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Puppy handling at a trial under the tent


nancyp
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Actually, there was a complaint made about a person's treatment of a puppy. However, the person was no longer there when I came over to deal with it. Sounds like the same incident. However, I did catch the 3 juvenile delinquents who were dropping cups of water in front of people in the muck to splash mud on them. Happily, I can report they were, um...vigorously scared straight.

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Hello all,

 

Watching ill treatment of any dog anywhere disgusts me. At a dog trial, I speak up. I'm a known entity there, and either the culprit will just stop, or at least move away where I don't have to watch.

 

The heartbreak comes in knowing that it will just start up again some other place, some other time but that knowledge will never deter me.

 

One year at Meeker, me, Virgil Holland, and at least one other handler, who I can't recall, witnessed a visiting cowdog *big hat* (visiting, not running,) repeatedly hitting his young female over the head in a useless attempt to calm her in the presence of sheep on the field. She was keen, you see. It wasn't even his dog! All of us spoke up, and you should too.

 

Did it make any difference? Only in knowing that we tried. I moved away.

 

I once witnessed an open handler treating her dog in such a completely whitless and unfair manner, that I was wholly unable to remain quiet. An uncommonly nice dog, he had STRESS written all over him, and I know that he lives with that treatment to this day. At a big trial, surrounded by many other hands, I didn't want to make a scene. I did want to club her over the head with a metal chair, but stripes make me look fat. What to do?

 

I quietly shamed her. I said that I could see she was struggling with her dog and asked whether it would it be helpful if I walked him for her. Luckily for me, and sadly for the dog, she declined mouthing some totally unsurprising and uncommonly lame excuse, but she did stop picking at him at least in that moment. Lucky for me, because I would not have returned the dog for continuing torture, and can you imagine how you all would have been shellacked me for that one?

 

After all she's a OPEN handler and you see her name on running orders! She MUST be wonderful!

 

A very popular open handler (and judge) was once turned into his local association for beating his dog at a trial. He was prevented from trialing in that area for a year. With hope he learned his lesson, but there's always the home field.

 

Currently in my kennel I have a dog that I spent 2 years rescuing. I knew the dog was in trouble from the very start, but I also knew that short of stealing him, the best I could do was convince the owner to voluntarily hand him over. With the man's rampaging ego, it would have to be his idea. So, I planted some seeds which took 2 agonizing years to bear fruit.

 

And finally, one of our sport's illustrious heroes is one of the worst abusers of dogs that I've ever known of. He might even be in the hall of fame. It is one of our dirty *open* secrets.

 

To ignore abuse in any form is to condone it. For me, it's less important how I confront abuse than the fact that I do. Maybe communication with a trial host, direct confrontation with the abuser, a letter, a phone call, a forum discussion, maybe exposure and discussion of our dirty *open* secrets.

 

Will it end abuse? No, but at least they won't do it in front of me ever again. I can live with that.

 

Cheers all,

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Robin, leash around the belly seems to be an approved method anymore, since so many agility people use it now, tho I've heard warnings about abdominal and groin injuries from the method..

 

Can you hear my jaw dropping?

 

I have never seen anyone do that here and we have a huge agility scene that I inhabit.

 

But then I've never known anyone in agility use a prong collar (just not the done thing at all here and would risk serious objection from other handlers) and choke chains are rare too.

 

 

But then so are bungee cord type leashes Yikes! Once you've had a dog run and hit the end of the bungee leash, and then fly back thro the air and hit you in the chest, YOU WILL NEVER EVER USE ONE AGAIN!

 

I think what you are talking about is very different from what we call a bungee lead here. Ours are just normal leads with a section of elastic material that reduces the shock on both handler's arm and dog's neck if it lunges.

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If I see someone abusing or being mean to another person or dog, I usually say "Does you mother know you do this?" or "Wow, do you treat your wife or kids the same" and in one case, "I can see why you are single"

 

Interestingly enough, some of them did not realize that and changed but a couple have never spoken to me since.

 

I know one person who body slam dogs and that person students thinks it is ok. Or dunk them under the water for a bit. I was told to mind my own business when I said something.

 

If a person is called out on their actions, and changes their way, it is water under the bridge. They may need to be educated, or where taught that way but if they change to treat the animal with compassion, then they have learned.

 

If they don't, then I consider them an abuser.

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