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John Soares Working Dog Seminar February 13, 2011

John Soares is hosting a Working Dog Seminar on February 13, 2011

Indoors…

Charlie is testing the Agility Waters…. and so far he thinks….

Charlie Brown had his first beginner’s Agility class last Monday night…  we tried Agility when Charlie was not quite a year old, but another dog attacked him during class and we just didn’t go back….  But now that Charlie has five kids and they are all beginning to train in Agility, he felt left out, so we are still training Schutzhund, Obedience and now Agility…  so far, it has been a BLAST!  We have our second class tonight, but yesterday a friend had rented an agility ring for an hour and she offered to share the time (and her expertise) with us….  OMG… getting to do the equipment without so much control and actually stringing some of the equipment into a mini course was the greatest whooo hoooo in recent memory!  Once Charlie got into drive with his tug toy, he was ready to play and play he did…. sore foot and all…

Charlie and Lyn Agility 101… our second time training–whooo hooooo

Training with the class is fun, but we really got to let our hair down yesterday and the entire experience was total fun!  Soooo much to learn–which arm to give directions with and when; where to position yourself to best direct the dog without interfering or being in his path; when and how to reward; what is the best reward; how to get him in drive; and on and on….  and we have not even gotten to the “remember the course” part of the exercise…

All I can say, is “Go Charlie Brown!”

Gotta figure out how to fit all the training in without confusing the boy or me…. Utility training; Agility; Schutzhund…. and eventually AKC tracking….

The Six AKC Champion – SchH III dogs Dobermans as of 11/24/2010

Charlie Brown is proud to have joined this list of AKC Champion Schutzhund III Dobermans

Knox’s Carbon Copy

Jack – Anozira’s Cactus Jack

Bro – Chalmar’s the Big Red One

Dillon – BJF Crescendo v Aquarius

Silas – Destiny’s Man on a Mission

Charlie – Viking’s Charlie Brown

Still training every weekend

Mmmm… still training almost all Saturday and Sundays at WAG.

Tracking continues to be a bug-a-boo for me and my man.  I am working with Butch Henderson when I can, but that has been far and few recently as he was getting ready to trial his Bouv and his GSD in early October.  Hopefully we can get some Saturday morning sessions under our belt in Nov and Dec…. January and Feb will be dependent on weather and I think Butch is doing a seminar in Vermont in mid-November…

Jurgen has been helping Charlie learn to commit to a solid bite and last weekend we worked Charlie on the bungee.  He did very well and I felt the training both Saturday and Sunday was well spent!

Check out his bungee video…

Charlie Brown vs the Bungee Oct 2010

Charlie’s puppies are growing up FAST! and they are all in performance homes and if they turn into conformation dogs, I think all five owners are willing to give it a go…. so they are actively involved in training obedience, agility, and Neo is training in Schutzhund!  You go boy!

We have Reva in Agility.

Boss in Agility and Obedience.

Neo in Agility, Obedience and Schutzhund.

Faye (still undecided on name) in Agility and I’m sure some Obedience too.

Alf in Agility and Obedience!

Conformation for all five it the stars are all aligned! 

What a GREAT litter of kids.

Charlie Brown’s Brown Collar Boy–Black Male born 6-10-2010

Charlie’s VPG III Protection and Obedience routine June 12, 2010

Poor quality video with lots of camera movement and conversation in the background (I just turn my sound off)… but it will give you an idea of what we did well and where our problems exist…. we will be working on continuous barking away from the helper and control issues…. but this was our first ever VPG III Protection routine at a trial and I’m happy!

PROTECTION:

Charlie Brown VPG III Protection routine June 12, 2010 for New title

Critique by Carole Patterson-Charlie Brown VPG III Protection

OBEDIENCE:

Charlie Brown VPG III Obedience Routine June 12, 2010

Critique of Charlie Brown\’s VPG III Obedience June 12, 2010

Charlie Brown is now the sixth AKC Champion Schutzhund III dog!

Yesterday, Charlie Brown became the sixth AKC Champion Doberman Pinscher to be a SchH III dog.  He was owner, breeder, handled, trained and trialed.  I also put both his majors and two singles on him in the breed ring.  I believe (but don’t quote me on this), he is the second breeder, owner trained and trialed Champion SchH III dog.

He was High Protection with a 93 pronounced under DVG America President and Judge Carole Patterson.  I am thrilled and after a few weeks to recover and savor Charlie’s accomplishment, we will begin working to fix a few things before he trials for his IPO III.

Zelda’s birthday has arrived…. 10 years young today!

Photos from Cindy Noland of Charlie Brown at UDC National

Tracking with Charlie Brown May 18, 2010

I’m beginning to feel the pressure of a trial looming and unfinished and unpolished tracking and protection routines….  In tracking, I am not confident in my handling abilities or in Charlie’s work ethic if the conditions are hard.  I’m getting one to three tracks in each week and I am working on my handling and track-laying skills.  In protection, control in the III routine is harder to come by and Charlie’s barking when he is excited needs to be curtailed.  Also, we are working on his control during the back transport and the transport to the judge.  We are a work in progress!

That said, the conditions today were primo!  Wet, thick, carpet-like green grass.  Temps in the 50’s, overcast sky with light misting on and off.  Tracking beckoned and I responded by going to the field and laying a track for CB on my way home for lunch.  A quick piddle outing for the dogs, then into the car and we drove to the tracking field.  The track was just an hour old–perfect!

Sunday’s track was in awful grass (dry, straw grass with patches of dry dirt) and it was very, very windy and the air was dry… so I wanted today’s track to be relatively easy.  I put food in the scent box, but no food for the first 100 or so paces, then an article.  About 30 more paces and a serpentine curve with food at the end of the curve and then a right turn, 60 paces, a right turn, 100 or so paces and an article, then 50 paces and a left turn, 30 paces to the end.    Charlie did a nice job, although he went slightly past the 2nd turn before turning and picking up the 3rd leg.  Down the 3rd leg approx 95 paces and about 4-5 paces before the article, Charlie circled once, then went to the article and downed…  Not sure if he smelled the article and circled, then found the article or????  All in all, I was happy how Charlie did today.

Tomorrow we will go to Waldorf and work Obedience and Protection…