THREE DOGS !! WHAT A HANDFUL.

[Kerry Webster]

Hi All,

As most of you know, we have just completed a weekend of All Age stakes over Easter. In years gone by I found this pretty tiring, and that was with only my Golden competing. Then the last two years, I doubled the stress and tiredom by competing with the Golden and my black Lab.

This year, I have trebled that, and now am competing with the Golden, The Black Labrador, and, the yellow Labrador.

Three !!!! Yes, you should see me negotiating fences and steep gullies. It is a sight to behold. Give me a sled and I could literally slide my way around the trial site.

Seriously though, I just wondered how many handlers have actually run three dogs at All Age trials, (in the same stake/same day). I know plenty of people who have two dogs running in AA, but how many have there been, of one owner/handler - three dog, combinations competing at this level ?? Does anyone know ??

Kerry

[Leanne O'Sullivan]

Hi Kerry

That does sound like a handful.

Although I don't have 3 dogs competing in the same stake, I am contemplating how I will manage running a dog in All Age plus my young dog in Novice and Restricted on the same day.

Not sure if I should do it though as it may be too much for my sanity and the patience of all the competitors waiting for me to get from stake to stake.

And this is what we do for fun!!

Leanne

[Gareth Tawton]

Kerry,

I sent Badja with Dad to run in the Qld champ one year. So with his two and Badja he ran 3 dogs. Only 3 dogs made it to the last run Dads two and mine. Needless to say Badja failed the last run and Dads were 1st and 2nd. The unbiased Queenslanders say Badja was winning so Dad gave him a right instead of a left and he bombed out . Dad on the otherhand claims he was disobediant cheated water and was suckered into a bird he was down wind of. Who's telling the truth? But I am sure he enjoyed having three left in the last run off a championship.

Gareth

[Teresa Parkinson]

Gareth,

The beauty of that story is that no-one will ever know what really happened!

BTW, how is your dad's knee faring? Last I saw him on Easter Monday, he was getting around very gingerly...

Kerry,

I think you must truly enjoy stressing out to do that to yourself! I had 2 running in Restricted over Easter and that was more than enough!

Teresa

[Kerry Webster]

Hi Leanne,

Can't see a problem for you. There are so many handlers with a young dog coming along through the stakes, whilst an older dog is running All Age. I think you will find the majority of other handlers very accommodating.

Gareth,

Mmmm yes that was good. Bet Rob enjoyed rubbing that in. And, it would be interesting to know the "actual" events of the run.

But, I am particularly asking about an owner/handler of three dogs, running them over the course of a year or two or three.
I own all three of my dogs and train and handle all three permanently in trials. I understand that one dog is the norm, two dogs/one handler is occasional, but, three dogs/one handler ???????

Teresa,

Whether or not I like the stress is, unfortunately, not in my hands. I have three qualified A/A dogs, and like it or not, that is where they have to compete. It isn't easy, as you would imagine. I found two dogs more than enough. But, the older dog is not past competing and doing well, and the young dog needs the experience. (he has finished both A/A trials at Easter), and I don't want to deprive either of them the fun of the trial, or the opportunity to learn, and do well. Luckily the old girl has done it all, and achieved more than most, so the demands on her are not high, but the boys are expected to achieve, and to do so regularly, therefore the stress comes in when running them.

I am trying to keep very. very calm, and not stress out myself or the dogs.

Kerry

[Gareth Tawton]

Kerry,

The only person I can think of that would have run 3 dogs at once would be Jack Thompson many many many years ago. The couple of people that I can think of that would have had the chance usually retired the old dog and concentrated on the younger ones rather than run 3. Its just a matter of whether you want to run the old dog because they enjoy it or let them retire gracefully while still competative.

There are very few handlers who can even say they have run 2 dogs in AA and even less that had 2 that were both competitive. John Palmer, Peter Halford, Geoff Cole , Steve Hall, Trevor Lodder, Tom Morris and Dad spring to mind. Even then you could argue about what is competitive. Finishing AA, winning AA in your home state, winning championships or winning both at home and abroad? Everyone has different standards.

Gareth

[Graeme Parkinson]

For some reason I think Noel Eltringham has run three dogs in all age, I think he placed all three in an all age event. Is that right or was I smoking something that day. Kate or Noel are you about so you can tell me whether I was dreaming or not.

Graeme

[Kate Eltringham]

Graeme,

Smoking (maybe) what ( I don't want to know) the most dogs Noel has run in All Age or Championships was two and that was Tess & Tike who he placed with both of them in trials on a number of occassions. Their best result as a team was in the Tassie State Championship in 1999 where Tess won, Tike was second (Tike having won the Tassie Cup the previous day) which was also Tike's title.

Noel says you don't get many weekends of trialing better than that

Kate

[Julie Cramond]

Guys and gals,

Do not forgot the quiet achievers who have run two dogs very successfully in All Age, Championship stakes and Nationals , Jim Hargraves and Russell Whitechurch.

Russell remember is a shift worker and cannot get to every trial, does not compete interstate very often, but was a real force with Cassie and Bundy.

Jim of course, is the GOLDen man. He always looks so calm.

[Graeme Parkinson]

Thanks Kate, I am going to change my supplier.

Graeme

[Gareth Tawton]

Julie,

I would hate to forget someone (sorry Russell) but I don't know about Jim Hargreaves. According to Jim he is so busy he doesn't have time to train and we did say people who "train" and handle the dogs. Imagine what Jims dogs would be like if he did train

Gareth

PS: I can't wait to see Jims new Lab in action[/img]

[Alison Hargreaves]

Gareth,

You just cannot help yourself, can you? Jim will get a Lab when your son Riley gets his first Golden. I seem to remember Jim teaching him his first words at the Easter Trial "Daddy I want a Golden".

Anyway jokes aside, Jim was very lucky several years ago to have two dogs that were competitive in All Age at the same time - Bundy and Harley. If fact both dogs were sitting on one win each and at a CHWGC two day trial, both dogs won over the weekend giving them their titles the same weekend.

Trevor Stevens also ran two Goldens in All Age at the same time.

Alison

[Gareth Tawton]

Alison,

I was watching some pigs flying past the window the other day and at the same time I heard Riley say Daddy I want a Golden. Then I woke up and realised he realy said Dad I want my first dog to be a golden Labrador not a black one!!!!!! Just like Jims next dog

It was also pointed out to me some of the handlers from yesteryear who would have handled 3 or more dogs would including Wayne Pohlke and Charlie Ball. Their would also be several guys who handled multiple dogs on behalf of other people a bit like dad with Badja. Its a shame some of that past history isn't so well recorded except in jack montasells shed Hopefully the website will allow some method of retaining some of that history.

Gareth

[Kerry Webster]

Hi Gareth,

Was that a "dig" ???

Is "old" determined only by age ? I hope not. We could be saying all 'old' handlers retire once they hit 65, to let all the young guys have a go. Could you imagine it ?

By calling Tosca "the old girl" it is more a term of seniority amongst all my dogs. Being ten years old does not, I hope, put her out of the field of competition. (What Golden Retriever was still in Run 7 at last years Nationals, after all ??)
And, she also has been runner up Top Retrieving dog for the last two years in W.A. So, no, I am not retiring her yet. She is still a better competitor than many, and one of the best dogs in W.A.

Standards as you say are very personal and varied. For those who can afford it, and have the drive to do so, competing in National Championships is the ultimate. Unfortunately, not everyone has the confidence, funds, or time to do so. I know people who were delighted just to be at A/A level; and others with a far too serious do or die, attitude;

I always thought retrieving was about having fun, and my dog revelling in the sport he/she was bred to do. Sure, I have goals to achieve, but I hope that in the process, my dogs and I never lose that wonderful sense of fun and, for me, the delight, is in seeing the dogs work in the field.

For the first time at trials here, I have an occasional strapper (Ian), which will be a bonus in walking between runs with dogs, backpacks, chairs etc. All three of my dogs tend to want to get to the hide ten foot ahead of me, so palming one off to Ian will be beneficial. My dogs make up about a fifth of the field, and I suppose one benefit is, that by the 3rd dog I should be well and truly familiar with the run and its ins and outs.

By the way, I hadn't heard of Jack Thompson. Must have been a long time ago. Anyone else ?

Kerry

[Prue Winkfield]

If anyone is serious about this - I could ask Jack to look in his shed and find out who has run three dogs simultaneously in AA. It would take a lot of time for him but am sure he would look if enough people had a good reason for wanting to know! He might not even have to look.