The Derby Stake

[John Robinson]

[/B]This is actually what my original intent was, John. Because I don't have a steady group to work with yet, I really wanted to drive the 5 -7 hours to the trials to get a feel for how they work and how the nerves and atmosphere affect our performance at the line. I was thinking that if nothing else came of it, it may be worth the $80 entry fee to practice being at the line, feeling the nerves and see how she does. May still do that at the end of Feb. But not at the beginning of Feb, like I had wanted to. There's always another one in April. Pup is only 11 months now.

I didn't realize your pup was that young. I usually shoot for starting my dog in derbies around 14 months, and that is with a lot of formal field trail traing starting at six months of age and puppy training before that. That said Bev Burns, who is very experienced, ran and finished her Tully when he was nine months old, got him on the derby list at fifteen months.

[Ted Shih]

Agreed, train for the all-age and run the Derby as Howard indicated a Derby career is very short 18 months to 24 months . Sure there are dogs that place younger, but, the above age is more realistic.

Don't rush

With each passing year, I run fewer and fewer derbies. Lots of bad things for a young dog to learn in the derby, not that many good ones.

I have two dogs that I could run this year, but depending on how they look overall, may not run at all. Regardless of my intentions, I would be hard pressed to run a young dog until it hit 20 months of age.

The best dog that I have had - FC/AFC Freeridin Vampire Slayer (Buffy) - ran 6 or 7 derbies, won one. Won a Q in the Spring (April) right after she turned two. Put her back in training. Ran her again in September, got 4th in the Amateur.

Miss Kitty ran 2 or 3 derbies. Then won a Q and an Am right after she turned 2.

[Criquetpas]

Yup FC/AFC/CFC Yo You Kaytee KK won the Derby and got a second in the Amateur at the same trial at about 22 months old. I think she had 30 derby points as I recall and sold her just out of the derby. She ran her first derby at about 18 months and her last at two with 7 or 8 all age starts while in the Derby or just a short time out. She never developed line manner issues, but, was the exception with others I trained and sold. She was always trained with the all age in mind. If you are blessed with one of those great, otherwise take your time.

[mbcorsini]

Jennifer,

Listen to Breck. I had fun in the two derbys that I ran. I finished one (you would have thought I had a Blue ribbon) and went out on the third series of the other. He was young and had not seen too much techincal water. You can walk to line with leash which was a comfort to me. While I learned he was steady, he used the whole mat. I am reducing the size of his mat .


Mary Beth

[Jennifer Henion]

Jennifer,

Listen to Breck. I had fun in the two derbys that I ran. I finished one (you would have thought I had a Blue ribbon) and went out on the third series of the other. He was young and had not seen too much techincal water. You can walk to line with leash which was a comfort to me. While I learned he was steady, he used the whole mat. I am reducing the size of his mat .


Mary Beth

Good tip, Mary Beth! Thanks! Sounds like it's worth all of the hard work of getting there!

[davewolfe]

Don't rush

With each passing year, I run fewer and fewer derbies. Lots of bad things for a young dog to learn in the derby, not that many good ones.

I have two dogs that I could run this year, but depending on how they look overall, may not run at all. Regardless of my intentions, I would be hard pressed to run a young dog until it hit 20 months of age.

The best dog that I have had - FC/AFC Freeridin Vampire Slayer (Buffy) - ran 6 or 7 derbies, won one. Won a Q in the Spring (April) right after she turned two. Put her back in training. Ran her again in September, got 4th in the Amateur.

Miss Kitty ran 2 or 3 derbies. Then won a Q and an Am right after she turned 2.

Ted
Your one of the best amateur handlers out there. I think Jennifer is look for experience and to figure out where her dog is.

[Pam Spears]

One good thing about going to observe is that you'll get a better idea of how you think your dog will cope with derby setups. I guess asking the age of the pup should have been the first thing to ask about, but no harm done. Go, watch, learn, and enjoy. I don't think it's necessary to wait until you think you can win it to enter, but you do want to be capable enough to get through it without embarassing yourself, LOL.

[minnducker]

Not sure whar Ted is saying. What "bad" things are learned in the Derby? If you have a genuine future FC-AFC candidate in training, on a proven program, Derby tests should fit in well with the normal training progresasion from 13-14 months and older. Maybe things have changed. Back in the late 70's and early 80's when derby entries were 40-60 dogs, triples were not that uncommon. Have Derbys regressed??

[Breck]

Not sure whar Ted is saying. What "bad" things are learned in the Derby? If you have a genuine future FC-AFC candidate in training, on a proven program, Derby tests should fit in well with the normal training progresasion from 13-14 months and older. Maybe things have changed. Back in the late 70's and early 80's when derby entries were 40-60 dogs, triples were not that uncommon. Have Derbys regressed??

Dogs running derby are usually right in the middle of transition training and have lots to learn. Too much derby with cheaty situations and short flyers will unravel some young dogs requiring remedial training which = bad because the dogs lesson plan is hosed. What often happens, especially with amateurs, is they don't recognize trouble nor have the stones to blow the whistle and pickup their dog when it creeps, cheats or switches what have you. Triples are rarely if ever seen in Derby. Judges that try triples these days will probably need to endure being run over by the bus.

[DSemple]

Not sure whar Ted is saying. What "bad" things are learned in the Derby?

A lot of young dogs get overexcited at trials and it very easy to develop lifelong line manner and control issue because you can't make corrections at a trial and dogs get trial wise to that very quickly.

It's all about preventing bad habits from ever starting.


Don