I realized shortly after acquiring Freckles in July, 1995, at 12 weeks of age, that she was unlike any of my other dogs, and that if she was to be a desirable companion and housedog, I needed some direction in training and handling her. It's extremely easy to NOT want to discipline or "be mean" to the cute "little puppy". Beware--little puppies with big feet grow into BIGGER dogs!!! Those cute "little puppy" mannerisms that were adorable at 10-12 weeks when the pup weighed only 15 to 20 pounds are NOT nearly as cute when the dog is a 50 to 75 pound gangling bundle of energy at 1 year. Had I been a NEW dog owner, I am not sure I would have kept Freckles because I had to learn to handle and train her much differently than I had my other dogs.
Another Dalmatian owner suggested I take her to Val-Jan dog training in Muncie, where they also had their dog enrolled in obedience classes. This was November, 1995, and Freckles was seven months old. Thus began our career in basic obedience and my introduction to Velma Janek. Velma has been involved in obedience training for over forty years. She has also been an AKC obedience judge for over thirty years. Her years in the obedience ring have produced several OTCH (Obedience Trial Champion) dogs, plus numerous perfect 200 scores. Needless-to-say, we were in very good hands.
Upon completion of the 8-week beginning obedience class, Velma suggested that we join the advanced class where Freckles could observe some of the older dogs in action and hopefully outgrow some of her puppy ways. I was rapidly learning "under fire" about Dalmatian temperment, antics, and stubbornness!! I became "hooked" on my newfound activity, which not only was helping me learn to handle my dog, but was also a welcome outlet and provided contact with other adults after my divorce the previous year.
After observing my first AKC obedience trial in Muncie in the early spring of 1996, I was definitely and forever "hooked" on the activity. We subsequently entered our very first "Fun Match" early in May of 1996. After another "Fun Match" in September, 1996, and a 4th place finish in "sub-novice", I was convinced we were "ready" to try our luck at an actual AKC trial. (What is it that people say about "20-20 hindsight"?) Against the advice of Velma and her son, Bob who is also an AKC judge and trainer, I entered a "real show" in Lansing, Michigan, in November of 1996. We were excused after Freckles tried to leave the ring during the "Stand for Exam" exercise. I was crushed!!
During the trip back to Muncie, Bob & I discussed what I had been doing with my training and practice methods and what it was that I hoped to accomplish. I realized that I had a long way to go before Freckles and I were ready to tackle another AKC Trial. As my friendship with Bob grew, he gradually assumed the role of our trainer. However, I will forever be grateful to Velma for getting us started and providing me with the "tools" I needed to begin this journey.
Freckles & I ventured back into the show ring in April, 1997, to "test" our training progress. We had both learned a lot, but were not quite "there" yet. Finally, in August, 1997, we got our 1st CD leg; and we also placed!! We finished our CD (Companion Dog) title that October, plus picked up three "bonus legs" through the fall shows. Freckles appears to be one of those "feast or famine" dogs. We received six qualifying scores in the eight shows we entered that fall of 1997; we placed in the top four (with two 1sts) in each of those qualifying efforts.
Back to Main Page