I've been away from the blog for the last two months, partly due to the dog training instructor course I've participated in from the end of october to the beginning of december. It was a Norwegian kennel club ground level instructor course. The exam consisted of one multiple choice test, one theoretical and one practical part. I'm quite satisfied with my 38/40 on the multiple choice and that I passed the theoretical and practical exam. However, I still don't know if I'm going to try to become a Norwegian kennel club authorized dog training instructor. To become that I have to compete with my own dog in certain dog sports at a high enough level, and have clocked 20 hours as assistant instructor. If I do all that, I am still only allowed to be instructor in puppy classes, "every day obedience" and ground level obedience.
 |
| Link practicing retrieving of the wooden dumbbell. |
I think I will try to compete with Link in obedience (one of the approved dog sports). What I will have to to there is getting at least a second place in class 2. I don't know exactly what this is the equivalent of in the AKC system, but I guess something like open class. Anyway this means Link and I have a lot of work to do. I have decided that if, and only if, we manage to achieve this, I will try to get the hours as assistant instructor so that I can get the authorization.
 |
| Me and Link at the gun dog course in August. |
The other option is to compete with Link in field trials for retrievers at a high enough level. I don't think it is very likely that we will do very well though. One of the requirements of the dogs for them to be allowed to compete at all it that they are quiet. Link will whine and bark the second he thinks that there will be a dummy to retrieve. He gets so excited that he just can't help it! And I must admit that I really love seeing Link so clearly loving it that I have a hard time telling him to stop. So I think we'll just stick to obedience. Link doesn't find it even half as much fun as gun dog training, so when we do obedience, he is (for the most part) quiet.
