturday (today) is the Launch Party in the city! Q and Art the Husband are tagging along for wine, cheese and doggie appetizers. We'll get to pick up our copies of the book while we're there. I'm so tickled.....my dog is in a real book!
For any dog lover (greyhound or otherwise) this is a fantastic book. The photography is creative and professional, but what's even better are the biographies and personal stories of each and every dog in the book. You start out looking at the pictures of all the different breeds, but then you get drawn into each dog's unique story. Before you know it you've spent an hour reading and haven't really gotten past the breeds starting with the letter C! If you're interested in getting one for yourself or someone you know who loves dogs, go to The Project Dog Book Page and order one. You will not be disappointed, and somewhere in there, Darby Crash will be staring back at you from his very own page!
The Fall GCNC specialty was especially special for my hounds! They swept up in Sweepstakes with DSquare (shown by my sister Laura who's NEVER shown a dog before, or even been to a dog show for that matter!) getting Best Veteran in Sweeps. Gulp....they're VETERANS now, when did THAT happen?!? Oh well, I'm very happy with Dee; she's a Dual Champion and is aging very gracefully. Shes EXTREMELY functional, she earns every win she gets. Kudos to DC Windrock Luck be a Lady Eldomar, SC (her fancy name)
We're not going to tell her she's 'old'
Andretti got Best Opposite Sex Veteran being shown by 15 year old Shelby, who also has never shown a dog or been to a dog show. Andretti is an awesome teacher dog, Shelby was elated to be able to handle him and win win win at this show. I'm so very proud of my Brown Dog, he is my most wonderful boy and will always be my heart. I'm secretly tickled that hes a veteran now, because I can show him in veterans classes at specialties. I had him neutered before he finished his championship and I regret it, if only because prancing around the show ring with Andretti is fun. He has a sense of humor and is a pretty good snob, and that's fun to show. And although he's not the 'ideal', he is a handsome and well put together dog, and I'm proud of that. Go go Windrock Sin City Playboy, CD, RA, JC! It's a rare occasion I get to shout out his 'fancy name', so there you go!
Andretti thoroughly enjoyed hanging out in the ring with Shelby!
As always, Dretti injured himself just in time for the specialty. Go Andretti! If it's not one thing, it's another with him.
Andretti showed in conformation, but not in obedience. Apparently you can show in the 'stand and look pretty' classes with stitches, but any type of performance class strictly prohibits any stitchery. And we're okay with that, I didn't want him jumping with stitches anyway (although I had no problem with him zooming around the yard and jumping up and down retaining walls with stitches. Go figure.)
Darby Crash won Best of Opposite Sex (to Best of Breed!) in regular classes. There was a fair entry of greyhounds, and I'm more than a little proud of him. Big Handsome!
Not even 3 years old yet! GCH Aragon Aroi Silver Lining, RA (or Darby Crash, it's less of a mouthful).
After regular classes there was a costume class, I went all out this year and got everyone dressed up. It was pretty cute, and probably the largest costume class the GCNC has had that anyone can remember. Even Q got into the act this year. He makes a damn cute bat.
Q-Bat
Andretti was a farmer. Agricultural Brown. And none to pleased about it.
I think the baling twine collar and leash made the outfit. It earned him a placing in the costume contest.
Dee was a ballerina. She didn't like it much at first, but warmed up to it when she realized everyone was pretty tickled with her.
She was blinding in her bling
Girl dog in a short skirt. Very wrong, I know. But it earned her 4th place in the costume contest!
Darby Crash went as Count Darbula, and even had his own bat! I can't believe he didn't get a prize for that. Nobody else had an accessory dog. Feh. Whatever!
I have exceptionally tolerant dogs.
There were clowns (Mariska and Sonny!)
and a ladybug
a hula dancer and sort of twisted butterfly
Evil, toothy clowns.
It was pretty busy that weekend, but the dogs had fun and the weather was really decent (last year it poured rain and was MISERABLE). Darby Crash came close to passing his first Novice Obedience try, but oh well. I was pretty stressed out showchairing this specialty, and I'm pretty certain he picked up on that. He did a decent job, and I'm extremely proud of him for giving me the effort and a good attitude. He's a really fun dog to work obedience with, he's wicked smart and goofy happy. That's a winning combo for a greyhound in the obedience ring. We're gunna try again in January in Palm Springs. ;)
