dogdude

The closest is the Craigieburn DOC, Warringal (Latrobe Uni) or Wiltja (Bundoora Park). If its just pet level obedience you are after, I would recommend Wiltja or Warringal. I am from Epping too.

Not sure if it has been mentioned in the linked threads, but when the trial is completed, always leave via the ring gate, and never over the rope.

My advice to a new trialler would be that there should be nothing to worry about concerning lagging, focus etc, as these things should already be well proofed in your training. There really is no point trialling if your dog has focus issues. There will always be plenty of future trials to enter. I think the best advice experienced triallers could give, would be to ecourage a thread that focuses on promoting questions regarding trial preperation (the breakdown of individual exercises, and how we "fix" things). What is generally learnt at dog school, is almost opposite that, that experienced triallers use, to prepare their dogs for their first trial.

Sounds like you had a great night Ptolomy! You must be proud of the troup.

Would have liked to enter this one, particulary with extra Staffy prizes etc, but one of the kids birthday parties are on that day. I may look at Gisborne, maybe Southern and FOO trial.

Congrats on your progress Rubystar!

I really think it just a personal choice thing. Some people like to title their dogs early, concentrating on titles alone, and others concentrate less on titles, and more about acheiving high scores.Not to say that both are not acheivable, just not likely. Most of the consistant trial winning people will tell you to only enter a trial when your dog is truely ready. I think when I started out in obedience trialling, I tended to look at the overall picture of my dogs performance, instead of breaking the exercises down into tiny pieces. This was a big mistake. Training times for obedience dogs generally come down as your experience grows, although my latest dog is yet to hit the trialling ring, and she has just turned two, and started her training at 11 weeks of age. She would have been competitive enough to gain a ccd or novice title at 5 or 6 months of age, but personally, I think I get fussier with each dog I trial. You see the little things that you know will cost you a point or two, so you tend to keep trying to iron them out. Achieving a Highest Score In Trial is normally decided by just one or two points, so if that is your goal, then that is what you need to train for. Every point is critical. Ideally I would have entered my dog 6 months ago, but I only just got the transfer of ownership papers yesterday for her. I am looking at entering her over the next few weeks somewhere.

I like husky's point. To get the dog interested, it should be about the chase too. Also, some dogs can feel uneasy at first about biting down on the article, because its owned by "the boss", and needs to be respected! I found that I had to spend a bit of time letting my bitch know it was alright to bite down on it, and I marked and praised/rewarded her when she bit down on it initially.

Hi Corvus Prey drive needs an element of chase, and difficulty keep the dog stimulated. The prey naturally moves away from the dog, and is difficult to catch. If the prey is coming towards the dog, or is caught a little too easily, often,....then those important elements of prey drive are weakened, and dog loses interest quickly. (hence why many dogs lose interest after just a few throws of a tennis ball, the game becomes too predictable and easy) Building strong prey drive should involve a level of frustration also. You need to make the dog really think that he has acheived something to catch it. Only letting him catch the item when showing maximum effort for it, is a must, and in sepperate drive building exercises, you can enhance the level of frustration further, by restraining him after a release, and use a fine balance of restraint and letting him catch the item. You can do this on a tie out, or sometimes I just bend over and keep my arm between the dog and the item,(on dogs chest) and keep your item just close enough for the dog to follow it, while circling. (maybe not with a big dog) (mine staffy).

I also use verbal feedback in my drive training (no clicker). I use it for teaching dumbell hold, and building endurance into heeling and focus among other things. "keep going" feedback and NRMs speed up learning in high drive dogs IMO.

Hi LucyCharzie I live close, and can help you polish up your dog for trialling when she gets better if you like. I still havn't got around to debuting my youngster yet, but plan to soon. I really have been busy this year, and are looking forward to getting back to the trialling scene again.

Hi Tiggy I teach focus from a static position, and at first get the dog to hold eye contact. When the dog is doing that well, I then progress to a one way contact, with the dog targeting my whole head (and its movement), while I am looking straight ahead (use a helper to help mark desired response). If you keep the focus on your head, you can then turn your head just before you turn to give your dog a nice early signal, of the direction you are about to go in. If you are hand feeding, make sure you are rewarding for the correct area of focus. If your dog is fully focused on the food itself, he isn't concentrating on the job at hand. For this reason, I don't reward from the hand very often. I send to a food target or jackpot.

Ok,......so who knows the next round of FOO dates???? shoemonster? T.S.D?? Leopuppy???

They run a series of mock trials, for people such as your self that want real trialling conditions, and real judges (aspiring). They normally run every Tuesday night when in season. (some of the others may have dates) They cost about $5 or $6 per night, which raises money for new equipment and projects at KCC. They really are invaluable for aspiring triallers. ETA: I was shocked to find that the vic obedience website has been totally changed to a shadow of its former self!!! No usefull links or info!!

Hi Tambaqui Here is a very handy vic website with rules and trial news vic obedience website I think you will find a link to an entry form on the DogsVictoria website. You can't use a conformation one last time I checked, although I havn't trialled for over 12months now. If you live anywhere near KCC Park, I strongly recommend that you attend the Friends Of Obedience nights when they are on. There is a link to info on F.O.O on the website link. I live an hour and a half away, and still make it when I can. Well worth it, with many highly experienced triallers in attendance to ask questions and opinions. Many of us Dolers too!

Hi S&C There are many ways to build, and to direct a dogs natural drive,.....depending on what type of drive your dog responds best to. A great foundation for building drive is the TOT program, pinned at the top of the training forum.

"Heeling", is different to walking. You don't heel when you walk,.....you walk. Making it "not fun" to pull is usually the quickest way to fix it. Also, people with problem dogs that need motivation for "heeling" (ie; for trialling) are best to focus on building the dogs drive, rather than to think up "fun games" to try to improve things. The dog will be having loads of fun, if it is exercising its drive in full flight

I would also use a non reward marker. Another point when teaching retrieve is to start off with a proper, well fitting dumbell, which will help them feel comfortable with it in their mouth. It also helps if the shaft is not too thin, and a little more on the chunky side at first, rather than thin. I use a training dumbell with a larger shaft. (thickness). Also, make sure it has plenty of clearance off the ground (good bell height), for when the dog starts to pick it up off the ground. The shaft should be a snug but comfortable fit length wise, which will also discourage mouthing and throwing around.

I think either turn will catch out a lagging dog, but in a u turn the dog has to use its back end in sinc with your turn, and so is more like a dance and so looks smoother and flowing. The "round the back" method can look a bit messy sometimes, and often shows up a dog with less than great focus and drive, scrambling back to heel. In the "u turn" method, the dog needs to use its back end, or its not completing a turn,....otherwise you are the only one turning.

The older Diane Bauman book "Beyond Basic Dog Training" has some excelent footwork diagrams and trial prep tips.

I do the flip for left about turns with my latest bitch. I still use the "around the back" on my older dog though. I find the later method can occasionally confuse the dog during a normal left turn (dog anticipates a left about turn). Its not a good look tripping over your dog in a trial lol. Mercedes: Back end awareness is when the dog can maneouvre its back end while pivoting. There is a good "how to" segment on it, on the Balabanov dvd "The Game".

A natural desire to retreive is often a good indication of drive level. As others have said, it would be hard to assess in a pound.

Hi nicojoy An obedience club focus on their bread and butter (pets), and their programs are not designed specifically for trialling (through the grades) What they do,.....is train you to train a well behaved pet, then the people wanting to go on to trial, find out that what they have actually being teaching all that time,was how to bore the hell out of their dog. Then you find you have to almost totally retrain your dog to compete with the top trialling dogs, that had their drive nurtured from an 8 week old pup, and have never done 10 minute block heeling let alone almost an hour.(obedience class) They are first trained "how to learn", then focus, then the rest. They have been carefully socialised with a few known dogs, but rarely aloud to romp around with other dogs ad lib at off leash parks. When they do go down to the obedience club, their owners don't let just anybody aproach them to "say hello" (a constant danger at clubs) Their owners generally work them outside of the mainstream classes, to protect their dogs drive levels, and the general boredom of sitting around waiting for a clueless novice to walk up to them with a known aggressive dog, wanting to see if their dog still has agression issues. Their owners do not practice block heeling at home, and only tend to tie all the part exercises together during a ring run through (trialling class normally) or a trial. The only reason they go to club is for the distractions (not necessarily in a class) Their owners know that their dog just needs great focus in a trial, and is not expected to work shoulder to shoulder with another dog (as in a class), except during the stays (probably the only other reason why their owner is at the club). If you really want to train a high scoring dog, you need to use methods that the top triallers use, and you will rarely see them on display at a club, because the top triallers never expect their dogs to ever learn anything new in that enviroment. This is why I recommend hooking up with the most sucessful trialler that you can find. They are not always easy to find, but most are very approachable, and will often take you under their wings if you stroke their egos a bit. Not all clubs have highly decorated triallers, so be prepared to look outside your club. Go to a few of the local obediece trials of a weekend, and look for yourself who is doing all the winning (normally the same select few). Strike up a convo and away you go. P.S There are a number on this very forum, who would give you many of the tips you need, to send you in the right direction. Use the club later.

It will take you alot longer than a couple of weeks to get to trialling standard. Closer to a couple of years for your first dog. (to get a high scoring one) My advice is to forget club and find a trialling mentor to speed your learning process up. There is much to stuff up on your first trialling dog. Hell knows.....I think we all did!

I use left hand (palm facing dog) in a sweeping motion. There are no right or wrong signals though, as long as they are not double ones, or exagerated/drawn out ones. (and they work!) ETA: Its helpful to be thinking about how your signals will tie in with the requirements of the higher levels though, otherwise you will have to do some retraining.