poodlefan Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 So would you expect exactly the same performance in a trial as you got in training? Or would you allow some leeway? Just ignore me if I'm being annoying Me personally? No, because I'm not the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 So essentially we are on the same page then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 3. SMILE. Its actually impossible to tense your neck and shoulders when you're smiling. I'm sure a few judges wondered why I thought I was in a beauty pagent parade but it helped my dog. I'm sorry but this made me laugh so hard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 So essentially we are on the same page then? If you agree that as handlers we need to do more than simply expect our dogs to cope with our nerves, yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 (edited) 3. SMILE. Its actually impossible to tense your neck and shoulders when you're smiling. I'm sure a few judges wondered why I thought I was in a beauty pagent parade but it helped my dog. I'm sorry but this made me laugh so hard Pity I can't spell pageant. Oh and try it.. its true! Edited June 23, 2011 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 If we are talking enthusiasm my youngster trials with the same level of enthusiasm as I would get from her in training, her work isn't perfect and a tad messy, but there would be no difference in her ring performance, she is working to the same standard she does at training. However she is also one of these dogs that whenever you ask her to do anything she throws 100% of herself into it. I do know I spent lots of time when she was younger asking for tricks and reinforcing her with whatever I had on me and put a lot of effort into having her enjoy just playing. She doesn't care what might be available for a reinforcer - if I am there then there is potential for something exciting to happen. I can pick up a blade of grass or a twig and get the same reaction I get if I had a ball or a tug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonElite Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 1. Drink heavily Seriously, something like rescue remedy is good, for YOU Seriously - I used to get like this in the show ring. It took me about 2 years to gain confidence and be realtivelly relaxed to show my dog and know I wont stuff everything up. I havent shown for a while and did at Easter and walked in with a baby pyppy and totally freaked out!!! Won a class so had to go later for oposites (it was a specialty) so had time and had about 3 glasses of Champagne. I was all good the second time around So yeas perhaps I should put some vodka to my morning tea that I usually drink in the car on the way to the trial ;) Thing is that I know all these things PF, I just cant apply them to myself!! So frustrating!!! I am not kidding but I get less stressed going for a job interview, how sad am I........ I seriously would give Divani to someone to take her in the ring for me to trail, havent found a volourteer as yet, anyone here maybe???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 3. SMILE. Its actually impossible to tense your neck and shoulders when you're smiling. I'm sure a few judges wondered why I thought I was in a beauty pagent parade but it helped my dog. I'm sorry but this made me laugh so hard Pity I can't spell pageant. Oh and try it.. its true! I'm usually a ball of nerves, and my dogs do feel it. If they are lagging, I know I am giving out very bad vibes. One judge made me laugh and smile at the start peg. We took off me still smiling, and I had an increase of heelwork performance with my dog Now I just need to remind myself to relax and smile and things might go a bit smoother than the hit and miss I currently suffer with them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I'm usually a ball of nerves, and my dogs do feel it. If they are lagging, I know I am giving out very bad vibes. One judge made me laugh and smile at the start peg. We took off me still smiling, and I had an increase of heelwork performance with my dog Now I just need to remind myself to relax and smile and things might go a bit smoother than the hit and miss I currently suffer with them! Next time think about me ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 The way I think of it - training should be much harder than what you do in the trial ring. So the trial elements seem relatively easy. You still have to pay attention to what you're doing now, and not stuff it up because you're thinking ahead about what you're going to do next instead of what you're doing now. So if I can't get it right in training, I think that trialing would be a waste of time. If training is seeming relatively easy - then it's time to give trialing a go ie to up the challenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inevitablue Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 (edited) Lots of fun mock trials with no pressure. Dog learns that reinforcers can and do randomly appear in the ring, which leads onto one less thing for the handler to worry about 'oh no, he's going to work out I have no food' Mock trials so the handler can practice the serious trial voice I know I'm guilty of! I'm sure I used to try and compensate for the fact that I knew I couldn't use reinforcers in the ring by changing the tone of my voice to convey the message 'you HAVE to do this'. I was subconsciously trying to make my dog do it, cause I couldn't entice him with reinforcers. "Heel" with deathly overtones, or "Heel" with a pretend happy voice that my dog must have picked up on the nervous/ unsure undertones. EDIT: I'm sure this question is relevant. Mock trials are hard to organize, but if a small group of DOL in Sydney wanted to help each other out and meet at EP one day to do some mock trials can we do that? Can anyone use the grounds (if not booked) to train on? I'd be super keen. Edited June 23, 2011 by Inevitablue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayreovi Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 1. Drink heavily Seriously, something like rescue remedy is good, for YOU 2. Change your goals. If showing your dog a good time in the ring is more important than a pass, it changes your attitude. 3. SMILE. Its actually impossible to tense your neck and shoulders when you're smiling. I'm sure a few judges wondered why I thought I was in a beauty pagent parade but it helped my dog. 4. Resist the urge to look left and down to check your dog's position.. doing it will almost inevitably push the dog off a close heel position. Get someone to watch you or heel so you can see the dog's shadow easily. 5. Up the fun factor in training. Heel work can be made into a modified game of chasey with the dog rewarded for holding that position as you mix up paces and direction. 6. As someone's said, be bright and bouncy. Normal pace should be brisk, not a funeral procession. Slow pace should be about normal walking pace (but with longer steps) and fast pace a good run. Mock trials are good if you can find them too but a good sports psychology book/trainer is probably as important as training the dog. You have to visualise success, not failure and work towards it. Have to remember this for Saturday, I have my first trial in years and am extremely nervous!! Point 2 is my actual reason for entering and too see how we go with me nervous, can't drink as the amount required for me to get a buzz won't allow me to drive so that's no good......have rescue remedy ready to go and have to remember to smile :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisart Dobes Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Haven't read all of this thread so I may be repeating something already said but . . . Once my dogs have learnt the individual exercises they then work for their 'bikkas' at the end of a run through. I have their treat in their container in my obed bag and they are shown that it is there. Their reinforcement in between exercises are verbal reward & reminder - ie "good dog, get bikkas for that". They know they will get them at the end - Yep I have Pavlov's dogs . & a tip given to me years ago was a shot of vodka w a shot of raspberry cordial - works a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparty Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Haven't read all of this thread so I may be repeating something already said but . . . Once my dogs have learnt the individual exercises they then work for their 'bikkas' at the end of a run through. I have their treat in their container in my obed bag and they are shown that it is there. Their reinforcement in between exercises are verbal reward & reminder - ie "good dog, get bikkas for that". They know they will get them at the end - Yep I have Pavlov's dogs . & a tip given to me years ago was a shot of vodka w a shot of raspberry cordial - works a treat. Roflol wouldnt want to be trialling more than one dog .. or be doing a double trial in one day haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 MonElite, I would happily trial your girl if I was closer, got a CDX with my Dobe bitch Um be really short on sleep, not care about the outcome. I am normally super nervous, badly so. Last weekend I did an ET with Lewis and had a trial the next day. I really didn't care if he passed the trial the next day, the ET was my main focus. He passed quite well and even though he was tired and did miss a few things we did alright. I was that tired after 750kms travel, next day a 5.30am start and an ET trial, a late night that night then a 6am start for the trial that I didn't have the energy to care! I also now trial two dogs and if one fails it is not necessarily a wasted trip so that helps as my closest trials are 475kms away, so always a lot of time and money involved before we even hit the trial ring. My next weekend away I am showing two dogs, trialing two, have double agility and jumping trials with two Me thinks we need to get some more biking happening! I'll be too tired to care much there as well so that will help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonElite Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 (edited) Im happy to report that Poodlefans advice worked. I went to a trail on Sunday with Divani. She knows all the excercises and can do them ok but in the ring she is shocking, and its mainly due to me. In no way I will say she is a well trained dog but she should get CD title. In the ring every time I trialed she lagged behind me and wondered off in fig 8 sniffing people. Yesterday I played with her outside the ring, she got very interested in me. When I stood at the start peg I made myself smile. Judge started the heeling with fast pace, which I think helped. And she heeled nicely, prancing and looking up at me. She made errors but her attitude was 1000 better then before. We got to do all the excercises in the ring (including stays), there is no pass as she got up when I left her on the sit stay for the recall, but I was stocked with the performance. If it wasnt for the breaking of the sit stay I probably would ahve had one of the top scores in the ring too! When I walked out from the ring I said to my friends - thanks to PF I smiled and look at the result! Next time I might do the vodka and a smile ;) Edited June 27, 2011 by MonElite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Great to hear MonElite. Now you know you can do it, think of PF and go out there and get that CD title Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Great to hear MonElite. Now you know you can do it, think of PF and go out there and get that CD title Congratulations! PF needs to pull her finger out and get her own CD title.. on Howie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Great to hear MonElite. Now you know you can do it, think of PF and go out there and get that CD title Congratulations! PF needs to pull her finger out and get her own CD title.. on Howie! Um Yes PF - come on, you can do it If I can with two Whippets you can with Howie, Howie will be great How cool More Whippets with obedience titles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Nice one MonElite! :D I, too, have been working on my handling skills, nerves, randomising treats/jackpots and generally making training fun. We did a Novice trial on the weekend and although I was pretty nervous going in, I made a conscious effort to enjoy my time in the ring and have fun with my dog. I am happy to say that she worked with beautiful enthusiasm! I made sure she got lots of praise and play in between exercises and going back to the start peg (even though the judge had a chuckle at her spins and touches and jumps). And she knew damn well that there was a container of smelly sardines waiting just outside the ring for her ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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