africandreams

Rebecca Londsdale is excellent. There is another lady but I cannot remember her surname at the moment, mind blank!

this too has put me off trialling my girl also. She has a very good stay-will not break if the dog next to her ran off or broke position, but if it were to come up to her in her face she wouldn't be too happy. Not helping the situation,at my first trial before going in, the lady who was supposed to be next to me in the stays tells me her male rotti had only been in 1 group stay training situation, and at his last trial got up and stood over the dog next to him. And the stewards did nothing

thanks guys. Yes judge was great. I think we failed first in the heeling- but she let us keep going. Encouraged us, gave advice- couldn't have asked for a better judge for our first trial-walked away feeling very disappointed at how we went but at the same time encouraged to give it another go.

Thankyou everyone for the encouragement. We had a lovely judge. Gave lots of helpful advice. But we failed miserably. Judge said not to be too disheartened as it was our first trial, but also was blowing a gale and many dogs that normaly did well were failing. I have never seen my bitch work (or not work) like she did today. In her defense she was a bit unwell earlier in the wk, so maybe she just didnt feel right today. Normaly shes quite eager to work but very flat today. I was a bit embarassed to introduce myself to anyone- it looked like I hadnt done any training at all! Well we have a few things to work on so will keep persevering.

thanks Ptolomy haha i will prob have too many nerves to engage in small talk with the judge! In saying that, I am going to go and enjoy myself whether we do well or not! Learning experience for my dog and I!

is it polite to mention to the judge when you are at that first start peg that its your first trial? Just in case I have a blonde moment they can explain the exercise... Or should I not say anything.

excellent link, thanks rubystar

Pax- I have studied the rule book-didn't see anything about looking at your dog! thanks anyway for your encouragement

do they ping u in wa for that?!

o wow.....

cheers

thankyou thats excellent advice. I have 2 questions: if my dog is just say not paying any attention in the heeling routine(sniffing the ground for example) whats the best thing to do? Say heel? Say her name? I know that these will be classed as second commands..... In the recall, what is the process.....do you have your dog in a sit, then the judge takes the lead, you forward, halt (under judge instruction) leave your dog, call your dog, return to your dog?

yep thats the one. Thanks Ptolomy

thankyou Our obed club had a mock trial not long ago and my dog and I really enjoyed it!

Ok so we have entered our first trial which is in a couple of weeks. Have been asking questions at training and have received feedback and advice which has been great- little things that new handlers may not think twice about but may be classed as an extra command. I am looking for any more advice people can give me- no matter how small it may seem, will help!! Anything you have done or noticed obedience newbies do that cost them points..... thanks!

I would take back to vet, could be a foreign body in the gut.

hrmm interesting.... As a vetnurse, I'm not sure why they would want him there when there is nobody there overnight? Castrates are fairly basic surgeries and unless they have a rough recovery don't see the need for it. JMHO

someone did mention that to me, that many dogs do not pass at these grounds. I'd imagine as its both mine and my dogs first trial we probably make a few mistakes !! ETA: probably unlikely we pass in 3straight trials but it does happen and I thought better to think positive !

thanks Seita, sorry I was looking at this part: ‘C.C.D.’ signifying Community Companion Dog in connection with, and after the name of, each dog, which shall be certified by Judges to have received three (3) qualifying scores of 75 or more points in the Community Companion Dog class.

German Shep Assoc 24 Oct West Coast Rottweiler Possibly Albany Dobermann Club of WA There is one in Karratha or somewhere with a different judge but I not driving up there! There's also a CCD Oct 25 but I am busy that day! so can't really qualify for this title till next year!

question on judges: I read somewhere that for CCD. you need 3certificates of qualifying scores of 75points or more from at least 2 different judges, however in the rules it only says 3 qualifying scores of 75points or more. So do I need 2 different judges or ? Main reason I'm asking is there are about 4 CCD trials coming up in WA all with the same judge.....!

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc) Owner/breeder/exhibitor 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? 3. How common is it in Australia? 4. What is the average lifespan? 10-14years. Unfortunately dobes aren't living as long as they should be due to Dilated Cardiomyeopathy- which is taking dobes as young as 5years old. 5. What is the general temperament/personality? Very loyal, smart, pushy. Dobes have a really great personality- they make you laugh, most try to please their owners. Dobermanns are very protective over their property/owners. They have been labelled 'velcro dogs' as they stick with their owners. 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? Depending on the individual dog and the size of the backyard- about an hour per day. 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? It depends on the person/family. Our first dog was a dobermann. They can be very pushy and need leadership from their owners. The owners need to set ground rules/boundaries and stick to them. A responsible breeder who as assessed puppies/mature dogs temperaments will not place an overly strong willed dobe in a first dog home. 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? Not really. Dobes aren't a breed that you can just shut in your backyard. They need to be included in the owners life. 9. How much grooming is required? Minimal. Nail trimming weekly, ear cleaning and a bath. 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? A dobermann can be taught to be gentle with children/elderly. They can become very excited with visitors but should be trained to not jump on people. I've had younger children visit my house and my dobes are not allowed to rush up to them. Some just 'know' though, and will sit down or lay down with children. As always kids and dogs should never be left unsupervised. 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? The biggest issue is Dilated Cardiomyopathy. There is no cure for this disease, and often once diagnosed, time left is not long. Please do your research with any breeder you buy from. Ask about this disease. von Willebrands Disease: Dogs will be Clear, Carrier, or Affected. For more info see http://dobermannnsw.homestead.com/healthissues.html 12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be) Ask lots and lots of questions!!! Beware of any breeder who avoids questions or does not appear happy in answering! -vWD status of both parents. Affected should not be mated to Affected. In my opinion affected should not be mated to carrier either. -Ask about longevity. Ask if both parents are alive, if not, what did they die from and at what age. Ask the same question about grandparents too. -What health tests have been done on parents (vWD, heart ultrasound, blood tests, thryoid, liver) -Temperament of parents

sorry I did not specify-it was obedience

ok thankyou for that.

I have asked several people about what collars are allowed for trials, I would like to know if checkchains are allowed. So far I have been told several different things. 1.Flat collar only 2. Flat collar or slip collar but not check chain 3. Flat collar/check chain. All these 3 people have or currently trial. I did a search on DOL, saw that check chains are allowed, just that any correcting etc is severly penalised. Could anybody clarify please! Don't know if rules have changed recently.