Cheinban Lancashire Heelers - Training Buscuits

C heinban L ancashire H eelers

Lancashire Heeler Bicky at work

I collected Buscuits from his breeder,Norman

Johnston, at the beginning of September 2004.

He was 15 weeks old and quite a handful.

In fact very mischievously playful with loads

of energy, he’s still the same today. I decided to

take him to obedience classes in Oswaldtwistle,

10 minutes from where I live. The classes

are run by Kath, a lady who breeds Labradors ,

who I now see at dog shows and also ringcraft

I then thought about showing Buscuits and went back

to Mr Johnston to let him have a look at how he had

progressed. It's a few months before you can be

sure that a dog is of 'show quality'. After much

discussion I decided to 'have a go' Kath had told

me about the ringcraft classes in Brierfield near

Burnley on Tuesday evenings so off we went.

I had spent hours teaching Buscuits to sit and I

now had to try and undo this. This is because

the dogs have to stand in line waiting to go onto

the table. They then have to stand still for the

judge to 'go over them' and look at their teeth etc.

Then they have to walk up and down on mats.

It's like a cat walk for dogs!!! No room for sitting

here or sniffing the entire length of the mats

Buscuits enjoyed it but the handler was near to breaking.

The added bonus for Buscuits was the fact that there

were quite a few Heeler people attending with their dogs so

he was like a kid in a toy store. The few Heeler people I

might add were people of vast experience and judges to boot.

The interaction with other breeds is vital too.

Buscuits entered his first show at the beginning of November,

he was placed first in his class and was awarded Best

Puppy in Breed. I had the bug.

We have now spent the last 12 months competing at local

Open Shows and the countrywide Championship Shows,

where he has done very well considering we are both

novices.

Even though I have had Lancashire Heelers since the early

sixties, due to work commitments, I could not show them.

Last summer we spent some very entertaining and lovely

days at the shows, but I should point out that it is hard

work and is not for the faint hearted.