| Jul. 19th, 2008 @ 12:02 am ka-thunk! |
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I went up to training tonight. Hunter's in season--in standing heat--so I didn't bring her along. We are working on teaching Coal to bark at a guy standing still, not biting man or sleeve until he is attacked. Keeping a dog in drive--barking strongly and motivated and confident--yet under control and holding himself back takes months and repetition after repetition. Tonight, the trainer had me send Coal in on a 30-foot line, to be "checked" hard about 5 feet out, and then encouraged to bark at the trainer.
Line handling--often 2 15-foot lines, sometimes a 15-foot, a 30-foot, and a 10-inch tab hanging from the collar--is a big part of learning to handle a dog in Schutzhund training. You learn not to step on the line, not to wrap yourself up, not to get the dog tangled, how to untangle a barking, lunging dog high in drive and being agitated by the sleeve-wearing helper. You learn to step over, around, occasionally duck under. You learn when to shorten, when to let out, when to put on full stop. Most of all, you learn not to trip yourself. ... Let's just say my skills are rusty.
I sent Coal in for the first time tonight, jazzed up, raring to go--my feet set apart--one leg forward, one leg back, my knees slightly bent, center of balance deep in my hips. The 30-foot line whipped forward though my hands, flowing with the dog, I was braced and prepared to stop him before he got to unmoving helper, and the line caught me direct on the heel of my forward foot, my right foot, it caught on the structure of my shoe, and whipped my weight-bearing foot forward and up. And then my back, shoulders, and head jarred against the ground. My world was suddenly sky, and for a split second, I was no longer quite sure who and where I was. My hands still clutched the leash--Coal was by my side--he'd rushed back to me and stood on guard--watching me, watching the helper.
My friend Glyn rushed over, spoke carefully to Coal and grabbed the long line, and I lay there for a minute before getting up. Then we went back to working Coal--with Glyn handling the leash and me feeling vaguely out of it.
I banged myself good---I strained a muscle in my left inner thigh, my right shoulder aches, my left lattissimus dorsi is sending out warning signs, and my head feels rather like the clapper in a large brass bell. I have a feeling tomorrow isn't going to feel good. |
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