Max Has Learned To Bark!

[Cuchulain]

Max and I travel to PE for dog school every Sunday. Last week the agility dogs were out in force training in numbers I had never seen before at the club. After class Max and I went over to go and watch. Our instructor, Marcia, also teaches the agility class. We sat in the shade under a big tree together with some of the Border and Aussie Collies waiting to jump and some other spectators. Max was fascinated... in fact he was so absorbed in watching he was interested in nothing else. After class all the dogs are allowed off-lead to play. Max was invited to join in and I was so proud to see my big brown RR playing so nicely with all the Collies. Of course he didn't have clue what the ball was for, he just ran like a lunatic with the "pack".

This week, he was very keen to repeat the exercise and I was dragged (OK, don't lecture me, I know I was wrong to give in!) over to the container where Marcia's dogs were tethered while she worked with others in the class. Digby, her youngest, was beside himself with excitement and was barking madly - I presume to tell Marcia that he wanted to jump ;) Max sat there quietly for a while, watching with that typical RR cocked head and frown. And then he discovered he had a voice! :rofl: OMG! it was funny! Of course it triggered all the agility dogs awaiting their turn to begin a chorus of barking. I was laughing so hard I couldn't stop him. To be honest, I've seldom heard him bark and never more than perhaps woof woof. To be honest, I didn't want to stop him. There he was, sitting in amongst the Border Collies barking just like them. He was so very proud of himself. He was so cute in the off-lead time too, running with the pack totally clueless about the ball!

[Dogsfevr]

When i did agility the barking dogs drove me mad.You had to yell so hard for the dogs to hear

I will add it was only a small handful & generally the collie people .the others whose dogs where much more successful dogs where calmly sitting in there crates or car set ups.

It is the same at flyball on occasions & again usually the collie family

Im all for excitement but there is a limit.

[Cuchulain]

I will bear that in mind next week Showdog and I won't let him bark. It didn't seem to bother anybody there today - they were all laughing with me and some of them were even encouraging Max and Digby - egging them on. The agility people seem very laid back at training, nothing seems to upset them except people who don't pick up after their dogs and dogs with a bad attitude to other dogs. I was welcomed with open arms in spite of the fact that it is unlikely that Max will ever do agility as he is a tad on the large side. I can't say the rest of the club has been quite as welcoming!

[Starkehre]

I will bear that in mind next week Showdog and I won't let him bark. It didn't seem to bother anybody there today - they were all laughing with me and some of them were even encouraging Max and Digby - egging them on. The agility people seem very laid back at training, nothing seems to upset them except people who don't pick up after their dogs and dogs with a bad attitude to other dogs. I was welcomed with open arms in spite of the fact that it is unlikely that Max will ever do agility as he is a tad on the large side. I can't say the rest of the club has been quite as welcoming!

Hey Cuchulain, don't let Max's size deter you from doing agility, unless you mean he is overweight (but that can be fixed ;) )

I don't know what breed Max is, but I have done agility with all my Rotties, and very successfully too. Provided he is structurally sound and you keep him fit, healthy and in lean condition, there is no reason not to. My dogs are always xrayed first and then continue to see a Bowen therapist throughout their agility career.

You would love it, and max obviously wants to do it

Regarding barking, it certainly must have been very cute seeing Max go into drive watching the other dogs working.

My dogs are quiet achievers, and I like it that way

Edited to add, Just realised Max is a Ridgie. I have sen several ridgeies doing agility. Yes, the ones I have seen have all been a bit slow, but who cares, they are having fun.

Edited January 24, 2010 by dyzney

[poodlefan]

When i did agility the barking dogs drove me mad.You had to yell so hard for the dogs to hear

I will add it was only a small handful & generally the collie people .the others whose dogs where much more successful dogs where calmly sitting in there crates or car set ups.

It is the same at flyball on occasions & again usually the collie family

Im all for excitement but there is a limit.

At our club if your dog barks whilst tied up in the agility classes you'll be asked to put it in a covered crate or remove it from the ring. Instructors shouldn't have to yell over barking to be heard.

Flyballers seem to be more tolerant of it - at least at our club. ;) The barking at flyball is one reason I'd not do it.

[Cuchulain]

Thanks for the encouragement, Dyzney. Yes, Max is a Ridgie, but he has a long way to go before I could even consider Agility as an option. He is still very young and I don't think I would cope - I'm the fat one, not Max!

I was thinking more along the lines of obedience (when his ears start working again!) and possibly tracking. I'd love to teach him to find missing arrows at the archery butts by using the superglue we use on the fletching to scent on. That could actually pay for his food every month if we get it right

I've not seen flyball at my club - sounds like fun. There doesn't seem to be a rule about barking at agility at our club. I will ask next week to make sure we aren't stepping on toes and if it happens again, I'll shut Max up. It was just so funny! Everybody seemed to think it was great!

[Kavik]

Flyballers seem to be more tolerant of it - at least at our club. The barking at flyball is one reason I'd not do it.

Me too - every time I've been to a flyball demo the dogs bark nonstop! I don't think I could handle that. I'm glad my dogs don't bark when running the agility course.

[pie]

We have some noisy ones at our club during training (cars are parked backed onto the oval so a lot of dogs can see the other dogs running around), and at some of the agility trials there are dogs that bark the whole way around the course. (God knows how they train in the back yard, it would drive the neighbours nuts! They must live in the kennel zone )

Thankfully Kyzer has never picked up the habit and is usually nice and quiet (unless I do something that annoys him at training, then he'll tell me off ) unlike at home where he is a bit noisier.

[Starkehre]

Thanks for the encouragement, Dyzney. Yes, Max is a Ridgie, but he has a long way to go before I could even consider Agility as an option. He is still very young and I don't think I would cope - I'm the fat one, not Max!

I was thinking more along the lines of obedience (when his ears start working again!) and possibly tracking. I'd love to teach him to find missing arrows at the archery butts by using the superglue we use on the fletching to scent on. That could actually pay for his food every month if we get it right :p

I've not seen flyball at my club - sounds like fun. There doesn't seem to be a rule about barking at agility at our club. I will ask next week to make sure we aren't stepping on toes and if it happens again, I'll shut Max up. It was just so funny! Everybody seemed to think it was great!

;) ;) I'm no skinny minnie either Cuchulain. I managed to haul by heft around the agility courses. Certainly kept me fit.

It all takes time. I am sure Max will get his ears back again soon ;) . Youngsters have a way of trying our patience, but you will get there.

Sounds like a plan to stop the "free-loading". Let us know how you go with the fetching of the archery butts. Be nice if all our dogs could Pay their way

[Cuchulain]

LOL Dyzney. I've just come back from checking on the new server at the vet. They were most amused about my dog who thinks he's a BC and one of them said there was no reason, once he's old enough, that he cannot do agility! So I'll keep it in the back of my mind as another option to keep him entertained.

His legs are now so long that I have to jog on our morning walks to keep up I'm sure that keeps the spectators on our route entertained no-end. Actually that was a lightbulb moment for me this morning - he want to trot so that why he seems to be pulling. If I jog then he keeps a nice steady pace next to my left leg with only occassional stops to smell.

[Lab_Rat]

Hey Cuchulian, glad youre having fun with young Max! I so wish Zola had never found her bark - probably a bit of hard ask though living with a kelpie!!

After watching the World dog games on tv the other month I would love to do agility with both my girls!! It looks like so much fun and watching those BCs going through the weaving poles was just amazing!!

I dont mind dogs barking when they are doing something like herding or the agility or flyball dogs when they are doing their thing, but incessant barking for nothing is quite annoying after a while!

Do you have any more pics of Max??

Rat

[Cuchulain]

Do you have any more pics of Max??

Rat

:p Yeah, he was trying out his new-found bark on everybody this morning. I have to say though, he's only barking a people in my driveway which is great! Even better is that if I say quiet - then he stops. It just happened, I didn't "teach" him that.

I have pics on Facebook...in fact there is a whole album devoted to him (25 or so pics in the one) and 12 in another. I don't have the bandwidth to repost them here :rofl: I'm not sure if they are visible if you're not a friend. If not, send a request I'm online most of the day (joys of being a computer techie) so should see it fairly quickly. Info you'll need for your search Name: Tracey Wild, Avatar is me at archery - can't miss it! :p

[Lab_Rat]

Thanks for that - I will do next time I get some mobile phone reception! I only do FB on my mobile phone - there I dont have the distractions of all the games and crap!!

Rat