The best thing about obedience training with Irish wolfhounds is that you get a great
deal of satisfaction from very small achievements. In fact, any time a wolfhound actually responds to a command is worthy of note! It took us many years to achieve any sort of success at all: McGinty, our first wolfhound, attended weekly classes fromfour to nine months old, by which time we were ready to abandon all pretence of having any sort of control over him; Clancy, our second, also took part from the age of four months, but was never comfortable around other dogs and could be aggressive - we gave up. Chewbacca was four years old when he came to us, and we didn't feel it fair to introduce him something so alien at that age. |
Miss Darcy O'Bedient |
Four month old Darcy learns to sit on command. |
Then came Darcy, and when we mentioned to Fran Smith-King, her breeder, that we would
like to try obedience training with her, we could see the sceptiscm in her
eyes. But from the day we brought her home, Darcy was biddable and keen to please.
She's also a very food-orientated dog, which helps a great deal. Like McGinty
and Clancy before her, she went to puppy training from four months old, but
unlike them, she kept going, gaining her Island Dog Training Club Basic Obedience
Certificate at a year old and even taking part in competitions without disgracing
us as to her performance. |
She was no border collie, of course, and everything had to be done at her own speed
(which could vary from dead slow to stop), but on a good day (ie, if she was
in the right mood and not behaving like a sulky teenager) she was reasonably
competent at a basic level in the following disciplines: heelwork, recall, sit
stay, down stay, retrieve, scent and send-away. |
Practice makes perfect! |
Sit-stays come in useful for photo opportunities! |
Recalls can be practised anywhere. |
Darcy demonstrates the retrieve. (No, I have to tell the truth: she was trying to out-run Chewie, who wanted the tasty piece of dead rabbit she's holding. Sorry!) |
Two minute down-stays are just so boring! |
After a break from classes as a result of her antagonism to other dogs, we returned
armed with John Fisher training discs, which proved very effective in improving her manners towards the other members
of the class. Slowly, she learnt to smile and be polite to others, even when, deep
down, she really wanted to say, "Don't you dare come anywhere near my treats!
Now just push off and leave me alone!!" |
In competition, Darcy's behaviour was improved, but her work somewhat hampered, by
the fact that treats were forbidden - like most wolfhounds, she demanded payment
on delivery! However, she usually managed to complete the required exercises
to her own satisfaction, if not to ours. Her first three attempts at the Pre-Beginner
class resulted in three second places, but subsequently she was second
out of five entrants, which was quite encouraging (we carefully overlooked the
fact that the other dogs were all younger and less experienced than her!) |
For further insight into obedience training with wolfhounds and why it's not for the faint hearted, click here. |
December 2005 On her fifth attempt, at nearly four years old, Darcy finally won the Pre-Beginner class (Limited Show). She beat six other dogs (two golden retrievers, two labradors, a German shepherd dog and a cross-breed), got her best score ever (only losing two points) and even managed to have a good scratch during her sit-stay without breaking it!!! March 2006 Our first attempt at the Beginner class. The omens weren't good as there were 11 entries, so the one thing we were sure of was that we wouldn't place, especially when Darcy dropped her retrieve dumb-bell at Anne's feet and set her own course in the off-lead heel-work . . . but to our great delight and surprise we were fourth! Well done, Darcy! December 2006 Second attempt at Beginner. There were nine dogs entered, but we were hopeful that Darcy might at least figure in the placings. All the tests (heelwork on and off the lead, recall, retrieve, 1 minute sit-stay and 2 minute down-stay) been done and the stewards were deliberating and totting up scores, a process which can take some time. As we were planning to get all the dogs out in what remained of the daylight as soon as we got back home, Paul went to get us a cup of tea and a slice of home-made carrot cake each from the clubhouse kitchen. For Darcy, this is the highlight (well, let's be honest here, the only 'light'!) of an obedience show - she knows she has to work without treats, but consoles herself that there will be something scrummy the end. Darcy and Anne had just started to share their piece of cake, when the steward announced a 'run-off' between Darcy and Leo, a golden retriever. The test chosen for the run-off was the recall, there could be no shadow of a doubt that it would be an absolute disaster. Cake crumbs were swiftly dusted from Anne's shirt and Darcy's beard, and they headed back into the hall. Well, Anne headed, Darcy dragged - she knew there was still a large chunk of cake awaiting her attention. Into the hall; Darcy into a sit; 'Wait!' command; Anne walks purposefully across the hall; 'Turn and face!' says the steward; 'Call your dog!' . . . 'Darcy! Darcy, come!!' She came, all right, just not quite in the right direction . . . well, not as far as Anne was concerned. As far as Darcy was concerned it was eminently sensible - she headed straight back towards the carrot cake that was calling her far more insistently than Anne ever could!! Needless to say, Leo won the run-off and we ended up in 5th place, but Darcy got the biggest laugh of the afternoon! At that was to mark the end of Darcy's obedience career - sometimes, admitting defeat is the only sensible option! |
Page reviewed February 2008 |