Talking Points
IN FAVOR
Of Allowing Collaring
BY RANDALL R. BERRY July, 1999
SYNOPSIS I write in support of allowing collaring for the following reasons: •
It helps diminish the effects of unnatural
and unrealistic situations:
In the days of all wild bird field trials, requiring dogs to be heeled off-collar from wild flushes, fly-aways, honors and other bird contacts was an appropriate expectation. But, in today's phony planted bird environment, such expectatjons are unnatural and wlfealistic. Pen raised birds often walk around in front of a dog, may nm around extensively during the flushing attempt and frequently don't flyaway but a few yards. Requiring a dog to heel away from these situations is unnatural and Wlfealistic. Training our dogs to perform these UImatural acts out of pure obedience can often take the edge off and put our breed at a competitive disadvantage. Preparing a dog for these unnatural situations can cause softness and bliking problems.
•
It helps to level the playing field: Until recently, only the Wirehairs and Shorthairs did not allow collaring at their licensed club trials. The Short11airs recently approved collaring. Now, it is only in Wirehair trials that no dogs of any breed may be collared. Conversely, all dogs of any breed (including Wirehairs) may be collared when participating at any other breed trial. So, if we believe we are building some higher level of obedience into our breeding programs by requiring dogs at Wirehair sponsored trials to be heeled away off collar, then we are sadly mistaken. There are far more non-Wirehair trials to attend on an 31mual basis then there are Wirehair trials. In Hunt Tests all dogs entered can measure up to the standard and pass. In Shows we only compete against our own breed and within our breed, we don't compete for championship points against the opposite sex or existing Champions. But, in Field Trials, only one dog wins the points; and he'll be in direct competition wit11all other pointing breeds, with both males and females of each and with existing Field Champions from each of the breeds. Comparatively, wilming an all breed field trial stake is like winning Group; with the caveats that only the Wirehair must be able to do it off-lead; and that only the Group Wilmer will eernl Championship Points. How tough it would be to Finish our dogs if we only received Ch31npionship Points for WilUling Group - and to boot, all the otller dogs in tlle Group could be on a lead, but tlle Wirehair must be able to nm arOlU1dtlle ring off lead and stack without being touched. Not very realistic! In addition to not allowing collaring, our breed along with only the GSP's and Weirmaraners, require 4 of tlle 10 Championship Points to be won in Retrieving Stakes. Only tlle Wires and Weimaraners still require a Water Test. We may some day have to give into tlle pressures of animal rights organizations, like PET A, 311dgive up our retrieving requirements; but Imtil then I do not advocate doing so - even though training for these skills 31ldretaining these instincts in our breed puts us at a distinct disadvantage. Retrieving, from land and water, is part of our dog's heritage and should be retained. On tlle other hand, not being collared away from unnatural and unrealistic situations is not 311instinctive versatile trait of our dogs and should be elinunated. Doing so would put our dogs on a more level playing field and would remove an unrealistic man-made obstacle which needlessly puts our dogs at a competitive disadvantage.
•
It helps add to the safe operation of trials: The two most tillsafe gunning situations are horseback gunners and birdfield gwmers. On horseback the gl\lU1erShave the additional perils of riding a horse and mounting and dismotillting with a shotgun involved. Often times they feel tlle need to get to a pointing dogs location rather quickly and move their horse at a faster than normal pace. Then, they are faced with a somewhat different setting for each glUming situation as well as a more scattered gathering of handlers, judges, marshals and gallery. The second safety issue involves the handlers themselves. After a piece of birdwork tlle handler would like to keep control of hislher dog. but is also often attempting to mount a horse. Many tjmes the horse is a