Ushering in the Next Generation

I love Badger, I really do. He has taught me how to be a better dog trainer. However, he's not an obedience dog. He loves to hunt rodents and birds. He loves agility. He loves doing tricks. He actually enjoys Rally. He's eight years old and, even as I'm working with him for off-leash heeling, I know that I'm not going beyond Rally Advanced/UR02 with him. I want to get his UKC SPOT title added this year, but I think we're going to concentrate on his agility training, with an eye at maybe trialing a little at the end of the year. He won't pick up many titles at his age, but then again, at his age he deserves to get out there and have a little fun. He's been a terrific dog for me, despite all of his quirks and vagaries. He's earned a place on my couch for however long he wants it.

Giving Them a Try for 2024

Like any breeder, I have a few dogs in the wings for when my current dogs retire. Right now, I have a longer list than I ordinarily would, because I've added a few dogs not titled in traditional obedience or Rally through my co-breeder, Kathleen. This list is my string of hopefuls, both younger and older. Some will do better than others. Some will be dropped from my list in hopes of trying again at a later date. Some of them will stop at a novice Rally or traditional obedience title, unless they show real promise in sports and we find a niche for them.

Cassidy: Cassidy is my Australian shepherd. He's supposed to be helping me with my goats, but my herd is still small, and they all come running to me when it's time to eat, anyway. He's only a year old, so he's got time to learn the herding skills that I will need from him as my herd gets larger. This year, he'll be learning Rally obedience, setting him up for agility and herding. If he progresses well enough, he'll be taking his AKC Farm Dog test later this year. It's been a long time since I've trained a herding dog, so I expect him to be a bit of a challenge for me.

Goth: I don't think I've ever seen such a well-balanced young male as Goth. Right now, he needs time away from the conformation ring. His typical teenage TFT brain is scattered to the four winds and he's just not showing to his potential. I'll be doing some Rally to "give him a job" and teach him some focus. In April, when he's more physically mature, I might let him try some weight pull or Fast CAT to help him build some muscle. At this stage in his life, I think he'd make a great agility dog, but he needs to develop some self-control. Does it sound like he's a handful?! He is!

Sassi: Although she is quiet in this picture, Sassi is always full of energy. This opinionated little dog doesn't know when to quit! She is one of those dogs that will probably just get a novice title in Rally, because I think her real skills lie in learning tricks--YES--you can get titles for Trick Dog through AKC! Sassi is the daughter of Johnny (below) and of Penni. She is of Kathleen's breeding and has come to me for other kinds of training. With her enthusiasm, I think that she will be fun to train.

Steele: I'm very excited about Steele, who comes to me from a small Teddy Roosevelt Terrier kennel in Louisiana. He's a smart boy, as well as being very pleasant and very handsome. He already has two of his fifteen points for his AKC Certificate of Merit! We've started doing training walks with him and will be figuring out a path for him once he gets the whole "heel, sit, stay" thing figured out. He's only ten months old, so we have plenty of time to determine his strengths. I'll be starting him in Rally with an eye toward his CGC and SPOT tests for this year. I would like to try him in Barn Hunt and, eventually, Farm Dog, weight pull and agility. He's will be a foundation sire for my Teddy program: he needs to show that he has skills!

Yaddle: This goofy little dog is my heart dog, from my very first litter of Teddy Roosevelt Terriers. Yaddle has been struggling, psychologically and emotionally, since an accident she had in 2020. While I've been doing some training walks with her, my plan has always been to limit her to AKC virtual Rally competition. However, after a trial entry at a UKC show in early February 2024, my plans have changed. While she will never be the sport dog that I hoped she would be, I would like to finish her UKC champion degree and work toward at least one Rally title for her by the end of the year. Yaddle is probably one of those dogs who I will be retiring quickly, but only time will tell.

Yuma: A white and tan Toy Fox Terrier, Yuma is from the first litter I bred when I returned to TFTs. She's a tough, smart little dog who takes her job as a vermin hunter very seriously--no squirrel is safe! She's very distractable, so I don't think that she will be a good traditional obedience dog, but we have hopes of getting her AKC and UKC Rally Novice/UR01 title on her later this year or early next year. I'd love to try Barn Hunt and agility with her, but she needs to develop a bit of discipline first. Unless she clicks really well with one of those three sports, we'll be breeding her once and retiring her to Kathleen's couch.

What's This?

Johnny? Okay, he's not "the next generation," but Johnny wants a job. He's getting older and, if we're lucky, Johnny will be getting his UKC grand champion title later on this year--but--Johnny has too much energy to want to retire to a couch yet. I've been taking him on training walks and he's learning to sit when we come to a stop. That's all I ask. If he shows any facility for it, we'll give him a try in Rally. Unlike the younger dogs, he's not getting much "serious" training. He's just getting enough to make him feel as if he has a purpose in life.

On Deck for 2025

Next year will be a tad less ambitious in terms of numbers, as I retire some dogs from training and focus on serious skills for others. Widget will finally return to the docket, as the others retire. He will be accompanied by little Goldberry, a LoupGarou Conri puppy born in January 2024 and Yaddle's brother, Artoo.

Dang, Girl! Why So Many?

Part of my purpose in training all of these dogs--other than that both they and I like going out and doing things--is to show other people that Toy Fox Terriers are more than ornaments and that Teddy Roosevelt Terriers are more than farm dogs. The more I am seen in the obedience, Rally, and agility rings with my dogs in my region, there's more chance that someone, somewhere, will try a sport with their terrier, regardless of the breed. Maybe, just maybe, they will come to me for a TFT or a TRT who "does things." For this year and for next, I'll be showing scattershot, trying to get as many out there as I can. Eventually, I will probably focus on one to four dogs. I hope to share as many of the journeys here as I possibly can.

As usual, I welcome any polite and constructive comments. Please feel free to share!