Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:43 am Post subject: handler fail!
Honestly I'm hopeless.. started new training classes with Sam last night but apparently I have to have Sam sitting and walking on my left and despite being left handed I openly admit he usually walks on my right and I've let him sit/walk either side so long as he did as I asked - oops! I kept getting little reminders from the trainer, eek - poor Sam - handler must improve! Otherwise he was really good and given he'd been in most of the day as we've had workmen all over the place I was suprised he could concentrate especially with so many potential new friends to meet so I was pleased. There were a few pups in the mix too - inc a couple of very young labs one who was intent on hiding behind his mum and one choc girly who thought everyone in the place should be her friend and was barking most of the time and mouthing anyone or anything but she was still a gorgeous little poppet, the joys of puppyhood!
Anyway other than me being a twit (I will learn to default to left honest) a guy said a really weird thing to me so I thought I'd ask you guys - he said ah you've got a pinky and pointed to a kind of lump on the crown/back of Sam's head between the ear area, only noticeable when you're stroking his head - and said ooh it'll be hard work training him - anyone know what he was on about because it's not something I've heard of?
I have always made sure my dogs WILL walk nicely on BOTH sides
We do a lot of walking on country lanes, to face the on-coming traffic my 2 walk on my right so they are in the hedge not in danger of being hit!! Our trainer is perfectly happy as long as they walk well and calmly!!
Maybe for certain things you must have them on your left??
I think I understand what you mean when you describe the bump. Its like the skull rises to a point behind the crown? If so, Mylo has exactly the same, when we got him, the breeder pointed this out (a successful field trial breeder) and said 'I call that a brain bump'.
Mylo is 1 yr old on Sunday and so far he has come first in all his gradings at training classes (he was moved into the junior group at 4 months old), and he has passes gundog grading 1 and 2, again ahead of the other labs and cockers that were in our group.
I think I know what I would have said to the guy giving you the wisdom of his knowledge
A pinky? Thats a willy isn't it!!!! Bloke is talking total rubbish!!! The hard boney lump on dogs skull can show that he still may mature further in the breadth of skull but as for it having any affect on his personality thats utter nonsense!
left or right? To be honest in training because predominatly we are right handed we tend to ask dogs remain on one side, and when right handed left is easiest in every way, or they end up jumping from side to side and handlers falling over them on turns etc etc. Like any command heel means 'get on whatever side I use for heel and stay there till i tell you differently...' so if thats ANY side it can make it all a bit random.
I never mind if someone has heeled on the right from day one as long as they choose a side and stick to it. On a lead so on a road etc you can put any dog where you want him, but all proper work to be done on one side and one side only really.
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
I used to drive our obedience trainer to distraction! I also do agility and want my dogs to work evenly on either side - so all heel work, recalls and finishes were done on the left and right equally!
It was just up to me to then remember to keep the dogs on the left during tests/competitions.
My new obedience trainer also does agility - so she also seems more balanced on lefts and rights.
I find it a bit "old school" to stick to the left only these days.
If someone said Max had a pinky I'd think he was doing his usual and sitting like a dirty little old man with his willy hanging out!!
Glad the bump is normal (from other replies) - we had worried it was a leftover from when he ran full pelt into the coffee table when he was little and staggered around for a while with a headache
Don't worry about feeling daft in training - haven't been for a few weeks due to Max limping and various health problems, but last time we went I was big time dippy and had to re-do an exercise about 6 times in front of everyone as I had handler failure disease too. OH was watching and giggling like a girl....until the handler said "you can do it next week". HA!!
Angela, Its not old school, its to stop the dog feeling jumping from side to side is right. IF you have trained hard to have the dog equally steady and supple (which can be a problem) and obedient on both sides, kudos to you. But the majority of handlers find the complexities of having a dog consistant through turns and so on on ONE side taxing enough without him cutting the corner behind them and jumping to the left etc etc if on the right, and so on. I;ve seen more than one handler go a nasty fall or two over their dog when asking it just to about turn because it did, but stayed on the same side
Agility is the one discipline where both sides are needed in everything else consistancy on one side is far more helpful longterm. BUT as I say if the dog is both sides entire fluent then happy days.
You wouldn't want a gundog to swap though or it would get smacked in the head with a gun or a full dummy bag!!
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
A "pinky"? I've never heard it called that before. I noticed when Ivan was a growing pup that he had one and so googled the internet and found LF website......which put me at my ease alot. I thought he had a cyst!
I prefer the term "Intelligence Bump".
From what I've read on here, he hasn't been any more difficult to train than any other dog. He got "Highly Intelligent" on the dog IQ test (which I refuse to believe).
I prefer to walk a dog both sides. On the right-hand side for traffic reasons. If I'm walking on a road, I like to be in between the dog and the cars and since the general idea is to walk against the flow of the traffic, dog goes on my right. But if there's an awkward bend in the road, walk with the flow of traffic and dog goes on left.
Maybe your trainer is just working up to walking the dog on both sides, but starting with the left as most people are right-handed so it leaves their most dexterous hand for treat-giving. Or maybe not.
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Mooz, Ivan & Milly xxx
On a lead any dog can walk either side because we enforce where they are, and when placed, they tend to walk quite happily. hence walking down a road anydog can walk anyside happily and comfortably on a lead.
But being Trained is rather different. You will see few people, even pet dog training, doing an exercise, then swapping the dog over and saying 'ok now, lets do that again with you on THIS side...' its just not the way of things....
Di
____________
The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
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