What takes to be a champion

As a child I was always aware of our home, since it was just a rental next to the railroad tracks on a dead-end street in a Polish / Italian lower middle-class neighborhood. We lived on the first floor and my brother, and I shared the front room converted to a bedroom.

 One of the nice parts of the block that I lived on was there were 20 some kids that lived on the block, so I had lots of friends my age to play with and being a dead-end street means we could play in the middle of the street most of the time. Games like kick the can, football, and baseball. There were lots more boys than girls, so I was considered a tomboy and loved playing Football, Baseball, Golf & Hockey.

 My brother was my teacher, and he did NOT realize that I was left-handed, so he taught me to bat, golf, and play hockey with my right hand.

 I was always competitive and loved the competition. I titled 10 retrievers (9 goldens and 2 Labradors) to Field Champion and/or Amateur Field Champion.

 It is important to remember that this SPORT is just a game, and what matters is: how and why we play the game!

Are we just in it for ourselves or are we furthering our Sport for the betterment of ANIMAL CARE AND ENLIGHTMENT OVERALL?

WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN THE OPEN / AMATEUR – HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR CHANCES

 Old saying “Must have good dog-can’t make a SILK PURSE OUT OF A SOW’S EAR

Conditioning and Proper Training, keeping your dog Fit and Healthy. (Fearful dog won’t be able to do the work)

 Handler needs a strong desire to compete (type A personality) like an adrenalin rush – Some like the feeling, some hate it.

 Team Sport: Dog and handler. 70-80% of winning Is the communication between the dog and the handler on the line.

 NATIONALS: Peak at the right time. More difficult with bitches, since they are great prior to heat cycle, dull coming out of heat cycle (hormones kick in) and if they come in heat during National, you must scratch them from the trial. After their heat cycle, they go through a false pregnancy even if they are NOT bred.

 Care thru out the NATIONAL

Pre-national training – over trained dog will tend to run poorly (tired, fearful etc.)

Like any athlete, dogs also need R & R.  Just like human athletes, dogs need warm up and cool down period – Very important to lessen chance of injury.

 SPECIAL Dogs: want to please and handle well, yet relaxed enough to think on their own on marks and still willing to handle on blinds.

 Old photo of the “Gaines Classic” One of my first Obedience successes in a National Competition