Jim Dandy: http://www.zorpia.com/anastasia1972

Just added pics of Niki and pics of Damien's training here.....the AD is a 12 mile run,I bike along side him..we go 5,rest 20 minutes go 4,rest 20 minutes,go 3. This is part of getting Damien ready for eventually getting a breed survey to see if we can breed him.

srnity: ok,before I forget the placement...around 3:21-3:00 mark..can someone tell me the name of the song of the music that is playing...THAT is going to slowly drive me insane,LMAO!!!

 That horse was awesome...wonder how many years of training THAT was!!??!!

Even a horse can dance better than me.

The version I saw showed 5 scores--all of them "10".  I feel safe assuming that's on a scale of 10.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MGo0VwKg5ao

Here is the obidiance part of the training that I do with Damien....I am having a BALL looking through these clips of the sport!! As I find the different phases of it...good video of it,lol...I will post it for you

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kG689zPTp8k

This person got 100 out of a possible 100 points...THIS is tracking at it's finest indeed!!!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SmSjwhED3dk

 A few words to you on this clip and this part of the training,first...the helper IS NOT beating the dog with the aggitation stick!! The dog takes 2 MAYBE 3 direct hits from the stick,usually right across it's harness,or to the upper side of it's body...it flexes and is soft..I beat myself in the leg with it one my first times at my club...it doesn't even sting,not at all!!! This is done to show that the dog will continue to protect it's handler even while under attack on himself.Notice that when the helper (the one with the sleeve) stops moving and the dog "outs" he will "hold" the helper there UNTILL the helper makes an aggressive move.

 Please turn up the volume so you can HEAR how the dog responds to his handler...this is what ever one of us strives for..Also...please notice,the dog's tail is always moving..he is truly enjoying the work he is doing.The dog's long bite is trully a beautiful thing here!!!

srnity: You guys know that I always talk about the bond I have with Damien,and how it is sooo hard for me to put into words how I feel towards that dog...I thought that maybe with you guys actully SEEING what I do with him you would have a better understanding of how close the dog and handler MUST be to be able to do this type of work.He would give his life for me just as I would give mine for him.He is truely my soul and my reson for being..I love him!!

 On a different note...Niki lost her first baby tooth!!!!

I don't know a thing about protection, beyond what little I've been able to see (from linked videos) and read from those of you who understand it.  So please make allowances for my naive questions...  Why do the dogs only seize the padded arm?  Were a real-life intruder to wear such an apparatus, would a trained dog "go" for that, as opposed to some other, softer and more vulnerable areas?    }:-O

wetware: That was NOT a naive question at all...Shutzhund is a SPORT..first and formost and we want everyone in it protected at all times...the helper,the handler and the dog.The dog will protect in any circumstance..what we are doing is getting the dog to know the difference from when the helper is just standing there (not being a threat) and when he makes a threatening movement....the dog takes the sleeve...the dog MUST "out" on command.IF my dog ever had to engage in a real life protection,I would want him to injure but NOT kill the person.and I would want him to "out" the person when I told him it was ok to.

 When my trainer trains the police dogs..he wears a full bite suit and the dog DOES bite on wherever he can,arm,leg,back..other places,lol....but he is being trained for patrol..again,what I do is a sport.