White German Shepherd Dog
© 2006 WGSDAV |
Training/Activities/Dog
Sports Herding Types of events Instinct Tests – These are where everyone starts to test
their dog for the natural instinct to herd. There is no requirement for the
handler of the dog to know anything about herding but it is a general
requirement that you can stop your dog on command and recall the dog as these
are necessary for safety of all. Everyone should bear in mind that a dog that
is introduced to livestock for the first time may forget or ignore these
commands once let loose on stock, but may react to the second or third call.
The judge will normally be inside the ring with the handler to help give
direction and control if necessary. It is the dog being tested on instinct,
nothing else. Herding Information -
FAQ Style What is a Herding
Instinct Test? A herding instinct test is a test for herding breed dogs
(NOT HANDLERS) to see if the dog has any natural herding instinct. (We
can't stress enough that the handlers don't need to know anything about
herding but that the dog should have some obedience training like a stop and
recall - although not necessary). How do you test
for natural herding instinct? The dog and handler enters a yard approximately 10 meters
diameter What if my dog
doesn't show any instinct or very little? If your dog is only a young pup, give him more time and
more exposure to livestock. If your dog is older, it may need more time
also as you probably conditioned it not to touch other animals or sometimes
it just doesn't have the instinct to shepherd and has now gone past the time
of learning. Retrials These have been designed as a training tool for all, the
dog, the handler and the judges. It is a test but the scores don’t have to be
announced or recorded by anyone. The handler may walk the course Herding Titles HTD 1 Started - Herding Trial Dog HTD2 Intermediate - Herding Trial
Dog HTD3 Advanced - Herding Trial Dog HTDX Champion – Herding Trial Dog These are yard trials Getting started As Dogs are permitted to wear muzzles but these should be
tried at home first. The most important thing is that handler and dog enjoy
herding. In some dogs, herding instinct is dormant due to lack of early
exposure. To awaken this instinct is very stratifying to all concerned and a
real challenge to the herding dog owner. Who can participate in herding? In Victoria anyone that is a member of the VCA or other state member bodies (child handlers should check with their canine council) who has a registered dog be it Full, Limited or Associate registered and the dog is six months of age or older can participate in herding. The member does not need to have any experience at herding as stated previously. The breeds that we have seen herding include the usual
like Border Collie, Australian Kelpie, Australian Cattle Dog, Australian
Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd then the not so usual German
Shepherd Dog, Belgian Shepherd in all varieties, Bearded Collie, Collie,
Puli, Corgi, Shetland Sheepdog, Old English Sheepdog and very unusual
Schnauzer (standard) and Samoyed. Types of livestock that can be
used The types of livestock that can be used for these events are ducks, geese, sheep, goats, and cattle. The important aspect is that these stocks have been worked by dogs before and are used to dogs herding ability. Wise stock that have never seen dogs before will not be manageable for the novice dog or handler. If the dog gains qualifying scores of a herding title on one type of stock then that title is stock specific for example Herding Dog Started on sheep title – HDT1 (Sheep) Lure Coursing What is Lure Coursing and why do
dogs love doing it? The answer is quite simple Lure Coursing gives your dog the opportunity to do what
comes naturally - chase, sniff the ground, jump, pivot
and chase again. Regardless of the breed of dog, they are able to run and
enjoy themselves in a safe and controlled environment. There are no
dangerous obstacles which they can run into and the area is enclosed The equipment used is quite simple and consists of 300
metres of fishing line strung around several pulleys set into the ground to
form the course. A plastic bag is tied to the line and is powered
around the pulleys by a battery-operated motor. The operator can stop
the lure at any time and can change direction as well. For those dogs that
regularly attend, we have developed a system of tin pipes, which the lure
will go through and then stop inside. The dogs will then frantically
search for where it has gone by sniffing the ground, looking in the pipes or
try to look under the pipe. The lure can either proceed through the
pipe or can reverse and trick the dogs by coming out of the opposite end. The smaller dogs endeavour to put their heads in the end
of the pipes to see where the lure has gone, while the bigger dogs just try
and flip the pipes over. Others will cut the corners and wait for the
lure to come to them. Little do they know that the operator will stop
and reverse the lure. The chase is then on
once again. This is a sight to behold and every dog owner is encouraged
to give his or her dog the opportunity to give his or her skill at this
sport. Words cannot describe the expressions on owners' faces when they
see their dogs stride out in full flight and chase the lure. Even if
they don't run the whole course it doesn't matter. It is not
competitive and is used to give your dogs fun
activity and an easy way for you to exercise them. This sport appeals to both big and small dogs and often
several different breeds run together. Imagine seeing a long legged Deerhound
bounding along Tracking Tracking... All dogs can do this
The dog's ability to track is well known. Man has utilized
this ability for centuries. Dogs have helped the hunter to find game and
food. In The usefulness of the German Shepherd Dogs and Gundogs have always been in the
forefront as a tracking and search and rescue (SAR) dog, not because they
have the best sense of smell, but because of their willingness to work.. This working ability is a key factor in why these
breeds are used all over the world for services and SAR work. For the ordinary citizen, tracking dogs can be a
competition sport where dogs compete for ANKC (Australian National Kennel
Council) titles. Tracking is something that all dogs can do. It is a natural
instinct for a dog to use this sense. From birth a puppy makes its way to its
mothers nipple, for a drink. How? The puppy is born
blind. It uses its sense of smell. The dog's tracking ability is extremely acute, we still
don't fully understand the dog's capabilities in this area..
The dog's olfactory sense is much, much more greatly developed than humans.
Dogs naturally track for food, we could call this
their hunting instinct. We don't have to teach a dog to track,
we use their natural instinct to teach them that we want them to follow a
certain track. In Endurance THE ENDURANCE TEST Why did you get a dog? Perhaps one of the reasons may have
been for companionship or perhaps the idea of having a companion to go for
walks Obedience DOG OBEDIENCE In this day and age it is more important than ever to
consider some form of obedience training for our canine companions. Whether
your dog is big or small, hairy or smooth coated, old or young, all dogs and
their owners will benefit from the pursuit of obedience training. There are more than thirty obedience clubs throughout the
metropolitan area and country A condition of joining an obedience dog club is that your
dog is currently vaccinated. So you will need to bring your certificate Many people who join obedience clubs to learn basic
obedience skills "The idea of Obedience Trials is to demonstrate the
usefulness of the dog as the companion and guardian of man and not the
ability of the dog to acquire facility in the performance of mere tricks. The
classification which has been adopted is progressive Starting off as a beginner you can compete in the
Encouragement class. The next class is Novice. When three qualifying scores
are attained your dog will be eligible for the title of Companion Dog. Your
dog will then have the initials CD at the end of his registered name. The
next level is Open class. With three qualifying scores at this level your dog
will have attained the title of Companion Dog Excellent. The CD at the end of
his name will then be changed to CDX. The highest level of obedience
competition is the Utility class. Once again when three qualifying scores are
achieved your dog will have attained the title of Utility Dog and UD will
replace the CDX letters. To achieve the title of Obedience Champion a dog
must then attain five additional Utility Dog qualifying scores of 185 points
out of 200 or greater, and of these five qualifying scores, three must have
been ring wins. Only a few dogs attain the Obedience Champion title each year
and it is a very admirable achievement. Those canine companions and their
owners, who do, have developed a strong bond as the path of obedience has
been successfully pursued. Agility AGILITY IS A
FUN DOG SPORT Agility is a fast, exciting, fun activity for you and your
dog. Agility involves competitors directing their dogs around obstacle
courses in an attempt to both negotiate the obstacles correctly and ‘beat the
clock’. The obstacles comprise various types of jumps, ramps, elevated walks,
poles that the dogs weave through, different types of tunnels and a see-saw. Participation in Agility training or trialing is great
fun. It enables you to provide a release for the energy of your pet and
yourself in a way that can be much more interesting and exciting than simply
taking your dog for a walk. It helps your family pet to become more
responsive to you and also helps you to gain more control and have a more
obedient dog. Agility is an exciting way to enhance your leisure time Agility, and its companion activity, Jumping are
structured for dog owners Agility is perhaps the fastest growing dog sport in the
world which can be enjoyed by any family owning a dog. Training in Agility is
available at many dog clubs throughout To view the new ANKC Agility Rules and ANKC Agility Games
please visit the VCA Agility Website. To view the Agility Judges Training Scheme please click here.
Information provided by
the VCA |
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