Common Trial Mistakes?

[ElleAus]

Hello all,

This weekend I'm competing in my first obedience trial with my lab. We've entered CCD class and I'm pretty hopeful for a pass.

However I was wondering if any triallers out there could give me some hints.

For example, aside from the start of an exercise, when else can I give a command?

I've read the rules but any personal experience would be great to hear.

Thank you

[BC]

You give a command whenever the judge tells you to, such as a drop, stand, etc.

Should not need to on a sit, but in CCD you can, just lose a couple of points.

Dont correct your dog for anything. If you're doing a recall for example, and you dog does not come, just wait until the judges tells you what to do. Also heeling, if your lab is lagging, just keep going, dont correct at all. Keep moving and dont change your movement to adjust to your dog if they're not doing the right thing. This is an easy thing to fall for.

Hope this helps, good luck and have fun. I know exactly how you feel. I started trialling 2 weeks ago and just got our CCD on thw weekend.

[dogdude]

Tip number 1)

Ideally, I like to train a new trialling dog on a new and different ground each night for about a month, so he gets comfortable working in strange surroundings.

In the week leading up to the trial, work on your weakest exercise all week, but keep the routine the same regarding length of time etc. Keep it short and sweet. Do not get frustrated and use a harsh correction (if you use them at all).

2) Get to the trial early for vetting etc and to give your dog time to settle his nerves in the new surroundings, take him for a short walk. If you normally use food drive, make sure he is hungry, but pump him up with a really short warm up just before trial starts. Find out what order you will enter the ring to guage your time for warm up. Make sure warm up is well away from trial ring.

3) Remember that when you are asked to enter the ring to start, you are immediately being judged, even as you make your way to the start post. In mock trials, you should have already worked out which side of the post to stand on, so as not to supprise the dog. I prefer LHS so that I am standing between the post because the dogs tend to want to sniff them. You dont want to be pulling at your dog at the start post.

Judge will ask you "are you ready"? Make sure your dog is paying attention to you before you anwer "yes"

4) Listen to what the judge is saying carefully, but remain relaxed. She will tell you what to do, you will then give the hand signals (nice and clear, but do not let them linger) and commands. You can only get your dogs attention by name at the start of each exercise. eg: "Rover,... heel", but not after that point in each exercise.

Remember to leave a distinctive pause between dogs name and recall command if you use his name, and always remember to leave the ring via the gate, and never just step over the ropes to get out when your finished.

During group stays, dont forget to organise yourself into a line in sequence to that which you went through the ring in with the other competitors before you all enter the ring.

When you leave your dog for the stays, make sure you leave in perfect sequence to everyone else or you will lose points. The same goes for when you all return.

Probably think of more later.

Oh yeh, make sure dog is well toileted before entering ring. Fouling ring is a points deduction.

Edited August 21, 2007 by dogdude

[Kowai]

You give a command whenever the judge tells you to, such as a drop, stand, etc.

Should not need to on a sit, but in CCD you can, just lose a couple of points.

Dont correct your dog for anything. If you're doing a recall for example, and you dog does not come, just wait until the judges tells you what to do. Also heeling, if your lab is lagging, just keep going, dont correct at all. Keep moving and dont change your movement to adjust to your dog if they're not doing the right thing. This is an easy thing to fall for.

Hope this helps, good luck and have fun. I know exactly how you feel. I started trialling 2 weeks ago and just got our CCD on thw weekend.

Oh man!! It all sounds so hard!

I have the worst habit of talking to my dog.. Or saying his name.. Or just saying stuff at the wrong time!

[laffi]

Oh man!! It all sounds so hard!

I have the worst habit of talking to my dog.. Or saying his name.. Or just saying stuff at the wrong time!

I know. It seems impossible . Don't you worry that once you are up there you are just going to freeze?

[poodlesplus]

Dog dude pretty well has it all, but forgot to tell you that with a lab, you should have it made in the shade. And the thumbs up is a good way to be. You need to look after your mental side. Relax know inside that you have the best dog there, and you are confident in him/her. One little tip with labs, a lot of people heel labs way toooo slow. Don't change this now, but a good way of keeping your dogs interest is just go a fraction quicker than normal, which means that your slow pace is quicker than normal which means that nose will stay of the ground.

The main thing is to enjoy yourself, have the dog enjoy themselves and get some more silverware for one of the best breeds on earth

[Kowai]

Actually I'm so thankful now that our clubs fundays at the level I'm at are run like CCD level obedience trials! Even those are terrifying!! Last time I accidently on the recall said "Come! Zach!" Oops wrong way round.. I also tend to bounce when I do my turns

I think we don't do so well because -I'm- the one making mistakes!!

Is the passing mark for CCD 170/200 points? Also do you just have to make three passes for the CCD title?

[Yarrowfell]

Oh yeh, make sure dog is well toileted before entering ring. Fouling ring is an NQ.

Not anymore.

(From official rules)

Fouling:

A dog which fouls at any time while it is under the control of the Judge must be penalised 10 points on each occasion. The deductions must be recorded as 'penalties for misbehaviour' and deducted from the total score.

[Yarrowfell]

Is the passing mark for CCD 170/200 points? Also do you just have to make three passes for the CCD title?

OBEDIENCE TRIAL EXERCISES

COMMUNITY COMPANION DOG CLASS

The exercise for each dog and the maximum points shall be:

1. Heel on Lead 30

2. Stand for Examination on lead 10

3. Recall 20

4. 1 min Sit Stay 20

5. 2 min Down Stay 20

TOTAL 100

Less penalty for misbehaviour.

A Pass is 75/100 and at least 50% in each exercise.

[poodlefan]

Arrive in plenty of time to check in, find your ring and set up. Set up somewhere fairly quiet and be sure to take a crate or mat your dog is familiar with. A chair for you, some water and treats and something high value to reward after ring time is good.

Don't endlessly practice or tune your dog up before going in. If your dog doesn't know the exercises that morning, training then won't help.

Focus on showing your dog a good time at his first trial. SMILE, be happy, reward your dog between exercises and try to make being in the ring a positive experience. Don't as I did, act like an undertaker leading a funeral procession and make your dog will want to be anywhere but with you.

I do correct and use second commands in the ring but I ask the judge first. I trial as I train and there's no point allowing your dog to do poor work because you won't encourage or correct him.. you ain't going to pass anyway.

Do say thanks to the judge and stewards (who are usually forgotten) and don't hang around in the ring.. there will be others waiting their turn.

Think twice before taking your dog into the stays if you're not passing and he may break.. those on passes won't appreciate it if he blows their chances.

[Kowai]

Arrive in plenty of time to check in, find your ring and set up. Set up somewhere fairly quiet and be sure to take a crate or mat your dog is familiar with. A chair for you, some water and treats and something high value to reward after ring time is good.

Don't endlessly practice or tune your dog up before going in. If your dog doesn't know the exercises that morning, training then won't help.

Focus on showing your dog a good time at his first trial. SMILE, be happy, reward your dog between exercises and try to make being in the ring a positive experience. Don't as I did, act like an undertaker leading a funeral procession and make your dog will want to be anywhere but with you.

I do correct and use second commands in the ring but I ask the judge first. I trial as I train and there's no point allowing your dog to do poor work because you won't encourage or correct him.. you ain't going to pass anyway.

Do say thanks to the judge and stewards (who are usually forgotten) and don't hang around in the ring.. there will be others waiting their turn.

Think twice before taking your dog into the stays if you're not passing and he may break.. those on passes won't appreciate it if he blows their chances.

Oh yeah its the worst thing during our fun days when one dog breaks and takes 3 dogs with them!

I remember one time the dog next to mine broke and so did two others to its other side.. It even went up to my dog! Somehow Zach stayed glued to his spot!

Though my last funday he did break during his sit stay He normally never breaks!

--Edit--

Okay heres a question When you get your dog to sit stay and you walk away from them (for the recall exercise), and the judge tells you to about turn.. Do you turn and keep walking until they say halt or do you just turn and halt straight away?

I was told by a judge once that we turn and keep walking until we're told to halt?

Edited August 20, 2007 by Kowai

[BC]

Okay heres a question When you get your dog to sit stay and you walk away from them (for the recall exercise), and the judge tells you to about turn.. Do you turn and keep walking until they say halt or do you just turn and halt straight away?

I was told by a judge once that we turn and keep walking until we're told to halt?

If the judge does not say halt just keep walking until they tell you to

[Kowai]

Okay heres a question When you get your dog to sit stay and you walk away from them (for the recall exercise), and the judge tells you to about turn.. Do you turn and keep walking until they say halt or do you just turn and halt straight away?

I was told by a judge once that we turn and keep walking until we're told to halt?

If the judge does not say halt just keep walking until they tell you to

Ah okay thank you! I found a copy of the rule book online too which I think will help me heaps with the funday.. Maybe if I do well I'll look at trialling sooner

[TNT]

Have fun!- and have faith!

I was a steward in the novice ring for a trial recently with one competitor who was so nervous and full of doubt as it was her first time in the novice ring. I was talking to her before she went in and said-" dont worry- good dogs have a bad days and bad dogs have good days"

well, wouldnt ya know it? she managed to get a pass- just- but it was still a pass!

I'm nowhere near trialling stage yet- but hope I can get there one day!

[poodlefan]

Kowai:

Oh yeah its the worst thing during our fun days when one dog breaks and takes 3 dogs with them!

I've seen dogs jumped on, attacked and had a dog stick it's nose under my bitches bum in stays. Believe when I say breaking position is the least of your worries.

Pretty much in every case, the handler knew the dog had issues but chose to do stays 'for the experience'. I prefer dogs that need more experience get it from training, not trialling and ruining other dogs chances.

Give some dogs the wrong experience in stays and you set the dog back months. I speak from bitter experience.

I strongly prefer it in Novice and CCD when they have one set of stays for dogs passing and one for the rest.

[poodlesplus]

"'ve seen dogs jumped on, attacked and had a dog stick it's nose under my bitches bum in stays. Believe when I say breaking position is the least of your worries."

My lab got molested by the same dog in two consecutive trials. In the second he got another stay. Used to shudder when i saw the dog and that was in open.

In another , a smaller breed dog started hassling him before when went in the ring. I had to heel my dog into the ring while he was "attending " to this dog. Was interesting.I guess you could say he was face humping...

I have a mini poodle who makes her debut in a fortnight. I would say that if i had anything that would give me a sleepless night dog wise, it would be what might happen to her in the stays from dogs that shall we say need a bit more training. To reduce her exposure, I am going straight into Novice.

Do you check out for troublemakers before hand?

Have you ever just said "no thanks" and dissapeared on the off chance?

Have you ever broken your stay to get to your dog as another dog has broken?

I am still not totally sure what I might do. What do you do?

[Sayreovi]

Have you ever broken your stay to get to your dog as another dog has broken?

I am still not totally sure what I might do. What do you do?

Personally i would break my stay if another dog was harrassing my dogs. If it happened to one of my dogs we wouldnt be trialling again for some time due to him being nervous in stays.

After all there is always another trial

Thats one of the reasons i am going straight to Novice rather then CCD, dogs will hopefully have more solid stays.

Will also be doing what Poodlefan does, act the same way in the trial as i do in training, if dog misbehaves i will correct as i dont want a dog to become ring savvy.

[J...]

I'd do the same thing TO, break a stay rather than leave my dog vulnerable to a dog I was concerned about.

I can be fairly confident I have a pass if we're on a pass prior to the stays, and I would never risk ruining that kind of reliability if I thought there was going to be a problem with another dog. Luckily I have only come across a few dogs breaking in CCD, and every one has gone straight to their owner.

Back to the OP - if you have a tendency to get nervous - sh*tloads of rescue remedy!!!! Let the judge know its your first trial and you're a bit nervous, it helped me a lot as I found they were all good at trying to put me at ease! Oh and don't forget to breathe - I got to the end of my fast pace and wondered why I was so out of breath, I don't think I took a breath between the startline and the fast pace....

Edited August 20, 2007 by feralpup

[Kowai]

I'd do the same thing TO, break a stay rather than leave my dog vulnerable to a dog I was concerned about.

I can be fairly confident I have a pass if we're on a pass prior to the stays, and I would never risk ruining that kind of reliability if I thought there was going to be a problem with another dog. Luckily I have only come across a few dogs breaking in CCD, and every one has gone straight to their owner.

Back to the OP - if you have a tendency to get nervous - sh*tloads of rescue remedy!!!! Let the judge know its your first trial and you're a bit nervous, it helped me a lot as I found they were all good at trying to put me at ease! Oh and don't forget to breathe - I got to the end of my fast pace and wondered why I was so out of breath, I don't think I took a breath between the startline and the fast pace....

Now now you have to give some dogs a chance.. I guess triallings different but if I get a dog next to mine which I know has trouble staying I don't resent them.. I think they deserve the chance :p Of course though if the dog is going to be aggressive thats another story!

I've had dogs break a few times next to Zach and he hasn't moved thank god! The one time he broke he came straight back to me the little bugger

If a dog broke and was just running around being stupid I wouldn't move back to my dog.. If it was going to attack my dog, thats a different story

[J...]

Kowai, I said I would "break a stay rather than leave my dog vulnerable to a dog I was concerned about." I don't give a stuff about dogs who break.

However, if I ever had the slightest concern that the dog that broke was going to cause any sort of trouble then I'd be in there in a heartbeat.