2 handlers?

[laceyjess]

When Twobit and I get into agility...my fiance also wants to do it. We only have one dog. Would it be too confusing to Twobit to be handled by me at one point and then Mike at another time?

 

We try to be very consistant in our commands and make sure we match. I would be taking the agility classes with Mike and he would most likely watch or be taught by me later on. I just want him to be active in it too and not make him feel left out.

[Piper]

What we did with Piper is we both went to the basic puppy classes together and then once Piper started SAR training (at 4 months), that was with my husband (fiance at the time) and I would take her to obedience. Basically he is the "dog handler" for SAR, etc., and I'm the playmate...it has worked for us.

 

So maybe find another activity that your BF can do with Twobit and you do agility with her...or whatever makes the most sense.

[Oreo's mom]

When we began Oreo in basic obediance classes at 11 weeks old there were THREE of us trying to work with him in class (my husband, my daughter and myself). The instructor strongly suggested that only one of us train the dog during class - that ended up being me. At home they encouraged us to all work with Oreo. This worked pretty well, except my husband can't seem to remember the cues we have trained Oreo with, invariably uses the wrong ones and then wonders why Oreo (and my daughter and I) get frustrated.

 

My daughter and I basically agreed to leave my husband out of the agility training after he gave Oreo very mixed signals while Oreo was on top of the A Frame and nearly jumped off. :eek:

 

I end up doing nearly all the training at home now. My daughter works with Oreo in class. I try very hard to keep my mouth shut and stay out of it, both for Oreo's sake and my sanity (my daughter is nearly 13 years old).

[INU]

Consider yourself LUCKY!!!

I wish my bf were interested in dog training

 

Well, I would never let anyone else train my dog in SAR or anything else. I also trained his Lab because he is not interested in training dogs. Sometimes, he would try to show off to our friends what his lab can do (taking all credits!) and he confuses him. Even if he tries to do the same way, it's not the same. It could be his accent and my accent.

 

How about another BC?

[Deanna in OR]

We have 2 dogs, one for each of us to be primary handler with. But for everything except SAR (which Tenaya does with my husband), we do some trading off, at least in training.

 

For Rally, even though my husband is Tenaya's primary handler, I've been learning a lot more about it, taking classes with Willow, and so he (and Tenaya) are fine with me handling Tenaya, like we did for an APDT Rally-O fun match last weekend (we qualified for both runs we did, the first time we've been judged!).

 

A couple of times when he has been out of town, I've taken both dogs to Agility class and traded off between them. In Agility class, Tenaya responds to me just fine. At home, where I will do some of the training with Tenaya when my husband is gone, it seems like I am definitely having to go back to basics a bit to bring her back to where she is with my husband. I only work with her every couple weeks or so, though...if you each did some training every day, it might work better.

 

We are working with the same trainer, in the same classes with both dogs, so we are learning things the same way. And yet we can't help but do things a bit differently.

 

We have to agree on how the training will be done--even if we don't always agree in principle. "Designated" handler has the last word.

 

Sorry for the long post--I think it can work, as long as you both put in your time training in the same class and outside of class, and don't assume that because she knows something with one of you, she automatically will know it with the other (although she might not have any problems with that). And as long as you aren't trying to make the World Team or anything like that!

 

Have fun!

Deanna in OR

[Lunar]

Thanks for the question and information, I find this good to know because my boyfriend and I are having the same dilemna with Zeeke - only one dog right now, two handlers. When we went to the first obedience classes, I let the boyfriend do the handling, and just watched, then practiced at home. (Though my reasoning for that wasn't just because I didn't want to be trading off. )

[Barb Scott]

My husband is a good agility handler, but doesn't have much patience with training. He started a beginning agility class with Zip when Zip was 8 months old and quit because Zip was so soft (and YOUNG!). I've worked with Zip since then. We were at a NADAC Trial 2 weeks ago (2 year old Zip's 2nd Trial) and Russ asked if he could do the jumpers class with him. He has not been near a jump with Zip in well over a year, but they finished the jumpers course in 16 seconds. Unfortunately, Zip ran by the last jump and stopped the clock so it was an NQ, but a beautiful run anyway.

barb s

[laceyjess]

Thanks for the info, guys. It helps a lot. Maybe he can do obedience and I can do agility? (I need the exersize-will be my excuse)

[Deanna in OR]

Maybe he can do obedience and I can do agility?

That's the way we're leaning with Tenaya--my husband does Agility with her and, while we both train her in Obedience/Rally, I'm handling her (so far) as we start doing Rally matches & trials.

 

We're both working to be certified as her handlers for Social Therapy Dog visits, too.

 

Deanna