Monday, October 1, 2012
Something Special? Sometimes, IMO, there is that "something special" that makes a great "team" in a trial or ranch dog. As much as we may "want it" or "work" for it, it just isn't there for us in every dog, and it can't be "forced", it just "is". And despite how much we might "want" it with a dog we are esp fond of, it oftentimes just isn't a good match for the trial field, for various reasons. I spose that is what makes it so "right" when you get that "special" dog? Not easy to come by, they seem to show up when you least expect it. Just like a friendship, tho, that dog you might not "click" with, may just be someone else best friend.
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Totally agree and is the reason why people end up with a mess of dogs!LOL!! I used to think it was unfair to the dogs to have so many but now I realize that many that have sheep do let the dogs do ranch work , so every dog gets some work.
ReplyDeleteThen is also the reason dogs get sold several times which can be sad for the dog OR very good.When you are first starting out though, you have NO idea of what IS a good match . That can take a bit to figure out so if you don't have a ranch , and live where there are dog limitations, many pets hanging around can be a problem.
that's a good point, Irene, when starting out one wouldn't have an idea of what is a good match. A place to start, would be to rely on a trainer to help you find a dog that is good to start out with, one who is going to be willing to work "with" you instead of "against" you. Of course, we are working with instinct, most will push a bit, some more than others, and there are some that are going to be difficult to handle, and/or require more handling and reading of stock by the handler. Those I would not recommend for someone starting out. It's enough to just focus on the sheep, and which way is comeby and which is away!
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