Clodagh
Well-Known Member
I can do but I struggle to keep one to heel while sweeping with others, especially in heavy cover. My training failure I know. I can’t bear dogs on leads in cover either.
Retirement
- Thread starter Clodagh
- Start date
I can do but I struggle to keep one to heel while sweeping with others, especially in heavy cover. My training failure I know. I can’t bear dogs on leads in cover either.
BallyJ
Well-Known Member
your son and OH will have to get on peg more! Do their parts to keep her happy! ?
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
We keep buying those lottery tickets ?
BallyJ
Well-Known Member
Just remember us when you win 
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
I did a quick burst of training this morning with the three (Old Brandy won't retrieve dummies, they are beneath her). I have access to a great area, with hedges, shrubs and ditches. A quickie is to sit the dogs up, go out of sight and plant up 9 or so dummies, then send them one at a time to get the dummies. Just a fun blast. They are so different but it really highlights T, she just goes in a straight line to where she thinks I have put one, crashes through the beech hedge, through the giant laurel and into the ditch. FGS it is a stinky old bit of canvas, calm down dear!
I got a FB memory yesterday of her first stifle injury, four years ago. She didn't take a lame step and not until spa time afterwards did I realise she had a gaping hole up inside her hind leg.
I got a FB memory yesterday of her first stifle injury, four years ago. She didn't take a lame step and not until spa time afterwards did I realise she had a gaping hole up inside her hind leg.
GSD Woman
Well-Known Member
Clodagh, I so understand these high drive dogs. We have to protect them so they don't work themselves to death. In many cases, literally.
KEK
Well-Known Member
It’s such a hard one with the super high drive dogs. My red BC is very intense and driven to “work” (agility, no interest in sheep) and she is the same- doing everything with 200% enthusiasm . She’s an absolute blast to run, the most fun I’ve ever had , but she has OCD in her hock and it’s now causing her to pull up lame if we train. She can’t tolerate most types on pain relief, either, so I am gloomily thinking of retiring her. So hard when she goes out and runs up and sits in the agility arena waiting for me..
Stiff Knees
Well-Known Member
Adrenalin masks injuries too, like with Tawny's stifle injury that was only spotted later. A lesser dog would have felt it but a high drive dog isn't even aware, when the adrenaline is flowing. Spot once gashed a four inch hole in her chest jumping through, not over, a barbed wire fence. I saw it happen and grabbed her but she had no idea and didn't even wince, she needed surgery to repair the damage. Peril has exposed an artery in her foot, didn't pull up lame, continued to work and it was only spotted when we attended to her feet when she got home, possibly hours after the injury had occurred. She required surgery too. We are their guardians, and have to say when enough is enough. The older they get, the longer they take to heal too. ??
GSD Woman
Well-Known Member
KEK, can you lower things for her? When I have to retire Rudy he'll still take classes running at as low a height as he's comfortable. I'll have to lower the A-frame too.
KEK
Well-Known Member
Yes, I might try this. She'll still run at a million miles an hour though so not convinced it will help, but I can keep her in more straight lines too.
GSD Woman
Well-Known Member
KEK, Rudy has slowed down a little bit with age. He just turned 10 which is old for a big (80 lb) GSD to run agility. He's still about 20 seconds under course time.
KEK
Well-Known Member
That's very impressive! Working lines?KEK, Rudy has slowed down a little bit with age. He just turned 10 which is old for a big (80 lb) GSD to run agility. He's still about 20 seconds under course time.
ihatework
Well-Known Member
I’m no expert on the working dog retirement thing as I only go on hobby shoots. When my lab was younger he went out on his breeders shoot. It was a long day and for a hobby shoot quite successful (60-120 birds). The retrieves were quite long and a couple of drives were across plough, so pretty full on. There is no way my guy could have kept that up into his old age.
But I moved house and got involved in a friends shoot. Much smaller (20-30 birds), flat land and they only generally did half a day. So it was a nice natural slow down for him. As he got on a bit we tended to stop and I’d let him pick one or two easy birds.
He was still out having an easy time age 12.5, it really brightened him up going out. I just doubled his painkillers before and after. He died in March age 14 and didn’t go out in his final season as he had got a bit neurological.
This is him at 12!
But I moved house and got involved in a friends shoot. Much smaller (20-30 birds), flat land and they only generally did half a day. So it was a nice natural slow down for him. As he got on a bit we tended to stop and I’d let him pick one or two easy birds.
He was still out having an easy time age 12.5, it really brightened him up going out. I just doubled his painkillers before and after. He died in March age 14 and didn’t go out in his final season as he had got a bit neurological.
This is him at 12!
Christmascinnamoncookie
Fais pas chier!
Only stinky old canvas, but very motivating for them. Zak prefers the heavier one, Bear is happier with the lighter one, deshaving a head twice the size of puss cat!
GSD Woman
Well-Known Member
KEK, yes he is working lines. I prefer the working lines. I do have friends with American show lines that aren't to extreme and their dogs do a lot of herding and agility.
Stiff Knees
Well-Known Member
"I hate work" commenting on thread "retirement" ? . Gorgeous lab btw ??
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
IHW he looks great there.
Here is Brandy (12) just before Christmas. She is wearing a lead as she was meant to be tied to a peg- her manners have deserted her in old age- and she ran in for her bird.
She only does the small days, only when we are at home and she can be popped in the house for an hours rest midday.
Photo shown with permission by Paul McNeil photography.
