Dog Obedience Trials

[minisaremighty]

[SIZE=12pt]I just recently saw my first obedience trial on tv. Was amazing! I've seen agility on tv and in person many many times, as well as conformation, but never obedience. WOW! I have always wanted a dog that could do what those dogs do, but it's never happened to this point! LOL!

: :bgrin I'm always afraid to be off our property with my dog off a leash, that they'll run off after something and not come back! LOL! Not that they would, but I'm fearful they would!

I would always keep them on a leash anyhow, just for safety reasons (cars, other dogs, my paranoia, etc. :bgrin ).[/SIZE]

Anyhow, if there are any of you who do this, I'd love to hear from you. HOW do you train a dog like this? Do you think only special dogs can do it, or can ANY dog do it, it just depends on it's owner/trainer? Are some breeds better at it?

We're still trying to decided on the dog for us and I'd love to try obedience this time around.

: Conformation looks easy, but the competition is stiff, agility looks like too much running for me

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[mininik]

Like horse trainers, dog trainers all have different techniques. Most I've read about start their young dogs on commands like look at me, sit, down, stay, come, etc. before moving on to the simpler agility course components. It takes many repetitions to get each part of the course down and then many more putting them all together to get an agility dog ready for competition. In other words, you don't start in an open park, let your dog loose and expect him to understand how to do the course you've set up there... but you will eventually for practice! I believe most dogs can do agility but there are definitely some breeds who EXCELL at it like Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, Shelties, Papillons, Poodles, etc. Obviously since this event involves a timed score, you wouldn't expect an Olde English Bulldog to win unless that was all there was for competition.

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As for conformation being easy, I don't think so. There is a lot that goes into the training and behind the scenes preparation of a winning conformation dog, as well. Competition varies by breed and by territory.

Have you looked into Freestyle (Doggy Dancing)? Doggy Dressage? Dock Jumping? Obedience? Competitive Frisbee? Flyball??

 

[minimama]

You guys have to go check out this site. I saw this last weekend and cannot believe how much fun the dogs and owners were having. Splash Dogs

I want to train our black lab to do this. I watched a dog go to 25'8 and it was breathtaking!!!!

 

[tifflunn]

Obedience is fun! We have not done a trial because it is not our goal( there are teams in our class that have competed and come home with titles)

We take a class 1-2 a week and are in the intermediate level- I think we have been doing this for almost 15 months( I have no real desire to go to advance level). It takes practice almost every day- we practice about 20 min a session (due to the large breed English Mastiff) about a 1/2 hr is recommended- our classes are group lesson and they run about 50 minuets.

We started at the beginner level - each level is about 6 months some go faster some take longer. Some of the things that we are currently doing are recalls off leash from 30 feet away(out of site), heeling without lead, stay, sit and down while we are out of sight up to 15 minuets. Different finishes at the end of a recall- sit, down or stand while in motion while we continue on. Distraction training. It is fun! I think certain breeds learn quicker than others- and certain dogs are more prone to be good at it, but it is a event that all dogs can participate in and enjoy time with there owners. There is more we do but can't remember it all :bgrin

We sat in a few different trainer classes before choosing our current trainer. Maybe you can take a look at some of the schools in your area and sit in on a class and talk to some on the students.

There is also something really fun that Sterling and Lakota are doing called rallies- Hopefully she will give you a little info on it. I wish we had those around here

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Hope the info helps- Good Luck :bgrin

Tiffany

Edited to try and fix my spelling- sorry I am tired tonight and my spell checker is not behaving tonight

 

[Minimor]

I did basic obedience training with our one Shepherd, Shammy; she wasn't registered so we couldn't show in actual obedience trials [i think now there are some 'fun' classes for non-registered dogs at some of the local trials now, but back then (20 years ago) there weren't.] I took her to classes since I'd never trained obedience before, and she was the star of the class. We only did it the one season but she was perfect at it all. In class the only "down" we did was with the dog right in front of/beside the handler. Later at home I taught Shammy to 'down' even if she were a distance away from me--she could be coming full tilt across the yard or pasture & I'd give the hand signal & she'd drop to the ground; very nice, especially the time the vet brought his dog along & Shammy took after her--Shammy dropped on command & the other dog had time to make the safety of the truck!

Are some dogs better at obedience than others? I'd have to say so. We had an Austrian Shepherd that I worked with, but he wasn't the natural at it that Shammy was. For instance, he learned to heel but he was never good at it--he always wanted to work too close & would trip me...sure, I'd correct him, but right away he'd be back under my feet again. I used to watch some of the puppy classes; some of the younger pups were actually pretty good at the basic stuff; others got it eventually, but their handlers sure had to work at it! A few--well, I doubt they ever got it, though sometimes it's hard to tell where the problem is--with the dog, or the handler!

 

[Mona]

There are varying degrees of Obedience. I trained and competed with my Whippet to attain her CD(Companion Dog) title. This is the first level. I am always so amazed at the dogs and their owners, that compete in the more advanced Obediance trials. It is just AWESOME to watch, and I can only imagine ever having a dog so well trained! The smartest god I ever saw was a little Brittany Spaniel by the name of Baxter. I SWEAR he moved almost as fast as his owner thought!!

 

[Sterling]

Tiff is right.....Lakota and I are doing rallys now and it's a BLAST!!!

: :aktion033: We are still doing obedience too. Lakota is still young (10 months) and the classes she has gone thru will help her later on develope her skills. We started with Puppy Headstart which is the basic puppy stuff, after that we went on to Terrible Teens, which is obedience, puppy style...a jump up ahead from basic puppy. Also helping guide them thru those awkward times when they don't know what to do with themselves, due to natural fear periods, taking them thru socialization, learning to heel and basic obedience commands. Now we are finishing up Finishing school which is basic obedience, where they actually have timed sits and downs, more intricate heeling, where they are right by your side and move on a dime, working by voice and hand signals. This class is in prep for 1st level obedience. We also did a beginner's Agility workshop and she enjoyed it. Since she's a giant breed she was slow :lol: , but she took to the obstacles like a trooper....and even during down time,when she was'nt suppose to go thru tunnels...she went thru tunnels! :lol:

We have also just enrolled Lakota in rally and OMG we are having so much FUN!! Think of it as obedience, but not as demanding or strict. I liken it to hunter/jumper classes only with dogs, and at each station they have posted what you are suppose to do. You have to move thru the stations fluidly tho, and there are some restrictions and rules just as in Obedience competitions. But it's a one on one work with your dog, just you and her and working as a team. As we go on we'll be working off leash, but your dog has to be in tune to you and working off your side before even attempting that. I've got her working nicely on my side, but she's still has alot of training to go. At the level we're at we are suppose to use our leashes, then we graduate to off leash.

It is so cool to have a dog work like this with you. It's a wonderful and satisfying experience! I can't wait till we're ready for competition! We're having so much fun...too much in fact that we are going to be enrolling my Boxer girl in rallys too.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I did competitive Obedience before I went on to Agility. Straightforward Obedience bored the socks off my dogs and in the end, me. They were all capable of, and did , take the Championships at the Dobe Club shows, but Oh, it was like drawing teeth as compared with the enthusiasm in Agility!!

I also found Agility people much friendlier. Luckily for us our Agility Club has actually got a brain and worked out early on that some of the best dogs were actually unregistered, consequently we have a KC appendix that allows us to register "working dogs" for competition,a s opposed to "purebreds only" when some of the worst conformational problems are to be found in "purebreds" that are never seen in "mongrels".

There is as well, the benefit that you can get a mutt form the pound and work it, and go right to the top- and Yes, it has been done!!

In Obedience and Agility.

My Sam had no papers, he was a Rescue, yet he took a number of classes in Obedience, at shows and trials, and enough ribbons to cover two walls in Agility.

He was pretty good at Flyball too, when he gave me a chance to let go of the collar!!

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[kaykay]

back in my younger days i did obiedience with my german shephard. The key is repitition and consistency. Just like horses!! Tami parrington showed a puppy she bought from me last year while she waits for him to get old enough for agility. I will admit that border collies are harder to train for obiedience because their natural ability tells them to always be in front of the handler with their head turned watching the handler for cues. But this is why they are so awesome at agility. I have a pup now im trying to find an agility home for as he is AWESOME. Id like to co own him with someone. I just dont have the time to train him and get him to meets.

 

[whitney]

Keighley has the "CDE" title. For someone just starting out there are a few GOOD books. I'll look those up and post them tommorrow. Also, get with your local AKC dog club. I started Keighley when she was 6 weeks old. She knew sit and down by 8 weeks. I did the majority of her training with food. Some of the cool things she did was scent discrimination (with dumb bells) directional retrieves, and directional jumping. Oh another REALLY important thing is SOCIALIZING take the dog with you everywhere.

 

[bcody]

My male keeshond just finnished his Rally Novice title, we have a blast doing Rally! He is getting ready for his advanced Rally, he just needs to be a little better about heeling backwards before we go in to the advanced class. He also has some agility titles. Rally is a great way to start obedience. He will be going for his CD soon also, my female Keeshond has 2 legs for her CD. My Standard Schnauzer is also prepearing for Rally/obedience/agaility/tracking trials. She will probably do tracking first, and is close to ready to try, except she is not 6 months old yet!

Try Rally, see how you and your dog do. Rally Novice the dog is on leash the entire time, for CD they need to do off leash healing and for the Rally advanced courses they are completly off leash. The novice rally is a great place to see how they handle the crowd, noise ect.... without taking them off leash, plus you can talk to them. Rally and Agiltiy are my favorite areas to compete, but that is just what fits with me!

Any dog can do it with time and patience.

 

[ForMyACDs]

For all of you with "unregistered" dogs.......you can STILL compete in Obedience if you'd like.

In AKC, if the dog appears to be purebred and is neutered/spayed you can get an ILP listing for your dog. This is basically registration for the purpose of competing in obedience, agility, rally, tracking, herding etc. (because of the spay/neuter requirement these dogs can not be shown in conformation) Many, many, MANY rescues have ILP numbers and compete in these areas AND earn titles! My first ACD was a rescue and had an ILP number as my intention was to show him in Obedience. Unfortunately, about the time I was ready to show him he developed a brain tumor and could not do so.

In UKC you can get your dog a listing as a breed (if the dog appears purebred and is spayed/neutered) or if you have a mixed breed you can STILL get your dog a listing! My first UKC obedience title was with and ACD/Staffordshire mix! She earned her UKC-CD in one weekend earning two firsts and a 3rd in her classes.

My current ACD male was meant to be my obedience dog, but he just doesn't have the brains for it. Actually his half-sister must have gotten all the brains......she is an OTCH and just placed in the top 35 (10 of the Herding Breeds) at the AKC Obedience Invitational this year!! My female has the brains, but I just wouldn't trust her.....she has a bit of an evil streak. SO, my obedience dog search continues.

The best way to learn how to train your dog is to look for a kennel club in your area. Many of the AKC kennel clubs have classes you can take and most are very reasonably priced.

 

[Cronewolf]

:aktion033: Most dogs can learn obedience, some better than others some of the "cheat" dogs are; Border collies ,Shelties ,,Poodles, Belgan shepards, and most hearding dogs. Borders are the no.1 in intellgence Afgans are the last place. some dogs are more stubbon than others . AKC had a list offfff most trainable dogs.

[SIZE=12pt]I just recently saw my first obedience trial on tv. Was amazing! I've seen agility on tv and in person many many times, as well as conformation, but never obedience. WOW! I have always wanted a dog that could do what those dogs do, but it's never happened to this point! LOL!

: :bgrin I'm always afraid to be off our property with my dog off a leash, that they'll run off after something and not come back! LOL! Not that they would, but I'm fearful they would!

I would always keep them on a leash anyhow, just for safety reasons (cars, other dogs, my paranoia, etc. :bgrin ).[/SIZE]

Anyhow, if there are any of you who do this, I'd love to hear from you. HOW do you train a dog like this? Do you think only special dogs can do it, or can ANY dog do it, it just depends on it's owner/trainer? Are some breeds better at it?

We're still trying to decided on the dog for us and I'd love to try obedience this time around.

: Conformation looks easy, but the competition is stiff, agility looks like too much running for me

:

 

[keeperofthehorses]

I used to compete in, and judge, obedience trials. After years in the conformation ring, obedience was a breath of fresh air, and I loved it!

Some breeds are easier to train than others, some individuals are more suited to it than others. I started with terriers, so all breeds after that seemed like cake. :bgrin Especially when I got into the Dobies. I almost felt like I was cheating they were so easy. I believe any dog/breed can be taught the basic commands, but not all will be competitive. The working breeds were the easiest for me, followed by the sporting & herding. Terriers and hounds were the most challenging, but they just need a different approach and a huge sense of humor, and I really enjoyed the terriers the most.

Everyone always ooo's and ahhh's about Golden Retrievers in obedience. My first Golden, bless his heart, was a whiz-bang at obedience (we had one leg to our UD when his elbows couldn't take the jumping anymore and he retired), but he was a huge ham. We DQ'd more than I care to admit due to his antics. His favorite trick was to do a perfect recall or retrieve, TO THE JUDGE and gaze up at her like, "I'm so darn cute, doncha just love me?", wagging his big giant tail. He only did this to female judges, the flirt. Meanwhile, I'd be standing on the other side of the ring giving commands to air. "Grunt, finish!" and around the judge he'd go to a perfect finish. Often, at least one potential client would be there watching me. Good ol' Grunt always kept me humble.

Physically, as far as handling goes, yes, obedience and conformation are easier than agility for the people. Except for hauling around your jumps and equipment for the higher levels, and short jogs in the ring, it's much easier for the human. But to score well, competitive obedience is more technical with very little room for error.

To start with, you'll want a good trainer with methods you are comfortable with. I like using lots of positive reinforcement, but no food past puppy training (it's not allowed in the ring). Some folks like clicker, some like the strict disclipline more like the Schutzhund. Some folks mix it up depending on the dog. The most important thing is to keep it fun for you and the dog!

 

[hairicane]

Before I had horses I showed dogs in obedience and really enjoyed it. But I have always liked a challenge and I showed AFGHAN hounds in obedience. And I got at least 10 obedience titles on various afghans including the open, CDX level. I even had 1 trained and showing at utility level and doing pretty good but she was getting older and fat and took a bad fall over the open bar jump which scared her so we never got her UD title. Afghans and some other hunting breeds are NOT stupid they are bred to be independent hunters so they think for themselves. Of course there are not so bright dogs of all types, LOL. But especially once we got to open competition my afghans often placed in the top 4 placements right up there with the shelties, etc. Now that I am older and tired I woud go with one of the cheater breeds(too easy to train) if I was going big into obedience. I do want to try some of my toy dogs one of these days as they heel right along with me with no training at all. I hear the rallys are a blast too. In general most dogs LOVE to do obedience, agility etc, anything that causes u to spend time with your dog.

 

[minisaremighty]

Wow! :aktion033: Thanks for all the replies!! I've endjoyed hearing about all the options out there. It's nice to hear people share with enthusiasm.

I emailed a breeder yesterday inquiring about puppies and told her my intentions and she pretty much slammed me for even THINKING of doing conformation (yes, I have considered and would like to pursue it, but probably in a few years when I have more time). Told me that it's too political and she will not sell her puppies to ANYONE who might consider showing.

:

: Well, ok then.

: So to come back here and see all the the fun replies and support, it's very nice.

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[minisaremighty]

Couple of questions:

Obedience: Is it necessary to start with a puppy, or can you teach a dog that is 1 year old and has had basic sit/stay training?

Agility: At what age can you start training for it?

 

[tifflunn]

I have seen puppies and adult dogs start in obedience. :lol:

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I did not get Sam until he was ten months old- and had never been trained. You cannot and certainly should not, do any Agility training until the dog is a year old- I know all the top trainers do, but I stick to the rules. Over here you cannot work a dog in Agility until it is 18 months old.

Sam was brilliant at Agility and good at Obedience- and was a Dobe- which I have to say is one of the most difficult breeds I have ever trained. The easiest being Borders- "Clockwork Dogs", I called them

That does not mean you will always win with a Border, as some are smarter than their owners

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[bcody]

You can start obedience here at any age over 6 months. AKC allows the youngest dogs to start competing in agility at 15 months, but most do not allow you to compete until 18 months.

Also, AKC only allows purebred dogs, but in agilty there is NADAC, USDAA, CPE, ASCA , AMBOR and a few others that allow ALL dogs to compete. For Rally APDTA (I think those are the initials) Was the first to do rally trials and they are for all dogs also. ASCA does obedience as well as agility and may start rally someday. AMBOR does obedience, agility and tracking titles for all dogs, so you do not need a purebred to compete!

Have fun.