Dear competitors, take responsibility

I’ve reached the point when I’m afraid to open the fridge so as not to see another DOGWALK SAFETY post.

Don’t get me wrong, I am concerned about dogs safety as any reasonable person, I think dogwalk safety is an important issue that needs to be investigated and I feel some adjustments can be made relatively easy (like standardizing the length and height of dogwalks and perhaps lowering it – making it wider is not an option that can be introduced in a quick, safe and economical way and is therefore totally unrealistic).

But at the same time, I feel like we’re reaching a mass hysteria here. I’ve already saw complaints of pretty much every dogwalk entry possible – not straight enough, not fast enough, too fast, too unpredictable because every dog would collect a bit differently, not enough distance to adjust, too much distance so too much speed. Same as complaints about different makes of dogwalks: too bouncy, too long, too short, too hard, too soft, too big of a gap between the planks (ok, that is actually a valid complaint). Some people go as far as proposing to eliminate the dogwalk entirely (which totally is a slippery slope and I don't feel I need to explain why... let's just all switch to nosework perhaps). 

Also, people push for speed and then complain how we make dogs run crazy fast on a narrow plank. I’m not saying that it is behind every fall from dogwalk – freakish accidents do happen, even to best trained dogs and great handlers and it is truly heartbreaking, but I still see idiots bragging about their dogs doing dogwalk in two strides or morons bragging about their dogs having the fastest time despite knocking pretty much every bar in the course and jumping every contact.

Please understand and accept that you cannot predict and prevent every accident – one of my dogs cut all his finger ligaments during a normal walk in the fields, the other fell several meters down after we climbed what seemed to be a small hill but ended as a cliff on the other side. Life is risky – some of these risks you can foresee, some you can’t. If you perceive a given situation dangerous for your dog, you need to decide if you take that risk or not.

You actually don’t have to train running contacts either… oh, but then you say you won’t be as competitive, right? Well, here’s your sign…

You don’t actually have to run the course in the rain or hard wind.

You don’t have to run a course that you consider unsafe – and don’t bitch about it, because same situation can be perfectly safe for 99% of other dogs and handlers, but not for your dog. Years ago I made a decision to run a course with ridiculously dangerous dogwalk entry with Brava, but not with Brego. Because Brava was experienced, because Brava was careful and able to adjust, because she had way above average physical coordination and balance, because she was trained to negotiate crazy entries (it’s still big part of my RC foundations) and Brego was young, crazy and always felt he is immortal and by that time I hade learnt to think for him. Should Brava fell of course I would beat myself up, but I considered the risk minimal. If Brego fell, it would be totally my fault, because in his case it was totally possible at that stage.

There are also things that you CAN do.

You can actually also train both 2o2o and RC to your dogs. Seriously, dogs are very smart, and they can differentiate between various verbal cues, you know, like sit and down and left and right and stop and run… I’ve done it with several of my dogs, it works, I can always decide that in a given situation 2o2o is a safer option and use it.

Train every possible dogwalk entry, including the most stupid ones – breaking it down so as to explain to your dog how to do it safely and that also, in fact, they are allowed to jump down if they feel unsafe or out of balance.

Train your dog for situations that you might expect reasonably in competitions (and also for some not so reasonable). If you cannot teach your dog to safely navigate a dogwalk after one straight jump and claim it’s too much speed, there is something wrong with your training. It is your responsibility to train your dog appropriately, so they can negotiate obstacles in a safe way. 

Work on your dog’s fitness and coordination.

Also, please teach your dogs that regulating the stride is not extending it ad infinitum. Don't reward those "two strides" dogwalks. Use flatwork with grids / regulators to teach the idea of collection. Use less speedy approaches. Use regulators on the dogwalk. Use the collection after dogwalk.  If your dog touches the planks just 2-3 times, there is more room for miscalculation and less for adjustment, also with smaller dogs, even wind can be a factor. 

Dogwalk accidents will happen, same as tunnel accidents will happen, same as jump accidents will happen and freakish-stupid-accidents-during-normal-walks will also happen. You can’t foresee and prevent everything. But neither can anyone else, so stop expecting the whole world to accommodate because you failed to train certain things or made certain decisions. Take responsibility.