The new FCI IGP World Champion...

[CorvusCorax]

...is a handler and dog team from Ukraine ??

With a super obedience round. Even if it is Mali
I love that even the world champion does the 'oh crap, I really ballsed up that throw' reaction on the flat retrieve ?

https://fb.watch/ftN8bvT22s/

 

[SilverLinings]

That is a type of competition I know NOTHING about, but the obedience and accuracy of that dog/handler was amazing!

I only heard/saw verbal commands being given by the handler during the throwing exercises, do they use verbal commands throughout? Whilst walking/running to heel the dog had it's head right back and appeared to be trying to watch the handler's face, is that for non-verbal cues?

 

[Karran]

That was so cool, I also know nothing about it.
How high are the jump/a-frame?
Why is it that the A-frame is steeper-looking than agility? I imagine it's tougher on their joints that way?

 

[CorvusCorax]

That is a type of competition I know NOTHING about, but the obedience and accuracy of that dog/handler was amazing!

I only heard/saw verbal commands being given by the handler during the throwing exercises, do they use verbal commands throughout? Whilst walking/running to heel the dog had it's head right back and appeared to be trying to watch the handler's face, is that for non-verbal cues?

Yes voice only, the only hand signals allowed are for the send out in obedience and the hide search in protection.
In the heeling the dog must be looking in the general direction of the face.

 

[CorvusCorax]

That was so cool, I also know nothing about it.
How high are the jump/a-frame?
Why is it that the A-frame is steeper-looking than agility? I imagine it's tougher on their joints that way?

Jump is 1m and A-frame is 1.8m
It used to be a scaling wall but was turned into an A-frame for welfare reasons.
Anecdotally I come across more dogs injured in jumping than over the A-frame. Most people train very carefully for it.
There are slats and generally a grippy material. We have cow matting type stuff on ours, some have astroturf or rubber on the top.
Jumping straight off the top or middle carries point deduction.

 

[SilverLinings]

Yes voice only, the only hand signals allowed are for the send out in obedience and the hide search in protection.
In the heeling the dog must be looking in the general direction of the face.

Ah, that's really interesting, I thought the dog's head position/sight line was the dog choosing to do that rather than a requirement (although I can see why it is). So when the lady went from walk to a run, and when she 'dropped' the dog and then picked it up again she was giving verbal commands? I honestly couldn't see her doing anything!

Is the pattern of movements/commands the same for every competition, or do they just have to contain the same components but in any order the judge decides?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Yes her positions were amazing. She will have said sit/down/stand in whatever language the dog was trained in, then a recall command for the latter two, then the heel command.
Some people have barely perceptible cues but again they're not really allowed so need to be very discreet.

The patterns are always the same, with slight variations.
This is the 3 pattern which is used at all championships.
In 2 you do a walking stand and then rejoin the dog and use a smaller 2 dumbell for flat retrieve.
In 1 there is no stand, sit and down are from a walk, the 1 dumbell is used on the flat and you call the dog over A-frame rather than retrieve.

1 and 2 tracking and protection have slightly different patterns too but always the same.

Very teutonic

 

[SilverLinings]

Very teutonic

Quite!

Are the competitors always guardian-type breeds?

Sorry for all the questions, but it's fascinating!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Quite!

Are the competitors always guardian-type breeds?

Sorry for all the questions, but it's fascinating!

It was designed as a breed selection mechanism for GSDs but developed into a sport and has opened to a lot of different breeds. There is a list of approved breeds, obviously not all could cope with the hurdles and 2kg dumbbell.
And it's unfair to expect a helper to catch, for example, an Ovcharka.

As well as GSDs, Malis/all types of Belgians, Boxers, Dobes, Rotts, Giant Schnauzers all have their own world cups and in the FCIs there have been Airedales, Hovawarts, Golden Retrievers, Beaucerons and Border Collies

Any breed can do the entry level temperament test

 

[Karran]

Jump is 1m and A-frame is 1.8m
It used to be a scaling wall but was turned into an A-frame for welfare reasons.
Anecdotally I come across more dogs injured in jumping than over the A-frame. Most people train very carefully for it.
There are slats and generally a grippy material. We have cow matting type stuff on ours, some have astroturf or rubber on the top.
Jumping straight off the top or middle carries point deduction.

Thank you for all the explanations! It's interesting learning about all these other dog sports I have no idea about!

 

[MurphysMinder]

I saw the obedience last night, that stand was something else!

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Stunning.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I'm now trying to find a public video of the Japanese granny and her GSD that comes up to her armpit doing protection. I remember seeing her at WUSV in France seven years ago, she must be in her mid 80s by now.

 

[blackcob]

Have you a non FB link? Would like to send to dad (despite predicting a ‘why don’t yours do that?’ comment ?)

 

[CorvusCorax]

There ya go

Here's some bonus material of Vika on the podium with her little boy. My heart!

 

[Clodagh]

That’s brilliant, so crisp and accurate. Beautiful dog too.
I really dislike the way it has to carry its head though, like a horse in a bearing rein.

 

[CorvusCorax]

It doesn't 'have to'. Malis rarely do anything they don't want to do
A lot of dogs physically couldn't sustain that high head carriage, almost looking back, none of mine could apart from the small one (but I've brought her back as I don't like it) it's easier for shorter-coupled, very level-backed dogs like Malis and Dobes.
The position is a little forward for me personally which throws the head back (looking for the Bat signal as we call it ) but the fact that it's uniform throughout the round means that to me, anyway, it's an offered behaviour, born not made. Plenty of people try to make the very high head and/or the horizontal prance and can't, as the dog's conformation just won't let it.
Like a lot of things, it's genetic.

Judges are looking for any sign of stress and pressure but for me it is a very harmonious picture and while I haven't listened to the critique, I'm guessing the three points were taken from the sit out of motion, the flat retrieve could have been faster and the jump from the middle of the A-frame. And possibly the slight noise at the retrieves.

 

[SilverLinings]

That's interesting about the head carriage CC, I did think that it seemed quite exaggerated compared to neck/head postures and movements I've naturally seen in the dogs I've owned (mostly spaniels)- so as long as the dog is watching the handler's face it doesn't matter how the head is carried, is that right?

 

[CorvusCorax]

That's interesting about the head carriage CC, I did think that it seemed quite exaggerated compared to neck/head postures and movements I've naturally seen in the dogs I've owned (mostly spaniels)- so as long as the dog is watching the handler's face it doesn't matter how the head is carried, is that right?

Yep as long as the dog isn't interfering/pushing/crabbing/leaning/impeding handler's left leg.
When you train it to look directly in the face, the dog will sometimes crab in front and not be straight.

I teach them to look in my armpit or up at shoulder and as they generally come forward with no visible target or reward, it still looks nice.
I personally train 'look here and get rewarded from anywhere' rather than always look at a visible target like a ball or food bag, because smart dogs know fine well/can see and smell when the ball or food isn't there.

 

[Clodagh]

I agree the dog doesn’t look at all bothered, it was amazing.

 

[SilverLinings]

I understand what you mean about not having them look at the treat- as obviously they wouldn't then look up if you weren't holding something- but how do you train them to aim their gaze at a particular place? I have always expected my dogs to look at me when facing them and giving commands, by not releasing them until they do, but not when they're walking to heel. I've never thought about how you'd target their gaze. My last dog LOVED eye contact so I had to encourage her not to look at me when walking as one of us would end up tripping over (she tended to crab in front)! I hadn't thought about it potentially being a desireable behaviour.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I understand what you mean about not having them look at the treat- as obviously they wouldn't then look up if you weren't holding something- but how do you train them to aim their gaze at a particular place? I have always expected my dogs to look at me when facing them and giving commands, by not releasing them until they do, but not when they're walking to heel. I've never thought about how you'd target their gaze. My last dog LOVED eye contact so I had to encourage her not to look at me when walking as one of us would end up tripping over (she tended to crab in front)! I hadn't thought about it potentially being a desireable behaviour.

There's many roads to Rome but I feed my dogs their normal food by hand, not treats so as young dogs they get used to following/pushing into/focusing on the hand.
But the hand is secondary, it's just a focal point.
Gradually I ask the dog to continue to focus on the hand and withdraw it away a couple of inches but I expect the dog to hold itself in place while staring (usually an oblong box!).
Then mark and feed.

Then I move the hand to above the dog's nose when the dog is in the basic position and move the hand higher and higher until it's at my armpit. Dog should still be looking at focal point (which happens to be hand, it's incidental).
Then eventually I put the hand out to the side and put either one bit of food or a food bag under my arm.
Due to the amount of repetitions and muscle memory, the dog should at this stage be looking up, not at my hand.
The transition from looking at hand to looking up is the trickiest to phase out but I have my head around it now. You just have to wait and mark when the dog does it right.

Then I put the hand back on the nose and start taking one step

Truncated version but I now take months and months on it and phase the lure out slowly.

Meanwhile, the people who think they will get there quicker by wanging a ball under their arm and marching up and down like I used to, have no heeling when the ball isn't there as the dog doesn't understand the exercise.

I don't use a ball any more until the very end/for a massive reward for work well done. It's too visual and the dogs/lines I like are very prey driven and possessive so it just sends them mental and causes conflict.
If I have to use a ball to bring the dog 'up' in drive then it doesn't have enough, for me.

 

[SilverLinings]

That's fascinating CC, thank you for taking the time to explain it; it makes sense to take care to avoid the dog focusing on an object (ball) as that isn't the end goal

 

[Moobli]

Deleted

 

[CorvusCorax]

I've just read that she's also a member of the Ukraine National Guard and this is one of her service dogs

 

[Parrotperson]

It was designed as a breed selection mechanism for GSDs but developed into a sport and has opened to a lot of different breeds. There is a list of approved breeds, obviously not all could cope with the hurdles and 2kg dumbbell.
And it's unfair to expect a helper to catch, for example, an Ovcharka.

As well as GSDs, Malis/all types of Belgians, Boxers, Dobes, Rotts, Giant Schnauzers all have their own world cups and in the FCIs there have been Airedales, Hovawarts, Golden Retrievers, Beaucerons and Border Collies

Any breed can do the entry level temperament test

bet they don't have one for jack Russells..........?????

 

[CorvusCorax]

(This is a display/demonstration, not a competition)

 

[SilverLinings]

(This is a display/demonstration, not a competition)

It would certainly win in tenacity- I don't think you could ever disengage a terrier that really wanted to hang on

ETA I imagine if any criminal did manage to escape he'd still be walking round with the JRT attached to his arm a week later!

 

[Parrotperson]

(This is a display/demonstration, not a competition)

He’s the exception that proves the rule! ???. Good isn’t he?!

 

[CorvusCorax]

As promised...85 year old Japanese lady and her MASSIVE GSD.