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Originally Posted by Mick Trainer

If my dog can do a full BH routine now how is he not ready? Just becasue the dog can perform the routine in a certain scenario doesn't mean he is ready for it overall. The TD may see something that you dont and feel that the dog "may" fail if it is not worked on when under the pressure of trailing. If you havn't trialed before the first time you will act differently than noraml and the dog will pick up on this and this can cause many problems in the process. I would take his advice on this. However you could also always ask the question.

If my dog is running blinds now, how is he not ready? Becasue he is running the blinds doesn't mean much. He could be a long way from being ready if the TD wants to show the dog and club for being good and want to work on many subtle things (like looking into every blind, so many dogs just run past the empty blinds, so annoying) to make sure the dog achieves what he should.

If my dog is biting HARD as in will bruise you if you are wearing something than an intermediate sleeve, should he still be on a pillow? Yeah maybe. What equipment you are using really isn't that relivant except the achieve the training goal one is looking for. Many novice handlers are keen to get their dog onto the sleeve, trial arm, but in real terms this means nothing and a dog could really be trained it's whole life on a tug and still be a serious dog. Dont worry so much regards equipment but ask the TD why he is using what ever it is he is using.

If four people with more than 15 years of experience each tell me I should be doing the protection exercises rather than pole work then isn't he ready? Who knows? Who are these people really. 15 years experience doing what really? Trialing one or two dogs or actually doing helper work. I meet so called dog experts every day who believe that as they have had dogs for x number of years that they are experts. Now for most people that make mean they have owned/handled 6 dogs in their life. That is an afternoon for most trainers. If they have been doing helper work and have achieved in this then it is a relivant concern, if they have owned and trialed a few dogs not so much. Again ask the TD why he is doing what he is doing.

Nobody in the club has actually titled a dog should that be a concern? Yep. If the club is brand new etc then of course not but if it has been a round for a few years it is a concern.

Why is that guy ok for my dog but not his? It isn't. This and the idea of a green helper working your inexperienced dog truly concern me. Any green helper should be working experienced, solid dogs, not inexperienced dogs such as yours. All my trainers start on dogs like my older male Rott who has been there and seen that a thousand times and knows more about the routine than the new helper and who really couldn't be stuffed up without a huge amount of work.

And though I have a not so nice cut on my calf from a whip I'm sorry but did this mean that the guy hit you with the whip? If so that is not good. He should have more clue where the whip tip is than that. What would happen if it hit the nose of your dog? How much work would it take to get a green dog back if that happned? A Lot. You should be able to wear what ever you want.

Mick.

Wow Mick...excellent advice. Wish you lived in the US. Do you ever get over across the pond?