Professional Handlers in Australia?

[Pam Tawton]

Food for thought: For some time comments have appeared relating to so called ‘professional’ handlers. They were again debated quite recently. My understanding of the term professional, in relation to a sport, is that the sportsman is making money. In the case of this writer’s household, if only !!!!!!

Are these comments referring to handlers who have all the training gear, equipment, clothing, videos etc and present at trials in a very professional manner or are they really referring to successful handlers? In the case of the latter, I believe there are two issues; the first is having the ability to successfully train a dog and secondly having the ability to successfully handle the dog in competition at the required level.

Handlers of today, both new and old, have access to so much information in the form of books, videos, training equipment, training days and advice at a personal level. If you find the training of your dog too difficult, I am sure you could find someone who can give you appropriate advice and/or assistance. They may even be happy to train the dog for you, but you would still have to uphold your end of the bargain by successfully handling the dog in competition. Maybe training is your forte, but circumstances prevent you handling the dog in competition then perhaops you should consider finding someone who would be willing to handle your dog. In any event the fact remains that hard work, dedication and a positive approach at any given level is what is required.

From my perspective, at the recent Victorian State Championship it was so refreshing to watch a young handler complete his first Championship with his first dog. It was obvious that the young man was extremely focussed but in discussion he was quick to acknowledge that he still had a long way to go. He reflected positively on how much he had learned just by competing, watching other handlers, listening to their comments and then analysing the situation. There is no doubt in my mind that we will see more of this young man as he strives to be successful regardless of how ‘hard’ it will be. I for one wish him every success and look forward to him keeping those ‘professionals’ on their toes.

Pam Tawton

[Prue Winkfield]

Pam - am sure you are referring to me here! From the dictionary - 'Professional' having the competence, expertise or conscientiousness of someone with professional training: a professional performance, attitude, etc.

To my mind the people (or 95%) of them who win the championships and most of the AA Stakes, in the south eastern states at least, exhibit these characteristics. Generally they are not the weekend trainers who may train once or twice during the week time permitting. I believe to be successful now in this sport one needs to be professional in all meanings of the word other than being paid! This is quite different from the way things were 10 years ago. Cheers Prue

[Pam Tawton]

Prue
My comments were most certainly not directed at any particular person or persons.
I can assure you that thirty years ago there were consistently successful handlers and the percentage rate would be about the same as that of today. I remember Victorians Charlie Ball and George Daniels and New South Welshmen Bill Bailey, Bill Loftus and Peter Halford to name just a few. These handlers had families, jobs and other commitments as do handlers of today and it was considered hard to win against them. It would be fair to say that some of them were purported to be more than just weekend trainers as even then it was recognised that time and quality were essential ingredients in a training regime leading to success.

My sole objective is to cause potential All Age handlers to think about what they want from this wonderful sport and to honestly address whether they want success at the highest level or to be able to complete every run or to just compete. As with all other sporting endeavours rewards are directly related to how much time and quality of training is put in as well as being able to analyse both your dogs ability to learn and your own ability to teach.

Each and every handler, be they Novice, Restricted or All Age, are vitally important and should be encouraged to be positive and focussed. All Age is singled out here because this is the stake that seems to attract the ‘too hard’ comment. Would it be in the best interests of the sport if they were able to at least be given the opportunity to finish all runs at All Age level as is done sometimes in Novice and Restricted. The size of the field on any given day would certainly determine whether this is practical or not.

Pam

[Maureen Cooper]

Hi Pam & Prue

You both make good points. Yes, those handlers of yesterday were hard to beat in their time but the standard of All Age particularly has gone out of the roof from that time. Having been in All Age stakes since 1989 and won 2 State titles there is no way I could be successful doing the same today. I was catching a train at 7-00am and arriving home at 6-00pm so that training my dog was solely on a weekend. I did do pattern work on a floodlit oval occasionally and took my dog to work at odd times too so I could do drills but nowadays one really needs to train every day for success and also the old manuals of Game Dog and Water Dog etc are old hat.

We have become very American orientated with FF, lining drills, swim-bys etc etc. Let alone the gadgetry that we seem to need too! Bumper boys, remote controlled throwers etc though the two ways have been a godsend! No two ways also affected runs that could be put on in the early days, judges had to be able to hand signal to the throwers. I do think that some of the new drills of today are great and thanks to Bob for his input as well as the training weekends organised by the likes of Julie Cramond.

As with every other sport, it has evolved to a much higher level and in order to be competitive at the highest level we need to train that much more and if that is the case, so be it. Whether we want to spend that time is up to the individual. Now retired, I have other things to do and see besides just train dogs morning and night! I want to enjoy retirement!

I do think that some judges put on runs specifically to separate the top dogs which means that the rest fall by the way very early on and with high entry fees etc, some people are becoming disillusioned and quit the sport so as Pam says, we need to encourage handlers to stay. There are other judges who do give All Age handlers a lot of time and those I thank! Maybe another good thing would be to allow them to do other runs even if eliminated and that has been done at times and I have felt I then got "value for money" and been grateful as trial scenarios are often hard to emulate.

Maureen

[Kerry Webster]

Pam,

As I see it, the term "professional trainer" has been used to lightly describe handlers in Australia who appear to devote all their time to dog training. Not as a paid trainer, as found in the USA, but one who trains and trials almost to the point of obsession.

If people want to do that, and be successful, then good on them, just as a handler not putting in the hard yards will often as not fail to achieve their goal. It is all individual, and all a matter of personal priorities.

Personally, I don't think having fancy clothes, training equipment etc. should have anything to do with how you are perceived. In this instance, clothes do not maketh the man/woman. On the other hand, a handlers reputation can influence the adjudication received, and I believe that is a sore point amongst trialers.

It is twelve years since I saw retrieving for the very first time, and even in that time, as Maureen says, the level of expertise required by handlers and dogs is much higher these days, and really to keep the sport going and encourage new people to aspire to the higher level, fair tests should be set for the dogs, and not tasks set to trick. A good test of a dog's ability is achievable without going to those lengths. Certainly, the costs involved in entering and travelling to trials, just to go out on a first run can be so disheartening to a new player. Support and encouragement is needed, and clubs could help by offering at least a go in two runs for every competitor regardless.

Pam I think everyone competing in retrieving wants to win, and, most will strive to reach the higher levels with their dogs, but if some are happy to go to a trial, compete, finish and be happy with their dog, then that is ok too, because not everyone has the desire to do the "big stuff"

Kerry

[Prue Winkfield]

It is a pity as we become more and more 'professional' or 'Americanised' that there are not enough of us to provide other forums for competing with our dogs other than the winner takes all scenario - apart of course from the AARD. Think we are the only dog sport in the country - along with field trials where one has to win. Just hope judges don't start witholding passes for AARD undler clause 55 of the rules - it would be better to call the dog in. As a matter of interest, have any Victorians received a signature for having completed an AA?

I would think that all triallers admire the top handlers and their dogs but do not necessarily aspire to joining that elite group. As Maureen says, there are other things in life than playing with dogs and there has to be an incentive to keep people in the game other than masochism

Also wonder Pam - why are the numbers so low in NSW - probably lots of reasons?

[Kate Eltringham]

Prue,

Richard Carr and I have been "signed off' as having completed an All Age, there may be a few others but can't be sure.

Kate

[Prue Winkfield]

Thanks Kate - well done. Wonder if that means that all the dogs that finish already have their titles or whether people are not applying or whether judges are withholding. Prue

[Leanne O'Sullivan]

Prue, my dog completed a few AA's last year but as I have heard next to nothing about the system applicable in Victoria I haven't actually given any thought to getting judges to give me a certificate or sign a form or whatever the system is here.

It looks as though there is quite a bit of confusion Australia-wide as to what we are supposed to be doing. Perhaps National RAFT should be looking to implement a consistent method so that each State is doing the same thing rather than having different systems in place.

Or, perhaps it's just me that's confused - nothing new there!!

Leanne

[Maureen Cooper]

Hi Ladies!

It really irks me that the majority of people prepared to speak out on contentious topics are female!!!

Kerry, you brought up something I forgot and that is that "the handlers reputation can influence the adjudication received" (dont know how to do inserts!). I have come across this several times and on two of those occasions at least, observers have made comments to me about the time given to a noted handler compared to the time given to me! On both those occasions their dogs were just as disobedient as mine, in fact once mine was more obedient but just not getting deep enough whereas the other dog was constantly well out of the area! In this latter case I was given 5 minutes and the noted handler over 12 minutes on the same bird and after being called in my dog got the bird as she was out of sight when called in! It was the first bird too.Time was given to me by an old handler watching who was disgusted. Happened quite a few years ago but a Championship and it still rankles. Some male handlers have made the same comment so it is not confined to the ladies.

I dont know about training grounds interstate but many NSW triallers are having difficulty finding suitable grounds without a great deal of travelling. If I lost mine it would be all over for me and I am semi-rural. In NSW the sport is slowly dying for several reasons, lack of grounds,expense, committees to run the trials, other dog sports, as well as the high standard of competition.

Maureen