I went to a dog show for the first time today - here in Spain. The show dog part didn't do a lot for me - although there were some fine animals my overall impression was of lots of dogs penned/crated and waiting in a hot+noisy place... then being paraded and fiddled with. Doubtless many of these had travelled in by car or plane too.
I mainly went to have a look, not having been to such an event before, check out vendors (nice doggy stuff not so easy to find here), but really enjoyed seeing agility for the first time... dogs and handlers really enjoying a short (40-60 second) course with jumps, A-frame, dog-walk, tunnel etc...
The surprise highlight though was a "Guardia Civil" (police) GSD display I, something I didn't even know would be on...
Great obedience work (heeling, down, sit and stand with lots of distractions) - some agility at various speeds (ahead of and with handler), and drugs and explosives search demonstrations in suitcases and vehicles.
The best part - like a hollywood scene - was watching a 'gunman' (padded suit, toy cap gun) "shoot" at an cop, then try and escape in a small truck. Just as the guy was getting into the vehicle, still firing, the dog was released from 100-odd yds away and launched itself at full speed, flying though the truck window (prob. 5ft off the ground!) and locking onto the bad guy!
I've got mixed feelings about the real world implications of that - if for real the poor doggie might end up shot, stabbed or such, but the loyalty of these animals and the realtionships their handlers build is insipiring, and to watch in a controlled demonstration really shows what training can achieve.
I mainly went to have a look, not having been to such an event before, check out vendors (nice doggy stuff not so easy to find here), but really enjoyed seeing agility for the first time... dogs and handlers really enjoying a short (40-60 second) course with jumps, A-frame, dog-walk, tunnel etc...
The surprise highlight though was a "Guardia Civil" (police) GSD display I, something I didn't even know would be on...
Great obedience work (heeling, down, sit and stand with lots of distractions) - some agility at various speeds (ahead of and with handler), and drugs and explosives search demonstrations in suitcases and vehicles.
The best part - like a hollywood scene - was watching a 'gunman' (padded suit, toy cap gun) "shoot" at an cop, then try and escape in a small truck. Just as the guy was getting into the vehicle, still firing, the dog was released from 100-odd yds away and launched itself at full speed, flying though the truck window (prob. 5ft off the ground!) and locking onto the bad guy!
I've got mixed feelings about the real world implications of that - if for real the poor doggie might end up shot, stabbed or such, but the loyalty of these animals and the realtionships their handlers build is insipiring, and to watch in a controlled demonstration really shows what training can achieve.
