After ten years in this sport, and hundreds of dogs whose leashes have passed through my hands, I’ve come up with a formula, both in my system and in the rearing of young working dogs that works for me. First, you must understand that any trainer out there, no matter how great or small have come up with “their system”, through their own experiences and a little bit here and there from all the other trainers they have worked with or trained with over the years. However, the one element that I see the most of in many systems out there, definitely does not apply for me. The “cookie-cutter” syndrome. All dogs must do this, this way or no way at all. Animals, like people are individual in their personalities. They may be similar in ways to other dogs you have trained, but the differences are there and are the key to their training. From the four puppies I have trained, not one has been the same in training methods. Adaptation to those differences is the key to success, to always be willing to think outside the box or your current knowledge base. This seems to be the most difficult thing for people who come to me for training who are on their second or third dog. For any trainer, the people who come whom are novices, new to the sport; empty of all pre-conceived notions are the easiest to get on the right path.

When I started in this sport, I was extremely lucky to be in the club that I was. It was comprised of many good trainers whom had been around for a while and knew what they were doing. I became a sponge. I would take my chair away from everyone else and the clubhouse and go sit on the field and watch every dog work, ask a lot of stupid questions… but kept asking, watching and learning. I took in what was said, and applied it to my dog, but from the beginning I would change it to how I felt that particular dog would learn the best. My first dog was not an easy one by a long shot. So many people said don’t waste your time, she’ll never do the sport, but I persevered. I had my poor husband, Gerry, building things every weekend to try and get her to learn the elements of each exercise. Protection wasn’t her thing and I finally had to accept that, but she was a 100-point tracker and V scored her OB titles. From this first dog, I learned so much. Patience, persistence, feeling not thinking. Reading and feeling where the dog is at each moment in training and in competition. Abstract ways to obtain the goal, no matter how strange they were. Now at 10-years-old, I recently used her for a trial where we needed a dummy dog, (smart dog as I call it). I had not said the word, Fuss to her in well over two years. The heeling was the same, retrieve, exercises; all was the same as when she was two. The judge complimented her “beautiful” heeling. She will go out in my tracking fields and find tracks that are over a week old, no food or articles on them, off leash and track the whole thing perfectly to the end as she did when competing. This is why I reference her in my training with other people. It’s easy, in a very difficult way to train a dog like Vis that I was so lucky to have, but a dog like her is not. You must train into them work ethic, which I will talk about more later and the dog’s love of training, the interaction with you that becomes the only thing they want to do.

Keep in mind while reading this article, that I have more Rottweiler paintings, knick-knacks, posters, signs and such in my home than I do German Shepherd ones. In fact, our welcome sign in the entry way is a Rottweiler statue. Many times with anything in life, we tend to segregate and label. For me, I don’t care what the breed of dog. Only the drive and desire to work from both the handler and dog.

I am a person who lives for competition. That’s me. If you only want to do the sport to get out and do something with your dog that is A O K with me. In fact I applaud you, as it is too often not the case. But even if you are not interested in the competition aspect of the sport, I say to you this: Why not then do it to the best of you and your dog’s ability? Why not give all? And so, we begin.

HOW TO KEEP THE WORKING DOG

For me, with a puppy or a young working dog, they are kennel dogs. By this, I mean they do not live in the house. They have their own space, their kennel, their den. The house, for dogs has many, many rules. We think we are doing the best for them by having them there. We love our dogs and only want the best, but we often kill them with our kindness. We want them with us 24/7, when what they need is a little space from us, a little time to think and a place with no rules that is theirs alone. A part of teaching your dog this “work ethic”, is allowing them to not be with you. In building the drive and desire to be with you and interact with you. To crave, need and quite simply, the feeling of I cannot wait for this time. After training, it is important as well, to put them away and give them a chance to think about what just happened. Believe me, they do.

When my dogs, who all come from puppies, retire, then they come in the house to live. By all means, I do bring my puppies and young dogs in the house intermittently to experience everything, but it is not often and not for long periods of time. I travel with all my dogs more than I am at home. In motels, apartments, other people’s homes and they are used to everything from a very early age. Like all living things, they adapt to what is put before them from the beginning.

My working dog is just that, my dog. It is not my husband’s dog, my child’s dog, or my great aunt Bertha’s dog, even if I had one, which I don’t. Everything comes from me. It’s food, care, training, play, love and discipline. All comes from me and no one else. It does not mean that the dog cannot spend time with anyone else, but I see too often, especially in puppies, that non-working dog people do not understand why and how we raise them as we do. They want them to act like pets, no jumping, no this or that and for me that cannot happen. My young dog or puppy has to feel like they are king of the world and indestructible. I am the one who sets the boundaries of behavior for the dog.

In saying this, I do have to make mention of one thing that makes me a little crazy. Too many times, I have people call me, email or come for training absolutely distraught by how their puppy or young dog has reacted to a certain situation. Yes, of course there are times and things that you should react to, but the percentage of those times that are put before me that really mean anything are next to nil. “Oh my God! My dog turned his head left when a bird was flying to the right!” Ok, so it’s a dramatization, but that’s really what most amount to. Chill out! Let the puppy or young dog be. Don’t react to things. Be non-reactive and let them work it out. If you make things an issue with any dog, then that is for sure what it will become.

NUTRITION

Hold onto your hats, this topic is going to be a bumpy ride! I really did sit down and think this statement all the way through before writing this, so I know it to be fair and true. Every single Rottweiler who has come to me here in America for training has been overweight. They are wide as they are long and are like stuffed sausages that in no way could perform the tasks being asked of them in work. I can hear what you’re saying right now, “She’s a Malinois person, you know those skinny little Ethiopian like yellow dogs.” Keep in mind; I am in no way saying that I want to see hipbones protruding, or all the ribs showing or the spine. Only shape and definition. Trust me, if I do see and thankfully not too often, the flip side of this, then it’s much worse for the owner.

I used to try and be a bit more diplomatic, but it is what it is and so now it’s just simply, “Your dog is fat.” Nearly everyone says the same thing. That the judges want their dogs to look this way in the ring. I am in no way a judge of conformation, but I do know work and have recently tested this with a young Rott who came to me for training. The more weight he lost, and began to take on the appearance of having a waist line, the more his drive came up, the better his work got in all three phases. He didn’t peter out after five minutes of work, no matter that it was 95 degrees either. His muscle tone and definition improved. In my seminars that I give in Europe twice a year, I always have at least one or two Rottweilers for the last four years. I seem to not see the same problem there. Maybe I’m only getting the people there who work their dogs and not show. At the end, I tell handlers here that they have two options: Work your dog in the sport, or show your dog in the ring. Once again, I am not a judge, but isn’t there something wrong with that?

My husband Gerry’s young Rottweiler, Daxx when I met him was 150 pounds. He had his mom’s frame and was beyond fat, he was obese! His poor little pinhead just stuck out from his body. I’d show him a ball and he’d lie there. “Come on Daxx! Let’s move some.” He’d look at me, then at the ball and it was like that commercial on TV with the little dog saying, “No, you come on.” It took me nearly a year to get him in shape. When he died at age 14, he was 72 pounds. He had a waistline, an hourglass shape at the flank. You could see just the shadow of the first few ribs and he had terrific muscle tone. Until the night he died, you could not keep him from ball play, (or herding cows :). What we do is called a sport for a reason. Our dogs are supposed to be athletes. In top shape and condition. What you do to them now not only affects their work, but their lives in their later years. Having said that, here’s my next one. You, as the handler, are one half of the team. If your dog is in shape and in good working condition, then you must be as well. I’ve been in some kind of sport my whole life. Being in condition has always been part of it. Now, as I am just a couple years away from 50, I’ve had to really work at staying in that condition. For me, it’s not a question of doing it. I cannot let my dog down, or not be the full of one half of the team that I am a part of.

As far as food goes, we all know there are bazillion dog foods out there. It’s a personal preference and also what each dog does best on. With my Shepherd, I’ve had the experience of insane food allergies, so I’ve been through most diets at one time or another. I can say, that I do not think the raw diet gives the working dog the full nutritional balance that it needs. There is something missing there for work, I’ve found.

Whatever diet you choose that works best for your dog, keep with it and don’t flip flop around with every new product that comes out. Look at the protein/fat ratio. Especially in summer months, if that fat content is too high, your dog will burn too hot and peter out more quickly. Watch the protein content. You don’t want a really high number in large breed dogs. I do wholeheartedly believe in the bodybuilding supplement. I used Peak Performance II until it became unavailable. I tried K9 SuperFuel and found it did not do the same. I have settled on Vertex and find it to be comparable to Peak Performance. I’ve fed this supplement for 7 years and absolutely see a difference with and without it. I do not use beef hot dogs, only chicken or turkey. Dogs cannot process sodium well. Chicken or turkey are lower in this as well as fat. Remember, what you put into tracking and training with food, must then come out of what you feed them dog food wise. Last but certainly not least, fresh water, fresh water, and fresh water.

WORK ETHIC

When I use this term, I mean for both the handler and the dog. I see people go out, lay a track, get the dog, say Such, get at the end of the line, come to the end of the track, get back in their car and say they have gone tracking. I’m thinking, OK, what did you or your dog learn from that? The work ethic for me in training is simply this: The dog must know what his job is in each and every phase, in all exercises and what is expected of him. The handler must know the rules for each phase and how to train the dog as to what those rules are and how to execute them correctly. This sport has a very succinct rulebook that everyone must adhere to. It is available to everyone in the sport. If I don’t know the routine, the pattern or what the rules are in regards to whatever phase I am training, how can I effectively train, compete or move myself and my dog forward? I.e.: Read The Rule Book.

For the people who come to train with me, there is much classroom work before they ever get their dog from the car. If they are there for tracking, then they learn the differences of all the tracks, IPO 1 - IPO 3. They learn what articles are and what they are meant to signify, how the dog must indicate them. They learn about all the different corners and paces. Where to put the flag. How to take your dog to the track and begin him correctly. Then I watch them lay a track, ect, ect. When we have got all of that down, then we lay a track correctly for the dog per his knowledge base. They learn how to TRAIN tracking. When to make corrections, when to let the dog alone and work through a problem, when to praise, when to say no.

The same goes for Obedience. The handlers must know the routine, the pattern by themselves first before the dog ever comes on the field. The same in Protection, you get the idea. For the dog, they must learn, “the rules of engagement.” Simply, if I do this, I get this. If I do this, then I get nothing. Dogs are very quick to learn right from wrong; they are very black and white beings with no shades of gray. The shades of gray usually come from the handler in the training, which the dog learns to exploit very quickly. Calm communication. Right is right… PARTY! Wrong is wrong, TRY AGAIN. There is no, that was kind of right or, that was a little bit wrong. There is your shade of gray. In learning these rules of engagement, the dog then gains confidence in the work and can move on. Patience, persistence and the willingness to be open to new and different ways is the proper way to become a team. There is no step-by-step guide. Each and every dog is different in the way they learn, process and then perform. You must shut off your brain and only feel where they are. What is it they do not understand? How can I get this across to the dog so that they know absolute what I am asking of them? Sometimes, it can come in pretty strange ways that work, but then who cares. I learned long before I was in this sport, not to pay much attention to what people say, or take anything personally. I guess that is where many of my mantras come from that you’ll see at the end of this article that I often say to people who train with me. And boy, have I ever had to recite them to myself many times over the last ten years! I figure if they have helped me then one of them may help someone else too.

TRAINING

OK. So you’ve got all the above covered. You’re ready to go. What do I do first? Here’s a simple guide to follow. All my dogs get one day off a week. Just play that day. Track 2-3 times per week. Remember, you must train tracking too, not just go. Obedience, a little bit every day except the day off. Ten minutes and one or two things is enough. Protection, depending on the dog, 2-3 times per week. If you are doing all of the above and not getting any improvement, then something is wrong in your training for the dog you are working. Pick everything apart. When I first started, I was training two dogs at the same time. I kept a journal of each training session for each phase, so I knew what the problems were and what I had to work on. Was the tracking ground too difficult for the dog? Did I lay too hard of a track for the dog? Do I need to use a different reward in Obedience? Am I expecting the dog to know what he is doing in the bite work too early? What am I saying to my dog if I pick up the sleeve and give it back to the helper? Think about that one. The helper has two legs; let him pick up the sleeve that your dog just fought him for. Be on your dog’s team, not the guy he is fighting. Anyone can tell you what he or she hears the first and last time they do that with me. “If you want a sleeve, go buy your own.”

One very good piece of advice. If you are not in the right frame of mind for training. Don’t go. Do not get your dog from the kennel. Dogs sense and feel that in an instant. Wait until you feel really ready, then go. Most of the people, who train with me on a consistent basis, drive from 2 to 3 hours away. They all have jobs and family stresses as well. I can tell when they come if they are ready to train or not. If not, I just sit and talk awhile, until I feel they are ready. The same goes for my helpers. We are all human. We have good days and bad days. If I see a helper is not feeling well, or is just not there that day, then we don’t work that particular dog that day. The dog is not going to die because it did not do bite work. It is far better training than pushing an issue you cannot do anything about.

I must also say this; a dog is not a machine. There is no perfect dog out there. If you find one, let me know. Dogs like people have bad days and good days. For me, I have to have one bad track a week if I am preparing for competition where I am tracking each day. If I don’t, then I am very, very worried for competition. The same in Obedience and Protection. If my dog looks too perfect in training before competition, then competition will not be so good. The dog must look a little down or not so good in training prior to competition, then I know everything will be really good when the time comes.

All these things as handlers you must look for. You are the leader of the pack. Your demeanor, confidence and knowledge are what lead both you and your dog.

And so at the end, I polled the people who know me as the broken record in training and asked them what they hear me repeating time and again. Here are their answers:

- Stop thinking. You’re thinking too much.

- If this sport were easy, then everyone would be doing it.

- Get your hands out of your pockets. Hmmm, OK. Hands. Out. Of. Pockets.

- Quit hiding the toy.

- If we all liked the same things, wouldn’t the world be a boring place.

- In training, you cannot take anything personally.

- Your dog is fat.

- Talk to the dog before you correct. Tell him what he did wrong.

- Talk to your dog. Tell him you are pleased he did it right.

- Stand up straight and quit holding your breath.

- Why are you walking so fast? Where’s the fire?

- Walk your dog before and after training before you put them up.

- Learn from my mistakes.

- Left leg. No, left leg. Okay, you’re other left leg then.

- Nothing has happened. It is only training.

- Do. Do not. There is no try.

- A lie only becomes the truth when the person wants to believe it.

- That which does not kill me makes me stronger.

I wish you all the very best in training and competition. We are, and should always be, one big family in the small world of this sport. If you have been able to take only one thing from this article, then for me it was worth it all.