Training Without Conflict Podcast
Episode Fifty-SIx: Mondioring Special
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 22:27:06 GMT
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Hello trainers, I’ll keep this intro shorter. This time I have as guests few very accomplished trainers Shannon Faltak, Jessica Johnson, and Spencer Bowman.We talk about the complexities of French Ring, Mondio Ring and IGP, the breeds and type of dogs that are better suited for each sport, the different style of helper/decoy work, preparation for competition, and much much more. Enjoy
Chapter 1: What is the purpose of Mondioring training?
. all right uh welcome to training without conflict podcast number 56 um we have a group of people today and the reason we're here is because we've been training and having a monitoring trial this weekend so it was very cool to to do so we're kind of wrapping up things and having one more day for training. But let's go, let me just kind of introduce you with the guests here.
First we go, let's go with Spencer. Thanks for coming. Really, I know, like I didn't even know you and all of a sudden here we are training dogs. It's like one of the cool things about dog sports, you know? Yeah. Tell us a little about your story.
Yeah, thanks for having me. It's awesome to be here. Like you said, my first time meeting you too, so it's been a pleasure. So I got into French Ring, I don't know, 10-something years ago now, and certified in French Ring, Mondial Ring. I do both for decoying purposes. Handling-wise, I do my dogs in French Ring. For 2022-2023, I was the Ring 3 champion with that dog, my dog Lycan.
as well as the cup champion and domestic champion and regional champion as well as well for, I think, the last three years, other than I think last year I took second. So very cool. Yeah. And then I was suspended. So I'm here in my room. And then we got suspended, right? Yeah. Yeah. So now I'm in Mondia. No. Welcome to the cool kids club.
So but you do both as far as decoy work. Yes. Mondia and French. Yeah. Cool. Just Let's go. I think where did I first, was it somewhere in, I want to say it was somewhere in the world championships or somewhere. I don't remember. Where do you think we ever met first? Like that's a tough one. I can't remember. I want to say there was some world championship, but who knows? My memory is not great.
Yeah, it's been a while though. Right. Yeah. So tell us. So I'm Jessica. I've been competing like competitively the past four years. Mondio. In Mondio. Only Mondio. Yeah, only in Mondio. Okay.
And I started learning about Mondio nine, ten years ago. And then I went through quite a few different dogs learning. And then I finally upgraded to where I had a more competitive dog. and then got told that I couldn't do it and had to prove that I could. So here we are. Yeah. Yeah. And now with the with the girl that you're training, switching.
Yeah, we're gonna switch over to French ring. So we're gonna go hang out with Spencer. Yeah. And that's first time going through French. Yeah. So it's gonna be the first time going over and Shannon's been on me about switching for handler reasons to learn new techniques and learn some new stuff on handler wise. Now that I've done worlds at level two and three. Right.
Now I'm like, okay, let's try, let's try something new. Just for fun. No, it's super cool. You left out the part about you being like eighth place at Worlds. Get the mic, mic, share the mic. Yeah. Said left out something about eighth place at Worlds, right, Jess? Yes. So we did take eighth place at Worlds in 23. Yep. At level two in Romania. Wow. Very cool. And it was super, super fun.
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Chapter 2: How do different dog breeds perform in Mondioring?
Oh, because of the bully regulations?
Well, not just bullies. They actually have a list, and it's like a list of dogs that are allowed to do biting sports in France. Oh, interesting. And so if the dog's not on that list, they can't. Bullies are not on that list. So some of the judges come here, and it's fun for them because they get to see different breeds do it that aren't allowed to do it in France.
Would you say like talking both sports, the jumps is the biggest obstacle for the other breeds? Or is the protection also create problems? It's probably like 50-50, honestly. Yeah, because like the heavy breeds are going to have a hard time with the jumps, but they're also going to have a hard time with bites because of skeeves and pressure.
And the overall endurance probably, right, as it gets to the higher level. Yeah. Yeah, for sure both, I think. Because do we have any of the off-breeds that are high level? I mean, I know, like, Trish took her German Shepherd, you know, the three.
Yeah, but I mean, I wouldn't call that an off-breed. I mean, it's definitely a Malinois sport, but Shepherds still do it. No, I don't mean that. Ring two I know of, but I think in, I want to say in, In France, there's definitely some Doberman Ring 3s, which same thing. It's not an off-free, but it is for our sport, right? There's definitely some Doberman Ring 3s, but other than that.
That's true. I forgot about it. Maureen's got a couple Mondial Ring 3s as well. Yep. Yeah, I mean, Dobermans, actually so many breeds can be really good, but nobody selects, nobody breeds for them anymore. And then why do you think all the good trainers...
eventually end up with Marlena or a German Shepherd depending which sport why do you think that happens I I don't know about everybody but for me specifically and I guess maybe a lot of people is if you're competitive you know it's I got into ring with a bulldog and and because I actually ended up starting ring with my bulldog and he ended up dying of cancer pretty quick but um
I still got a Malinois when he was alive just because I kind of had that itch. And, you know, it's kind of like you have to buy a Ferrari to race, I guess, or something. So, you know, as much as I enjoy the off-breeds and I still like seeing them do it and helping them do it and stuff, if you want to win at a high level, it's difficult to do it with an off-breed for sure.
So you end up getting a Malinois or a Shepherd or something. Yeah. Yeah.
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Chapter 3: What challenges do handlers face in Mondioring?
Yeah, that's a really good one. Actually, my first championship with Lycan, when I came to the U.S., I had been in France and done pretty well and made the selectives and everything. Like you said, the expectations were, okay, I'm going to do well in the U.S., right? My first championship I lost. I still got second. Actually, the funny thing about it is,
And kind of like you said, I thought I was going to have a problem on my basket because I had a problem in France with it one time. And the day before the training session, I was driving back from training with my friends in the car who helped me. And I went back and I said, hey, do you think... Like, do you think we did that right? Like, it's good. You made sure that was fine with the basket.
And they said, yeah, I think so. You know, but my all night I was thinking, I don't think I did. I think I need to do more, but I'm not sure. Maybe I overdid it. And then, you know, I lost the basket and lost the championship. And that was probably the hardest thing for me is knowing that I think deep down I knew I needed to go do something else in my life.
backyard just to, you know, just to address it one more little session. And I didn't. And so the only person to blame at that point, um, you know, even though there was, there was some controversy over the points and why I actually lost, but at the end of the day, it was still, I should have not been in that situation to lose the basket. But like you said, sometimes you make the right decision.
Sometimes you make the wrong one. Yeah. That balance doesn't ever go away. Whether you're a baby handler and this is your first trial or an experienced handler and this is a world championship, you have the same problem. I think it gets worse maybe. The more experience you get, you're more stressed over it. I get more nervous now than I think I did when I was newer.
I think it's normal to be with the more successful you are and the more trials you put, somehow the pressure...
that you put on yourself without anything else just like because you know what you can do now it's a matter of making it happen yeah tomorrow yeah yeah for sure and then it's a yeah it's psychological you know you really have to get to function and make the right decisions and it's tough one
That's definitely where you see a lot like at Worlds. So Petra is a dog that's able to hang out around the field and just chill because she sees it all the time. And so I noticed it stressed out a lot of people that my dog was that close to the field and relaxed. And for me, like I grew up showing livestock and I have been drug around a ring by a calf.
dead serious yeah yeah and and like in that time frame like um i was i was like seven or eight so i was little and nobody helped nobody tried to catch my calf nothing so then get up catch my calf because i never dropped the rope and go back to my spot and act like nothing happened So for me, a trial is my dog's not gonna drag me around the ring.
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