Flyball?? (rant)

[slleipnir]

Thanks Amy...

I'm hoping I can get him into therapy work...which is why I'm taking him to obedience. I'm going to train him to behave better around other dogs, so he will be able to work in a home and have people pat him and stuff. He loves attention, and I hear it's very rewarding too. I think we both would love that. It's not competitive, and I know he'll be good at it if he can over come his problem.

(as a side note about the not wanting dogs to come up in their space: I never let Zeke off leash when I know there might be a dog come up as I know it's a bother. I never come up to people without asking either. This only happened at flyball because I was doing when I was told to do. (and I wasn't told very much) If they had said, this is a problem please run by yourself...I would have. I figured they had the situation under control and that the dogs we ran with were able to cope with him. Some dogs are more sensitive than others. Some don't mind. I figured that's what they did. There was another person who had a dog do that too (cross and chase other dogs) no one ever gave her a hard time.

[applesmom]

You did title this thread "rant" didn't you? Maybe next time you can add a qualifier; "no comments please".

[Kfamr]

You did title this thread "rant" didn't you? Maybe next time you can add a qualifier; "no comments please".

Maybe you didn't read post #18, but you should. Please try to be more sensitive to other's feelings.

[applesmom]

Maybe you didn't read post #18, but you should. Please try to be more sensitive to other's feelings.

What's the problem? I was agreeing with her. Didn't you see the wink?

[Kfamr]

What's the problem? I was agreeing with her. Didn't you see the wink?

Maybe I didn't read it correctly, but it didn't seem like you were agreeing with her, rather being sarcastic. My bad.

[applesmom]

Maybe I didn't read it correctly, but it didn't seem like you were agreeing with her, rather being sarcastic. My bad.

That's okay. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference with just the printed word and no body language to go by.

[DrKym]

I have to agree, my dogs even the cocker play fight with teeth bared and snarls and barks and anything else you can think of. No one has ever been hurt, and when they are brought to events for foster and rescue are the most patient and sweet tempered with the untrained and exuberant ones!

I think, it is common courtesy no matter where you are to ASK, the other owners, but in this case, that duty was incumbent upon the club. It was their decision to allow an exuberant pup and a novice handler participate, the more experienced handler that hit Zeke should have been reprimanded. Zekes mom should have been discreetly told what constitutes appripriate behaviour, and if she could not get that from Zeke, then for someone to TEACH her how.

You do not hand over car keys and say you have watched me drive for 16 yrs so here ya go, they should not have handed her an off lead time and done the same. Everything takes time and learning, it is up to those of us that do know to make sure that those learning are taught, at their pace, in the way that is best for their animal.

Just my opinion.

[slleipnir]

Maybe I didn't read it correctly, but it didn't seem like you were agreeing with her, rather being sarcastic. My bad.

I thought the same as Kay did...I guess I misread too...

[slleipnir]

Zeke "bites" if when he plays, but what dog doesn't? He in no way hurt any dog. The guys are just nuts. They're way to perfect. Their dogs do AWESOME and they sit around after complaining how terrible they were...geez. I joined flyball for fun. I talked to other people who quit that club because it's too competitive and they just wanted to have fun. The dogs Zeke went up to just weren't interested in playing. I kinda wonder if these people let their dogs play at all. I highly doubt it. I think "play" to them is running in their yard after a ball...which is good I guess, but dogs need to be dogs and that includes play fighting.

I think you need a thick skin for anything really, even day to day life...I just don't. I usually just leave the situation if it's too much as I get way to stressed and it's not worth it.

applesmom: yes I said rant, as in I needed to get it out as it was bothering me....I don't mind comments, I just don't want people going on about everything I did wrong in the situation, and how Zeke needs work...that is all very obvious. I don't need 5 people to tell me lol. I know no one was "yelling" but to me, it was hurtful. Intentional or not. All I wanted to talk about was the people and how they treated me, but I needed to explain the situation so people could see where I was coming from.

And I knew Zeke shouldn't cross, I knew the rules, but they kept putting me back up with other dogs...I didn't say oh please let me run with other dogs. THEY set up who runs with who. They know the dogs better than me to know who he could run with, knowing he may cross. They were horrible with helping me. I think one time I went away for a while and asked if someone could run Zeke if my dad took him. Like 4-5 people offered...and someone said I was just looking for them to train him?? Cause they ran him ONCE? Or maybe cause I kept asking for help with training him...I don't know.

The guy that hit Zeke never said one word to me the entire year + I was there. Not even "hi". My dad knows him and says he was always a bully. It really hurt me that everyone who "saw" him hitting my dog said "no, he didn't hit the dog" when I KNOW he did. Why would they lie about that?? Then people who I thought were friends just turned their backs on me. It really hurt me because I thought I fit in, and I thought I had "friends". They never liked me, nor did I ever fit in.

[Riptide]

I think with any dog sport you need "thick skin" as mentioned before.

A similar incident happened with Pixie at agility practice; one of the other handlers was walking her spaniel when Pixie and I were out on the course, and the cocker started to bark at her. Pixie then started to run toward her (we're still working on training with distractions) and even though she responded to my recall, at the next trial the spaniel's owner announced that Pixie had "come after" her dog at practice and to "stay away."

So ehh...we changed out of that class and are now ina different one. I'm not letting it get to me too much, but I know it can be hard. I'm alot like you, in that I'm very sensitive, anxious, and get hurt easily.

[bckrazy]

Honestly... don't feel bad, at all. I have had similar problems with Flyball, and it's not even WORTH getting upset over! Seriously.

Flyball people especially, in the dog sport world, can get extremely cliquey & touchy & offensive. Understand that some of these people truly have no social lives except for Flyball, and they literally treat tournaments like a life-or-death experience!

I feel it's s t u p i d to get angry & offend people, and insane to hit any dog, because a dog got distracted by another dog and approached it in a friendly manner. No one's dog got hurt or was at risk of getting hurt, obviously. Flyball is a for fun dog sport... if we were talking about a dog running around loose at a herding trial and distracting the working dog, that's completely different all together.

Dogs are still animals, and I am a firm believer that NO DOG has 100% perfect recall, no matter how many hours are spent training. Dogs have instincts & make mistakes... just like people. For anyone to expect perfection from a dog, especially from Zeke who is still in training, they must be incredibly dillusional. I get soooo sick of people treating Flyball & other "for fun dog sports" like it's the end of the freaking world! It's like the Mom's & Dad's who scream and get into fights at their kids t-ball games... stupid.

I tried to get back into Flyball, too, for similar reasons. It just was not worth it to me... because of really petty, really immature arguements between people & friends switching teams. They also hurt my feelings, with some nasty remarks from one lady, who happens to own a Barbie Collie with z e r o drive (she was calling Gonzo aggressive... when Gonzo hasn't snapped at or left a mark on any dog ever).

Feel better, and do what you want to do. However, go back to the team for Zeke & you to have fun, not to prove anything. It's supposed to be fun!!! xP When it's no longer something you & Zeke look forward to, it's not worth all of your effort.