Guest blog: Are You a Dog Person?

Today, the Throw the Ball! blog is privileged to host a guest post by Julia Priest. Julia is a longtime breeder of many accomplished and useful working GSDs (http://www.vonsontausen.com/), dog trainer (http://www.coachforcanines.com/), former K9 officer, and someone I feel very lucky to call a friend (she is the one directly responsible for Nike joining my life!). She is a tracking expert, has titled multiple dogs to the Sch3 level, and has competed nationally with dogs of her own breeding in various venues, in addition, she has helped many a pet person find ways to happily live with and enjoy their much loved "pet" dogs.

Are You a Dog Person? 

Why do you want a dog? I know why I want one.. or two or three.

I want dogs so that I can share in their splendid natural abilities. I treasure their phenomenal gifts for scenting, for hunting, for gathering stock, for interspecies communication, their adaptability for service and companionship, and because I think they are beautiful. They are beautiful to touch and to look at.

There are few things more inspiring to watch then a beautifully put together dog or three running full out in a verdant field or on a stretch of beach and covering ground with joyful abandon. I love their ability to comfort us, to absorb our moods and to forgive our poor communication skills and somehow "get it" anyway, because they derive satisfaction from being with us.

Reza von Sontausen Bh TD GN.SAR and LE Trailing K9, romps with PAM Nick Nik von Sontausen SchH3 WD3 IPO3 UDT PT North American SchH2 Champion, NW Regional SchH3 Champion, multiple HIT
photo by Micky Adams

Anyone who says the dog only loves who feeds him has not observed the myriad videos of dogs greeting their people as they return from months or even years away. Someone else fed that dog the whole time, but the dog’s unfettered joy at the reunion when “ daddy’s home” can not possibly be mistaken for a ploy to be given a "cookie."

But at times I wonder why some people get a dog. I work with a lot of “pet people.” This is something of a pejorative to those of us who deem ourselves actual “dog people.”

Pet people want their dogs not to do lots of things. It seems they want an ornament or an object to be stroked when they feel like it, and then it should shut up and go away and not do anything until they wish to pet it again. When I ask them their goals for their dog, they commence to recite a long list of what they want him not to do: Don't jump. Don't lick. Don’t dig in the garden. Don't take food. Don’t get in the garbage. Don't pull on the leash. Don't bark. Don’t chew. Don't shed. Don’t step in this room. Oh, and “I want him to mind.” Which means listen to me when I tell you not to do something.

I am not suggesting for a moment that dogs be allowed to run amok and misbehave and damage property or annoy people. But the “don’t ” can’t be the whole focus or your relationship. If you embrace and guide what the dog can do, most of the “ don’ts” take care of themselves.

Sometimes I feel sad that their greatest wish for this amazing little beast is that is contains itself and doesn’t get into any trouble. They have no plans to discover and enjoy the dog’s natural talents. For them, I recommend a stuffed or digital pet. Dog people revel in what their dogs can do. But that by no means suggests that our dogs are not pets, as in cuddling, stroke-able, play-worthy beloved companions who often monopolize most of our waking thought.

I am a professional dog trainer. But you know what? Sometimes my dog gets on the counter and steals peanut butter. When she does, I think about why I was so dumb as to leave it out on the counter, and I certainly correct her if I see her going for it in my view, but she is so much more to me than her naughty behavior. I am much more focused on the fact that when I have been stuck and lost my keys somewhere in a 10 acre field , she can and has found them for me. That I can feel safe traveling cross country and sleeping in motels with only my dogs for company because of their remarkable trained ability to behave politely yet effectively defend me against real threat. I think about how happy and proud I feel when we compete in a performance event and I get awarded a blue ribbon. Yes, I get the ribbon. My dog could care less about “her” titles and placements, but I get to feel happy and proud and if I am honest I must say I like it a little when others are a tad envious of her retrieves or his heeling.

Even more so, I am thrilled and proud beyond measure when a dog I have bred and placed changes lives by protecting a police officer, catching a dangerous felon, guiding a blind person, tracking and saving the lives of lost or injured people, locating vital evidence and closing cases. Its what they can do that makes me adore them. The only thing I fervently wish my dogs would not do is grow old and die so soon. Their lives enrich mine so plentifully with all that they do. Maybe because I concentrate on that and not so much on the “don’ts”

copyright 2013-Julia Priest

What I Did This Summer

There was frost on my windshield Wednesday morning. I was up early (pre-dawn, omg!) to go herding with Jubilee and Oda. I have been dramatically remiss in updating this summer, and there's no reason other than I was doing stuff with my dogs! Good enough. Still, I took lots of pictures over the summer, and so I'll try to do a quick update.

Leslie and HRD SAR K9 Nash (Nike x Ash - Blackthorn's Inigo)

Back in early May, we had a training weekend in Bath County. Lynx is the dog I was training in HRD work, and he went to live with a friend in Florida in April (he is now doing competitive agility, obed/rally, lure coursing, dock diving, personal protection training, and soon, nosework! He needed more "work" to be happy, and he's in the perfect place for that!)

Lynx and his sister Macy in Florida

I don't even remember June. Things happened. I tried to get the pool to go from jade green to clear blue, with slow, slow progress. The dogs swam nevertheless.

Blitz and Ruffian and Flint

June 30th, the U-litter puppies were born! That always throws everything out of whack for me for a while--it usually involves at least one all-nighter if not two, and it just sucks all my attention for a while like a black hole of puppydom.

Xita and the Uppies

July... wow, I don't even. Life occurred. It was good.

Nemi & Hunter in front; Flint, Blitz, and Coal in back

Nike turned 15 on July 27, so she got cake and pictures with three of her kids:

Birthday cake!

Hunter, Nike, Coal, Jubilee

In August, it was surprisingly fall-like--cooler than normal. But there were a few adventures and the pool stayed blue! Sunny came to visit while she was in heat, and her sister Josie came for a play date. Nemi turned 2 on August 31. Sumo came to visit for a week. And there were puppies....

Sunny (Solstice) and Josie (Sweet Josephine)

Sunny (Solstice) and Josie (Sweet Josephine)

Nemi and Sumo

That brings us up to September. I'll save that for another post!

The Xuper Duper Xumo Pups.... Should I name one Umo?

I am so behind on updating, it's ridiculous. Don't have time now, instead, have a slideshow. (Warning--100s of pictures!)

Xita and Sumo puppies, born June 30, 2013. 5 girls, 3 boys.

Blackthorn Gear Store

Some folks have been after me for years to create a Blackthorn Kennel t-shirt, so I finally pulled something together using some fabulous designs made from pictures of Nike working as a young dog.

Blackthorn Gear Store

I pretty much "created" this store from scratch, so 1,001 apologies if anything is wrong. I will order the first batch of shirts on July 10th--it will take 2-3 weeks for them to get printed and delivered. After this first set of orders, I will not always have shirts in stock or have the store "open"--I'm learning as I go along!

Wordless Wednesday: Bo Knows

Jumping Beans

A lovely day for a walk ... or

Jumping bean practice....

 

May weekend with dogs and puppies and ducks and goats and sheep

I spent the last weekend with a friend, working dogs and catching up. Had a couple of really good herding lessons with Jubilee. For some reason, I never get pictures of her working, but dayumm, she makes my heart sing whenever I work her. (Bonus news: I re-xrayed her hips this past December and sent them in to AKC--she was re-evaluated as OFA Good based on the 54 month xrays!)

She was laying down some extremely nice work this past weekend, staying back, rating her pace, covering the stock nicely, and insisting that I be correct before she listened to me. Oh, yeah, that's what herding is really about--the human not screwing up.

No herding pic, so here's a stacked shot of Jubilee from this April.

Oda has had a resurgence of, well, let's call it, "ummmph" since her puppies and had to have some attitude adjustments to get back into the groove of working with me--and I did get a few pictures of her working, due to the help of a friend.

Leeroy the goat is not fond of Oda

Nemi had a go on ducks--she's got excellent herding instincts and I look forward to training her in herding--after I do a schutzhund 1 on her. For my own sake, I'm going to hold off on herding with her until I am done with the schutzhund. I also don't want to make her too handler aware/sensitive by doing both activities at the same time. In the one venue, it's about using her mouth in drive with lots of control and obedience. In the other, it's about NOT using her mouth in drive with lots of control and obedience. In the meantime, she has a blast these herding weekends--playing in the water, trying to get humans to play ball, being the mentor for little puppies.

Nemi - play with me?

Nemi, Zee, Calcifer

Nemi, Zee, Calcifer

And young Strider, from the Xita x Jedi litter, is back with me. He had two excellent sessions on goats. He has the potential to be an extremely good herding dog, I think. (He is here for a bit of training and then I hope to place him on co-ownership with someone who wants to work and title him.)

Strider, 11 months - April 2013