Dog training classes for the CD (Novice) Obedience title had a large record number of participants for the September, 2014 class at Waterford.
Some of the dog breeds there were German Shepherd, Boxer, mixed breeds, rescues, Bouvier Des Flandres, Golden Retriever, and Labrador Retriever.
In earlier days, a CD class might only have attracted 3 or 4 persons and dogs! And someone wishing to go to formal classes for the CD, Novice title, could have been put on hold until there were more people interested. And, yes, some trials might have had just 3 or 4 dogs!
This class started on September 7, 2014, with 15 registered people/dogs, 14 of whom turned up and the 15th I know is overseas. I am expecting that the trials could have as many as 20 people as some of the members from The B’dos. Working Dogs Association have been working with their dogs towards attending these trials, so I am hoping to see additional breeds like Rottweiler, Dobernmann, American Bulldog and Pit Bull and others come out.
From what I know of the participants’ training backgrounds, they have attended the Basic Obedience Dog Training Class with The B’dos.Dog Training Club or have been trained at home by an experienced trainer/member of The B’dos. Dog Training Club or for some of the working breeds which could attend three classes and sit trials, they would be coming from The B’dos. Working Dogs’ Association.
I have found that the most challenging part of moving from basic training to the Novice is the off leash exercises, especially the heel off leash.
The B’dos. Working Dogs’ Association is working towards Schutzhund titles and that training takes a lot of work and preparation as it includes obedience, tracking and also protection exercises. And not all dogs will have the drive to compete in the protection area. That will involve a lot of time and training and of course, for Barbados, it would be great for some of the local dogs here to achieve the Schutzhund titles. The judges would have to come from overseas.
It would be great, if these two clubs can share information and be friendly as the major dog trainers in Barbados who enjoy working for titles are members of these clubs. The B’dos. Dog Training Club is the only place doing agility, and The B’dos. Working Dog Association is the only formal club, that I am aware of, preparing for Schutzhund.
To gain an obedience title is not necessarily a time consuming exercise. If you are an experienced trainer and you have your own good dog to work with, it can be a breeze to pass and I think it could be just ten minutes a day, 5 days a week, in training time at home.
Of course, there should be bragging rights when a title is put on a dog and people should be proud of their achievement, especially if they have trained their own dog from scratch, maybe doing a Basic Obedience class with The Barbados Dog Training Club or The Barbados Working Dogs’ Association.
It is beautiful to watch well trained dogs in obedience competitions. And what does a title mean? I saw a recent summing up of this on a site which went something like this: It means that when the dog is gone, its name and its handler’s name remain in training records. It means that a dog would work and a handler/trainer could train and that there was a bond between the two. It is a mark of respect and caring.
At the end of these current classes, the CDX trials will also take place with 2 Belgium Malinois possibly being at the trials, and at the Utility level, possibly a Rhodesian Ridgeback and Papillion. Sarah Hamilton is the instructor for the CD class.
Again, there are no formal classes for the CDX and the Utility classes but there is so much information on the internet.
This current CD class is so large it will have to be staggered time wise. It does, however, have several very experienced dog trainers on it. And there are puppies, over 6 months of age working for the title!
Dog training in Barbados is definitely moving forward, and this is objective thinking. The numbers of people taking the opportunity to bring out their dogs and have fun and train for titles show it. And competition is great as this area is, of course, more objective than conformation dog shows.
And the current B’dos. Dog Training Club’s basic obedience class at Waterford, I understand is full of puppies and very keen handlers. And that looks good for the future of puppy/dog training in Barbados.
Tags: Dog training in Barbados, gaining dog titles in Barbados, obedience training in Barbados, Puppy training in Barbados, top trainers in Barbados
