Rebanne

Congratulations to the winners and to the losers. Big acheivement by all to get there!

:D

Thanks Megz Go Huddy!

Thanks for the explantion, makes it much clearer

how could they protect their flock if they were corralled with their humans? isn't night time when there is the most danger? Think I might do some more reading at work tonight. What work do your dogs do Tralee?

just curious Tralee, have you been overseas and seen these Maremma's (USA, British, Italian), with your own eyes or are you relying on internet talk and interpertation?

Thanks Zoiboy, enjoyed your videos and understood what you were saying ;-)

The Maremma will allow itself to be handled, but it has to be on its terms. Then that is tolerating being handled then.

Agree Agree In agility there is no need for a dog to accept another person touching them, but in the show ring, like it or not, that is how they are judged. I have never seen a judge slap a dog a few times on the head. I never said they had to be friendly, what I expect is for them to tolerate it. I don't think there is anything wrong with it either

and, in the show ring, just how many extra minutes do we allow a maremma to make up it's mind whether to allow a judge to examine it or not? And should the same courtesy be extended to other dogs/breeds?

yes video is a great tool

me too.

Been thinking :D I find it harder to show in the breed, I am guilty of just mooching around cause I am the only one, but that is what the judge might remember so I have to give myself a kick up the ........... and remember to show the dog to his best! And I agree with Trisven13. It's been hard to change my handling style. My daughter justs seems to float around the ring with the dogs, but her confidence needs to be built re stacking and my dogs have had to learn what she says goes as well :D

I am blessed with a dog that enjoys the ring and is very focussed on me - that makes him a pleasure to show. :) What I ask for, he gives. the talk was more about my attitude to my dogs, I think I was being a bit soft :D So what is your attitude to winning? That's what I'd really like to focus on. How do you get into that space and stay there? well that pep talk did make me more positive, my whole bearing changed. I was stricter with the dog, presented him more confidently and I think it works. My mantra was, he might be a greyhound, but he's a good one, so give him the win! This is mainly at group level cause we are often the only greyhound at breed level :)

I am blessed with a dog that enjoys the ring and is very focussed on me - that makes him a pleasure to show. :) What I ask for, he gives. the talk was more about my attitude to my dogs, I think I was being a bit soft :D

one of the things that made a difference to me was being told, " I imagine your dog lives the life of Riley? all creature comforts supplied, loved and doted on? Then it's not too much to ask that he does what you want for a few minutes on the odd day out is it?" Smartened me right up. Though my daughter does most of the handling nowadays for me due to my back problems.

and they don't have to be chasing something to get into the zone. Give them enough room and they are running around seemingly flat out doing zoomies, then, bang! they are in a totally different headspace and and you just cross your fingers and hold your breath they do manage to avoid the tree. I actually prefer to let mine off together at the slipping track, a long boring narrow area, as there is less chance of them splitting up and then coming at each other head on. My greyhound chiro man has told me about greys racing at each other full on and colliding and both dying from a broken neck. One of my boys t-boned my girl and when she got up I thought her leg had been broken. Any wonder I spend a small fortune at the chiro's.

and the ability to recognise some should never be let off lead. I've only had one that I considered suitable to let off lead in an unfenced area. And I did train him up but I never lost sight of what he was. I think if I put the effort in I could train up my current boy but as I have easy access to a couple of fully fenced areas there is no real need. But the others I have had, no way would I trust them to come back if they put something up. When they get into that zone, nothing breaks them until they snap out. That's why some break their necks cause they hit a solid object so hard cause they don't even see it. They can even kill themselves by colliding with each other. BTW all my dogs come back when called, in boring circumstances. Even when accidently let out the front and the gate is open they have responsed to my yelling. We have just been lucky another dog or cat wasn't trotting past the open gate at the time.

When you say sanctioned do you mean just ANKC or can it be another organisation? So they can compete but not train offlead? Unless on private land? Just curious as we have a greyhound starting flyball training and is going great but I've always been curious as too whether he could legally compete or not as flyball isn't an ANKC sport. It's been a while since I read up on the laws but as I remember the wording it is ANKC sanctioned events and, also, clubs. So off lead/muzzle free is allowed at a ANKC registered club. This is in Victoria. One of the obedience clubs I have frequented in the past is no longer affiliated with the VCA. If I took a grey there now they would have to be muzzled and leashed as they (used to) train at a public park.

Good on you. I enjoy showing, my dogs are happy to go along with me. If they disliked it we would all retire to the couch.

Then why show this breed? If a judge can't touch them, then how can they be judged? It's a hands on sport. How long should a Maremma be given in the ring to make up it's mind if it will allow another person to approach it? The Maremma wasn't the only dog to react in such a fashion, commentators also remarked on other dogs being overawed. Should this allowance be given to other breeds who also would prefer not to be examined by a stranger. Maybe Maremma's shouldn't be shown at all and should be left in the paddock to work? I didn't say don't show them - I simply pointed out the difference between attributes that assist the dog's function & attributes that are rewarded in the showring. Nor did I say they couldn't be touched - but that they would not welcome it. But if they are clearly unsuited to the current show format, and it seems they are, then why do people show them? Why do something that is against everything you say the dog (breed) stands for - so to speak? It would be so stressful for them.

don't you mean a cav cross poodle?

so you are saying the Maremma must be judged differently to every other breed of dog entered in the show? How is that fair? All the winners you have put up, are you saying the ones who do not let a judge go over them, they have the correct temperament, the ones who will tolerate an examination have incorrect temperament? Which is which?

How can you judge it fairly if you can't touch it?

Then why show this breed? If a judge can't touch them, then how can they be judged? It's a hands on sport. How long should a Maremma be given in the ring to make up it's mind if it will allow another person to approach it? The Maremma wasn't the only dog to react in such a fashion, commentators also remarked on other dogs being overawed. Should this allowance be given to other breeds who also would prefer not to be examined by a stranger. Maybe Maremma's shouldn't be shown at all and should be left in the paddock to work?