One Special Boy

Time is a son of Flink, who is a daughter of Quiz, who was a daughter of Kiwi, who was a daughter of Flite, who was a daughter of Abacab, who was a son of Purdie, who was a daughter of Bob.

Bob was my first collie and started me in competition Obedience. He took me to Crufts Championships in the main ring in 1979. Not a green carpet in those days.

Crufts 2016 I will walk the main ring with Time, his g-g-g-g-grandson, in the Heelwork To Music competition finals.

Heelwork sings to me right at the heart. I always experience a quickening beat. It is an experience of synchronised balance in movement. It brings a touch of dance, a touch of musicality, and always a smile and warmth.

Training for a sport focuses the mind and discipline. I consider it requires us to study, practice and study some more. The learning never ends.

When you have a passion for something it takes you along paths you never dreamed would be a part of your future. Paths that have lead to studies across many fields that come together and contribute to the whole.

We can not be satisfied with being “just trainers” we need to learn how to analyse behavior, build a teaching curriculum, study stimulus control, experience disciplines of performance arts.

Time is trained without correction. He is taught with reinforcement, in his case this is food and contact.

He has a very strong “eye” which is the classic collie predatory state. Toys and anticipation of games sets off the eye which would put him into conflict for heelwork behaviors.

We play, we plays lots, but not for heelwork training.

I build heelwork with physical fitness, from the foundation of standing in balance, through walk, trot, rotations and lateral movements. He is always correct, he is always reinforced.

He has only ever tried to be what I want him to be. He is the culmination of training many, many dogs in activities that taught me more about dogs.

He knows no error. Error is only feedback letting me know what training, cues or changes I need to make.

He is a product of breeding dogs balanced for the sport:

with a sound structure that won’t be stressed by the extremes and minute stresses of repetitive actions that sport practising demands.

with a temperament that blossoms in the performance environment. Collies are not always suited to noisy, indoor venues surrounded by spectators.

Genabacab Light Merlot.

Time.

Wonderful boy, carrying the heritage in his blood and in his heart.