Training Talk Thread

[RubyStar]

I will be in touch and will organise some training dates in January, while K9 is closed, for our Monday night mob Might even be able to do a wee little bit of agility

Sounds like an invatation to try out my new, red agility pup with some foundation stuff! And a great chance for you to pick on my footwork.

Which red kid are you using?

[RallyValley]

I will be in touch and will organise some training dates in January, while K9 is closed, for our Monday night mob Might even be able to do a wee little bit of agility

Sounds like an invatation to try out my new, red agility pup with some foundation stuff! And a great chance for you to pick on my footwork.

Which red kid are you using?

The youngest.

[ish]

There has been talk recently on a GSD forum I'm on about the CCD class - a few people are saying it was intended as a class to encourage people to trial and its now being used by experienced triallers for 'trophy hunting' The said if you've trialled with a dog past CCD, you shouldn't be able to go back to it - even with a new dog.

What are peoples thoughts on this opinion?

I've titled a dog in novice and another in CCD who is now ready to go on to novice. I had planned on starting my next dog in CCD, and any following dogs after that too. I think the exercises are set at a basic level for dogs as well as their handlers.

[The Spotted Devil]

There has been talk recently on a GSD forum I'm on about the CCD class - a few people are saying it was intended as a class to encourage people to trial and its now being used by experienced triallers for 'trophy hunting' The said if you've trialled with a dog past CCD, you shouldn't be able to go back to it - even with a new dog.

What are peoples thoughts on this opinion?

I've titled a dog in novice and another in CCD who is now ready to go on to novice. I had planned on starting my next dog in CCD, and any following dogs after that too. I think the exercises are set at a basic level for dogs as well as their handlers.

There will always be trophy hunters ish!

I think it depends on the dog and the handler. With dogs that are more difficult to train in obedience (e.g. sighthounds or Dalmatians ) or a young dog that is not quite stable enough for CD or a handler that lacks confidence (no matter how many dogs they've titled) or a handler that is more interested in showing or agility or retrieving, CCD is a great opportunity to trial. With my current pup, I doubt if I'll bother with CCD - she loves training already and I would prefer she did her stays with dogs that are more stable (hopefully!!!) Plus, we'll be busy enough training for retrieving and agility, not to mention training and competing with Zig, without having to find time to enter CCD trials.

ETA: For me, having spent many, many years out of the dog sport world CCD was a huge help in improving my confidence, despite the fact that my old dog had her CDX tittle. Standards and training methods change over the years and it was good to catch up with all that.

Edited December 9, 2010 by The Spotted Devil

[JulesP]

When I go into a trial I am really only interested in the pass. I like to get the highest possible score but not so that I can win but so that my work is good. So I really don't care about trophy hunters. They only get to go in a certain number of times. Competing against good people helps you to lift your game too.

None of the people that placed in the CCD at Croydon were experienced triallers

Trophy hunting type talk can only hinder a sport IMO.

My trial group are only having 1 week off from training so I guess we are fairly nutty

Busy sipping on a rather nice Pinot Gris!

[bedazzledx2]

What's that? Oh wait...I've entered Saturday ;) Oh well...I'll bring drinkies!!!!!

I'm looking forward to the new trialling year also where Millie will debut in Open I had a great training night with Millie on Monday, her Open exercises are just about there! My clever Moo needs to take Ruby aside and teach her how to do a SFE and DOR

I will be in touch and will organise some training dates in January, while K9 is closed, for our Monday night mob ;) Might even be able to do a wee little bit of agility

[bedazzledx2]

We are really lucky in WA in that we can enter NFC (not for competition) so I will most likely use that with my next dog. It give us the chance to see where we're at and what needs working on and the freedom to encourage our dogs without prejudice.

There has been talk recently on a GSD forum I'm on about the CCD class - a few people are saying it was intended as a class to encourage people to trial and its now being used by experienced triallers for 'trophy hunting' The said if you've trialled with a dog past CCD, you shouldn't be able to go back to it - even with a new dog.

What are peoples thoughts on this opinion?

I've titled a dog in novice and another in CCD who is now ready to go on to novice. I had planned on starting my next dog in CCD, and any following dogs after that too. I think the exercises are set at a basic level for dogs as well as their handlers.

[xena98]

Hi Guys

Thought I would give you guys a question that's doing UDX. I was just curious and wondering about your thoughts. I have been training the seek back with decoy. I am being slack in the training department so she hasnt been over trained at all most probably not trained enough. It's usually a once a week if that or once a fortnight and than it's usually doing only one or two exercises. At the moment we are doing the seek back and playing or if we are doing the two exercises it could be the send aways or the retrieves that she loves doing.

The seek back had been going great guns with the amount of work that we were doing and than we suddenly had the "oh must pick up any article that I would find" when we were actually sniffing out both articles. I went back to having it closer so it became the scent discrimination and I also had the decoy tied down but it has been getting worse and than goes good and it's like yep she's got it and than it's gone again. Anyway now its here is mums but I'm not going to pick it up because I would rather have the decoy. She will indicated it walks over it sniffs it but wont pick it up. Anyway tonight decided I had enough and I'm going to change my article and have used the wooden article and she is doing like she has been taught.

Any thoughts on this? I'm totally confused always got told by people to use the metal. and with the other dog I had been through leather metal and wood finding metal was really good

[Ptolomy]

Ish - from my point of view I consider myself a very experienced handler - however - my dog is very very inexperienced and for that reason it shouldn't be penalised by not being allowed to enter CCD. I always seem to have issues with SFE and I would much rather work through this at a CCD level than entering them in novice. My last dog didn't actually get her CCD title - I entered her in three trials and she failed the last one. I had already entered her in novice for the next trial so we never got our third leg.

Now if people ask me which level they should enter at - novice or CCD - I always say CCD - do at least one trial at this level - allows you to iron out any problems and to make it a pleasant experience while the dog is on lead.

Interesting we have had discussions on a WA list about the standard of CCD now being so low and some people wanting to make it even easier to try and encourage people to go from club level to trialling level. This I don't agree with.

[RubyStar]

I'm only 2 trialling dogs in, and still very inexperienced, but I will always do CCD. There is no rush to go straight to Novice, and it isn't demonstrating you are still a novice trainer if you do CCD. Just because it isn't your first time in the ring, it still is the dog's first time! I can't imagine going straight to Novice, getting 3 passes and all of a sudden you are competing in Open! The dog needs more ring experience before Open IMO.

One thing I would love to see is the Open class split. Like Open A (for those who don't have their CDX title) and Open B (for those who do). Isn't this how it works in the US?

Edited December 10, 2010 by RubyStar

[Ptolomy]

Hi Guys

Thought I would give you guys a question that's doing UDX. I was just curious and wondering about your thoughts. I have been training the seek back with decoy. I am being slack in the training department so she hasnt been over trained at all most probably not trained enough. It's usually a once a week if that or once a fortnight and than it's usually doing only one or two exercises. At the moment we are doing the seek back and playing or if we are doing the two exercises it could be the send aways or the retrieves that she loves doing.

The seek back had been going great guns with the amount of work that we were doing and than we suddenly had the "oh must pick up any article that I would find" when we were actually sniffing out both articles. I went back to having it closer so it became the scent discrimination and I also had the decoy tied down but it has been getting worse and than goes good and it's like yep she's got it and than it's gone again. Anyway now its here is mums but I'm not going to pick it up because I would rather have the decoy. She will indicated it walks over it sniffs it but wont pick it up. Anyway tonight decided I had enough and I'm going to change my article and have used the wooden article and she is doing like she has been taught.

Any thoughts on this? I'm totally confused always got told by people to use the metal. and with the other dog I had been through leather metal and wood finding metal was really good

Hey Xena98 - haven't had this issue YET - it must be one of the things I have to look forward to since Bedazzled and I seem to be hitting the same hurdles with each exercise - just at different times.

My only comment and something Bedazzled and I were taking about on Wednesday is that our boys need to do something UDX wise every day - if we miss 2 days and revisit the exercise its like they have no idea. Think this is a boy thing though. So for now Scoota is doing more training than he has in the last 5 years and his waistline or lack of is proof

[Ptolomy]

One thing I would love to see is the Open class split. Like Open A (for those who don't have their CDX title) and Open B (for those who do). Isn't this how it works in the US?

I am in favour of this too Rubystar

[RubyStar]

One thing I would love to see is the Open class split. Like Open A (for those who don't have their CDX title) and Open B (for those who do). Isn't this how it works in the US?

I am in favour of this too Rubystar

Any idea if it was ever proposed during the Rules review?

I'm really surprised it's not already in existence.

[RubyStar]

What's that? Oh wait...I've entered Saturday Oh well...I'll bring drinkies!!!!!

I'll most definitely need drinkies, cos I'm entered too!

[xena98]

Hi Guys

In SA we used to have open B (non titled) and open A (titled) but it has basically stopped as we dont get that many competitiors like the old days. Some clubs did do it but open A judge got 5 competitors and open B judge got 45. So I would say they stopped to make it fairer on the judges to judge say 20 each instead of one doint 30 and the other 10. I mights add we dont have that many doing open anyway with only about 20 odd now doing it. Lot of people who have there CDX title dont do open whilst they are training or whilst they are doing ud

[xena98]

Hi Guys

Thought I would give you guys a question that's doing UDX. I was just curious and wondering about your thoughts. I have been training the seek back with decoy. I am being slack in the training department so she hasnt been over trained at all most probably not trained enough. It's usually a once a week if that or once a fortnight and than it's usually doing only one or two exercises. At the moment we are doing the seek back and playing or if we are doing the two exercises it could be the send aways or the retrieves that she loves doing.

The seek back had been going great guns with the amount of work that we were doing and than we suddenly had the "oh must pick up any article that I would find" when we were actually sniffing out both articles. I went back to having it closer so it became the scent discrimination and I also had the decoy tied down but it has been getting worse and than goes good and it's like yep she's got it and than it's gone again. Anyway now its here is mums but I'm not going to pick it up because I would rather have the decoy. She will indicated it walks over it sniffs it but wont pick it up. Anyway tonight decided I had enough and I'm going to change my article and have used the wooden article and she is doing like she has been taught.

Any thoughts on this? I'm totally confused always got told by people to use the metal. and with the other dog I had been through leather metal and wood finding metal was really good

Hey Xena98 - haven't had this issue YET - it must be one of the things I have to look forward to since Bedazzled and I seem to be hitting the same hurdles with each exercise - just at different times.

My only comment and something Bedazzled and I were taking about on Wednesday is that our boys need to do something UDX wise every day - if we miss 2 days and revisit the exercise its like they have no idea. Think this is a boy thing though. So for now Scoota is doing more training than he has in the last 5 years and his waistline or lack of is proof

I also had this with Xena but this problem had surfaced after 18 months of trialing and doing it and it was a particular trial and the judge put it in a stupid spot something to do with the wind and placement and all 3 of us that competed that day had seekback problems that haunted us. We never had a problem before though. So I just presumed that was that but now it has come to haunt me again

[ness]

Just in addition to what xena said some of the clubs still do informally have an Open A and Open B from what I have noticed even if its not listed. I notice some of the time there is all the "Open B" dogs in the one ring and titled dogs just used to make up the balance in terms of numbers. But then also most of the clubs here in SA have that option because there are always 2 open rings.

Judging by the number of dogs competing in Novice they just about need to go back to putting on 2 Novice rings as well - feel sorry for some of the judges having to be there for ages because there is only 1 ring and more dogs then some of the other classes.

[Ptolomy]

Rubystar in WA the classes are split by when the dogs are born - January for the dogs born in the first half of the year and July for those born in the second half and like Xena98 said - the judges still end up with an uneven split.

You will notice tonights trial has been split but most nowdays aren't due to the lower numbers.

[RubyStar]

Judging by the number of dogs competing in Novice they just about need to go back to putting on 2 Novice rings as well - feel sorry for some of the judges having to be there for ages because there is only 1 ring and more dogs then some of the other classes.

I don't know if it has changed recently but the Novice rings here seem to be the smallest class!! Usually the Novice judge has it easy bedazzledx2 is judging Novice tonight, so let's see if she gets away from judging duties quickly so she can come get drunk with us

Rubystar in WA the classes are split by when the dogs are born - January for the dogs born in the first half of the year and July for those born in the second half and like Xena98 said - the judges still end up with an uneven split.

You will notice tonights trial has been split but most nowdays aren't due to the lower numbers.

Yep I have noticed that but you still have titled dogs up against untitled ones

[ness]

Not sure if its the same in WA but the last two SA trials seem to have had a huge influx of Novice entries. Often novice is the last class left standing.

Just by way of example the last trial for the year here had 36 Novice dogs entered. Another trial had 29 Novice dogs but that was split into 2 rings. Another trial had 30 Novice Dogs - 1 ring.

They are just three trials I can find the catalogues for on the laptop in my quick hunt for numbers.