Question For Triallers

[JulesP]

My routine was a bit different so I'll put it in. I used to have a picnic blanket and sit on the blanket with the dog within sight of my ring. I had a stake thing to tie the dog to if I had to go somewhere. I usually sat with a friend and had a bit of a socialise. Dog was usually getting lots of pats. I would do a bit of really quick heeling, getting attention etc and then go into the ring. Then back to blanket until the stays. Brock is a similar sort of dog so I will probably do the same with him.

[Arya]

My routine was a bit different so I'll put it in. I used to have a picnic blanket and sit on the blanket with the dog within sight of my ring. I had a stake thing to tie the dog to if I had to go somewhere. I usually sat with a friend and had a bit of a socialise. Dog was usually getting lots of pats. I would do a bit of really quick heeling, getting attention etc and then go into the ring. Then back to blanket until the stays. Brock is a similar sort of dog so I will probably do the same with him.

Jules I have done this too, in trial to no effect. But outside of that it's terrific for us. We do our training and then 'back to your bag' and off she runs happily to sit down and have a short rest and a drink, whatever. Same when at club. It's a nice way of doing it and a target bag works well for us as long as no other dog tries to get into it LOL :D

[Arya]

Arya - What sort of dog do you have, how old are they, are they clicker trained, do you use food and is this your first trialling dog?

OOps - sorry about the zillion questions :D

Thanks Ptolomy :p She is GSD bitch, speyed. She is three and a half. I train her with both food and a piece of hose as she works brilliantly in drive. Heeling in drive with hose is her specialty everywhere else LOL. I don't have to have hose. Can just show her and switch her on with key sound or word. Then outside, have probs toning drive DOWN!!! She will start to forge forward with a hand movement, thinking of her hose. But, she is great because she also works very nicely indeed for food and I'll use food for excercises where I need less drive or for tricks. She will also still heel very nicely indeed for food. Have not trained with a clicker until recently and have been doing this for stays. Boy, it has worked a treat for stays because it is kind of a little independence of me, the approval sound not from me, paird with a favourite suppertime treat. This is the only good thing to come out of the weekend trial - the successful clicker work with stays. Yes, this is my first trialling dog. I have worked with animals all my life and trained my other dogs but never to this level. She is far and away the most difficult dog. Triallers I know well who know her and have been trialling for 25 years plus say so too

[smisch]

for me and the boys during agility trials I usually set up the crate on the grounds.. put them in the the crate, get myself sorted and all appropriate paperwork that I need during the day. I then take the boys out once they have settled and walk them/do a bit of work and take them to every pole and tree near us that won't effect the competitors, put them back in the crate and I will regualary get them out according to when we are competeing.. Before going into the ring I get which ever dog is competeing and do a few small warmups and take them to trees and poles again and give them a small drink of water just before running.. This has been proven sucessful on most occasions the only occasions it hasn't worked is when I arrive late and have no time before running to take them to the toilet and normally they will go in the ring or in some cases run out the ring go and come back... either way not qualifying material!

[Seita]

I haven't trialled in about 4 years due to lack of a dog! But when I was trialling, I used to set up somewhere and tether my dogs. Seeing as I was usually stewarding a trials and doing all kinds of other things (including trial managing sometimes) I was not often with my dogs. I usually would take them to the loo just after arriving at the grounds and then again shortly before going into the ring. Then just before my turn in the ring I would give just a few commands, say heel, sit, heel drop or something similar just to get their attention and then straight into the ring from there. The dog would then usually stay with me until group stays and then get tethered again afterwards. Agility was pretty similar, although I was usualy with the dogs a bit more before my rung as I rarely stewarded in this when I had a dog running.

My new girl should be out trailling next year but I have trained her differently to my last dogs (in drive) so I expect my pre trial routine will be different. I think I will probably toilet her shortly before going into the ring and then just before going into the ring give her a focus exercise, probably a short recall to let her win the prey item and then straight into the ring and as soon as shes finished give her the prey item for a reward. She'll probably go back in her crate until stays and then I'll probably do the same thing, a focus exercise to win the reward and then into the ring, and the reward immediately after exiting the ring. I guess we'll see how she goes next year!

[Keshwar]

But in trial ring things have gone from bad to worse. Get to start post, dog will not under any circumstances look at me. Does everything she can to avoid looking and forgets her name, forgets how to sit, heel,

Hi Arya,

This struck a cord with me. How are you feeling when you enter the ring and get to the start peg? I asking b/c this is what used to happen for me:

I would get nervous just before entering the ring and by the time we got to the start peg I was a nervous wreck. This got worse as Faxon's heeling got worse. What I realised was that when I entered the ring I became a different person as far as Faxon was concerned. I went from being relaxed and fun to being stressed and someone he need to calm down and stay away from - hence his heeling getting worse the more stressed I got. These days I attempt to convince myself that this obedience stuff is all a game and I don't need to get stressed about it. One way I have dealt with this is to steward in a different ring before we go in the ring. This way I am too busy to worry about what is going to happen in the ring. I leave Faxon in the car until we are just about to go into the ring - I get him out the dog before us and then do some warm up exercises and then we're in the ring. This seems to be working for us. But then he is an Afghan Hound and we are still doing CCD.

HTH

Bear.

[Arya]

But in trial ring things have gone from bad to worse. Get to start post, dog will not under any circumstances look at me. Does everything she can to avoid looking and forgets her name, forgets how to sit, heel,

Hi Arya,

This struck a cord with me. How are you feeling when you enter the ring and get to the start peg? I asking b/c this is what used to happen for me:

I would get nervous just before entering the ring and by the time we got to the start peg I was a nervous wreck. This got worse as Faxon's heeling got worse. What I realised was that when I entered the ring I became a different person as far as Faxon was concerned. I went from being relaxed and fun to being stressed and someone he need to calm down and stay away from - hence his heeling getting worse the more stressed I got. These days I attempt to convince myself that this obedience stuff is all a game and I don't need to get stressed about it. One way I have dealt with this is to steward in a different ring before we go in the ring. This way I am too busy to worry about what is going to happen in the ring. I leave Faxon in the car until we are just about to go into the ring - I get him out the dog before us and then do some warm up exercises and then we're in the ring. This seems to be working for us. But then he is an Afghan Hound and we are still doing CCD.

HTH

Bear.

I think Faxonandbear that initially you are right and I may have caused this problem I have myself by being nervous and projecting that to the dog. Now... nope. Too many failed trials, I just go in there to see what I can get her to do LOL. I am not working well in the ring on heeling because it is such a mess with her but nerves, nope. But as I say, I'm sure I've caused this initially. It is one rational explanation for the behaviour when all other excercises okay. But also, it is her temperament. Very soft in some respects.

[Keshwar]

I think Faxonandbear that initially you are right and I may have caused this problem I have myself by being nervous and projecting that to the dog. Now... nope. Too many failed trials, I just go in there to see what I can get her to do LOL. I am not working well in the ring on heeling because it is such a mess with her but nerves, nope. But as I say, I'm sure I've caused this initially. It is one rational explanation for the behaviour when all other excercises okay. But also, it is her temperament. Very soft in some respects.

Hmm, I wonder if in that case it has become a learned behaviour? "This is what we do when we go in the ring."

What happens if you practice in a ring type environment? I know you've said that outside of the ring she is fine, just wondering if she is the same when practicing in a ring. I know this is difficult to do - I can do any number of mock trials and ring practice but the heeling problem we had only occurred at real trials when I did get nervous.

Cheers

Bear.

[helen]

At agility once I set up I walk my dogs as much as I can so their muscles are properly warmed up. Later in the day when they are warmed up enough I try and rest them a bit in the crate but will still take them out a while before their run to warm up again. If I am on early (which doesn;t happen often enough) I will warm them up a bit before I walk the course.

Just before we go on I do a bit of heel work to get them into working mode.

We also have a routine that they know they get a reward and the end of a run

[Silvawilow]

For agility: Arrive after a bloody looong drive! Get the dogs out and let them go wiza and then they go back in the car so I can go, I get numbers & catalogue on the way back. I then set up creates, stakes, shade, etc and get the dogs out and put Blush in create and take Kiz for a play with her ball. Then visa versa with Blush. Before we go in the ring I will just sit outside the ring with Blush and give her hugs and pats and then get her focused on me, nice and easy. With Kiz I do a little bit of heeling and away we go

For obedience it's pretty much the same routine except I don't throw the ball, we play tug or scoccer!

[Gamby]

IIt's like a party for her seeing everyone she knows. Seems to be part of the problem I think. Too much fun outside the ring!!!

Yes Arya that could also be one of the problems also.

Boy our dogs are so on the same wave length is scary.

[whatevah]

With Moses in obedience, I would arrive at grounds take him for a little walk and check in. If the ground is wet then I will practice some drops with lots of rewards, then I put him in the car until 1 or 2 dogs before we go in, and do a small amount of practice, maybe 2 sits in heeling or something to get him in working mode. Then I grab 3 treats and give him treats on the way to the ring, so that by the time I am in the ring the treats are gone (don't want to cheat). Moses is a dog who loves heeling. As soon as I am finished we run out of the ring (I once jumped over the ropes), and I play and give him lots of rewards, far enough away from the ring so I don't distract any other dogs. In between exercises I do high tens with him.

In flyball I go out just before the team before us is in and walk them around to empty out, then we just go into the ring and sometimes don't even bother with recalls, they know what they are doing.

[BittyMooPeeb]

I'm about to do my first trial (novice jumpers). What would you recommend for a simple, pre-trial routine for a newbie? And how do you know when you will be on so that you can get your dog out in time?

[FHRP]

BMP, there will be a running sheet at the trial (no catalogues for ribbon trials). Check out when your class is on, Novice will probably be first or last. Check out where in the running order you are, again with a small dog you'll probably be the first or last height class and the class won't be very big. Look at what dogs are before you and make yourself familiar with them. A few dogs before you, get your dog out and toilet him and warm him up. Maybe do some focus work. I also like to watch a dog or two before me to refresh my memory of the course. Make yourself known (your running number) to the steward and wait to be called. Take a deep breath and have fun :p

[BittyMooPeeb]

Thank FHR.

I think I will definately need a change of undies if Novice and 200 jump height are first

[dogdude]

I pretty much do the same as CTD. It seems to work for us.