I have been interested in dogs particular working types for as long as I can remember. My father had to give up farming due to ill health and would not let me have a dog when we moved to the city. So I had to make do with “borrowing” neighbours dogs. One of my earliest memories was ratting around the waterworks with next doors corgi.
I joined the army with the hope of being a dog handler. In the way of things military I became a telecommunications technician. At a few of the places I was stationed I had the good fortune to be able to assist the dog handlers but mostly I had to continue borrowing.
On leaving the army to start a career in IT as a computer engineer I got a sable working sheepdog dog (Sabre) and joined Bristol Dog Training Society, where I met Glenda my wife. I was soon competing in obedience, on the committee and instructing. I got up to B & C grade obedience and was trying to get into working trials when we discovered Agility. We went on couple of courses and as there was no one doing it in the Bristol area we set up an agility section of Bristol DTS. It was about this time we met Caroline Harvey and Shirley Frankcom with their wonderful Terveuren Belgian Shepherd Dogs Blake and Bay. We were very impressed with them and it was not long before we had our own BSD boy Blaze and we have had Terveurens, Working Sheepdogs and various crossbreeds ever since.
After a while Bristol DTS decided they did not want to be involved in agility and so we set up Severnside Dog Agility Club where I was the Chairman for 18 years.
A career change into remote support, management and shifts meant I had the time and money to achieve a long held ambition and we bought a small farm. We wanted somewhere we could do our dog training, Glenda and our daughter Claire could have a couple of horses and I could do part time farming. It only had a small mobile home so we bought a house in the nearby village (Yatton) and enjoyed them both immensely.
We were renting in a lot of grazing land (50+acres) and we were quickly building up a small herd of cattle and large flock of sheep, so we were herding with both Collies and Terveurens.
There was also a breakthrough with working trials, John and Jacqui Barron (Laetare) lived in the area and were doing training courses that we attended, and I did some trials. We were still very, very keen on agility which was our first priority but competitive obedience had fallen by the wayside.
Glenda and myself managed to get to most of the big agility finals including Crufts teams, Spillers, Royal Canine, and Barbour where we finished 4th in the pairs at the National final, but Olympia has always eluded us (there is still time yet). Claire went to Crufts and competed successfully in Young Kennel Club Biathlon (Agility and Obedience) with her rescued working sheepdog Dash and the Triathlon (Agility, Obedience and Showing) 5 times with our grey terveueren bitch Gem (Diamond Duchess), and one year they won the circular knockout. Glenda has also been lucky enough to do some film and TV work.
I competed with my best dog ever Jack of Diamonds at the Belgian Shepherd Dog Agility World Championship. About 300 BSD’s from around the world meet annually somewhere in Europe, In 2004 in Spain Jack and me came 6th in the individual championship and in 2005 in Germany we were members of the winning team. I have been the team manager for the last 4 years taking the team to Hungary, France,Slovenia and Czechoslovakia. It is job full of unexpected challanges and decisions have to be made where someone will be be upset. I am very pleased that the team continue to support me and the BSDA and WBSDS have asked me to continue.
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About 15 years ago I had another career change while still working for the same company and moved completely into management first service management and then project management. I was now working all over the country and irregular hours so we downsized the farm. It was a wrench when the pedigree herd of Dexter cattle we had built up and most of the sheep went, but we did avoid the worst effects of BSE and FMD. We decided to concentrate on poultry which Glenda could manage on her own. We also took the opportunity to buy an ancient cider orchard that backed onto our land. It had been severely storm damaged in the “Hurricane” of 1987 and had become overgrown. I have been clearing and replanting a little each year and I have almost finished it and I have started making our own cider. The main crop is sold to Thatcher’s cider company and the early and late crops are mine.
We had been spending more and more time living in the mobile home at the farm and we were hardly ever in our house in Yatton so it was a great moment five years ago when we finally got permission to live at the farm full time and we moved into large and very comfortable mobile home.
All this time I have helped other people with dog training on an informal basis. This led to me getting interested in advanced training theories and “behaviour” and I attended workshops, courses and seminars on dog training, instructing and dealing with behaviour problems.As a by-product of learning about herding with my dogs I found out a lot about stock chasing, and I have helped a lot of people overcome this serious problem.
About 4 years ago Severnside DAC lost their venue and could not train for a while, to fill the gap I started Diamond Dog Training and ran agility and general training on a more formal basis. Severnside DAC found a new venue but I have continued with my classes and 1-2-1 training. I gradually handed over my responsibilities at Severnside to concentrate on my own instructing. For 3 years I was on the committee of the Working Belgian Shepherd Dog Society standing down to make more time for our dog training business.
Glenda and Claire (now 21) keeps busy breeding, schooling and competing horses, and our youngest daughter Sara (6) looks like being a good dog handler.
We currently have 3 Terveurens, Tip 13 years, Jet 3 years, Ember 12 months, 3 collies Dash 14, and Ty 3 years, Holly 1 years and a Parson Russell Terrier Rusty 4 years. We still have a small flock of sheep moving in the last 2 years to pedigree Wiltshire Horn Sheep which are are very pleased with. We have ferrets that I use with limited effect to keep the rabbits under control, and lots of chickens.
I am really enjoying training the young dogs and I am hopeful that they will do well, Rusty has started to win some agility classes, Ty looks very promising for agility and herding, and Jet is a delight to train and be with, and I intend to do working trials, agility and some herding with him.
I am member of the Kennel Clubs accredited instructors scheme, and I am an Agility Club Approved instructor. I continue to attend seminars and workshops to keep up to date with new development in dog training, instructing and canine sports.
I have been frustrated over years with how difficult it can be to have a go or get started in dog activities, particular if you have a breed that is not “known” for that activity. I retired from my job as a Senior Project Manager with Fujitsu Services in 2008 and I spend more time helping people get as much enjoyment out of their dogs as I do.
I will be focusing mainly on dog sports, holding regular classes in agility and working trials. I will be running classes for puppies and young dogs for people who would like to go on to do dog sports, and I will also be helping people with training problems.
Glenda Bacon Glenda started dog training when she was about 12 with a German Shepherd cross Golden Retriever called Laddie. It is either sign of the times or a testament to Laddie that she was allowed to walk the couple of miles along North Street Bedminster to train at Bristol Dog Training Society. Laddie wasn't even her dog he belonged to the people next door. When they moved away she was naturally devastated and so was allowed to have a puppy. It was Tess a rescued Bull Terrier cross GSD who was to be her companion for nearly 17 years. She was a good obedience dog and Glenda loved taking her to local exemption and open shows. She was a good agility dog but had a tendancy to leave the ring. She was replaced by Jade a Collie x GSD and then Gem (Diamond Duchess) a grey Tervuren who won her out of starters agility.
Glenda does not do agility now (although she stood in when the team was let down and did a good job) but likes helping with the puppies both ours and with the puppy class She also likes to do a bit of dog showing. She has been quite succesful showning with Jet and hopes to do more next season.
Helen Prosser
Hi I’m Helen. I help Mike instructing with Diamond Dog Training. I am mainly involved with the beginner agility groups and Working Trials Workshops.
I started dog training dog at the age of 8, when our family pet, a cocker spaniel was a puppy. My mum and I took her to the local Obedience Dog Training Club in the ChewValley. I quickly became hooked, and all the adults laughed at me for mimicking the experienced dog trainers. History has now repeated it’s self as my daughter now does this, but I’m sure she knows more than me!
Mum my relented to the years of nagging and got me my own collie – Pippa at the age of 13. I would then go off to all the shows, with anyone who was mad enough to take me. Pippa was a lovely girl, she taught me a great deal about the art of dog training, she was calm and bright -unlike my present dogs.
I then had a period of time when I was unable to have a dog, so I trained my Mum’s dog Barley! And planned for a time when I could again have a dog.
In 2004 I was lucky enough to get Daisy. I choose her for her breeding Lab Cross . Calm clever, good temperature, - well 2 out of 3 wasn’t bad. She had been interesting to train I’ve needed a lot of patience and perseverance, as she is the maddest lab x you have ever seen.
She won two classes at her very first show – Steeplechase, but she can’t slow down enough for the weaves!
In 2006 I started instructing with Mike and at Severnside Dog Agility Club. I have completed two instructor courses, and I passed the Agility Club Instructor’s course in October 2008. I have also attended Mary Ray courses and a Working Trials course with BAGSD.
I rehomed a Kelpie bitch in 2008. Taz is turning out to be a little sweetie. Her agility training is picking looks promising, but most of all I’m really pleased with her. I hope to compete with her in agility next year.
I really enjoy instructing, it so rewarding to get a dog to complete the exercise you are teaching, I go away from each session with a smile on my face.
Claire Bacon
Claire was brought up living with and training dogs. She competed successfully with her Mothers Belgian Shepherd Bitch Gem qualifying her for Young Kennel Club finals at Crufts several times including competing in the Triathlon (Agility, Obedience and Showing) and one year they won the Junior Circular Knockout final. She also qualified her own working sheepdog Dash for YKC Crufts Biathlon (Agility and Obedience). Dash came from Valgrays rescue as a young puppy and Claire was responsible for all her care and training including obedience, good citizens, agility and herding. In 1998 they won both the under 12 Junior Tournament and the Overall Junior Tournament.
She had a break from competitive dog events for a few years when she was concentrating on her ponies that were either home bred or bought in as youngsters and backed and produced by Claire. She competed very successfully in BSJA show jumping and in mounted games with the Banwell branch of the pony club.
She spent 2 years working for the Mendip Stud www.themendipstud.com where she learnt about western riding and natural horsemanship. Claire now helps out as an instructor with Diamond Dog Training specialising in Agility and puppy training.
She now has a 3 year old dual registered (Kennel Club and International Sheepdog Society) Border Collie Ty and has just started competing in Agility with him in 2008. He is extremely fast and although he works beautifully his speed makes him quite a challenge to handle. They have really started to come together in 2009 in UKA getting from beginners to Senior in just 3 shows, they are now competing successfully in KC grade 5 and won the CSJ Novice (G3,4&5) Agility Class at Thames show. They came 8th in the CSJ national Final.
She also has a new young dog called Emmy who is a Belgian Shepherd Dog Tervuren Bitch who looks like she will have the drive to match Ty they should start competing in 2010.
Claire has taken on a rescue dog called Holly their progress can be followed on Holly's blog. In 2009 we have became so busy that Claire has left her job at the Mendip Stud and is helping at Diamond Dog Training full time.
