Tyto’s mistress sends in a new piece from a new course. 27^th April 2008

Well a new course and we have from one of the largest to one of the smallest of breeds. We have a Newfoundland at the largest end to a Chihuahua at the smallest, but unfortunately she will have to start later in the course as, like all typical starts to a new course, she has come into season! So, we have only seven new babies at the moment. They are, as mentioned, a Newfoundland,  a Border Terrier, a  Border Collie, a  Miniature Schnauzer, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a  Rough Collie and a German Shepherd.  Quite a range of sizes and very different types of breeds.

They are all under 5 months and quite quiet at the moment.  As I have probably said before, when they start off quiet they generally feel their feet and get a little vocal but hopefully as they have jelled so well at the start they will all get on well together. The only one that started out a bit nervous was the Rough Collie, this is typical of the breed, but by the end of the first lesson he was joining in quite happily. So I think he will do well.

The weather is getting better so please, again, be aware of the heat in the car if you are planning a trip with your dog. Take plenty of water and make sure you keep him cool. If you are going somewhere that you are not sure of keep him on a longer lead so that you can keep control of any situation that may arise. There are young lambs and calves in the fields so be sure that your dog can’t get into the fields. The farmer will not be happy if your dog starts to chase, or even just wanders in for a sniff at the grass.  The farmer is within his rights to ask you to leave, or, worse still, shoot your dog if it is a danger to his livestock. So, be very careful when out exercising.

May I just take a moment here to remind you about our courses. We do get booked up very quickly so if you are getting a new puppy now and want to come to us please book now as spaces are very limited. (Hope you didn’t mind me putting that in Andy!)

There are a few companion shows coming up so if you fancy taking your dog along, there is one on May 5^th in Boxgrove, one at Buckingham Park on 18^th May and then one later in June on the 14^th on Southwick Green. You never know you may see Tyto and me there, and little Lil’ too if she’s up to it!

Well that is about it for now.

Tyto’s Musings and other news.  12^th April 2008

Well I have been hearing a strange noise emanating from  a room upstairs. I am reliably informed by Lily, one of my house mates, that it is her that must be obeyed’s owner playing a stick like thing called  a flute. She apparently has joined a thing called a band, not a rubber one, but one where other humans go to play stick things, hers is a flute, and strangely shaped other things called instruments.  They make sounds, I call them a noise, but some of it sounds good to the ears but other noises make me howl. Like the theme tune of Corrie. At least that is what I am told it is called. I just know that ‘she’ goes out on an evening in the week and then comes home really happy. So if that is what it takes, let her keep going I say!

Did you all enjoy the snow? I did. I was taken for a play in it with my red ball. She said it would show up more if I lost it. She doesn’t realise the power of the nose. (bg!)

Over to her now, my ’She who must be obeyed’.

Well the classes have come to a halt again for another week and then we start back on April 26^th with full classes yet again. It is very gratifying to know that owners,  having left us with a well behaved, trained puppy,  feel  that they can pass our details on to others. We must be doing something right. We had lots of passes this time. The Primary class puppy’s that passed are:  Maggie, Ruby, Buddy, Ozzy and Frank. In the Beginners class they were: Ember, Ellie, Dylan, Harvey, Lucy, Fenella and Maisie, and this time, believe it or not we actually had two passes in the advanced group.They were: Ruby and Kizzy. So yet again it shows practise does pay off.

Other exciting news is that Tyto and I are off to our first Championship Show, so I will let you know how we get on when we get back: wish Tyto and me Good Luck please.

Well we came back with only a 4^th in Graduate. So sadly, no qualifier for Crufts.

Tyto’s progress report by ‘She who must be obeyed’.  16^th March ’08.

Well here I am writing this for his nibs. He is getting very lazy at putting paw to keyboard. It must be the success going to his head as we went to another show yesterday, Sunday and he came 1^st in his Graduate class and 2^nd in his Open class. Yet again another little girly beat him to it. Never mind he did look lovely and moved well. So, we will try again on Thursday when we are up at Ardingly.

The new puppies are doing very well at classes and getting quieter. Unfortunately we had to advise one of our owners in the second class that it was, for the time being, the wrong environment for her little dog, so she is going to have him neutered to calm him down, and change his food, and then bring him back later in April and we will see if he is better. It is always sad when we have to advise owners to do this but we have to think of the dogs well being. Also if we have a very noisy dog in class others cannot learn or hear, so it is a two way problem that has to be overcome.  It is amazing that three weeks have gone already and Easter is upon us. Strange that it can be changed around in the calendar. Maybe they can bring the summer earlier and give us some warmer weather. Still at least the sun is shining today and the wind has dropped after yesterday’s dreadful weather. We did manage to keep dry when doing our showing classes.  We have another quiz for you. So, I will ask Andy to put it separately on the website for you to have a go at it. Obviously answers won’t be available until after the owners at classes have sent in theirs.

Well, that is about it for now. I will give you all an update in a couple of weeks when we have more news on the puppy’s progress and the quiz answers and show news.

Well I haven’t been  to classes yet as she says that the first week was a noisy one so ‘she’  has to get them quiet  while Sara, the other ‘she who must be obeyed’  teaches.  I am told that this week they were quieter so I will hopefully be going next week. Just as well as I am off to a show the day after so need some ringcraft catch up. I am told that there was a big show over the last four days, called Crufts. I didn’t go as I haven’t qualified yet. But I am reliably informed that my grandfather Bekkis Virtuoso cdex udex wdex was awarded 1^st place in Working Trials Dog. So, quite chuffed to hear that. Also she was quite pleased to see that the ones that I am usually placed with at other shows were placed in their respective classes, so I am in with a chance if I go to more shows this year. Getting back to the classes, she says she can’t believe that some owners put up with noisy dogs. I suppose that is why they come to us. (bg)!  Often when out walking, cars go by with noisy dogs barking in the back. Goodness knows how the driver can concentrate.  If you have a noisy dog in the car when you are driving ask for help and she will advise you.

While I am getting her to write this I am waiting patiently to go out for a walk but she says it is too windy and wet and she is trying to write this for me. Maybe if I keep looking at her she will relent and get her coat on and take me. There is blue sky appearing and the rain has stopped so. Wait a minute she says we will go now before it starts again. So, bye for now and keep dry and not too weather beaten.

Well here I am and as promised news from the show that I went to on Sunday and then more about classes etc.

I was a good boy on Sunday and came 2^nd in both my classes and beat a show champion to boot. The first places went to girlies so I suppose they rule for now.  I am told by my breeder via her that must be obeyed that I beat some good dogs. So she is chuffed to. I am still going to classes to watch the dogs and to keep them on their toes. I must say that some of them are doing well but I just wish they would listen to their trainers and not keep giving them rocket fuel. For those who don’t know what I mean she will explain later. My next show is on 17^th February so I will let you know how I do. Over to her now as she has as promised news of those breeds used in Guide Dog work and that bit about rocket fuel!

Hello all. Yes I was very pleased with his nibs yesterday and so will continue to do some more shows and see if he can continue to keep his progress up this year. As promised I have been reading about Guide Dogs and the breeds used. Set up in 1931 Guide dogs for the blind used, to begin with, Labradors, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds. More unusual breeds used are Standard poodles, border collies, longhaired Weimaraners, Italian Spinones and Irish water spaniels. ‘Getting the right mix is no easy task and sometimes dogs that show early promise can end up being withdrawn from training or retired, when they exhibit flaws in their character. These might include aggression, dominance, sensitivity, suspicion or distraction. The earlier these character defects are spotted the better.’

Having put that paragraph from their website I think this should apply to all dogs that are used for all sorts of work or even in the pet home. So breeders should be also more aware of  what they breed these days. Just to say this ‘rocket fuel’ is a term we use for the wrong type of food being fed to some dogs that can cause very hyper activity. A bit like colours in food that causes children to be over active. (bg)! Next time I will give you the results of the pups that have passed this time and also the quiz answers.

Tyto’s back with a few meanderings and her too. 20^th Jan 2008

Well here I am after being given the go ahead to tell you about my first show of the year. Now I am beautiful, as so many of you have told me, and past judges have told me also. Now I know some judges out there have their preferences on which dog to put first etc. but the ones that were put in front of me in the line up on Sunday were to say the least very out of condition and out of coat, lame to boot and well, enough said. It is a gamble these days to see what the judges like so I will apparently be going to some more just to see what they think of me. I can only put it down to the bad weather making the judge in question needing more light and to wear glasses as the dogs were very poor. Me, I worked my socks off for her indoors and only came 4^th. Which is how I started a year ago, so maybe things will be just as good as the year progresses. Never mind, another day, and hopefully better light and a judge that doesn’t need glasses, or at least hasn’t left them at home, and I will get further up the line.

The second week of classes was much better and I was allowed to sit with my friend Alex. He is a young man that comes with his mum and their dog Breeze. She is a Bernese Mountain Dog and very lovely but still silly as she is still quite young. 

I will now pass you to her as she has some interesting news about which dogs are used in the police force.

Thankyou Tyto.

Yes I have been having a discussion on another website forum and thought you would all like to know which breeds of dog are used in the police force. The working breed usually is the German Shepherd but they also use Springer Spaniels and Labradors for drug detection work. The most unusual breeds that some of the various police forces use are: Schnauzers, Rottweilers, Malinois and the occasional Weimeraner.

Next time I will tell you about the breeds used by the Guide Dog Association.

January 2008 new year and new start

I have just read in another dog paper that an author that writes for that paper, has read his writings from the year previous and found they were the same as last time. Nothing changes. Then I suppose not a lot does in the dog world. Except more errors have been made and more dogs have lost their lives because of human error and more children have been put at risk because of this human error. No children should be left with any dog, be it small or large. They all have teeth and all have sensitive spots that children do not know about. I was brought up with dogs and have always felt safe around the ones that I have owned but they all have to be respected, after all they have off days like we do. Unfortunately we as humans can say, ‘Go away’. Dogs give warnings first and if not honoured their only means of defence is to bite if they cannot run away. So, please make this year more safe for your pets and children by not leaving them together. You wouldn’t leave a child with a gun, or would you?

Anyway on to more happier things for the start of a new year. Classes started and we had the usual couple of dogs that thought they should have a barking match. They soon settled and the concentration was given to listening to the trainer and work progressed in the normal fashion. Some got the gist and some took longer but, I am sure by next week they will have grasped the idea that a pup must be in the right position before putting a sound to that position ie: guide him into a sit and then say sit etc. The other classes were okay but it was obvious that some hadn’t had enough training each day. I expect the humans were eating and making merry. Never mind I am sure they will get back to it with guidance and a few admonitions from us, the teachers. I prefer to be known as a teacher, as the owners are the trainers. If they put in enough training from our teaching then their dog will learn quicker. Just like children really.

Tyto is off to another show next Sunday so I will let you know how we do and I expect he will be back with his meanderings too.