It's no secret that we have some breeding plans for next year. It’s a big responsibility that encompassed many small steps, from which most of them are invisible from outside. Such an important milestone was to find the right partner for Kaisey. It took us almost 6 months to find the right male. We might be old-fashioned, but we wanted them to have a date before mating.  It's funny, I know. But it was important for us to see Finn and his owners in person before the big step next year. We wanted to experience his personality in person and also see them together in the real world. I won't lie, we were all a bit nervous 😥 but everything worked out perfectly and we had a great time together...Finn is a real gentleman, and we can't wait to meet him again 🥰.

Last week we said hello to Czechia again. This time we participated in Tollers on Beroun, which Toller Klub CZ. organized.

Already during registration for the event, we could choose between nosework, dummy, obedience, and dog-dancing training. Our choice fell on nosework and our favorite dummy. It was a very successful long weekend full of positive moods, education and resting moments.

NOSEWORK

We started with Nosework every day. What does that exactly cover? It is one of the newest dog sports based on the most natural ability of all dogs - the sense of smell. It is about a dog searching for predetermined smells in different places. Since we are complete beginners at this, all we needed, for now, was cinnamon and a couple of jam bottles. This sport is not demanding on the physical but rather on the mental fitness of the dog. Therefore, observing how Kaisey thinks and performs some of the tasks was very interesting.

The lunch time we used for resting. After that we frolicked with Kaisey in the nearby, either by the water or in the adjacent forest.

DUMMY

We had a slightly more physically complex exercise in the afternoon - working with dummies. Our trainer - Jana Bučilová, did not spare us at all...:o) We practised working at different distances, even with a change in the environment. Some of the tasks went great; in some, we were less successful. But Kaisey and her willingness to please us does not allow us to rest on our laurels and, simultaneously, gives us the taste and energy for further exercises. 

During evenings, we enjoyed the moments in friendly discussions at a shared table with other tour participants. It was a great bunch.

In conclusion, I must admit that this weekend also showed us our strengths and weaknesses. We plan to continue to work and improve in both and look forward to further joint activities, experiences, and knowledge.

Summer is approaching and with it, the hot days , which can cause us and our 4-legged pets various difficulties. It is a very up to date topic to which you will find a lot of wise advice on the Internet.

We follow these basic principles:

• We train and walk with dogs either in the early morning (5-6: 00) or in the late evening (20:00)
• During hot days, we try to avoid walking/sports on the asphalt surface - this is mainly because after the entire hot day, the asphalt is hot and can cause ugly problems with blisters, burned paws
• If it is hot for several days (+ 30C), we try to cool the dogs, either with a damp towel, a cooling pad, or with a wrap over the paws. In no case we do splash the dog with water; it is very dangerous for an indignant organism.
• We don't always have the opportunity to go swimming somewhere by the water, so this year we bought a swimming pool for dogs - what do you think? Will they like it?
• We have dogs inside the house during the day. If by any chance they are in the garden, then exclusively in the shade - so they do not get sunburn. In the house, they have a quiet place with a pleasant atmosphere. This means that neither in drafts nor directly under air conditioning.
• Access to fresh water, indoors or outdoors, is a matter of course.
• Since the overall exercise during the day is a bit limited - the ideal way to keep a dog entertained are dog puzzles; such as dog ice cream, frozen vegetables (such as whole carrots) or for smaller licking pads - it will entertain the dog and at the same time cool him down a bit.

Our dogs are full members of our family, and they are also living creatures. We are not complete enthusiasts of hot weather, and maybe that's why we try to create an environment for them in which we can together survive the heat, and will look forward to more beautiful and temperature-friendly days.

We believe that each dog owner/breeder (with a pedigree) should decide on their own whether to go to shows or not. So far, we have not found a reference in any literature that to go to shows as a dog owner is mandatory. So what are such exhibitions for? The more experienced will tell you that exhibitions are no longer what they used to be. But let's probably put aside the quality of the shows and the judges' subjective opinions on beauty. We are not one of those who sit at exhibitions all day or travel to every show. We do like moderation in this. 
Reasons why we participate in an exhibition here, and there are: 

• Breed standards - each breed have them precisely defined, and the judges should
  evaluate the dogs against them. So any professional feedback in this regard will please you. 
• Common hobbies - we travel, get to know new regions, spend time together, have new experiences, and are together. 
• We meet the same enthusiasts - who share this passion, joy and worry. It's a great place to exchange experiences. 
• It's a different type of work with a dog - as a dog handler, you do work with a dog differently. If you are nervous, the dog will feel it. If the dog doesn't want to show off, you, as the handler, should be able to read the signals and know how to get the dog to calm down or even cheer up if needed. It is two-way communication. 
• Another type of socialization for the dog -although you may not think so, it can also positively affect the dog, as long as it is done with calmness and prudence.

And one more confession: I was one of the people who rejected the exhibitions a few years ago. I didn't see a deeper meaning in it; I took it as a form of dog abuse. Well, after I tried it, I liked it, and now I happily attend them here and there. As it is often said, if you don't try, you will not know. 

It is no secret that the training of the toller is not entirely identical to other types of retrievers. Every toller owner will confirm the same. You will never be successful with the „PUSH“ approach. 

Training of the standard obedience is basically not a problem; it is like with other breeds. Toller is docile and likes to work. More complex is the working training. Since we have few tollers in Slovakia, it is logical that there are only a few such coaches who would be able to help you specifically advise. 

How do we deal with it? 

We travel a lot cross-country to learn as much as we can. And this is precisely the kind of learning weekend we recently had with Tána Incédi (CZ). 

During the weekend, we focused mainly on handling and marking, which are building a solid base for the proper tolling. I will tell you honestly that sometimes combining all the information and coordinating your hands, feet, and even the dog is challenging. But it just needs practice and determination. And both of these, we still have ... 

We look forward to our joint progress with Kaisey in this regard.