Life; How much will they learn?

Today whilst out in the park with my dogs, I was congratulating myself on how well B "my bitch" is progressing, she has begun to lift the ball in full stride, almost every throw, "something one month ago she was only capable of achieving about 50% of the time. As it does my mind started to wander to other things canine, the recent topic and debate we have had on the forum eg "Dave dogs photo" and the resultant topic posted by Emma.

Now as far as B is concerned she is becoming adept at plucking the ball out of mid-air, which I am very pleased about, but will she return it? (&^no). I stood today and watched her attempt as she always does to tear the ball into confetti, I walk the twenty yards back from where I was standing " she somehow thinks this the distance I will eventually get fed up walking and allow her to KILL the ball once and for all, lol. It is not the killing of the ball that annoys me it is more the re-incarnation of it " and the expense to my pocket" that stops me from allowing her to kill the ball everytime.

Me being me, my mind started down an another avenue, where does the love stop and the dominance begin? At least once a day I exercise both Glory and B in the School Park " it is completely fenced in, and no one or DOG can enter without my seeing them" I thought of the children who attend that school "many of whom live in my street" up to an age they are walked to school by their parents, "rightly so" but there comes a time when all Mothers and Fathers have to let go. If they don't the child becomes a laughing stock and the butt of many jokes and prime targets for the school bullies. So where does the love stop and the dominance begin?

The point I am making is that at least one hour a day let your dog be a dog, I take mine down the glen or to the fields, when they are loose they deal with whatever comes their way, let them make their own choices, whether to hunt or play, scent or explore with their eyes. Just as the child who is eventually allowed to walk to school by himself/herself will grow in stature and self-esteem so to will the canine who for at least part of the day is permitted to choose his/her own destiny.

Jim BBOL

The Pit and the Pendulum

Release your dogs, these were the words uttered by the referee prior to the start of a pit contest. Walk your dog up the mat please is the modern show counterpart of this request. The former was the beginning of a fight that on many occasions lasted well over 1 hour and occasionally 2 hours and more. It was in these circumstances that our breed was galvanised and improved. Mostly only the best Pit Dogs were used in breeding programs, now after 70years of dog shows can we honestly say that we have tried to stay true to our breeds foundations in any way shape or form. In place of the acid test of the pit, we have human beings attempting to see into the Psyche of each dog before them, trying to visualise what each dog would be capable of under Pit Stress, at least I hope they are, impossible, as it is to do. Sadly it is more likely to be a colour preference or a certain owner’s attendance that secures victory for a particular dog at any given show, or even for the honest judge “I believe there are some who try to do the job honestly” there are no or very few absolutes on show in the ring. The essence of the Stafford is his ability to keep going when most others would quit, that he or she is able to rekindle the ambers of their soul when everything has been done to extinguish them. This cannot be measured by merely looking at a dog, no matter how well informed you may think yourself to be. We then look for reasons “It’s upbringing, it’s lack of socialisation, or any of the half baked reasons the human uses” when the Ghost Dogs enter its head and it actually behaves like a Stafford and refuses to be dominated by another dog. For my own peace of mind there are tasks that I set my dog, my bitch B is only ten months at the moment, but as she mature she will also be given these tasks. One of the tasks that I set my dog is to walk him “Free Running” for an hour longer than he is used to, in that time he will cover anything between 8 to 12miles more than normal, on the way back I take him to his flirt pole area, which he is well used to, and commence his work when he is visibly slowing I put the pole down take him to the stream and cool him off for 20 seconds, he then restarts his pole work with renewed vigour which I conclude after sixty seconds he is placed in the stream once more to cool him and his mouth is washed, he does not drink until we have walked home. So what does this prove? Very little other than that he has stamina and endurance and is prepared to work after showing signs of stress “being visibly tired” but this tells me twice a year far more than any amount of dog shows or judges would ever be able to tell me if I live to 100. UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY AWARE OF YOUR DOG CAPABILITIES PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS. It may not be much but it one of the few thing s I can do to attempt to keep the chain unbroken.

Very true, , People should be worthy of owning this noble breed, can be frustrating to see the years of effort put in the wrong hands ...

Christine a écrit:Today whilst out in the park with my dogs, I was congratulating myself on how well B "my bitch" is progressing, she has begun to lift the ball in full stride, almost every throw, "something one month ago she was only capable of achieving about 50% of the time. As it does my mind started to wander to other things canine, the recent topic and debate we have had on the forum eg "Dave dogs photo" and the resultant topic posted by Emma.

Now as far as B is concerned she is becoming adept at plucking the ball out of mid-air, which I am very pleased about, but will she return it? (&^no). I stood today and watched her attempt as she always does to tear the ball into confetti, I walk the twenty yards back from where I was standing " she somehow thinks this the distance I will eventually get fed up walking and allow her to KILL the ball once and for all, lol. It is not the killing of the ball that annoys me it is more the re-incarnation of it " and the expense to my pocket" that stops me from allowing her to kill the ball everytime.

Me being me, my mind started down an another avenue, where does the love stop and the dominance begin? At least once a day I exercise both Glory and B in the School Park " it is completely fenced in, and no one or DOG can enter without my seeing them" I thought of the children who attend that school "many of whom live in my street" up to an age they are walked to school by their parents, "rightly so" but there comes a time when all Mothers and Fathers have to let go. If they don't the child becomes a laughing stock and the butt of many jokes and prime targets for the school bullies. So where does the love stop and the dominance begin?

The point I am making is that at least one hour a day let your dog be a dog, I take mine down the glen or to the fields, when they are loose they deal with whatever comes their way, let them make their own choices, whether to hunt or play, scent or explore with their eyes. Just as the child who is eventually allowed to walk to school by himself/herself will grow in stature and self-esteem so to will the canine who for at least part of the day is permitted to choose his/her own destiny.

Jim BBOL