Saturday, May 5, 2007
The UnderDog Show results, review, and updates
Full information about the UnderDog Show, with info about all eight celebrities and dogs, plus results and more... also Dogs Trust information, details of trainers, and what has happened to the participating dogs - can be found at two complimentary websites.
I am including live links to these two websites at the bottom of this post. DO check them out!
***
The tasks set for the UnderDog Show Final were an Agility course and a freestyle dance routine.
The three finalists had to complete these tasks, and were then marked by the 3 judges [Annie, Kay, and Peter]... the public then rang in to choose their favourite [public vote accounting for 50% of the total vote]. When the two sets of votes were added together the top two dogs were to do a 'head to head' final 'dance off' in the results show later the same evening.
Both Selina Scott and Chump, trained by Steve Mann, and Julia Sawalha and Cookie - whose trainer was Dima - completed both tasks very succussfully, and received compliments and high marks from the judges... with Chump just in the lead.
Casper and Huey, on the other hand, received very low marks from the judges; their Agility wasn't good, and they didn't even attempt the dance task. So, when it came to the update show, and the results of both the public and the judges scores were combined... with Casper coming second, the 'dance off' was a bit of a non-event!
After the final voting... Chump with Selina, very deservedly, won the trophy. As a young dog, of only about 16 months, Chump did brilliantly - managing to concentrate exceptionally well. All credit to both Selina and Steve.
***
What has happened to the dogs?
Well, three dogs went home with their celebrity trainers - the other five, after much heart-searching, could not be re-homed with their respective celebrities [other commitments precluded that] so they went up for adoption. Happily they have all found homes... I hope this publicity has also helped re-home many more Dogs Trust dogs.
The BBC Breakfast show was the place chosen for the hand-over of Chump to his new owner. Both Steve and Selina came with Chump - who is such an affectionate dog - and we heard that Chump is to live in Cornwall where he will have access to fields and be able to run free.
His new owner's previous dog had died at about the same time as Chump was born, and was of the same kind of breed type... so it sounds as if Chump will have a happy new life.
Now for the all-important addresses to those informative and fascinating websites which I promised...
UnderDog Show (1)
and
UnderDog Show (2) - with delightful pictures!
Please, visit both sites... you'll miss out if you don't, as they are complimentary to each other!
I am including live links to these two websites at the bottom of this post. DO check them out!
The tasks set for the UnderDog Show Final were an Agility course and a freestyle dance routine.
The three finalists had to complete these tasks, and were then marked by the 3 judges [Annie, Kay, and Peter]... the public then rang in to choose their favourite [public vote accounting for 50% of the total vote]. When the two sets of votes were added together the top two dogs were to do a 'head to head' final 'dance off' in the results show later the same evening.
Both Selina Scott and Chump, trained by Steve Mann, and Julia Sawalha and Cookie - whose trainer was Dima - completed both tasks very succussfully, and received compliments and high marks from the judges... with Chump just in the lead.
Casper and Huey, on the other hand, received very low marks from the judges; their Agility wasn't good, and they didn't even attempt the dance task. So, when it came to the update show, and the results of both the public and the judges scores were combined... with Casper coming second, the 'dance off' was a bit of a non-event!
After the final voting... Chump with Selina, very deservedly, won the trophy. As a young dog, of only about 16 months, Chump did brilliantly - managing to concentrate exceptionally well. All credit to both Selina and Steve.
What has happened to the dogs?
Well, three dogs went home with their celebrity trainers - the other five, after much heart-searching, could not be re-homed with their respective celebrities [other commitments precluded that] so they went up for adoption. Happily they have all found homes... I hope this publicity has also helped re-home many more Dogs Trust dogs.
The BBC Breakfast show was the place chosen for the hand-over of Chump to his new owner. Both Steve and Selina came with Chump - who is such an affectionate dog - and we heard that Chump is to live in Cornwall where he will have access to fields and be able to run free.
His new owner's previous dog had died at about the same time as Chump was born, and was of the same kind of breed type... so it sounds as if Chump will have a happy new life.
Now for the all-important addresses to those informative and fascinating websites which I promised...
UnderDog Show (1)
and
UnderDog Show (2) - with delightful pictures!
Please, visit both sites... you'll miss out if you don't, as they are complimentary to each other!
Labels: Chump and Selina, Cookie and Julia, Dima, Huey and Caspar, Judge Annie, Judge Kay, Judge Peter, professional dog trainers, Steve Mann, Underdog Show
Thursday, March 22, 2007
The Underdog Show... Agility for novice handlers with rescue dogs
What will be of most interest to Agility Training enthusiasts is the standard which can be achieved by novice handlers with rescue animals under the tutelage of professional trainers.
These novices had, after only three weeks of training together, to do an Agility Course which had some jumps, a special marked spot for a sit, and a sit and stay, a Dog Walk, and a Cloth Tunnel; plus they had to go around a barrel and wave to the judges!
I have added the post which follows to my Puppy Training Secrets blog and then to my Secrets of Dog Training blog. Hopefully, by adding this article to more blogs, more people will see it and be able to watch the show and see just what can be achieved with a little proper training.
Incidentally, some of the celebrities knew virtually nothing about dogs and one was actually scared of them before they agreed to do this show!
The Puppy Training Secrets article now follows:-
"New to TV in the UK this week [Tuesday] was the Underdog Show... the first of six programs.
The format for the show was to partner eight celebrities with a rescue dog and to partner each celebrity and their dog with a professional trainer. Then they had three weeks of training to get their dogs to do an agility type course. Three judges gave marks to each pair... their combined mark made up half the total vote... the public were encouraged to vote for their favorite, the money raised by the phone vote going to Children in Need.
Julian Clary and his dog Valerie fronted the show. What was on offer was a delightful hour for dog lovers and then the results show was another half-hour later in the evening, which included a display by Mary Ray with her dogs dancing to music... totally brilliant!
The dog which comes last, after combining both judges and public votes, at the end of each show is eliminated... last night it was the Afghan and Theo from 'Dragon's Den' who were eliminated... but there was a happy ending for the dog as he chose to adopt it and take it home!
The dogs who progress to the last show will be expected to do some dancing to music.
The dog which was placed last by the judges was really only a puppy... just eight months old... I think it was a bit much to expect it to concentrate for the full amount of time allotted especially with so many distractions of audience, lights, noise, etcetera.
But in reality I thought it did brilliantly. It just shows what can be achieved in such a short space of time with proper training of both dog and handler.
If you can, make a date in your diary to watch The Underdog Show next Tuesday!
And if you are looking for training books, courses, or videos... just check our left-hand margin for the very best in training! Don't forget to check the FREE video at the Dove Cresswell link... your dog will love the training it offers."
These novices had, after only three weeks of training together, to do an Agility Course which had some jumps, a special marked spot for a sit, and a sit and stay, a Dog Walk, and a Cloth Tunnel; plus they had to go around a barrel and wave to the judges!
I have added the post which follows to my Puppy Training Secrets blog and then to my Secrets of Dog Training blog. Hopefully, by adding this article to more blogs, more people will see it and be able to watch the show and see just what can be achieved with a little proper training.
Incidentally, some of the celebrities knew virtually nothing about dogs and one was actually scared of them before they agreed to do this show!
The Puppy Training Secrets article now follows:-
"New to TV in the UK this week [Tuesday] was the Underdog Show... the first of six programs.
The format for the show was to partner eight celebrities with a rescue dog and to partner each celebrity and their dog with a professional trainer. Then they had three weeks of training to get their dogs to do an agility type course. Three judges gave marks to each pair... their combined mark made up half the total vote... the public were encouraged to vote for their favorite, the money raised by the phone vote going to Children in Need.
Julian Clary and his dog Valerie fronted the show. What was on offer was a delightful hour for dog lovers and then the results show was another half-hour later in the evening, which included a display by Mary Ray with her dogs dancing to music... totally brilliant!
The dog which comes last, after combining both judges and public votes, at the end of each show is eliminated... last night it was the Afghan and Theo from 'Dragon's Den' who were eliminated... but there was a happy ending for the dog as he chose to adopt it and take it home!
The dogs who progress to the last show will be expected to do some dancing to music.
The dog which was placed last by the judges was really only a puppy... just eight months old... I think it was a bit much to expect it to concentrate for the full amount of time allotted especially with so many distractions of audience, lights, noise, etcetera.
But in reality I thought it did brilliantly. It just shows what can be achieved in such a short space of time with proper training of both dog and handler.
If you can, make a date in your diary to watch The Underdog Show next Tuesday!
And if you are looking for training books, courses, or videos... just check our left-hand margin for the very best in training! Don't forget to check the FREE video at the Dove Cresswell link... your dog will love the training it offers."
Labels: agility training, novice handlers, professional dog trainers, rescue dogs
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