dragonwoman Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Thank you for the replies especially re figures of eight. When I trialed before I did not find other trialers at all supportive. I thought they were cliquey which is one of the reasons why I did not enjoy it. Perhaps I came across as unfriendly though because I was so stressed out. I have been checking out calendars for future trials here where I live and there are not many. About 4-5 to the end of this year. That is a lot of waiting around for that third pass. :) I have not decided which way I will go yet. I know she could title quite easily (she is such a good heeler) but she could also learn lots of tricks and maybe that would be more enjoyable. Why not think of the trial exercises as tricks too............."For our next trick......the recall!!" Blow everybody else, it's just you against the rule book!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Thank you for the replies especially re figures of eight. When I trialed before I did not find other trialers at all supportive. I thought they were cliquey which is one of the reasons why I did not enjoy it. Perhaps I came across as unfriendly though because I was so stressed out. I have been checking out calendars for future trials here where I live and there are not many. About 4-5 to the end of this year. That is a lot of waiting around for that third pass. :) I have not decided which way I will go yet. I know she could title quite easily (she is such a good heeler) but she could also learn lots of tricks and maybe that would be more enjoyable. Why not think of the trial exercises as tricks too............."For our next trick......the recall!!" Blow everybody else, it's just you against the rule book!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Thank you for the replies especially re figures of eight. When I trialed before I did not find other trialers at all supportive. I thought they were cliquey which is one of the reasons why I did not enjoy it. Perhaps I came across as unfriendly though because I was so stressed out. I have been checking out calendars for future trials here where I live and there are not many. About 4-5 to the end of this year. That is a lot of waiting around for that third pass. :) I have not decided which way I will go yet. I know she could title quite easily (she is such a good heeler) but she could also learn lots of tricks and maybe that would be more enjoyable. Why not think of the trial exercises as tricks too............."For our next trick......the recall!!" Blow everybody else, it's just you against the rule book!! Couldn't agree more. It's definitely not either/or. The more I learn about training, the more I understand that it's all about having fun with your dog, and building up confidence in both dog and handler. Oh, and I do sympathise with your discomfort at cliqueyness ... it's in many places, and it's unpleasant. But if you can, try to spot some like minded, supportive people, and focus on having a good day with your dog. And if I can give another piece of advice .. try not to concentrate on the pass that you want. Focus instead on showcasing your dog's strengths in each exercise, and celebrate the great work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 There are some less traditional dog sports around these days that don't have that intense competitive nature, or the time sinks from waiting around so much. You can title your dog in tricks by submitting videos (Kyra Sundance's Trick Dog). There is dog parkour, now, which you can also get titles in by submitting videos. If you like to test your training but don't like everyone else watching it, that is one way of doing it. There is also nose work and tracking, which are not quite as intense. I love to train, but have next to no interest in trialling. Sometimes people seem to think that makes me less of a dog owner, or it means I don't know that much about training. *shrug* Good thing I don't live my life to please them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 I like trialling as a test of training. I like the challenge of needing your dog to switch on and work under pressure, I think a good obedience round done well looks like magic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 (edited) Running agility is fun! What a buzz when it all goes well! A great social aspect as well, catching up with friends, walking and analysing courses and deciding how to tackle them, watching some truly spectacular runs (as well as those that didn't go quite to plan!) and congratulating (or commiserating) with each other afterwards. Really looking forward to getting out in the ring again with my youngster! Missing it already lol. Edited February 23, 2016 by Kavik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverStar-Aura Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 (edited) I'm only fairly new to the trialling scene but I love it because it's fun!! It's also fantastic spending the day with likeminded people who shared in my love of dogs -- I could literally spend forever talking to other agility people. The seasoned competitors are a wealth of knowledge and helpfulness and I just love talking about dogs and meeting all the different breeds. I've also started conformation showing this year and it's just awesome seeing other dogs of my breeds, talking to other owners of my breeds and just learning about the many breeds that are out there. My last show I learned a bucketload about Afghans because I did nothing but congratulate an owner who'd just won a major award. I love congratulating everyone and making new aquaintences. The dog world can just be an amazing and awesome thing to be a part of!! Edit: meeting DOLers through competing has been awesome too. Meeting Kavik and Huski have been highlights!! Edited February 23, 2016 by RiverStar-Aura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbedWire Posted February 24, 2016 Author Share Posted February 24, 2016 Thanks for the replies. Just an update. She has started in her new class and it is all falling apart. She doesn't want to heel any more and is so unhappy which makes me unhappy. I am not sure if it is something to do with the ground. Before class other dogs exercise there and they do lots of poohs and wees. The former is hopefully cleaned up but there was some there today that had not been cleaned up. I also suspect she might find the grass spiky. I usually work her on asphalt and she goes beautifully on that. She is a very small dog (toy poodle cross pug) and the other dogs are all bigger and I think she finds them overwhelming especially when they come too close to her. Today she was tied up while I was being a post and a BC came right up to her and she looked almost panicky. So in short if she is finding it stressful I am not happy and I have no reason to continue. However I will continue to train her at home just for me and just for fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Thanks for the replies. Just an update. She has started in her new class and it is all falling apart. She doesn't want to heel any more and is so unhappy which makes me unhappy. I am not sure if it is something to do with the ground. Before class other dogs exercise there and they do lots of poohs and wees. The former is hopefully cleaned up but there was some there today that had not been cleaned up. I also suspect she might find the grass spiky. I usually work her on asphalt and she goes beautifully on that. She is a very small dog (toy poodle cross pug) and the other dogs are all bigger and I think she finds them overwhelming especially when they come too close to her. Today she was tied up while I was being a post and a BC came right up to her and she looked almost panicky. So in short if she is finding it stressful I am not happy and I have no reason to continue. However I will continue to train her at home just for me and just for fun. Asking this very gently and you don't have to reply. Is the dog unhappy because you are unhappy? Are you feeling the pressure of being in a pre-trial class? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbedWire Posted February 24, 2016 Author Share Posted February 24, 2016 Thanks for the replies. Just an update. She has started in her new class and it is all falling apart. She doesn't want to heel any more and is so unhappy which makes me unhappy. I am not sure if it is something to do with the ground. Before class other dogs exercise there and they do lots of poohs and wees. The former is hopefully cleaned up but there was some there today that had not been cleaned up. I also suspect she might find the grass spiky. I usually work her on asphalt and she goes beautifully on that. She is a very small dog (toy poodle cross pug) and the other dogs are all bigger and I think she finds them overwhelming especially when they come too close to her. Today she was tied up while I was being a post and a BC came right up to her and she looked almost panicky. So in short if she is finding it stressful I am not happy and I have no reason to continue. However I will continue to train her at home just for me and just for fun. Asking this very gently and you don't have to reply. Is the dog unhappy because you are unhappy? Are you feeling the pressure of being in a pre-trial class? I had not thought of that but you may be partly right as you often are. :) Yes I am nervous going down there. I know that when I first get out of my car, but it's not because it is a pre-trial class. I am not feeling any pressure performance wise because I have done it all before and from what I can see she is the best in this class too. I would love a class where people just have fun and laugh and are friendly. I do lack motivation as well. Because I have already done it, I can't see any point in doing it again. I want a happy dog. She is still a pup who likes to play. I want it to be fun for her. Maybe she is picking up on me but maybe not because she was happy in the earlier classes and I was nervous then too. Maybe it is just my personality and my life experience. I guess I want to be happy too, and maybe doing obedience trialling again is not the way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 If I am in any sort of 'mood' my dogs really pick up on it and everything turns to crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 True ... and I would add, that as a broad generalisation, many obedience clubs are not the best place to train a trial obedience dog. I have taken my dogs in classes, but mainly just to get them used to doing a little bit of work in a distracting environment .. but I dip in and out of class, and do bits and pieces on the fringes. I certainly wouldn't be putting my dogs in a situation where they could be worried by dogs coming near them when they're tied up. Not sure where you are, but a better situation is if you could get together with a small group of like minded trainers (or even one) and you and your little dog could have fun doing lots of play training. The sort of thing that clubs are generally not so good at doing .. partly because it doesn't really fit in with the big class structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbedWire Posted February 25, 2016 Author Share Posted February 25, 2016 Tassie that is such a useful response. I don't need to attend classes because I know what I am doing. I want her to do ten metres of accurate spot on heeling rather than fifty metres of lagging and looking around. The class I was in the other day had five dogs. Heeling was done as a group which I know saves time but I think it is bad for the dogs. I especially can never cope with it because I have a hearing issue and I so hate it and it makes me stressed which my dog may be picking up on. Even in the trialling ring where it is done individually I don't like it unless I know what the pattern will be because then I can get my dog to show off what she can do. Sometimes I think heeling is testing the handler's obedience not the dog's because for anything to happen the handler has to obey the judge's orders first. I am sort of tempted to register her, and enter trials without the club's sayso. I will probably then be ostracized completely though. I think I will call her Beatrix Mary. I think that sounds princessy. :) Thinking! Thinking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Tassie that is such a useful response. I don't need to attend classes because I know what I am doing. I want her to do ten metres of accurate spot on heeling rather than fifty metres of lagging and looking around. The class I was in the other day had five dogs. Heeling was done as a group which I know saves time but I think it is bad for the dogs. I especially can never cope with it because I have a hearing issue and I so hate it and it makes me stressed which my dog may be picking up on. Even in the trialling ring where it is done individually I don't like it unless I know what the pattern will be because then I can get my dog to show off what she can do. Sometimes I think heeling is testing the handler's obedience not the dog's because for anything to happen the handler has to obey the judge's orders first. I am sort of tempted to register her, and enter trials without the club's sayso. I will probably then be ostracized completely though. I think I will call her Beatrix Mary. I think that sounds princessy. :) Thinking! Thinking! Sars - I do the vast majority of my training and proofing away from clubs (obedience 100%, agility - private small group run classes only, retrieving 100%). I have my own ideas about how I want to do stuff. I can set up distractions, rewards etc and can squeeze in short snappy sessions around a busy day...last night I did some shaping....videoed it start to finish....9 minutes and 3 dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 (edited) Tassie that is such a useful response. I don't need to attend classes because I know what I am doing. I want her to do ten metres of accurate spot on heeling rather than fifty metres of lagging and looking around. The class I was in the other day had five dogs. Heeling was done as a group which I know saves time but I think it is bad for the dogs. I especially can never cope with it because I have a hearing issue and I so hate it and it makes me stressed which my dog may be picking up on. Even in the trialling ring where it is done individually I don't like it unless I know what the pattern will be because then I can get my dog to show off what she can do. Sometimes I think heeling is testing the handler's obedience not the dog's because for anything to happen the handler has to obey the judge's orders first. I am sort of tempted to register her, and enter trials without the club's sayso. I will probably then be ostracized completely though. I think I will call her Beatrix Mary. I think that sounds princessy. :) Thinking! Thinking! Have you given Rally O a try? You don't need to listen to judges instructions, you can read the signs, plus you get to walk the course before hand so you can look at the signs so you aren't seeing them for the first time when you first walk in with your dog (like how in agility you walk to course first). Perhaps you can find a club that has Rally O classes? Edited February 25, 2016 by LisaCC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Good suggestion, LisaCC. It's a chance to showcase your dog's work in shorter bursts, and without the stress of listening to the judge. And because different things are happening at each station, it's easier to keep the dog engaged. And .... not only can you talk to your dog, you're encouraged to :D . My agility girl (retired) never did like obedience .. my bad training .. but she quite likes Rally O ... thinks it's some perverted form of agility, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Not that you actually have to trial at that either :laugh: Both my dogs are working at Masters level now, still working on that walking spin! But they already did all the distance stuff. I just rock up to class each week and do run throughs. Out of all the things I've competed in I think herding was the most enjoyable. That might have been because I went through the levels with a great bunch of people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 :laugh: JulesP .. you're right ... can have lots of fun without trialling .. and the supportive and encouraging group of friends makes a HUGE difference (and the converse .. a bunch of "joy-suckers" and unsportsmanlike people can ruin something. The spin at heel one was something my guys knew already, since they do it in DWD. Just needed to tidy it up a little bit. It's the bunch of similar signs that are doing my head in .. we can do all of them .. but will I cue the right one by the time I've walked 3 metres away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 [quThe spin at heel one was something my guys knew already, since they do it in DWD. Just needed to tidy it up a little bit. It's the bunch of similar signs that are doing my head in .. we can do all of them .. but will I cue the right one by the time I've walked 3 metres away ote] I jinxed myself! So which exercise did my Rory decide he couldn't do in today's first go at Masters Rally .. yep .. the spin at heel .. his party piece. 2 retries in the morning trial .. cost us lots .. and my uncertainty I think was part of the issue in less than stellar performance of other signs. He did pass in the morning, but in the afternoon I pulled him out, as I wasn't happy with the standard of work from either of us. On the other hand, by agility girl Kirra who had her 14th birthday yesterday, managed to do the spin at heel with no problems .. of course on the course as a whole, she wasn't precise enough, but she did manage to get through to the end both rounds, which is a little bit more than I expected.. She was really only in to support the club with an entry, and for her to have a bit of fun .. small trial, so not holding anyone up. So .. back to the drawing board to try to fix the problems before next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Oh dear :laugh: I had spin in again today. Didn't bother with Poppy but Amber seems to think it is fun. Had a funny thing with Poppy though. My club is using round can lid type things to mark the distance for the distance signs. On the first recall today Poppy did a lovely touch/target on the marker The recall to heel is fun but I hope judges are nice and put the next sign at a decent distance as it is easy to run out of space! See lots of fun had just training! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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