I thought for my first blog I would talk about my dogs and how I got into training. I have always been attracted to animals with all my earliest memories are of animals even if they werent mine. I always knew where the local animals were and if I went missing I would be located with the local horse, sheep , dog,,,

I wasnt allowed pets so I used to sneak caterpillars, bees or shrimps from the local pond in and keep them. Later on I spent alot of time working in the science labs where I learnt alot about attributes and behaviour of various creatures like the fact that snails loved paper when I had to
present an assignment with large holes in it, how to milk katipo spiders for their venom and what colours ghost shrimps could turn.But my favourites were the rats. I set up breeding programmes to get my favourite colours and on temperament. I trained them to run mazes and do obstacle courses, and to be carried around on my person or in my pockets. I trained them with mixed success to do various tasks using food. I even tried to teach them to read that wasnt succesful...I value the freedom my teachers gave us and I learnt so much about husbandry, genetics and behaviour.

My favourite holidays were when we went and stayed on farms especially those where the farmer was happy for me to tag along. I dont think my parents fully understood why I prefered to go out on a lambing beat or work as a rousee in a shearing shed when everybody else was going swimming
or exploring the local attractions.

I wanted to work with animals so I did an agricultural degree. I loved working on the farms and the practical classes. I did an honours project with some sheep thzt were used to training students and loved it. They taught me to appreciate the animals I was working with even more and the value of cooperation. I then and worked on a large research farm. I did trained rams for semen collection. Then also worked with a mob of over a thousand ewes that lambed indoors unusual here but we need to fully record behaviour and events around lambing. This inspired me to go back to University to do my Masterate. My project involved doing intensive measures on sheep so a lot of the time initially was working with the sheep so that they stayed relaxed. Each one had a different personality and liked different handling. I also helped my friends with their trials involving alphacas, deer and goats all of which demanded different approaches.

I then went to Australia where I worked at a University. This involved many things but I worked with rats, rabbits, chickens, sheep and people. The hardest experimental subjects were definitely the humans. Although it was an eye opener when I helped out in a sheep experiment with the local hospital and the samples were taken in a proper theatre with full surgical garb. My flat mates were involved in the wildlife refugee so we spent alot of time rearing possums and kangaroos.
Finally I managed to get my first proper pets first one and then a second cat, This was followed by further studies and then a job working with cattle including Brahmans a law unto themselves, My
next job involved working with emus – alot less domesticated and if they didnt like your handling they had the potential to be dangerous.

Me and my cats then moved back to NZ, I brought my first lifestyle block. I reared a few goat kids and this started my love of goats as they are real characters although I wasnt very good at making cheese. I used to graze a friends paddock a kilometer down the road, So I would open my gate and like a pied piper walk down the road with my goats following. When we got close some would run ahead. I would then close the gate and go home. If I ran late going to get them at night I would hear the protests before I saw them. We would repeat the process going home. They taught me alot about how much easier life was when my pets and had te same objective. I also had my first ewes- all of who I trained to come on call.

This gave me the opportunity to get my first dog- Amber, Amber taught me alot – she was a year old and had already had 10 different homes- I am not sure why they would give her to someone with no experience with dogs. I quickly realised that I was in over my head with this very determined  headstrong dog. I joined a dog club- the smartest decision I made. Amber started my journey learning about dogs. This was in the days when punishment was high on the list of how to train dogs and it was hard work and amber and I were always clashing and I felt something was missing. I started to do agility as I needed to do something to occupy her brain and tire her out, Amber died and left a huge hole. I also got Opal a lab staffy cross to keep her company.

Next I got Jade a smithfeild and Topaz a border collie both were rescue dogs. Jade had
been emotionally neglected and had no toy or food drive infact it was hard to get him to eat enougn. But he loved to run and jump so my venue into agility started in earnest. He was crazy and I was
hopeless but we had alot of fun and even some success, Topz had suffered alot of physical abuse- more than was obvious initially. To start with he just appeared quiet shy and compliant– now I realise
he was just completely shut down. As he started to settle he showed more and more his fear of everything ... every noise, different clothes, people, animals, objects .... He taught me alot about
working with where the dog is at not where you want them to be, He made me start to rethink about alot of the dogma around about how to deal with fears as the standard things made him worse not better, He also taught me patience and how tro celebrate the tiny improvements.

I now had the agility bug well and truely. I got Vite my first heading dog. She was fun as a pup but as she got older her behaviour got more and more over the top. At the time I thought it was my poor training but later discovered she had a medical condition that meant she died before her second birthday. A serious car accident delayed my training of my dogs for a considerable period of time and gave me alot of time to think about my training. I started seriously looking for other ways of training. I had already started this by following Susan Garrett on the internet but over the next few years access to a variety of trainers opened up a new world of alternative ways to train.

I had Knon another heading dog but he developed a back issue early on – that lead me on a journey of learning more about dog fitness, I did Rally with him but these days he is fully retired and enjoys eating and sleeping. Then I had Broige who was a great agility dog but he used to leave the
ring for no apparent reason. He taught me about working dogs – at a year old he decided to sleep outside from choice and he still does to this day. He likes me but unlike my previous dogs he doesnt need me I had to earn the right to be his partner because he is about the work - work is work and play is play. Once I learnt that work was serious  his leaving the ring stopped and we were much more connected and then we could have fun and celebrate at the end of the run. These days he
is more into play as he enjoys retirement,

Currently I run Te in agility. He is a big solid boy for doing agility but he is powerful and fast, Turning him is a bit like turning a tank so he has taught me alot about handling. He believes in doing everything at full speed full on. His rail dropping is frustrating, He has a quirky personality in that he is very black and white – there is no grey. Routines and his rule book ( I wish he would give me a copy to read) are rigid. He has taught me so much about working with the dog in front of me. He
only likes being touched when he approaches and if he decides something is not right it is almost impossible to change his mind. He is the only dog that I have had to teach by showing as he doesnt
understand shaping. I have had to learn to be observant of small changes in body language and think about alternative ways to train him. He kept my need to learn new methods and improve my
understanding of how to work with my dogs to create a successful team.

I also have Veloz another heading dog... Veloz like many heading dogs is hyper. I broke my ankle at a critical time when in his agility training and he missed out, Both Veloz and Te are very good at pointing out very loudly in neon lights when I stuff up. Other people have dogs that save them mine just tell everybody that I was wrong... Then at the beginning of lockdown Veloz had a major issue that I thought had ended his agility career. However with physio and time he is starting to get back to jumping and may get back to the other types of agility . But he is completely crazy and having been restricted for a while is now over the top. He is providing me with huge challenges and learning opportunities.

Fusion is my young pup she is now about 14 months old. She is smart and agile. She is definitely testing me as she can escape from most things but loves to learn, I cant wait to see what lessons she teaches me. But I do know it will be a fun learning journey and hopefully she will be the first
not to put me in the naughty corner...

Each of my dogs has challenged me and my knowledge to do better . I have loved working out the key to each of my dog s and this has created the passion to help others find the key to their dogs behaviour. I hope you will enjoy the journey with me