Herding? Looks more like chasing...?

[BigD]

Tessa - please post the link to Jef's exact words "where he basically sat there and told us that speed is more important than safety."

 

Alot of serious agility folks do not want you to teach a dog to slow down on a course because it IS timed. However, I've never, ever met someone that would say "to hell with safety!" The "I want my dog to slow down" is usually a way for the handler to figure out what the heck they are doing and catch up to their dog.

 

And what exactly in agility is so unsafe? Toss a dog out in the field to work sheep for 6 hours and you tell me that agility is more dangerous? Of the 6 or 8 times I've had Buddy on sheep, he's cut a pad, or bit his tongue, or snagged his nose on a rock or gate.

 

Of the 100's of times he's been on agility equipment - from a very unsafe perspective as I have no idea what I'm doing - he's NEVER had an accident.

 

I'm so sick of the "I've heard of this guy and he said this and I want you all to know that I think he's a bad guy." Please. Grow up. You don't know him and I think it's very, very immature that you come on here and "tattle" on him and tell us all that he doesn't care about the safety of his dogs.

 

Especially since many, many folks that know him personally have come here and stood behind him as a great handler.

 

I believe you should apologize.

 

Denise

[Kat's Dogs]

I have met Jef before, he really is a great guy. He also deeply loves ALL of his dogs. I have seen some of his runs in person before and he isn't out to hurt his dogs at all.

 

He does however train for REALLY fast dogs,

check out Voucher on the table and weaves, and yes, because of this training his dogs get lots of ribbons:

http://www.jef-b.com/dogs/Video/2005_04_20_Voucher.wmv

 

On the subject of contacts, have you seen this clip?

 

http://www.jef-b.com/dogs/Video/2005_09_05...ale_Voucher.wmv

 

On the 4th run in the clip Voucher's but rides back up with the teeter. This could hurt the dog's legs and butt, still, it is a pretty impressive contact!

 

He really is an O.K. guy, with fast dogs. Agility is a VERY dangerous sport, still, we do it. In effect, we are all putting our dogs at risk. Try not to bash Jef too much, just because he has fast dogs.

[tessa_s212]

Well, I think that I really did get the wrong impression of this guy. I do understnad that sometimes on the internet people just seem to be something that they are/aren't.

 

Thankyou for explaining more about Jef, and herding. I do enjoy handling my(or should I say my dog training instructor's) border collie, but I think I have found another breed that is perfect for me. I don't think I'll ever have a border collie, but it is still nice to have some knowledge on herding.

 

And, BigD, I know that you have had a problem with me for a long time. ..*shrugs*... I am sorry if I offended you.

 

Also, in my first post I did vent about this guy. From his posts, that was the "personality" he gave off to me. I'd been seeing more and more of this extreme competitiveness, and it bothered me. I will not apologize for my opinions, only how I expressed my opinions. And because it was a vent, I did not mean to be mean, or nice. I was frustrated, nothing more.

 

I would also like to add that in the second part of my first post on this thread I did ask about the herding. I had watched the video, and I didn't think that was what herding was supposed to look like. So I asked the members of this board, because I knew that I would get very knowledgable replies. With all due respect, I will not apologize for that.