# Luca got his BH



## Larry Krohn (Nov 18, 2010)

I never planned on doing IPO or any other dog sport but did. a BH with Luca today at the Malinois nationals. I am really proud of that dog considering we don't train for IPO. Definitely caught the bug so now I'll need to clean up the things I never worried about before.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I suspect it was an excellent BH performance! :wink:


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## Larry Krohn (Nov 18, 2010)

Bob Scott said:


> I suspect it was an excellent BH performance! :wink:


Thanks Bob. He did do well. Definitely things I need to clean up if I plan on going further, like he's very bouncy in the heel. I never planned on competing so things that I liked I have to change now. The one thing that did make me proud was the judge said to me "He's in the house with you not a kennel dog right" I said yes he's family first. He said " I can tell, he loves working with you, you're a beautiful team" . That made my day


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## Catherine Gervin (Mar 12, 2012)

Larry Krohn said:


> The one thing that did make me proud was the judge said to me "He's in the house with you not a kennel dog right" I said yes he's family first. He said " I can tell, he loves working with you, you're a beautiful team" . That made my day


 that's very interesting to me, that an experienced eye could discern a thing so intangible as where your dog spends his time--in a kennel vs. in the home-- by his relationship with you on the field. also this gives me hope because my dog is a house dog, a family member first and foremost, and it's great to hear that this is not something that so hinders solid performance. 
congratulations on your BH!


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## Larry Krohn (Nov 18, 2010)

Catherine Gervin said:


> that's very interesting to me, that an experienced eye could discern a thing so intangible as where your dog spends his time--in a kennel vs. in the home-- by his relationship with you on the field. also this gives me hope because my dog is a house dog, a family member first and foremost, and it's great to hear that this is not something that so hinders solid performance.
> congratulations on your BH!


Thank you Catherine


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## Brian McQuain (Oct 21, 2009)

Catherine Gervin said:


> that's very interesting to me, that an experienced eye could discern a thing so intangible as where your dog spends his time--in a kennel vs. in the home-- by his relationship with you on the field. also this gives me hope because my dog is a house dog, a family member first and foremost, and it's great to hear that this is not something that so hinders solid performance.
> congratulations on your BH!



I also had an evaluator at a recent conference say the same thing about my boy Kato and myself, while watching us work.


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## Catherine Gervin (Mar 12, 2012)

Brian McQuain said:


> I also had an evaluator at a recent conference say the same thing about my boy Kato and myself, while watching us work.


i mean, i got a dog because i wanted one with me around the house, etc, but i got a working line German Shepherd because i wanted to aim high for training an animal who would protect my daughter and me whenever my husband travels for his civilian job/Army. a dog in a kennel out back can't protect you inside your house--and also that sounds so lonely to me--but several professionals claimed that any serious working dog lives in their own separate space, and that dogs living in the house went soft. 
it's always a pleasure to hear of that claim being untrue.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Larry Krohn said:


> ... " he loves working with you, you're a beautiful team" . That made my day


What a great compliment!

Congratulations to you both.


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## Brian McQuain (Oct 21, 2009)

Catherine Gervin said:


> i mean, i got a dog because i wanted one with me around the house, etc, but i got a working line German Shepherd because i wanted to aim high for training an animal who would protect my daughter and me whenever my husband travels for his civilian job/Army. a dog in a kennel out back can't protect you inside your house--and also that sounds so lonely to me--but several professionals claimed that any serious working dog lives in their own separate space, and that dogs living in the house went soft.
> it's always a pleasure to hear of that claim being untrue.


I think letting a working dog live in the house with its family will make it go soft as much as I think feeding a dog a raw diet will make it a killer. Which I STILL hear all the time. 

If the dog becomes weak in its work, I question how strong it was to begin with, or how half-assed the training might have become.


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## Brian McQuain (Oct 21, 2009)

Oh, and congrats Larry! Doesn't really surprise me though. You know a thing or two about dogs.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Brian McQuain said:


> I think letting a working dog live in the house with its family will make it go soft as much as I think feeding a dog a raw diet will make it a killer. Which I STILL hear all the time.
> 
> If the dog becomes weak in its work, I question how strong it was to begin with, or how half-assed the training might have become.



Spot on!

Inside or outside I still expect the same response from all the dogs I've had. 

I've also never noticed any difference in the connections I've had with my dogs regardless of where they were kept.

That's all about the time you spend with the dog and what you do with that time.

My outside dogs have always greeted me with the same enthusiasm to play/train going out the door as the house dogs do when I coming in the door.


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## Holden Sawyer (Feb 22, 2011)

Congratulations! I have given some thought of going for the BH, maybe later in the year. I don't train IPO, mostly PSA/mondio and AKC style competition obedience. Glad to hear it can be done. I watched trial prep one time and was really intimidated by the rules - stuff about which direction the lead can be fastened etc. I'm old and not sure I can remember it all. 

I think that is a really nice compliment from the judge. Those are my favorites because when I've seen those amazing teams that are totally in sync and obviously having fun those are the ones I want to emulate.


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## Larry Krohn (Nov 18, 2010)

Thanks a lot everyone. I definitely caught the bug. Now of course I am considering going for an IPO 1. Not sure how long I will need since I will be starting from scratch with tracking. It has given me a new fire and drive to work for


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Brian McQuain said:


> I think letting a working dog live in the house with its family will make it go soft as much as I think feeding a dog a raw diet will make it a killer. Which I STILL hear all the time.
> 
> If the dog becomes weak in its work, I question how strong it was to begin with, or how half-assed the training might have become.


if anything in my experiences, keeping the dog in the home with the family can actually make the desire to protect the family, the home etc, increase greatly for the dog itself, sometimes maybe even a little too much for most peoples comfort, depending on the dog and the people of course.. LOL....


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## shelle fenton (Sep 24, 2015)

Congratulations! to both of you. 
Its very exciting doing IPO. Ive attended 2 classes so far, and very much excited by what i am seeing. And such fun for the dogs.

I have a LOT of shaping to do. As like you say, rules are very different. 
And the bite work? not sure this dog i currently have has the heart for it.

As for keeping dogs in/outside? I come from a country where nobody keeps their dog outside. I now live in Australia, where its common place to have outside dogs. The difference i notice is that outside dogs are less socialised/trained to behaving well, in the house, its all so exciting and new. Whereas, if you live in a 2 up 2 down terraced house, and own a dog, it HAS to be well behaved in the house, or its a pain in the ass to 'live' with.

So mine come n go in/out a dog door.Locked indoors at night to prevent hunting. 
Previously had gun dogs< all house dogs. 
Fox hound pack < outside of course

i personally like the company of the working dog/ that has been taught the off switch, and turns into a couch potatoe in the lounge at my feet of a evening.


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