Training Talk Thread

[RubyStar]

I see huski lurking, how did Daisy go????

[Sue & Waldo]

Well I am very nervous but have entered a double trial on Sunday with the aim of one heeling pass.

Cindy is doing very well but the more nrevous I get the slower I walk so her heeling goes belly up and we fail.

She has done so well with SFE after her initial problems! Her stays and recalls are great.

IF ONLY THE HANDLER CAN GET IT RIGHT!

I've heard the ground is in good condition so fingers crossed.

Might see you there, I'm only entered in the AM trial. Good luck

Good news about the ground condition. We may meet up. What are you competing in? Good luck.

I just hope the grounds are still in good condition! We're in Open. Competing with a dog who looks like a light boned black Lab and will have my young dog with me - look for a black and white tornado on a lead

Will do. I am in CCD (for ever I think). Look for a cream poodle x a nervous handler.

[kathq]

Oh no kathq how heartbreaking but it sounds like the rest of the round was positive

Feeling better this morning and able to see the positives in last night now. The things I put in place for our issues with DJ seems to have worked and it was the first time we have got through the whole body of work with no duck eggs. Thinking back she may have broken because it was cold and wet from heavy dew, or maybe it was that I looked down at her as I went around behind her or maybe I'm just looking for excuses and she was just messing with my head.

There is always next week though isnt there..

[huski]

I see huski lurking, how did Daisy go????

Best not to ask

Sometimes I feel like giving up, I am a mess at trials, my nerves are ridiculous and it is effecting Daisy terribly

[huski]

Oh no kathq how heartbreaking but it sounds like the rest of the round was positive

Feeling better this morning and able to see the positives in last night now. The things I put in place for our issues with DJ seems to have worked and it was the first time we have got through the whole body of work with no duck eggs. Thinking back she may have broken because it was cold and wet from heavy dew, or maybe it was that I looked down at her as I went around behind her or maybe I'm just looking for excuses and she was just messing with my head.

There is always next week though isnt there..

So sorry about the stay Kath - how frustrating!!

She looked brilliant in the ring last night though!

Edited August 28, 2010 by huski

[kathq]

I see huski lurking, how did Daisy go????

Best not to ask

Sometimes I feel like giving up, I am a mess at trials, my nerves are ridiculous and it is effecting Daisy terribly

Huski I have always been a basket case when it comes to nerves..So I have started doing what I used to do at uni exam time. Take Vitamin B. It works on the nervous system and for me manages to take the edge off so that I can actually function.

I use an executive stress formula and take one tablet a day for a week before the trial. It works for me so I dont care if someone says to me it is only mind over matter so long as it works.

Whatever you do dont give up!!!

[Beth.]

I see huski lurking, how did Daisy go????

Best not to ask

Sometimes I feel like giving up, I am a mess at trials, my nerves are ridiculous and it is effecting Daisy terribly

oh I'm sorry to hear that!! Don't give up... You two work beautifully (not sure if that's a word?) together!!!!! I hope one day me and lot are half as good as you two!!!

[Tiggy]

I see huski lurking, how did Daisy go????

Best not to ask

Sometimes I feel like giving up, I am a mess at trials, my nerves are ridiculous and it is effecting Daisy terribly

I can sympathise I use to be so nervous at horse shows I rode terribly and I just didn't enjoy it and it was so frustrating because I had this gorgeous horse who worked beautifully at home but get to a show and I was just too nervous. I hope when I eventually trial my dogs I'm not so nervous or I won't do it .

[huski]

Thanks everyone for listening to me whinge

I love working with my dog and training her, we have the best fun and both enjoy it. I love training for a purpose/goal like competition but I just get such a mess even days before a trial that I inevitably stuff it up. I just feel like the biggest failure, my dog is more than capable, hell last night she was working beautifully just outside the ring before we went in. I've never really felt like giving up before because that's so not the kind of person I am but I feel like I am ruining her.

[TerraNik]

Awww Huski! You're not a failure - you have done so well with her!!!!!! Trials are just one part of it all!

If it makes you feel better, Jed and I bombed twice today! The first trial we didn't even get through 30 seconds of heelwork ("muuuuuuuuuum! I think a duck has been around here!! Let me go find it!") and the second he just wasn't in the mood and was putting in a rather pathetic effort. We bombed on the recall of all things (he usually gets close to full marks)! Oh well...

Edited August 29, 2010 by TerraNik

[huski]

Awww thanks Nik. So sorry you had a crappy time at the trials too. Sometimes I just feel like trialling is pointless as we will never achieve anything I feel like the biggest loser ever. We've done four trials now and don't have a single quallie!

Edited August 29, 2010 by huski

[kathq]

I've been trialling for a long time huski and I still can't normally eat the day of a trial. My friends have learnt to read the signs and leave me alone when they have to. LOL!

I step in the ring and I have a strong urge to pee and yet my mouth feels like the Sahara desert. We get this way because of our own expectatons nobody elses and definitely not our dogs. All our dogs expect us to do is what we always do and that's be there to tell them which way to go and what to do. Remember that and it helps. Remember also that every other person on the grounds has been where you are and can relate. Well maybe not exactly whre you are because look at what you have achieved with Daisy already which is truly amazing.

Come hang with me at our next trial and e can talk each other down

[huski]

Thanks so much Kath... that pretty much describes me LOL!! I also psyche myself out and stress for no real reason. I meant to come say hello yesterday but I was feeling a bit upset I did see you working in the ring though and you guys looked great

[RallyValley]

Awww thanks Nik. So sorry you had a crappy time at the trials too. Sometimes I just feel like trialling is pointless as we will never achieve anything :D I feel like the biggest loser ever. We've done four trials now and don't have a single quallie!

I have done I think 10 novice jumping rounds without a quallie! :p And there is a lot less involved in Novice jumping then there is in CCD. I belive I have my Masters Non Qualifyer title.

[Tassie]

I've been trialling for a long time huski and I still can't normally eat the day of a trial. My friends have learnt to read the signs and leave me alone when they have to. LOL!

I step in the ring and I have a strong urge to pee and yet my mouth feels like the Sahara desert. We get this way because of our own expectatons nobody elses and definitely not our dogs. All our dogs expect us to do is what we always do and that's be there to tell them which way to go and what to do. Remember that and it helps. Remember also that every other person on the grounds has been where you are and can relate. Well maybe not exactly whre you are because look at what you have achieved with Daisy already which is truly amazing.

Come hang with me at our next trial and e can talk each other down

Well said kathq! And huski - in a way the nerves don't get any better even after 20 years of trialling in various disciplines - :D - or not for me - but hey - you learn to live with it. :p

One thing you might try too is having a song for your heeling routine - get used to singing it to yourself, and it will help you to keep a nice rhythm. I find that, and concentrating on nice straight lines and nice turns (me - the dog will hopefully follow ) helps too.

Hang in there! You and Daisy are a great team.

[Rainy]

Well we stuffed both yesterday ;) got to stays but i have now found out that diesel is scared of dalmations both stays were next to dalmations and as soon as they looked him he either submited and rolled over or got up to hide behind me i was pretty upset yesterday arvo (sorry dolers i didnt say good buy to) because he has only ever broken stays once :p so because we are out for the next 4 or so months we are on a mission to find a dalmation to befriend oh the joy of trials and iv only been to 4 :D

[wuffles]

Well we stuffed both yesterday :p got to stays but i have now found out that diesel is scared of dalmations both stays were next to dalmations and as soon as they looked him he either submited and rolled over or got up to hide behind me i was pretty upset yesterday arvo (sorry dolers i didnt say good buy to) because he has only ever broken stays once ;) so because we are out for the next 4 or so months we are on a mission to find a dalmation to befriend oh the joy of trials and iv only been to 4 :D

SBT303, I didn't see the first trial but in the second one the dally was giving off some pretty nervous vibes. Maybe it was just that particular dog rather than dalmatians in general? :p

[Rainy]

yeah maybe i asked her to walk past his crate and he was even nervous then he has only met one dalmation befor and it was a pup so i dont know im going to call our vet nurse tomorrow and try and organise a meet with her to see how he reacts

[Seita]

I finally have a chance to report back on my results from last nights trial! Ella too bombed out, she shot past the box the first time (not sure where she was headed) and sat about 10m behind the box - lesson learnt, must train for shorter ring set ups as well! And as I expected we lost concentration in the signals and had a bit of sloppy work towards the end and then when i gave her the sit signal she just lay there and stared at me like she'd never seen the signal before in her life! Everything else was good but a little sloppy which I kind of expected due to my total lack of training over the last month or so! Got another trial next weekend, I'm sure she'll find something else creative to do wrong!

[Sue & Waldo]

Well we had great fun at the double trial today. #rd both times but no Q. First up the grass was too wet so she wouldn't drop. Score or 82 in CCD but no heeling pass.

In the pm trial she was stuffed and didn't want to work so lagged. The positive was that I enjoyed myself and in both trials she only lost 4 points excluding heeling. 10/10 for SFE so I was stoked since we have had trouble with that. She also heeled very well off lead in the recall. Her stays were great-no fidgeting. In the am trial I was very happy with my handling and we worked well. The PM we were both tired. I may only enter one trial per day. Not sure.