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Tiggy
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:laugh: Congratulations Huski on the first of what I'm sure will be many trials with Daisy. Now you'll have to ask Steve what his suggestions are for nerves because it's got to be the toughest part of trialing and I'm sure our poor dogs pick up on it :o .

Looking at your 'mock' trial with Daisy it won't be long and you'll be back here telling everyone you qualified 'despite' the nerves ;)

Awww thanks so much :)

I am pretty sure Steve's suggestion involves wine :laugh: :laugh:

Huski - bummer about your trial today but so many positives!! You will get your first quallie in no time! :D

Although you can't take your time, I wouldn't let the stewards rush you. If you need a minute, say so, especially if you're up sooner than you thought you were! The steward at Millie's first trial was a bit narky with me for basically not waiting ringside during the previous person to go straight in, but I just ignored it as that is not what I like to do. I walked over as the guy before me was starting his last exercise, then the steward jumped on me for not being there :laugh: Then for stay stays, I got the whole "well they're waiting for you" as I walked up, yeah whatever, cos they weren't waiting for me. They had just set up the markers. I wasn't going to feel intimidated. I can see with attitudes like the one I got the day of Millie's trial could possibly offput a brand new trialler, and for all the steward knows I was new being in CCD. All the more reason to be a bit more forgiving and "welcoming". Anyway, that's my rant for the day :D

Thanks RS - the stewards were largely ok, it was me who panicked when I realised we had a minute or so before we went in when I know Daisy works best if I warm her up before hand.

I will have to make sure I get my shit together next time and not let the nerves get in the way!!

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:laugh: Ptolomy I'll answer your question (even though you already know how much I do LOL). I have varied how much I do but mostly now I do absolutely nothing. At the trial this past weekend I went over to the ring about a minute or so before I was due to go in and then had a friend bring dog over. Called her into heel and rewarded once and in we went. Seemed to work for us. What I hate is seeing people flogging there dogs with lots of heelwork before they go in and then go in and expect them to keep working especially same of the baby ccd and novice dogs. No wonder they all start to switch off.
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How much warming up does everybody do before going into the ring???

I am working on doing a few minutes of focus exercises then putting Zig back in his crate or relaxing quietly with him a couple of times before we trial. My idea is that should I need to suddenly switch him on in a few seconds I can. He is a dog that needs to have a really good sniff and pee and scrape and then is re-focussed on the job at hand. However, the biggest trialling problems have arisen when I've been ready to walk in the ring and the steward/judge has delayed and delayed until Zig has lost interest and I struggle to get him back. My current method is working so much better and it means I don't get stressed if someone needs to slot in front of me or is absent.

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Well done Seita on your first UD its a great class but frustrating as!!!!

Huski....its out of the way now and it does get better from here!!! Lots of positives too!!! :laugh: Its annoying when you are rushed in when you're not prepared but there are strategies you can employ. I always keep an eye on the previous competitor just in case they pull out unexpectedly although that usually doesn't happen until Open and UD. I also speak to the stewards and let them know I'm there as I don't like hanging around at the ring waiting. As RS said, don't let the stewards rush you....acknowledge that you heard them and you are coming but don't run into the ring...think of your dog above all, they know you are out of order due to the previous competitor so they will wait. Another thing you can do is to practice being unprepared!!! Get her straight out of the car and into the 'ring', set up at the start peg, do 4 or 5 steps of heelwork and have a party! That way when it happens (and it does to everyone more than once!) you know at least that you've practiced it and both you and Daisy can cope. Good luck for the next one!!!

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How much do you do Ptolomy? I have seen people do both, work the dog loads before they go in and I have seen people take the dog straight out the car and into the ring.

Very little as I am usually coming out of one ring and running into the next :laugh: and more recently doing bits and pieces with Cider in between times.

I guess I usually grab a couple of pieces of food and the dog and will reward for a couple of straight presents, finishes or a cop on the way to the ring and thats about it. I usually then realise I have forgotton my dumbbell or seekback and have to leave the dog with somebody so I can run back and get it :laugh:

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How much warming up does everybody do before going into the ring???

I do nothing at all with Riv but do prefer being able to have a little bit of time before we go in as he seems to prefer to know what's going on around him a bit first rather than being rushed straight into the ring from his crate.

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:laugh: Ptolomy I have to laugh at the forgetting something and having to race back. I haven't done it in the ring but I did it when I went to do some training with Rivsky at the trial after we had finished in the ring. But it was only when I went to get my seekback out of my pocket that I realized I hadn't actually grabbed it out of my bag to start with - ooops :laugh: .
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What I hate is seeing people flogging there dogs with lots of heelwork before they go in and then go in and expect them to keep working especially same of the baby ccd and novice dogs. No wonder they all start to switch off.

Ness, it depends on the dog. While I know what you mean about people flogging stuff before they go in, in Millie's case, she needs a bit of heelwork to switch her ON and get her focus on ME as she is so full of enthusiasm when I get her out (bordering on psycho!) Ruby needs a few short bursts of heel/sit/heel/sit, mainly to get her attention on me, and then back in the car. Repeat maybe 3 times then into the ring.

Edited by RubyStar
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Yep but there is doing a bit to warm the dog up and flogging them up and down for full routines. If the dog then came out and worked with focus in the ring that great but mostly I see the dogs switch off by the time they even so much as enter the ring.

ETA. And often they are looking seriously disinterested and switched off outside anyway.

Edited by ness
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I always keep an eye on the previous competitor just in case they pull out unexpectedly although that usually doesn't happen until Open and UD.

I bet I've gotten a few people into a frazzle that are due to go in the ring after me when all of a sudden I stop mid-heelwork and excuse ourselves from the ring :laugh:

And yes I usually let the steward know my number and where I am and that I intend coming in at the last second. They are usually fine with it!

Edited by RubyStar
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ETA. And often they are looking seriously disinterested and switched off outside anyway.

I've had a couple of instances where even with food in hand outside the ring, I couldn't switch Ruby on. So there was no way we were going to go well in the ring. How she performs in her little warm up gives me an indication of how she will go in the ring.

And I don't flog a full heelwork pattern, just very short bursts of heelwork and getting into heel position, with lots of rewards, keeps them "up".

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Yes but RubyStar I know you don't flog them in training either. I just don't get how people work there dogs into the ground before they go in and still expect the dog to give 100% in the ring.

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I do some general walking around to let them stretch - how much depends on the day and I will have driven 400 or more kms to get there, sometimes on the morning - so they need to get the kinks outs. They always get a walk around when we get there, then another short one as part of their warm up.

The i do some nose to hand touches, maybe a couple of fun leg weaves, a couple of one step heel positions then into the ring.

Edited by Rommi n Lewis
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So do most people use food as a reward for the warm up?

An i-squeak works best with Lexi.

I'm currently working on tug as the pre-pre warm up - just a game....not asking for a behaviour. Then it's tiny amounts of food when he's dancing on his tippy toes - metaphorically speaking of course! :laugh:

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Yes but RubyStar I know you don't flog them in training either. I just don't get how people work there dogs into the ground before they go in and still expect the dog to give 100% in the ring.

Yes I agree. Sorry I re-read my second post and it sounded like I was being argumentative :laugh: Just stating what I do :laugh:

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So do most people use food as a reward for the warm up?

An i-squeak works best with Lexi.

I used an i-squeak with Millie before going in the ring and it seemed to work, so I am going to keep trying that and see if it was just a one off or not :laugh: Which means I need to kill one of my i-squeaks! And I need someone standing nearby to palm the ball off to. I was lucky in that I roped mum into coming last time which is a rare occurrence so I handed her the ball before going in the ring. I've never used that technique before but I might start with both girls as they luuuuuuurve the i-squeak, it's better than food :laugh:

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