Despite being right handed I just cannot walk my dogs on the left and have to walk them on the right, I have also always worn a watch on my left wrist as despite being right handed I just cannot get on with it on my right!! Really don't know why...
The dog trainer said it doesn't matter what side you walk the dog on as long as you stick to that side..I was abit worried how it would go down at gundog HPR training but they said the same thing although that I might get asked if I was a hawker as apparently they walk their dogs on the right!!
Pick the side that you get on with best and stick to it
I believe the "bump" your talking about is call the Occiput, all Labs have one its just some are more pronounced than others, CJ still has his but its not as prominent as it used to be.
Still I spose its a change from saying "You`ll never train that dog, its Chocolate"!!
Side doesn't matteer dead right, even in gundog work as you adjust what side your dummy bag is, what side you carry your gun or how you teach your dog to avoid it etc etc chuckle... its randomly changing which can throw you curve balls in those activities. Infact in working test walks ups, very VERY commonly you see handlers losing marks because the dog is 'swapping'. So heeling about with their head level with the handlers knee, and dancing from side to side as the move forward... Such a shame and often because out shooting with multiple dogs they have to do that, but then carry it on, one to one.
Di
____________
The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
THanks Di, I understand better now
My girls are always on lead when out walking until we get to where ever the off lead bit is. Havent actually tried them off lead walking to heal
Mutters to self "think we should go back to training classes"
I'm certainly not claiming to do Proper Competitive Obedience and when we do come close to doing it offically I do conform to keeping the dog on the left (for the last few years I've won our club's Annual Rally Obedience Competition). And I can see that if I were to carry a gun/bag then the dogs would have to remain on my other side (I apologise if the original post was talking about gundog training only - I can see that that could be different)
However - I dont understand the problem with teaching the dog to be on the left *and* right. The dog should just work where you place it. I indicate a side with my hand/verbal instruction and that's where Moss goes. I know he's there and that's where he remains.
With my first dog I did far more obedience before starting agility and he really struggled when working on my right.
I'm just saying that when you're training your dog you should be allowed to understand what you need the dog to do and to work with that, rather than sticking with something because that's how it's always done/everyone else does it.
Angela there is nothing wrong with it, just its very unusual and not really of any benefit except in the context of agility, so its better to get a dog truely solid one side, and then know on alead at a road etc you CAN use the other side of course.... than confuse them by trying to do proper work on both sides.
Nothing wrong with it, but in a class you are not going to be asked to do an exercise on one side, then on another beyond a polite manners type puppy class to show you physcially can handle a lead on both sides should you need to etc.
Most dogs lack heelwork, fluid turning etc working only on ONE side so I take my hat off to anyone who genuinely works their dogs both sides when there is no real need to other than they 'fancy' it In that case fire away but at classes you will be told to pick a side and stick to it Pet dog training may allow variance for the sake of handling a pet dog in day to day situations, but above that they will almost certainly tell you to smarten up one side and stick with it for absolute consistancy and familiarity.
Di
____________
The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
So I would say to Emma that if Sam USUALLY walks on your right... 'be naughty' and continue walking and training him on the right as you are obviously both happy and consistent with this?
Both my bright, intelligent and very trainable woofers have that lump! And when they are both tired with tired ears flying you can see it more easily.
I don't go to obedience classes any more; but when I did (it was both general pet obedience and comp ob they did), they actively encouraged us to teach our dogs to work on both sides. Bracken is the only one of my dogs who'll do this. She knows 'heel' for left and 'side' for right. The trainer's argument was that it keeps the dog having to listen and think about what it's being asked to do. Is it being asked to 'heel' or asked to 'side'? Obviously we didn't go mixing and matching all the time as that would be confusing for both handlers and dogs; and a dog darting about behind a handler going from left to right wasn't the aim at all. I've found it really handy to have a dog that'll happily walk on either side of me - but only the side she's told to be at (it's probably one of the few things she actually listens to me about ). Boots will walk on my right if I have him on a lead and I put him there, but he doesn't really like it. I sometimes like my dogs to be on my right, particularly if I'm carrying shopping. I'm left handed and just can't carry bags in my right hand. It feels all wrong
I haven't heard the brain extension myth before, but I did hear or read somewhere a myth about the number of hairs a lab has from their moley thing under their chin being a sign of working ability. 3 hairs good, 2 hairs bad, or something like that
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
[/img]
In that case fire away but at classes you will be told to pick a side and stick to it 
