Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 2:58 pm Post subject: left handed people, working dogs?
I just went off on a left handed tangent on Di's thread after seeing left Al working the lovely Jade on his left while holding a gun also on his left.
I work Basil on my right. I don't shoot but it just feels the right side to have him. He will heel whichever side I ask.....and I'll experiment later but I suspect he will be lined up quite happily from either side.
Nellie I currently heel on my right too, at class (non gundog) I go on the end so it's not a dog next to dog situation.
It makes sense to be that side for any road walking too for safety.
So I was just pondering swopping to the 'proper' side for Nellie as we're at the beginning. Five minutes musing left me thinking I could swop fine....until Mo pointed out that might mean throwing right handed
I'm flippin' useless throwing with my left hand But also rarely throw from a dogs side so maybe I don't need to swop.
I'll also need to carry my gamebag on my right side as well, which just feels wrong.
Would love to hear peoples thoughts? Does anyone train left handed (ie dog on right)? Did anyone do this for their first dog, see the error of their ways and swop? - was it easy!!
Any problems in class/NDNH tests?
Anything else I need to think through....obviously my footwork would need to change too which might take some remembering.
Ooooh I could talk about my frustrations with being left handed all day
I don't have a game bag. I just cant have a bag at my right side. It feels entirely WRONG and uncomfortable and just not right! I recently got one of those vest thingys from Nic, but I've yet to try it out. If it's no use, I'll need to go with the game bag, but still have it at my left and just try and humph it round my back a bit!
Like I said on the other thread, I get in a fankle having Bracken at my left and trying to also throw with my left. I can't do right. So now I don't bother. Memories all the way Or, I make her sit/stay while I walk away and use the chuckit. I'm just starting to properly think about directions with her, so when I throw and I haven't thrown straight, I walk her away first and then back round to line her up..... this sort of stems from me starting to really try my damndest to instill some steadiness in her. I find using my right hand to line her up awkward too.... but hey, what isn't awkward when you're a lefty in a right-handed world, I'll get over that!
With the sticks, it'll be the way the handle is - for a lefty, the palm rest will be at the wrong side on a righty stick.
With road walking, I walk both dogs on my left, with me closest to the road. Bracken will walk on my right to (I use 'side' as my command for that) and do occasionally use that if I'm on a busy road and want to put myself between her and the traffic - but more often than not I still walk her on my left, or I just cross to the other side of the road.
Feebarn started with Pasco on her right, because her OH is a lefty and he was originally going to be working Pasco. I think she's considering changing sides with him now, but I don't think it's caused her any/many probs competition-wise so far to have him on the 'wrong' side.
No it is useful Jules, you're right we do agility and because of that Basil has to be able to be worked both sides, dependant on the layout of the course.
He's never had a problem at the start of a course being either side of me and I've never found it difficult to explain which I want, despite using heel for both.
Obedience people use 'heel' and 'close' don't they to verbally distinguish which side?
Our agility trainer thinks dogs have a natural preference for one side unless guided otherwise - i've never heard of it before or read it any books though. It's too late for me to test this as basils preference is clearly my right now as thats where I mainly ask him and the bulk of treats and praise comes from.
I actually think lugging my gear and throwing with the other hand might be the main thing for me to get used to.
Although I wonder after delivery if he might instinctively loop around me to sit on my right...not sure I've ever heeled him into my left before from facing me in any situation:?
I might train the 'proper' way tomorrow as a test to see if he copes fine.
I'm 99.9% pure left handed (the only thing non-left handed thing I do, is shooting my big rifle right-handed) so my poor dogs have to put up with the whole left/right thing. I train all mine to walk on my left-hand side but out on shoots or in shooting situations they will 'drift' between the left and the right hand side depending on me carrying stuff. They've 'taught' themselves that but in a training situation or test/trial situation they're always on my left.
Natasha
____________
WLF All the Way!!!!
"Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you canīt eat it or hump it. **** on it and walk away..."
Thanks Mo, i'd really just never thought much about it before. I too think the idea of a heavy bag on my right shoulder all wrong
With the road walking, I meant roads without paths - where you walk on the right so your facing traffic for safety. We live on a lane so always walk on the right.
Can I ask, if you find it a muddle why did you start with Bracken on your left? Are you not tempted to swop to whats comfortable?
It is good to know Fee had no problems with Pasco on the wrong side - gundogclub were fine with it for Basil, but Fees done tests and proper classes so it must be doable.
I wonder though is it a disadvantage in a test? - you must always be first or last to send as you'd have to go on an end?
(oh thanks for the stick explanation, I've been looking at Di's sig pic with someone holding a thumb stick on their left and just couldn't fathom it )
lt to explain which I want, despite using heel for both.
Obedience people use 'heel' and 'close' don't they to verbally distinguish which side?
.
The competitive obedience folks at my club don't Sarah. They use heel for left and side for right, close as a reminder at either heel or side, to keep 'with me'.... so e.g. when I'm doing heelwork at obedience training, I'd use heel or side depending what we've been told to do, and then 'close' if needed to keep her tight to me turning. I tend to say 'close close close' for about turns. Struggling with left turns as they say to use 'back' for that, but I don't want to because I know I need 'back' to mean something different for gundog work. Some of the folks at my club don't use close, they'd say 'tight' instead.
Thanks Natasha - now I understand as a fellow leftie why you never corrected us in training
Did you consciously choose to go with the flow and work them on the left for competition as that's the 'done' thing?
Would a dog lose points in a test if he returned to the heel position on the 'wrong' side? ie you send him from your left, retrieves,delivers and then returns to heel on the right by accident.
Although I wonder after delivery if he might instinctively loop around me to sit on my right...not sure I've ever heeled him into my left before from facing me in any situation:?
I don't think gundog competitions do formal presents and finishes, so I don't think it would matter if he went to the wrong side initially, due to that being instinctive for him.
You can also practice this though.... we have to do this at obedience too.... call the dog up to sit in front of you, THEN command it to heel. I use my body for this, if I swerve right, dog comes round the back of me anti-clockwise to left heel and vice versa. I use the word 'finish' too, but I don't need to anymore really, it's just a habit and I need to get out of it. I ask for more formal front presents than I do finishes, as she tends to anticipate, and in comp obedience, that's not good. Don't think it matters a jot for gundog work though....I think it's fine to take the retrieve item from the dog being positioned at heel rather than front first?
Sorry... gone way OT.... can you tell I'm heading out to obedience class shortly?!
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But also rarely throw from a dogs side so maybe I don't need to swop.
Or, I make her sit/stay while I walk away and use the chuckit. I'm just starting to properly think about directions with her, so when I throw and I haven't thrown straight, I walk her away first and then back round to line her up..... this sort of stems from me starting to really try my damndest to instill some steadiness in her. I find using my right hand to line her up awkward too.... but hey, what isn't awkward when you're a lefty in a right-handed world, I'll get over that! 
