+1 Anne

I resemble that statement

:-)

Mine are well-trained AND I still work for a living. All three of them still "work," too ... they are
ob-demo dogs.




PS
What a statement. Over-obvious (for many) and also inapplicable (to the folks on this thread).

I guess that I should have added that mine are SchH trained & although I used to work 5 days a week full-time & part time most weekends. This while I had 3 dogs in training. And yes, my dogs took up most of my non working time.

Many of us here manage our lives & work & multiple high drive working dogs in training.

A bog congrats to the winner & others that participated in the contest.

 Quote: Peter Cavallaro

I don't have any ex-husbands to compare notes with but if you want to put higher titles on your dogs AND you have to work for a living then having multiple dogs is counterproductive and you will diminish your capacity to train all of them.

Wow! What a statement, definitely not how I feel at all.

My very first competition dog is 4.5 years old. I got her as a puppy, when I had 3 other dogs (2 demo dogs + 1 guard dog for the property). She now has her IPO 3, UR02, CGN, HIT, 2 legs to her CD (she is in heat every time the trial approaches LOL) and has helped in Canada Demos/Parade and bite prevention workshops for young kids.

I have 8 dogs:

- GSD, 4.5 yrs - IPO3, CGN, URO2, HIT (a couple legs to NADAC agility titles)
- GSD 3.5 yrs - APR1, CGN, HIT (A couple legs to NADAC agility titles)
- GSD (5 months, so nothing yet)
- Pom, 18 months - 6 points towards CKC CH and almost ready for Birch odor recognition test for nosework
- Pom, 3 years - 2 points towards CKC CH, was bred so couldn't be shown last year. Has helped with bite prevention workshops and walked in Canada Day parade
- Pom/Chi 4 years, my husbands companion dog. Has helped with bite prevention classes and done Canada Day demos.
- Pom, 5 months old, so nothing yet
- Leonberger - has done ScH training, but is the property guard dog.

For someone who has only been competing for 4 years I would like to think I have done good job putting titles on my dogs. I don't have an IPO club to work with, so I do all the training myself, then drive 12 hours (one way) to compete with my club. I have amazing friends in the club who help work my dogs on a helper before the trial so my dogs can learn the exercises with someone new. They only have 1 trial a year.

The next nearest place to trial is almost a 20 hour drive (one way), so far this has not been something I can afford to do multiple times a year.

I work full-time, teach classes 4-8 hours a week for the Yukon Kennel club, have an 8 year old son and a husband to look after.

Maybe its the difference between quantity training and quality training?

Your blanket statement is quite ignorant, IMO.

You are of course right, Niomi. So many here have dogcentric lives. I know I do!

No one on this thread is a "hoarder" ... all train every dog.

I think Peter was thinking out loud and had not reached the conclusion that he would have reached eventually before he posted.

As Anne said, thinking before we post is a good thing.


I would add that blanket statements are usually ignorant. I make them too, but I'm always sorry very soon after.



That said, Niomi, you (and manyl others here) do truly laudable jobs with their dogs.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

I would add that blanket statements are usually ignorant. I make them too, but I'm always sorry very soon after.

You are so right Connie

I have done this before and definitely learned my lesson LOL. It is something I am incredibly aware of now, and make a point to avoid the statements that will have me eating crow in the end!

"I have 8 dogs:

- GSD, 4.5 yrs - IPO3, CGN, URO2, HIT (a couple legs to NADAC agility titles)
- GSD 3.5 yrs - APR1, CGN, HIT (A couple legs to NADAC agility titles)
- GSD (5 months, so nothing yet)
- Pom, 18 months - 6 points towards CKC CH and almost ready for Birch odor recognition test for nosework
- Pom, 3 years - 2 points towards CKC CH, was bred so couldn't be shown last year. Has helped with bite prevention workshops and walked in Canada Day parade
- Pom/Chi 4 years, my husbands companion dog. Has helped with bite prevention classes and done Canada Day demos.
- Pom, 5 months old, so nothing yet
- Leonberger - has done ScH training, but is the property guard dog.

For someone who has only been competing for 4 years I would like to think I have done good job putting titles on my dogs. I don't have an IPO club to work with, so I do all the training myself, then drive 12 hours (one way) to compete with my club. I have amazing friends in the club who help work my dogs on a helper before the trial so my dogs can learn the exercises with someone new. They only have 1 trial a year.

The next nearest place to trial is almost a 20 hour drive (one way), so far this has not been something I can afford to do multiple times a year.

I work full-time, teach classes 4-8 hours a week for the Yukon Kennel club, have an 8 year old son and a husband to look after.
"

holy crap, I concede that is an amazing feat. I do not see how that is even possible given the number of hours in a day but that is a reflection of my ignorance.

I sure could not do that much but clearly it can be done.

 Quote: Peter Cavallaro

holy crap, I concede that is an amazing feat. personally I do not see how that is even possible given the number of hours in a day but that is a reflection of my ignorance.

I sure could not do that much but clearly it can be done.

I seriously must admit - I have no clue how this has been done. But I have definitely given up A LOT of sleep hours as a sacrifice to my passion.

My day job basically funds my dogs LOL

Last year was supposed to be my "year off" from competing - I taught for 8+ hours a week for the kennel club, put 6 points on my male Pom, I bred, whelped and raised two litters (7 GSD's and 4 Poms (17 dogs in my house total) and put an IPO 3 on my female GSD 6 weeks after the puppies went to their new homes. Don't ask me how I did it - I would not be able to tell you.

PLUS I traveled to a dog show, B.C. to visit my parents for 10 days, then back to Alaska for the IPO trial, then home. In 6 weeks I was in my house a total of 8 days (two 4 day breaks).

This year I have BIG plans for competing and show - I don't compete until May for my first trial - but you had better believe I am training for them now :P

I think if you want something bad enough you find a way to do it...and I also think you have to reach down deep and pull that new level of "crazy" to the surface, you won't survive without it!

 Quote: Niomi Smith

 Quote: Peter Cavallaro

holy crap, I concede that is an amazing feat. personally I do not see how that is even possible given the number of hours in a day but that is a reflection of my ignorance.

I sure could not do that much but clearly it can be done.

I seriously must admit - I have no clue how this has been done. But I have definitely given up A LOT of sleep hours as a sacrifice to my passion.

My day job basically funds my dogs LOL

Last year was supposed to be my "year off" from competing - I taught for 8+ hours a week for the kennel club, put 6 points on my male Pom, I bred, whelped and raised two litters (7 GSD's and 4 Poms (17 dogs in my house total) and put an IPO 3 on my female GSD 6 weeks after the puppies went to their new homes. Don't ask me how I did it - I would not be able to tell you.

PLUS I traveled to a dog show, B.C. to visit my parents for 10 days, then back to Alaska for the IPO trial, then home. In 6 weeks I was in my house a total of 8 days (two 4 day breaks).

This year I have BIG plans for competing and show - I don't compete until May for my first trial - but you had better believe I am training for them now :P

I think if you want something bad enough you find a way to do it...and I also think you have to reach down deep and pull that new level of "crazy" to the surface, you won't survive without it!

Yes, it's pretty much a function of how bad you want it and how much else you're willing to let go of.

I don't even come to within shouting distance of Niomi's passion (or, in fact, that of many others I know from LB!), but still, when I worked outside the home and got up at 4:45 or 5 to get in an hour of power-walking (plus a game involving serious running for the biggest and most energetic of the dogs), I had neighbors who thought I was crazy.

Many many people on this board would consider getting up before 5 to exercise the dogs before the owner starts to work just a usual and normal schedule item.


And again, this is nothing!