Your Very First Obedience Trialling Dog

[FHRP]

This is a lovely thread to read

First dog I trialed is my 11 year old Vizsla, Flynn. He achieved his CDX and I trained him for UD and although we did a few trials, never did gain a pass. Flynn went through our clubs classes quickly and was in the trialing level at 10 months old. Unfortunately I had a bad experience with the instructor who told me my dog was dominant and had me doing dominance exercises the entire class, that I stopped obedience class and soon discovered agility (so maybe it wasn't unfortunate!). I got back into obedience with Flynn when he was about 2.5 years and he quickly knocked off his CD title. I had failed that far to train Flynn to retrieve so I thought that was it for his obedience career, but some time, patience and a clicker saw him with a solid dumbell retrieve. Then the 'fun' began. It took years for Flynn to gain his CDX as he was 'creative' and we only fit obedience in around agility anyway. Flynn is retired now from all competition. He did his last obedience trial at 10 years old. If obedience was our only, or main focus I like to think we would have got further, but we both enjoy agility more.

We do learn more and more with each dog, but they are all different that even if you've trained 10 dogs before, getting them to top level competition is a fantastic achievement!

[Lablover]

FHRD,

Please tell. What are dominance exercises?

[FHRP]

FHRD,

Please tell. What are dominance exercises?

They were exercises to enforce my dominance over him. I can't really recall exactly what I did, not harsh methods, more things like always turning into him, never lettinghim turn around me etc. We both got fed up with it Oh, and Flynn is not a dominant dog. He is an in your face Vizsla, quite normal

[RubyStar]

Thankyou for the replies, everyone! It was very interesting to read all your stories, and make me feel like my errors are expected!

Huge congrats to those of you who got where they wanted with their first obedience dog, and subsequent of course! But there's always something special about that first dog though, at least for me... I guess that's why I get so disheartened when things don't go according to plan with Ruby. But I'm not a quitter, I won't give up. I'm just dividing my time now between the two of them

[RubyStar]

and to those people in the early days thanks to you guys for rubbishing me and my girl Sheba you made me determine to succeed and work on my problems so thanks to you guys you made me a better trainer than I probably would

So Ruby sorry about how long this was even if you think you have stuffed up dont give up cause you will get there. Another piece of advice which I found in Sheba that she hated CD work all that healing but once we got higher they loved it. So dont give up and good luck with both of your dogs

Wow, good on you for not letting them stop you for going after what you wanted! Congrats I've seem some of your video of Gaby and she is fantastic, so it sounds like you've come a LONG way and have so much to show for it!

Ruby's least favourite exercise is the heelwork. I reckon she'd enjoy trialling so much more if she could give the heeling a miss! She has so far enjoyed the other exercises I've taught her. But in general, she lacks motivation to work on anything, even fun tricks!

If I can offer you words of encouragement - I would say hang in there, try and find a buddy to train with as it does make it easier and you have the guru close by, make the most of it and have lessons on a regular basis as it does wonders for your enthusiasm and frustration

I think I'm going to have to organise another lesson. And if I could find a training buddy, I'd be bugging them to train with me already! But sadly, I can't find anyone

Pfftt RubyStar you got no excuse when you have the guru's living close . Better make sure there is room in that house of yours RS for a couple of black and white dogs cos we might just move on over .

Well you know the spare room is there, so if you ever decide to bite the bullet and just move over, you're training with me!! :D

[RubyStar]

I learnt soo much from him and am thankful that I had a challenging dog to start with as my training and handling has gotten soo much better with each dog after him.

Having had Ruby before Millie has made training Millie seem like a breeze! Ruby learns quicker than Millie, but Millie has the "want-to" that Ruby lacks.

You will always have things you wantt o fix and 'do better' next time, but that's the fun of it in my eyes . If you mastered it after your first dog, where's the fun in that! LOL!

True, very true!! But it would be fun to get there in the end with the first dog, it would be very rewarding, and just aim to get there quicker and in more style with each subsequent dog we train!

Thanks to Mister Scotty I have been trialing since 1995, attended many workshops, read many pages of info to do with dogs and dog training, watched videos and enjoyed every minute of it.

THANKS MY BABY BOY

:D

I was blessed to have a companion that was a helluva better obedience dog than I was trainer - she trained me to CDX level I didn't take obedience any further because I simply lacked the skills and patience.

I wish I had a dog who knew how to train us, but she's as clueless as I am!

CDX with labrador. Taught me not to try to make a silk purse from a cows ear. Wonderful pet. Duck hunting she loved. Low level desire.

Low level desire at times sums up my yellow Lab Her tail wags when we train and she has her "happy face" on, and if I'm working Millie, she whines impatiently waiting for her turn, so I know I'm not asking her to do something she hates. If I was, I would probably just let it be. But I just need to find a way to get her as motivated for work without treats as she is when treats are on hand!

[helen]

Bella was my first (and only) obedience titled dog. We did plenty of training for open too which was great fun but I never had the desire to trial because agility is much more fun for me - I get very nervous and stressed in the obedience ring so don't enjoy it so much. I would probably do more if I wasn't so nervous, maybe next dog I will try again as I may be less nervous after doing so much agility

Edited July 28, 2009 by helen

[Kavik]

Diesel is the first dog that I thought I could really give obedience trialling a go with, as Zoe is dog aggro. So far everyone has gotten further than me with their first dog as we didn't even make it to our first trial

I made several mistakes with Diesel, some at foundation level, and didn't really realise the difference between training for a well mannered pet and training for competition until I had gotten further along. I would have done more motivational work like sends to rewards early on and focus less on control aspects. I was also worried after Zoe and so was a bit too careful with how I handled Diesel. He doesn't have the same get up and go as my other dogs and also has health problems which doesn't help his energy level.

Like a couple of the others I am finding agility a lot more fun than obedience and while I have only had a few passes at agility so far, I am less stressed about competing in agility and not passing, whereas I am still rather terrified about competing in obedience.

[ness]

I don't think I said last night RubyStar but I could have, its also never to late to address the problem you are having - just have a chat to Sandi and Co regarding how Ness worked when I bought her over in 2006 compared with how she worked when I bought her back in 2007 and how she works now - remember she was 6 when I came over in 06 and had a lot of mixed training methods over the time :D . Even the WA judge over for the royal last year (who had been the same judge that had given her her final CDX pass) said she could see she had improved . I was barely getting passes in open - she could do the work competently but was a bit lackluster, mostly due to really shitty heelwork but her scores have improved quite considerably and she is now getting nice heel free scores and pushing 190 score in Open on a semi-regular basis (or making silly mistakes but still getting nice scores).

Now if only I could bribe the UD gods for the coming weekend and start getting some UD passes on the board it would be lovely .

Edited July 28, 2009 by ness

[Tassie]

I started trialling way back in 1991 with my first BC. I was lucky to have a training buddy - but unlucky in that we belonged to a traditional club (pretty much all there was in those days). Sam struggled through Novice (my bad), then breezed through Open - would have got CDX sooner if it hadn't been for the BC thing of dropping out of sit stay. (We were trialling in Victoria one day - 10 dogs in the Open ring - 3 BCs - came out from behind the hide - 3 dogs down - you guessed it - the 3 BCs - I was quite proud that Sam had been the last one to drop - he obviously thought the BC union rule was being applied. .

We competed happily, but largely unsuccessfully, in UD for years - did get one pass, and some very near misses. Our bugbear was scent discrimination - lacking confidence in the ring. Kept going though, as Sam was too big for competition agility under the old height rules - and he enjoyed most of being in the ring. We got zeroed one day for anticipation in directed jumping - he was so keen he headed for the box as soon as the judge said "Are you ready" - and he was 12 at the time :D .

I must say that I'm a lazy trainer, and a rather slack competitor - I trial because I can, rather than aiming for high scores. If titles come along, that's a bonus. I should try and do better with Master Rory - but I don't think this leopard is really going to change her spots at this stage.

My dogs have tracked as well - TD for Sam and Fergus, and TDX so far for Kirra. Kirra's my Masters agility dog - but she doesn't do obedience - she doesn't believe in it.

[ness]

Yep you slackster Tassie better stop slacking and get out there and training Master Rory for something other than is good looks :D .

[leopuppy04]

True, very true!! But it would be fun to get there in the end with the first dog, it would be very rewarding, and just aim to get there quicker and in more style with each subsequent dog we train!

No one said you can't 'get there' in the end But to master it in one go... I don't think that's possible :D. Even the masters haven't mastered it and that's the fun of training and trialing :D

New dogs = new mistakes and new learning

I think you can go further with Ruby - talk to Sandi and co as Ness said and they will be able to help you with your heeling woes

[ness]

Hahaha LP I said to RS go get a lesson with the guru you will come back way more motivated and want to train and then you better shut up about it cos I will be exceedingly jealous :D but hmmm was back off looking for jobs in Perth again yesterday/last night.

Edited July 29, 2009 by ness

[OSoSwift]

I don't think I said last night RubyStar but I could have, its also never to late to address the problem you are having

Definately agree with that one! When I started clicker with my girl, I went back to the start and tried again. If I hadn't got so nervous she would have done much better than she did. We would start heeling, be going okay, then start looking at me like I had three heads! I am sure she was saying, what the hell have I got next to me and where did my normal owner go. Drinking a bottle(okay not quite!) of rescue remedey sometimes helped.

I will never forget being at the Darwin Royal and going for the final leg of my CD - talk about pressure! I had the breeder there, friends as well, there are fighter jets taking off here and there.

The breeder made me a Vodka "to help settle my nerves" Don't know about my nerves, but it blew my socks off! I was worried I wouldn't be able to walk a straight line!

When it got to the stays I was so nervous going into the down stay as we were on a good pass. That was the 3 longest minutes of my life. The dogs were lined up not far from a chain mesh fence. it was night time. Some observers decided to walk up to the fence then hang off it!!!!!! My dog looked at me long and hard, I tried to give calm reassuring eye contact when honestly my kness were knocking. I could hardly breathe. I believe if we had onother minute in that stay I would have passed out! She was always solid on her stays, but I was just stressing out. When return to your dog came, I had to MAKE my legs move. I returned, didn't dare breathe until exercise finished.

We had 3 fighter jets take off during our time in the ring! Thank doG she didn't care

We ended up getting our last pass and went on to get Highest in Trial. Her first two passes she got while check chained trained, we took time off, retrained with Clicker training and went from there.

Oh also she hated the dumbell, due to the way I been shown previously to train her. I finally managed to get her to retrieve a dumbell when she was 4 I think. I had been training all the elements of the exercise, but never put it all together. I was at training one day and thought, she is having a great day, I will see what happens, I threw the dumbell, sent her, she picked it up, returned, sat infront and waited until I asked her to Give it. All perfect. My friend was in tears as was I because she had seen us struggle and my dog shut down completely with the dumbell. I guess what I am saying is -never give uup

Good Luck

[Tassie]

Lovely story, Rommimum - it's amazing how you can hold your breath for 3 minutes, isn't it. I've had judges say "you can breathe now" when someoone's been sitting on a pass :D .

RubyStar - yes, no excuses - you're right there in the centre of the universe as far as dog trainers go . I travelled 5000 kms to visit one of the gurus - and would do again.

Yeah, ness - I know I'm slack - too much going on, trying to do too many things with the dogs - and having to work to support luxuries like visits to gurus.

[JulesP]

Don't worry Tassie, you aren't the only one so busy training that you don't get around to competing :D

[ness]

Hmm I think I nearly passed out during the stays in Perth especially when we got to pass number 3 and I really badly wanted her title. Gawd they were the longest 5 minutes of my life. I am surprised I managed to walk back into the ring as I certainly wasn't breathing :D . Although the Royal show last year would have been about the same and then I came back and she had sat up .

Hmm Jules P not sure Tassie is busy training I think its busy doing other things :D . Ooops figured I better just clairfy too busy working to support her dog habits.

Tassie I keep saying its not fair that those Perth people have all the gurus in one location - I think they should relocate so the rest of us have better access .

Edited July 29, 2009 by ness

[Tassie]

Hmm I think I nearly passed out during the stays in Perth especially when we got to pass number 3 and I really badly wanted her title. Gawd they were the longest 5 minutes of my life. I am surprised I managed to walk back into the ring as I certainly wasn't breathing :D . Although the Royal show last year would have been about the same and then I came back and she had sat up :D .

Hmm Jules P not sure Tassie is busy training I think its busy doing other things :D . Ooops figured I better just clairfy too busy working to support her dog habits.

Tassie I keep saying its not fair that those Perth people have all the gurus in one location - I think they should relocate so the rest of us have better access .

Amen to that, ness.

And yes, Jules - it's because I'm busy competing (agility and tracking with Miss Kirra, and taxiing Rory to shows) that I don't have time to train - oh yes, and the working to support the doggy habits - to pay for things like dog-friendly accommodation, entry fees .........

Of course, there is also the fact that I need a guru to organise me!!

[RubyStar]

Yup, thanks guys! I need to figure out how to go about either re-training or getting some magical help from a guru! My girl knows what to do, it's her motivation to do what she willingly does for bribes that I need to clicker train How do you clicker train motivation? She's such a cow sometimes (in the most loving sense of the word!), where she won't even muck around with me having fun with tricks she's known since a puppy unless there's payment in the form of food or squeaky ball!

Edited July 30, 2009 by RubyStar

[Lablover]

How do you (clicker) train motivation?

Thus my experience with our first labrador. She achieved CDX. At the time I was .....quite.....happy, but after owing a further labrador who at 7 months being in the run off for best in trial, realised .......concentrate on dogs with high innate motivation/drive.

Yet another reason why police etc...require dogs with a strong retrieving drive (and great temperament). Also health!