SEA ONLINE FUN DOG SHOW 2022 - RESULTS

Best In Show:  Golden Oldies – Annie

Reserve Best In Show:  Mission Impossible – Murphy

 

Lovely collection of photos of ‘pups’ having a great time.  Hard to choose – but I had to make decisions – so these are the pics in each category that I kept going back to!   Frankly they are all winners and show the bond we have with our lovely dogs.

 

Beach Babes: 

All the pics in the section were a delight.  There were many that I would like to hang on the wall – but I had to narrow it down to three.

1.     Annie – a stunning head shot – I loved the focus on the sandy face and the water and sand shimmering.   Lovely dog and lovely picture

2.     Winter – footprints in the sand.  Great photo somehow bringing together the day at the beach.

3.     Umka and Alyssa – It takes two – a delightful  shot demonstrating ‘teamwork’!

4.     Lottie

5.     Umka

 

Crazy Hair Day:

 

1.     Luca – channelling the famous multi-coloured ‘coos’ – I loved the patience on the Eurasier’s face which says ‘companion’ in the best possible way.

2.     Lux – Made me laugh out loud!  Technically very good to catch the droplets – but the expression was the clincher!

3.     Iris – a very fetching ‘neckpiece’ demonstrating the ability of the coat to attract all sorts of vegetation!  Model looks very content with the result and obviously enjoyed the process of collection.

4.     Umka and Alyssa

5.     Murphy

Early Birds and Night Crawlers:

 

1.     Lumen and Lux – Great composition and captured the moment – which can be hard. Rocks, sea, dogs with smiles – what more could you ask for?

2.     Enzo – very evocative and rather touching – capturing the quiet moment.  In years to come this picture will conjure up all the memories of a day well spent.

3.     Lottie – A very happy pup!  There is a joy here that speaks to the relationship between the subject and the photographer.  Made me happy.

4.     Lux

5.     Kai

 

Fur-ever-Fur-iends:

 

1.     Kodi and Jip – captures a moment of pure joy – and I couldn’t resist it.  

2.     Della and Friends – made me laugh – the happy expressions on all three faces 

3.     Pippa and Luca – Loved the expressions and the obvious bond between this ‘odd’ couple.

4.     Iris and Molly

5.     Della and Friends

Golden Oldie:

A lovely collection showing the joy that our older dogs bring.  I loved them all.

1.     Annie – The intense gaze, the kind eyes, the slight ‘silvering’ come together to produce the most lovely close-up.  I would love to be looking into that dear face.

2.     Bubbles – a happy, relaxed and totally unselfconscious Eurasier – and you just want to (very gently) get down to rub that tummy!

3.     Sheeba – the joy of movement.  This babe doesn’t let age slow them down.

4.     Mishka Boots

5.     Winter

Handsome Fellow:

A clutch of handsome fellows – all deserving the accolade

1.     Luca – what a hunk!  There is a chap who doesn’t need to be told he is handsome – he knows it!  

2.     Lux – the ability to still look like a handsome hunk even when caught in the rain.

3.     Vico – A very handsome fella indeed – relaxed and yet conveying a sense that ‘all is well’. 

4.     Lumen

5.     Enzo

 

Mission Impossible:

1.     Murphy – a wise dog knows when to beat a retreat!  Doing it with dignity is not so easy!

2.     Enzo – there is a delightfully ‘manic’ quality to the way this Eurasier is celebrating the day and the freedom of the beach.

3.     Umka – That is quite a leap – and exquisite form.  Agility talent.

4.     Mishka Boots

5.     Della and Friends

Pretty Lady:

1.     Forest – what a pretty girl making an even prettier picture!  A delightful capture with the wild flowers and grasses.  Charming.

2.     Della – How could you resist that face?  A beauty.

3.     Winnie – Looking for treats to put in her basket?  Lovely girl.

4.     Della

5.     Iris

 Top of the Pups:

All puppies are ‘cute’ and all of these are totally beautiful – so again, my choices were made by how many times I had to return to a picture!

1.     Lux – A picture that shouts ‘puppy’ – cute and full of mischief.

2.     Iris – the ‘mask’ stage – so beautiful.  This pup so intense and serious and full of enquiry.

3.     Lumen – I’m looking at you …  This is just  such a typical puppy pose of a pup that wants to be in the centre of things.

4.     Willow

5.     Vico and River

Winter Wonderland:

1.     Umka – made me laugh out loud!  Do you know it’s wet out here?   

2.     Iris – the joy of snow!  Perhaps a mouse under there …  Certainly enjoying the day.

3.     Sheeba – The patience needed when hunting squirrel … They always seem to think that if they wait long enough their quarry will come to them.

4.     Kodi

5.     Winter

 

The Rainbow Bridge:

No placings in this section – each and every picture represents the love, companionship and joy that our dogs bring to us and how the heartbreak of loss transmutes into the warmest of lovely memories. 

 

 

Thank you for asking me to give my opinion – I loved going through all of the pictures.

 

Penny Roberts

DOBO - FUN FITNESS FOR YOUR DOG

By Moira van der Heijden
Dobo is a sport that combines exercise and having fun. Some exercises are done on an egg-shaped Dobo ball, some on balance discs, and some on half balls. 

Dobo exercises are 

suitable for healthy dogs aged 5 months and over and can be practised by dogs of any size. The dog should never be forced, but all exercises are done at the dog’s pace and will. Dobo should always be enjoyable for both the dog and the handler. It include moves for both the dog and the handler, and some are done together. The aim is to improve balance, body coordination skills, muscle strength and encourage stretching. Most Dobo exercises include several muscle groups working together. Even seemingly static movements are designed to make the muscles work hard. In this article I concentrate on the dog’s part of Dobo, but by doing these exercises, humans get the benefits, too. Even something as simple as standing on a balance disc improves a large muscle group and your balance. Dobo exercises are particularly good for midriff, and they improve balance and posture.
 
Why Dobo for Dogs?
Dobo exercises improve a dog’s concentration skills. You can not balance on wobbly things if you don’t concentrate! The exercises are also fun to do, so the dog learns to follow your lead. The exercises improve a dog’s agility, balance and coordination skills; they strengthen the muscles – strong muscles support the sporting dogs, and tone the show dogs. The exercises also help the dog to stretch itself and help reduce muscle tension, and, doing these together supports and improves the dog-owner relationship.
 
How to Get Started?
Remember, the aim of Dobo is not only to exercise, but to have a good time with your dog. This is not serious training; it’s meant to be light-hearted and fun. Dogs enjoy exercise, and they enjoy doing things together with their humans. Usually it only stops being fun if people get too serious. This is your time together, enjoy it!
There are a couple of basic rules: Dogs must be well and fit; any illnesses and injuries must heal before you can start. If the dog has structural flaws or problems, it’s best to consult the vet before starting. Never force the dog, the dog can always decide whether to do the exercise and stop if he chooses. Initially, about 15 minutes should be enough. The ball must always be supported either by holding it against the wall, or between the handler’s legs. Dobo is not a competition sport, there is no pressure for success. Please note, that even fit dogs will need to build up gradually, as they use a variety of muscle groups, and the deep muscles are not usually regularly exercised. Although dogs naturally like Dobo, use plenty of easy-to-swallow treats as rewards (please make sure the dog has access to water). Remember to warm up before training; a 15-minute walk and doing a figure of eight through the legs, twists and turns, gentle stretching (never forcing) are good ways to warm up.
 
The Ball
To start with, the dog should get familiar with the ball, learn to lift his front paws on the ball, and maybe jump over it. When the dog is ready, he can climb onto the ball and adopt any position he finds comfortable. We can only train dogs on the ball when they feel safe and secure on it.

The Balance Discs and Half Balls
First, we teach the dog to place his front paws on the disc, followed by placing his back paws on the disc. The discs we use at Dobo are slightly larger and wobblier than regular discs. A Yoga or pilates balance board can be used, too. They are firmer, and therefore allow some moves that could be difficult on a wobbly surface. The same exercises can be performed on the half balls. The dog can also be taught to have all feet on balance discs or half balls. Using the half balls on this exercise allows the handler to place them accurately to encourage a natural and balanced standing position. This is also good practice for show dogs to learn to hold the stacked position.
Whenever you do any of these exercises, please keep an eye on your dog ensuring not to tire him too much. Allow breaks between exercises, and don’t forget to cool down after training.

Tricks
Some tricks can be performed during Dobo training. Giving paws: front and back; in sitting and standing position; lying on the side; bowing; figure of eight through legs; walking backwards, etc. Tricks are also fun to teach and can provide entertainment on a rainy day.

Dobo at the AGM 2022
We are planning to provide you an opportunity to try Dobo at the AGM. If you want to give it a go, please bring a flat collar and normal lead (not a flexi) and plenty of easy-to-swallow titbits/treatos. Remember that this is all fun and not serious business; some dogs are naturals, others take more time to learn, there is no pressure to achieve… Simply enjoy your dog!

DOBO - The Beauty of Dog Balance - experienced by a Eurasier

Cojanne is a Eurasier owned by SEA member Giò Taddei, who takes Dobo classes with her teacher, Siria Palazzo, a 3* degree instructor in Italy. Siria wrote an article for the Italian Eurasier Club newsletter in 2021, and Giò has kindly shared it with us.

Dog Balance, also known as ‘Dobo’, has a lot of physical benefits, but it also helps emotionally. That’s right. It is a discipline that is truly suitable for everyone, dogs of all ages, of any size, of any breed, or otherwise. 

I have had and am lucky enough to work with Cojanne, a wonderful Eurasier female, a breed still not very common in Italy. 

Cojanne at her DOBO class

“Cojanne, what struck me when you entered the gym, in addition to your beauty, which is unquestionable, was your gaze, which had so much distrust, but was also open to a lot of curiosity so as to understand where you were, what were all those coloured balls, and to me, as I was moving and handling the gear.

Carlo, your owner, presented you as a dog wary of people, reluctant to do new things; especially if you don’t like them, and don’t see the point in them. From there I said to myself: “A new experience begins for both of us”… 

You approached the Dog Balance Fit for the first time, and I was confronted with a breed that I had never worked with before. There, we were tuned from the first moment; we had given ourselves space to get to know each other, understand each other, and like each other… And then, off we go, we started working. 

The beginning of our work started right from the baseline, I built you low, ad hoc proprioceptive sensory paths to put you a little on the edge, and try to figure out your body knowledge, your skills, your temperament, your challenges and your ways of overcoming them. You used your physical abilities and intelligence to face everything, but avoided what you did not like; and I, more stubborn than you, knowing that you could do it without any problem, I urged you to persist until you got over that mistrust. 

Every new Dog Balance Fit lesson with you has always added progress, each time increasing the difficulty, so that you bring out the best skills and knowledge of your body, where you must focus on yourself, your movements, and your trust in me. 

What you take home at the end of each lesson is great results, because you face new things; first with your hesitant approach, but then you put your distrust aside, you believe it, and you know you can do it. Not only do you perform the proposed exercise, but you also perform it very well, as you have since the first moment, bringing home really good results. 

I really believe that the Dog Balance Fit is also helping you to deal with different things in everyday life, managing situations that bring you unease, and you overcome them with the skills you have acquired, and the greater self-esteem that this wonderful discipline gives you. 

We still have a long way to go, and new challenges to face together.”

By Siria Palazzo, Cojanne's DOBO trainer

A Day amongst Top Dogs at CRUFTS 2022

 

My Top Training Tips from a Eurasier Lover and ABTC Dog Trainer

Owning a dog is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do, of course most of you already know this having fallen in love with our wonderful breed, the Eurasier.

This doesn't mean it doesn't come without challenges of course. Over the years things have changed dramatically in the dog training world, thankfully for the better. Gone are the traditional methods of aversion and punishment and we welcome the more science-lead, force-free, positive approaches we use today. 

I could talk about dogs all day, in fact usually I do! But if I have to summarise, here are my top tips for successful dog and puppy training:

Capturing

Capture the behaviours you like, even if you haven’t asked for them. If you dog lays down in his bed - “Good settle”, if you pup goes to toilet in the garden - “Good tinkles!”, if your pup is running towards you - “Come!” 

This a great way of training your dog with minimal effort. If we use the words and rewards at the time the action is being offered then it gets paired together and learnt. Simple!

Short and sweet

Training should be fun for both you and your dog. These don't need to be regimented hour at a time sessions, find minutes here and there throughout the day. Perhaps waiting for the kettle to boil or when the adverts are on whilst you watch TV. Two to three minutes here and there 10 times a day is often much more productive than trying to find an hour slot in your day when one of you might not be in the right mood. Pick your moments well. If you're training something such as a settle command, then you want to make sure your dog is tired and calm. If you're training something such as recall or a retrieve, you want to make sure your dog is keen and ready to go! Set them up for success by making sure they are in the right mood for what you are training.

Using the word ‘No’

When using the word ‘no’ it is important to remember that it is not an instruction dogs can follow. Often, they will get frustrated by this and training doesn't go well. It's far better to focus on what our dogs should do instead, i.e. rather than ‘don’t jump up’, it's better to teach them to ‘have all four feet on the ground’. Rather than ‘don’t lick the dishwasher’, teach ‘settle in your bed’ when it's being loaded. This can make a huge difference to your success and relationship with your dog. 

Prevention is key 

First rule of dog training - prevention. There a saying in the dog world - practice makes permanent… If you let your pup or dog repeat something they find rewarding enough it can become very engrained and hard (if not impossible!) to fix. We can usually find a way to stop our dogs practicing certain behaviours by being one step ahead. 

Some examples:

•   Prevent counter-surfing by never leaving food on the worktop

•   Prevent jumping up by getting low and near the floor before they jump

•   Prevent pups learning how fun it is to chase the family cat by supervising interactions and keeping pups on a house line and under control

Proofing / Environment specifics

When training our puppies/dogs we want them to generalize, e.g. ‘sit means sit no matter where you are’ regardless of environment or context. In order to do this, we need to train our dogs in several different environments, starting with no distractions and building up when they are ready. Always stay within their threshold so they can be successful. When teaching something like loose lead walking it would look like this:

•   Build up to 10 steps, without pulling, in the house (no distractions)

•   Move into your garden starting from 1 step building up to 10 (minimal distractions such as sounds of cars, people, smells etc.)

•   Move out and about somewhere quiet, start with 1 step, build up to 10 (few distractions such as a dog in the far distance, a person walking past)

•   Move somewhere busy (dogs closer, children playing football, groups of people)

Once your pup / dog has nailed this you can start to go from 10 steps to 20, then 30 etc. before you reward. 

At any time your dog is struggling, go back a stage and build back up again. Remember we want them to be successful.

Hierarchy of rewards

It’s important that we make sure we are using the appropriate value of reward in that moment in time when training. 

All rewards will have a certain value to your dog/pup. At any given moment, he may prefer one above another. It is useful to think of all the things your dog likes and place them in a ‘hierarchy’, starting with the most valuable to him first (although be prepared for this order to change from time to time).

Games with toys and praise can also be added into this ‘hierarchy’.

Different jobs require different ‘wages’, so think about what rewards will make actions worthwhile to your dog. Learning new exercises, coming away from things he would rather do, or leaving something tasty to eat will require your highest value reward to ensure he responds next time. In comparison, asking him to do something easy, such as sit once he has learned it, may only require your lowest value treat, or, in some cases, just praise, to maintain it.

You can also ‘Jackpot’ things that were amazing or hard for your dog. This involves lots of rewards in quick succession. For example, if you dog recalled away from some horses, reward heavily one after another to make a big deal of it!

Don't worry about overusing treats. We can also use toys/games as well as social connection to reinforce things we like. We tend to use plenty of treats when teaching something new but we can quickly back off on these and vary our rewards once they have learnt it.

We all know and love the Eurasier breed, and how much they thrive on being part of the family. They need kind, gentle and consistent handling. They love to learn (when they aren’t being couch potatoes!) Hopefully some of these tips help you on your journey. If you haven’t already got a Eurasier and you think you might have the right home for one - do it! You won’t regret it :-)

Good luck and enjoy! 

 

 

 

About me: Hi! I’m Sarah, I am a dog lover, Eurasier owner and a busy mum of 3 beautiful children. I am an ABTC registered animal handling instructor, hold an Advanced Diploma in Canine studies, and am a Puppy School tutor trained by the world renowned Gwen Bailey. I own a busy and successful pet services company on the south coast called Pet-Professionals, and love every minute. My busy life means I don’t get to make many Eurasier meet ups, but I definitely plan to make a few this year when I can. I am often lurking on the SEA forum so hope to chat to many of you there.