THE LADIES' GAMBIT

One can only marvel, but the fact remains that in recent times, the canine world is undeniably dominated by the female element. This is certainly not a disadvantage, but where are the men who not long ago filled the training grounds? Were they forced by circumstances to merely earn money, or are they lazily lounging in restaurants? That this is not a purely Czech phenomenon is evidenced by foreign groups alternating at Londonka. Here, all-female groups with one or two men are not uncommon.

The entire approach to training has also changed; instead of the previously dominant contrasting method, positive reinforcement now prevails. Personally, I consider this one of the most beneficial aspects of modern canine training. However, this is only valid if the entire training approach to this excellent method is not misunderstood and does not slip into inappropriate anthropomorphizing and strange "conversations" with the dog during performance. And it doesn't matter whether it's obedience exercises or rubble searching.

It's almost unbelievable how many unnecessary verbal and command cues handlers force into their dogs' heads in an attempt to "simplify" their understanding. For example, during the distance control exercise, commands like "right – left" are unnecessarily added to the indicated directions. These commands would make sense if showing the direction were not allowed, but as it is, they are redundant.

Equally unnecessary are shouts like "you've got that one," "keep looking for another," or "we're done" during rubble searching. This command technique often reeks of certain training naivety. Interestingly, these childish approaches have fortunately not yet penetrated the area of area search and especially not tracking. This is certainly very good because anthropomorphizing the dog is, in my opinion, one of the most harmful aspects of canine training.

Nevertheless, this does not mean that the dog would not understand these training whims; they are just a bit ridiculous. Every dog is a genius by its very nature and over time, it will cope with our much greater mistakes. At one year, it should be ready for the V test, at two years for the A, and at three years for the B. Its success and speed of training progression are, of course, primarily dependent on the quality of the instructor guiding the handler.

All the more, I take my hat off to many female instructors who selflessly lead groups of handlers from the first grip of the leash to the successful completion of B-level tests. Fortunately, there are not few of them, and the future of the slowly improving level of Czech canine training is literally in their hands.

They are certainly not the ones who are bothered by long colorful nails when putting on gloves or whose glued-on eyelashes interfere when putting on a helmet. Even without these, these girls are ladies in the true sense of the word. After all, work in the field is not a fashion show, so they are represented by the demonstrated cooperation with the dog, teamwork, and the final result. Often, these are also the results of the entire group, which they lead to the final.

Personal dedication alone is usually not enough; it must also be supported by experience and professional knowledge. Then comes the thoughtful training diversity, ideally set for each dog's personality individually, which is the fundamental building block of success. However, it does not lie in changing terrains but in the thoughtful use of all the possibilities of good trainers. And because they are always dogs, who are all geniuses, everyone deserves success in full measure. And for them, ladies, I thank you...