Obedience

Why should you train your dog? Why is a title important?

Beyond the obvious, that the result is that you have a well behaved, well adjusted dog that is a pleasure to live with...This article sums up how I feel about obedience far better and more beautifully than I could ever say it.

What is an Obedience Title, Really?

by Sandy Mowery, From Front & Finish (a magazine for obedience competitors)

Not just a brag, not just a stepping stone to a higher title, not just an adjunct to competetive scores; a title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a way to honor the dog, an ultimate memorial. It will remain in the record and in the memory, for about as long as anything in this world can remain.

And though the dog himself doesn't know or care that his achievements have been noted, a title says many things in the world of humans, where such things count.

A title says your dog was intelligent, adaptable, and good natured. It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that please you, however crazy they may have sometimes seemed.

In addition a title says that you love your dog. That you loved to spend time with him because he was a good dog and that you believed in him enough to give him yet another chance when he failed and in the end your faith was justified.

A title proves that your dog inspired you to that special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in a world of disposable creatures, this dog with a title was greatly loved, and loved greatly in return.

And when that dear short life is over, the title remains as a memorial of the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend. Volumes of praise in one small set of initials after the name.

An obedience title is nothing less than the true love and respect, given and received and recorded permanently.

5/24/09 Shayna gets the last leg on her CDX!!!

My apologies for the poor quality photos. They are taken from a video camera that just doesn't have the capability of detailed shots.

These show Shayna's retrieve over the high jump.

Sonny and Shayna earn their first CDX leg at the Golden Gate Kennel Club show held at the Cow Palace in Daly City. They placed first and second in their class.