# Best Training Day!



## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Of all the days you have spent training, what one thing made it "The Best Day" and why?:-k


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

It was the day I decided to stop formal SchH training with my DDB. I liken the entire experience to wearing clothes that didn't fit. Nothing about it seemed right or pleasurable therefore it was fairly liberating to take those clothes off, so to speak. I still work with my dog on all the same OB and tracking based exercises but the expectation is different thus it changed the experience a good deal for both of us. To really understand and appreciate the transition you'd have to know how this dog operates. The dynamic is quite a bit different from your typical situation and I am not referring to your standard "off breed" differences in training for sport.

Why am I here then? Because I recognize the desire in me to work with my dogs in a different capacity so I'm changing breeds -permanently.


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

It was last night and tomorrow it will be yesterdays training. Never ever had a bad training day.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

It's every time I see a handler recognize a behavior and act before I have to tell him. It's the first time a drug dog responds to the target, on his own. It's the first time a patrol dog releases on command........ it's.... well you get the idea.

DFrost


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

the day w/flinks and Edge on the vid posted elsewhere, when i realized 1) Edge could/would do the work and 2) i could train it. (with a bit of help, lol). that was a GREAT day


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Every time I see a light bulb go on in a puppy!
With older dogs I'd have to say seeing a dog do "real" work. Watching a dog follow a scent cone is pure joy and more receintly seeing a dog work stock.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

I LOVE it all...and each day provides new training......I am with Jerry....never had a bad day training....have had some hairpulling (pulling mine out, not the dogs  ) moments but it has never been bad........


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

There are light bulb moments working stock when you and the dog are totally connected like the day Rory brought in 130 sheep from the Purina 6 acre pasture. I was worried about it and really freaked out when I couldn't see him [12 inch corgi]. I misread the draw thinking the sheep would just flow to the barn so I downed Rory. The next thing I knew they took off up the hill. My little guy sprung into action to cover, got to head and turned them back and brought them to me. He would always look up at me waiting for a thumbs up and job well done. We headed to the barn for sorting them into groups by ear tag. Midway through if I looked at a particular sheep, he would cut that one to me. I was blown away. He had not done anything like this at this facility but the BCs had gone home and the stock handler had left it for me. My friend told me that the facility manager had been there and wanted to know who the dog was. From a distance he looked like a dot on a landcape boogieing up that hill. The facility manager was known for saying only a BC could do this type of work. My friend said she especially enjoyed telling him that it was a corgi, Rory. 

One of my best instinct testing highs was testing a young DDR male where you could feel his connection with a sheep. He held all mental pressure and eye on that sheep and you could feelthe sheep give inch, by inch, by inch until it turned. This dog was almost nose to nose and he never flinched. It doesn't get much better than that. Its always fascinating watching a dog turn on for the first time when you test them but this dog took it another level.

Terrasita


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

Any day that you see even the slightest improvement, or pure zest in doing the work regardless if there's improvement.


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## Tamara Champagne (Jan 20, 2009)

Every day is a great training day. I appreciate every day that me and my dogs are out there training. Some days can be frustrating when they don't go according to the "plan" but overall I can't say I have ever had a horrible day training.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Terrasita I went out on a chicken buying spree today. They had a fowl swap meet and someone's chickens made a run for it. Now if I had my BC with me, Split could have saved those folks lots of running. What a hoot, fat men with trout nets, trying to capture a long legged white chicken...shades of the Three Stooges! :-o


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Howard Gaines III said:


> Terrasita I went out on a chicken buying spree today. They had a fowl swap meet and someone's chickens made a run for it. Now if I had my BC with me, Split could have saved those folks lots of running. What a hoot, fat men with trout nets, trying to capture a long legged white chicken...shades of the Three Stooges! :-o


Chickens are just plain effin crazy to herd!


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Hahaha, I'm with Howard on this one. I probably would have thought the same. I know of people that use their herding dogs to round up the chickens and put them up at night. There is a swap in Waterloo, IL that I like to go to. Used to buy the ducks there for the club trials. All of the different gamebirds are interesting.


Terrasita


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Zac Brown Band has a neat chicken song, *Sic'em on a Chicken*. Says all it needs to about a good dog!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZYTK_PHP-k


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> Chickens are just plain effin crazy to herd!


So are cats.

DFrost


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## Meng Xiong (Jan 21, 2009)

The best training day for me so far this season was last weekend, the light bulb finally came on in my knuckled-headed AB. Although the light is dim (probably hooked up to dimmer switch) its been getting brighter every training session. 8-[8-[=D>8-[8-[


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## Julie Ann Alvarez (Aug 4, 2007)

I love training and usually have my best times on Sunday (less rushed more time to hang and relax and discuss technique goals etc with my friends).

That being said it is awesome to have the fruit of your labor become ripe and walk away saying "that couldn't have gone any better".

Yesterday at the trial was the highlight of my AB's career so far- I think this one will go down as the "best day" period. (still grinning ear to ear that he ran his blinds like a good boy).


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Congratulations!!! You can be great at training the elements, but reproducing it in a trial can be a different story.I know I'm working on being the same handler in trials that I am in training. However, we'll just forget today. The sight of my trial dog carrying a duck around playing keep away a week before the trial was pretty horrific. So enjoy Cloud 20.=D>

Terrasita


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

David I'm having flashbacks of that Superbowl commercial a few yrs back. :lol: :lol: 




Terrasita Cuffie said:


> Congratulations!!! You can be great at training the elements, but reproducing it in a trial can be a different story.I know I'm working on being the same handler in trials that I am in training. However, we'll just forget today. The sight of my trial dog carrying a duck around playing keep away a week before the trial was pretty horrific. So enjoy Cloud 20.=D>
> 
> Terrasita


Well, at least she was just playing keep away with you. Poor duck did have a really far away look in her eyes when Khira put her down though. I'm guessing that looking up and seeing nothing but Bouv whiskers could be a bit scarry. 8-[ 8-[ :wink:
On the other side of the coin, Terrasita beat me with a BIG tree limb cause I got my head in a mechanical mind and walked the course with absolutely NO idea what my dog and the sheep were doing. 
Thunder did a LOT better then I did today. Course that's nothin new. :-D


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Shhhhhhhhh, quit telling tales outta school. Word will giet out that its motivational for the dogs, not the handler. I was better this week and it was a handy tree limb and not my buggy whip. :twisted: And another thing, start meditating on you and Thunder as a PARTNERSHIP moving stock from point A to point B instead of Bob doing an excellent job of walking a pattern right down to military turns at the cone. Trip over them and fall over backwards like the rest of us did. Thunder did have one of those lightbulb moments today when you decided to get in the game and and give him some of those motivational taught commands. Dude found perfect balance and walked his sheep without them passing Bob. 

As for Ms. ala Orange, we came home for sitting in the duck pen and meditating.

Terrasita


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I was just happy to see the big smile on your face when Thunder bailed me out with that beautiful balance on the sheep. It at least let me..... almost get to the gate before you got to me with that club.errrr.....limb...errrrrr ...I mean, thanks for waiving the flies off of me with that handy piece of tree! :lol::wink:


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

The best training day is when the dog does what you want, i.e. each day?? Otherwise something is wrong with your thinking, or not???


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