Training for stays

[DogsAndTheMob]

I used to wonder why people had difficulty training for the group stays in obedience. My dogs loved the stays; the stays were an opportunity for them to relax and watch the world go by. Then I had a dog who was anxious in the stays... and another one... and another one.

 

i’ve finally realised what has changed. I grew up in a dog training household, which meant my dogs learnt the stays alongside older, more experienced, more confident members of the pack. The older dogs were relaxed, so they learnt to relax. Now, I train by myself, or occasionally in mixed classes of inexperienced, restless dogs that my dog doesn’t know. This ramps up my dog’s anxiety.

 

Now that I know what the problem is, I can fix it. I just need to be patient. Maturity will help, too. My current dog is still very young.

 

I believe that some overseas training groups hold stay classes, where dogs work at their level of confidence, alongside other dogs at the same level. I would to see our local clubs do this. The best heeling dog in the Novice competition class may not have the confidence for relaxed distance stays, but the sluggish heeler in first class may have the confidence for out of sight stays, and the maturity to imbue other dogs with the same confidence. 

 

I’d also like to appeal to would-be triallers. If your dog is breaking its stays, don’t put it into the group stays at an obedience trial, in the hope that you might “fluke a pass”. This is unfair to your dog, because  you can’t offer the reassurance that your dog needs. It’s also unfair to the other dogs in the class, who are likely to pick up on your dog’s anxiety and become anxious as well.

[BarbedWire]

18 minutes ago, DogsAndTheMob said:

I used to wonder why people had difficulty training for the group stays in obedience. My dogs loved the stays; the stays were an opportunity for them to relax and watch the world go by. Then I had a dog who was anxious in the stays... and another one... and another one.

 

i’ve finally realised what has changed. I grew up in a dog training household, which meant my dogs learnt the stays alongside older, more experienced, more confident members of the pack. The older dogs were relaxed, so they learnt to relax. Now, I train by myself, or occasionally in mixed classes of inexperienced, restless dogs that my dog doesn’t know. This ramps up my dog’s anxiety.

 

Now that I know what the problem is, I can fix it. I just need to be patient. Maturity will help, too. My current dog is still very young.

 

I believe that some overseas training groups hold stay classes, where dogs work at their level of confidence, alongside other dogs at the same level. I would to see our local clubs do this. The best heeling dog in the Novice competition class may not have the confidence for relaxed distance stays, but the sluggish heeler in first class may have the confidence for out of sight stays, and the maturity to imbue other dogs with the same confidence. 

 

I’d also like to appeal to would-be triallers. If your dog is breaking its stays, don’t put it into the group stays at an obedience trial, in the hope that you might “fluke a pass”. This is unfair to your dog, because  you can’t offer the reassurance that your dog needs. It’s also unfair to the other dogs in the class, who are likely to pick up on your dog’s anxiety and become anxious as well.

I agree with this. My dogs always had excellent stays and I did put the younger ones alongside the older ones as part of their training,  but my last dog's stay with the handler out of sight was ruined when another handler in the class used to rush back in and correct her dog several times. It made my dog anxious or let's be real, possibly it was my annoyance with her that made my dog anxious.

I do agree DATM. In training it is important not to set dogs up to fail. If your dog is not ready don't enter it in a trial.

[Two Best Dogs!]

this is why T1 will never go far in obedience. The group stays are my nightmare...because if one dog starts acting funny (a small SWF rolling about barking in a group stay a few months back comes to mind, i took T1 and myself away rather than risk THAT) or if another breaks and comes up to her (a handful of times! one quiet alarming with lots of posturing from both) then she will break too and thus fail. but if they don't break she won't break.

 

The structured SFE we can work on, very predictable and improving...but group stays...I have to trust the other dogs will stay and I just cannot, and I get so anxious.

 

It does bum me out something horribly though. She could be so good, but I cannot control other dogs so it is better that we do not :'( 

 

T2 is pretty good at group stays. I chalk it up to T1's guidance, but without T1's nerves. He did a group drop stay with the most dissatisfied look on his face as a poodle broke and went right up his ass for a sniff.  no way Thistle could handle that, short of a fluke.

[DogsAndTheMob]

12 minutes ago, Thistle the dog said:

this is why T1 will never go far in obedience. The group stays are my nightmare...because if one dog starts acting funny (a small SWF rolling about barking in a group stay a few months back comes to mind, i took T1 and myself away rather than risk THAT) or if another breaks and comes up to her (a handful of times! one quiet alarming with lots of posturing from both) then she will break too and thus fail. but if they don't break she won't break.

 

I have heard a rumour that the group stays may be dropped in the next rule revision, which seems to be the trend internationally.

 

In a way it’s a shame. Taught well, the group stays are a useful part of a dog’s education, but a few people ruin it for everybody.

[Tassie]

@Thistle the dog .. that's one of the benefits of having Rally O .. especially now the Honour exercise has gone.   Just you and the dog having fun .. and you can talk to them  .