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#1
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Well, I *guess* I'm happy ...
Took Ranger to Fort Dodge yesterday and today for a weekend of UKC
obedience trials. The main differences in Novice between AKC and UKC is that the AKC "long down" is an honor down in UKC, and that the UKC recall is over a jump. Those bits were a piece of cake. Four trials in two days. Four qualifying scores. A new title (U-CD)! I SHOULD be happy, four qualifying scores is major Good Stuff. But I'm looking forward to the next (AKC) stuff in three weeks, and judging from our scores this weekend, we won't come anywhere near qualifying. Why do I say that? Our highest score was Trial 1, and still a few points lower than the last time we showed in Novice. The scores dropped steadily after that, to a final score of 171.5. We'll NQ on points if this goes on. The problem is heeling. We lose half-points for crooked sits and fronts, which I can live with, but Ranger went into the ring lagging and got progressively worse. By the final trial, he wasn't sitting at halts, either. I can't tell if that's because he was tired, annoyed, sore, or just having a "senior moment". OTOH, he does everything else like it's the easiest stuff in the world. He's crashed out on the floor behind me, and will get the next day or two off. Then we'll see if we can patch the heeling thing long enough to finish his AKC CD. |
#2
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Well, I *guess* I'm happy ...
In article ,
M Healey wrote: OTOH, he does everything else like it's the easiest stuff in the world. He's crashed out on the floor behind me, and will get the next day or two off. Then we'll see if we can patch the heeling thing long enough to finish his AKC CD. I think dogs who do this are usually either bored or stressed and I always attribute that to handler error. I think people (myself, bigtime!) act too differently once we get in that ring, and the dogs weird out because of it. -- Janet Boss www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com |
#3
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Well, I *guess* I'm happy ...
Janet Boss wrote:
I think dogs who do this are usually either bored or stressed Bored is possible, but stressed is way more likely. always attribute that to handler error. I think people (myself, bigtime!) act too differently once we get in that ring, and the dogs weird out because of it. You're suggesting I be a little more trial-like in training? I could do that, I suppose. (I'm not doing *anything* that resembles heeling with him until at least Tuesday night, and maybe not even then. I'm too frustrated to be effective, and want to give some thought to a plan instead of just flailing around blindly.) |
#4
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Well, I *guess* I'm happy ...
On 10 Aug 2008 22:54:49 GMT, M Healey wrote:
You're suggesting I be a little more trial-like in training? Yes. And if you're a member of an obedience club, be sure to attend those weekend "fun" trials as often as possible, which are intended to duplicate the atmosphere of a real trial. Fun trials try to simulate an actual trial by having the same boisterous gallery, similar grounds, numbers of dogs waiting around to work, "judges" standing around and doing their thing, etc., but unlike at a real trial, you're allowed, even encouraged, to correct your dog's performance during the event, which will help prevent your dog from ever becoming trial-wise (nya-nya-nya-nya-nya, you can't touch me!). Eventually, your dog will learn that he not only has to obey you in the backyard, or at the park, or at a fun trial, but also at a real trial. Running real trials before you're both ready, can easily erase a lot of your training program's progress. Treat it as you would treat any other distraction. -- Handsome Jack Morrison John "Silky Pony" Edwards, the consummate phony. http://www.nypost.com/seven/08092008...661.htm?page=0 Where the women are women and the men are too. http://drhelen.blogspot.com/2008/08/...ings-gone.html Al Gore Places Infant Son In Rocket To Escape Dying Planet! http://www.theonion.com/content/news...on_rss_ daily Al Gore is saving the planet...with a massive new houseboat! Thanks, Al, you freakin' hypocrite! http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/gore-hi...new-houseboat/ The Top Ten Things that Creep Me Out About Obama. http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/...hat_creep.html |
#5
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Well, I *guess* I'm happy ...
In article ,
M Healey wrote: You're suggesting I be a little more trial-like in training? Or a little more training like in trialing (not enough to break rules of course). I could do that, I suppose. (I'm not doing *anything* that resembles heeling with him until at least Tuesday night, and maybe not even then. I'm too frustrated to be effective, and want to give some thought to a plan instead of just flailing around blindly.) I agree with that approach. -- Janet Boss www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com |
#6
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Well, I *guess* I'm happy ...
Handsome Jack Morrison wrote:
And if you're a member of an obedience club, be sure to attend those weekend "fun" trials as often as possible, Well, we're entered in the State Fair next week -- that'll do. Nothing like obedience on a bed of partially-dried livestock poop to really test a critter's focus. allowed, even encouraged, to correct your dog's performance during the event, which will help prevent your dog from ever becoming trial-wise (nya-nya-nya-nya-nya, you can't touch me!). I suspect Ranger is more of the "who the hell are you and what did you do to my human?" school of thought, particularly after I squished his toes tripping over him when we met on our last-but-one about turn. Funny, but he managed to find heel for awhile shortly after that. I wish I'd been coordinated enough to do it on purpose. Running real trials before you're both ready, can easily erase a lot of your training program's progress. Now you tell me. OTOH, holding off much longer will probably result in the dog dying of extreme old age before we trial again. Treat it as you would treat any other distraction. "oooh, shiny!" |
#7
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Well, I *guess* I'm happy ...
elegy wrote :
i showed luce on friday. she warmed up beautifully. very attentive, really tuned into me even though there were lots of dogs there. we played a lot of this paw that paw both paws touch! which she thinks is fun. and then we walked into the ring and she acted like she'd never been asked to heel before in her life Sounds like Ranger's first Rally trial. He kept looking at anything but my face. In between ineffective "watch me" repetitions, and the occasional "look UP HERE", I told Ranger I'd had boyfriends like him. Never could get them to look me in the eyes. I heard the (male) judge snicker. don't know if you're familiar with the book control unleashed but even though it's geared mainly toward agility, i've found a lot of stuff to be really helpful in what i've been doing with my own dogs. Thanks! |
#8
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Well, I *guess* I'm happy ...
On 11 Aug 2008 01:24:41 GMT, M Healey wrote:
Handsome Jack Morrison wrote: And if you're a member of an obedience club, be sure to attend those weekend "fun" trials as often as possible, Well, we're entered in the State Fair next week -- that'll do. Nothing like obedience on a bed of partially-dried livestock poop to really test a critter's focus. Yes, that would certainly qualify, but you have to be able to correct any mistakes on the spot, or, again, you could make matters worse. allowed, even encouraged, to correct your dog's performance during the event, which will help prevent your dog from ever becoming trial-wise (nya-nya-nya-nya-nya, you can't touch me!). I suspect Ranger is more of the "who the hell are you and what did you do to my human?" school of thought, particularly after I squished his toes tripping over him when we met on our last-but-one about turn. Funny, but he managed to find heel for awhile shortly after that. I wish I'd been coordinated enough to do it on purpose. Frequently "tripping" over your dog during training can easily increase your dog's desire to want to pay closer attention to you at trials. More tripping! You're training your dog, not trying out for a part on "So You Think You Can Dance". Heh. Running real trials before you're both ready, can easily erase a lot of your training program's progress. Now you tell me. OTOH, holding off much longer will probably result in the dog dying of extreme old age before we trial again. Sometimes that's better than dying of embarrassment. Just kidding! Relax and have some fun. -- Handsome Jack Morrison Censoring skepticism. http://tigerhawk.blogspot.com/2008/0...kepticism.html "Find out where his kids go to school": Just don't do the same thing regarding a Democrat. That would be McCarthyism. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1218...he+Web+Toda y 25 reasons you may be a racist. http://corner.nationalreview.com/pos...RmZDM3NzAxY2I= |
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