Obedience Trialling

[Dogs4Fun]

What about licking the examiner madly on the stand for exam This is likely what Diesel will do, he is such a dag!

One of my Cairns licked a judge thoughly (arms, hands and I think a bit of shoe) during stand for exam in an Open trial but didn't move a foot, so got a good score for the exercise. Well he wasn't showing shyness, fear or aggression was he!! Judge and I were giggling hysterically.

Yep, that's what my friend whos an obedience judge always says to me - right after she's stirred Jonty up into a slobbering hysterical mess when she's doing a stand for exam - "he only has to keep one foot in the same spot to get a qualifying score!"

No my guy kept all 4 feet planted, but his head and tongue followed the judge everywhere. Boy did he LOVE her!

[Tassie]

Just in case the OP missed it - I think it's worth repeating the advice about making sure before you enter a trial, that your dog is stable in a stay line with unknown dogs. The distance is approx 1.5 metres - which isn't very far, especially with bigger dogs. There ws a thread late last year about the problems that can happen if dogs are not stable in stays.

For my dogs, the worst crime in the trial book would be moving towards another dog in a stay. I do put my boy in even though he has the bad Border Collie habit of going down in a sit, but he wouldn't be going in the ring if he moved to another dog.

IOW, what your dog does or doesn't do in his individual work only affects you (asuming he doesn't take off out of the ring), but stability in groups is key, since it affects other dogs - both their safety, but can also affect their attitude to the ring.

Oh, and on the 'what they do in SFE' thing - my first boy's best effort was in his first trial - he looked up and waggled and grinned at the judge, who couldn't help smiling - at which point, Sam rolled over to get his tummy tickled. Hmm - think that's a zero. :rolleyes:

ET fix typos.

Edited January 12, 2007 by Tassie