In this addition, we travel to Czech Republic to meet the owner and handler of the 1st and 2nd place dogs for 2019 Best Working Team, Marie Hartmanová. I appreciate Hartmanová taking the time to share her knowledge and experience in training this sometimes difficult breed. I would like to extend a special thank you to her son, for without him this interview would not have been possible.
How long have you been involved in this breed and how did you get started in training? Have you had prior dog training experience before your Vlcak and if so what breed? I´ve been involved w/ CZ wolfdog (CZWD)for over 20 years. My first experience w/ training the dogs ever. I did lots of reading about the dogs, that was it. My beginnings were with the red cross. First won trophy and first puppies drove me to get going.
If you had come from another breed, what would be the similarities and differences you have experienced in training this breed? CZWD are different than any other dogs. They need to be shown who is the alfa leader, if you do so, you should never forget to treat them w/ a piece of raw meat/fish. You should never overtrain them. They request more to play with than to give them the orders.
In 2019, Black Shadow ArQeva placed 1st and Lakota Grey StripekSnu placed 2nd for the Best Working Individuals. Can you tell us the similarities & differences in their temperaments and work ethics? Shadow (the older female dog) had already 5 times become the best working CZWD within the EU. She has done 25 exams so far. She loves to track.
Lakota Grey was a challenge for me. I couldn't get used to her character; for a long time, she was an INTROVERT. I used to take her everywhere I went to, just to get rid of her character, to get to know the people, but not violently- the reward was a raw meat. When she won her first competition and passed her first international exam on JAN 1/2014 I knew, the reward had been reached and I became her Alpha ever since then she´s been very smart and talented.
Many people talk about the difficulty motivating this breed. Here in the USA, people believe they are not a working breed. To compete at the level of sport you do, your dogs must be dependable with their performance. How do you motivate them to not give up or have lazy days where they do not want to train? Important is to realize everyone has the lazy days, even us, people. So, when I take the dogs out for a training, it is very easy to realize today is not their day. I do not give up and keep trying, never give up! I just lower the loads of work I want them to do and play with them more. The dogs will tell you gave up and will keep trying to cut the corners. The raw meat/fish is the motivation - if they go to work, they eat only at work. Not at home. It's got to be a show, they like it.
What was the most difficult thing you have trained your dogs to accomplish? The hardest part was teaching the defense. Teaching them to attack the opponent who runs and has a protective sleeve, even I used to put a raw meat up the training biting sleeve the dogs still do not like it.
You have trained your dogs in IPO also. How was their training for the defense phase? What age did you start the training and what was the reasoning behind that age? Sooner you start w/ the training, faster the dogs will learn. Important is to start when they reach the age of 3 months. Still give them treats (meat, liver or cheese). IPO is hard to precise, but we are used to losing, and we did sometime. IPO needs lots of passion and many months of training. But it is worth it.
How much is work ethic, temperament or genetics and how much is training? Did you select your females with sport/competition in mind? Do you have a favorite sport/work? The genetics is important I would say, but is not the key, the rest you can change. I don't have any favorite bloodlines at all. When my first CZWD female dog passed away, I immediately bought another one. I did consider the past of the dogs, the parents and the way they look. But all the dogs learn to work hard if the owner does it right and never gives up, only the people get lazy and find an excuses why this dog is not smart.
Do you see a difference in age (puppies, teenager, young adult, older adult) in reference to work/training focus and abilities? When the dog is 3-4 years old, the dog is in the best age to work with. But if you want to have a great tracking dog, it takes more years and hard training, the best age for tracking dogs would be around 5-6 years.
You are also a breeder. Is there something you look for in puppies for a higher work ethic? And do you see a difference between males and females when it comes to competitions? The male dogs are slower to practice, growing up after the age of 3 years. The female dogs are talented and when they reach the age of 2 years, they are fully grown I would say. It is easier to work with them. The only limiting factor is you never know when they get their period and imagine you train hard to attend the contest/exhibition and the period comes, than you are not allowed to attend.
What advice would you give to American breeders wanting to bring this wonderful breed to the USA? To only choose from the breeds with a good working history, if you decide to work with the dog. Always choose the dog which has healthy parents, and it should be proven by the documents. The genetics is important, the rest is up to the owner. When I pick the dog, I always look for the one with grey eyes and hairy coat. Silver shades of the coat. Before picking the dog, you should want to see the environment their parents live, talk to the owner in person.
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