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presents:
ANKC AGILITY
CHAMPION 
SIRE:
CH EDELHOF SILAS (imp uk in dam)
Australian National Kennel Club Titles: "Rabbit" was the first dog in Australia to gain a JDO title. She
did it with 5 out of 5
clear rounds. We also believe she was the first to get the "quadrecta" of ADM2,
JDM2, ADO and JDO. She is continuing to become the first to gain other new
agility and jumping
titles, but we stopped keeping a tally. In the new games classes, she is now the first dog in Australia
with a games excellent title, being for her GDX, followed up by being the first
to gain their SPDX (with "Doc") and her SDX then went on to be
the second dog in Australia with a masters gamblers title. She is the first
gundog in Australia to gain the elite title of Australian Agility Champion. Before the introduction of multiplier titles, she had gained 52 agility dog master qualifications and 65 jumping dog master qualifications. Although not quite as quick as some of the border collies and kelpies, she is certainly up there for consistency. She is the winner of the NSW Balder Trophy for the point score
to qualify for the NSW Agility Dog of the Year 2003 and 2007 Agility Dog Association of Australia Titles: "Rascally Rabbit" is also the 2001 ADAA
Grand Prix Maxi Agility Challenge Winner.
This is some of what I wrote about "Rabbit" to a public email list, when we
were being congratulated for gaining her agility championship:
Hi all, A big thanks to all who sent their congratulations, both on the list and privately. Yes, it is an achievement to gain the championship, but I like to think of it as one of those positive reinforcers along the way that keep me interested in the sport (yes—this one is a jackpot). What has been really important to me is the incredible relationship I have built up with my rascally Rabbit. Many people would not know that I did not want another dog to train when I got Rabbit. She sort of came as an extra when we got Winnie, for Keith. In fact, she nearly found herself in a new home on 3 different occasions. But I was not happy that this absolute ratbag of a dog, with so much independence (and almost outright defiance), would be suitable for these other homes—I did not want to see her spirit broken with a check chain, and I did not want to see her become an outright delinquent without some sort of control. In fact her name at the time was “Nonny” and I was always yelling “NO NONNY, NO NONNY, NO”. Thankfully, I discovered clicker training just in time. I discovered this new way of training could make this almost-out-of-control-dog actually want to do what I wanted. It was always for food—that was the only payroll she would work for, but boy she would try anything to make me click that little box and earn that little morsel of food. And somewhere along the line, she decided that her name was “Rabbit”. (But that’s another story!) I was not longer yelling “No Nonny” I find that the beauty of clicker training is that it allows the dog’s own nature to develop. I will never be Rabbit’s boss. She will always tell me when I get it wrong. She will also tell me when she gets it right, and it is time for me to pay her. She also knows I control the resources she wants, so has learnt to manipulate me—that’s fine. That is how our team works. The co-operation and bond that has built up between me and “that bitch” (I say with affection) just could not have been done without positive reinforcement training and the trust that develops between us in this sport of agility. And somewhere along the line this dog who hated to be patted, and didn’t show any signs of affection, changed to one who bonded very closely, and we became a rather inseparable team. These days, she might even choose to cuddle with me, instead of go to some-one with food, although it would be a hard decision for her! At the risk of having this sound like an academy awards speech, I would also like to thank 1. all the people in all the clubs that have put on all the trials I have been to. 2. All the judges that have put their time into designing courses—and have given up time when they could be running their own dogs, having their own fun like the rest of us. 3. To all those people who have invited out and organised seminars with our overseas trainers. Three overseas visitors, in particular, have helped me in my training—Australia’s first ever overseas visitor—Bud Houston opened they eyes of a lot of people to how we must make our sport fun for our dogs. Susan Garrett helped me understand better the applications to dog training of the scientific principals of learning and to Elicia Calhoun who picked on my handling relentlessly on her last visit and just made me improve. I look forward to her next visit in November. 4. Thanks to my students—I hope I have helped you to enjoy your dogs—and in training you, I am sure I have helped my own handling techniques. 5. Special thanks to one student—Lyn who donated the bottle of Dom Perignon that, with some really nice cheese, strawberries and dark chocolate, made the celebration something special. Sorry that you did not make it to Coffs to help us enjoy it! 6. A special thanks to those who made that last first place special—Allan Schmidt for his course and Coffs Harbour DTC for always making us feel so welcome up there—it was a great weekend for Rabbit. In all she came home with 7 quallie cards out of 9 runs— I stuffed up the handling on one course and she did not put a foot wrong in her non-qualifying strategic pairs course. She not only gained her championship, but also her next ADM title and her gamblers masters title. My only worry is that at 10 and a half years old she is still getting faster, and I don’t know if she is ever going to want to retire! So Rabbit and I are going to continue to train and trial. I never set a championship as one of my goals, although I sure wished very hard that it would eventuate, if I achieved my other goals. My goals have always been to build a relationship with my dog, and to make us the best team we could possibly be. We are still working on it LE HAMMER BVSc
Rabbit has also taken time out to produce 3 litters for us: THE JAMES BOND LITTER THE BUSHRANGERS THE PHYSICS LITTER
Click
each thumbnail image to see the
full-size picture, and
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