Jump to content

Whats Required For First Obedience Trial


Recommended Posts

I want to start trialing my Bullmastiff in obedience. He isnt at that stage yet, but thats the goal. I want to know what is involved and what exercises are we required to do. Do they have to do a stand for exam? Is there a rule book or somewhere that explains what you can and cant do. You cant talk to your dog can you? Can you treat them at any time? Is it all one long exercise or can we relax between exercises. Do you use the word wait or stay when doing recalls? I know you should step off on left foot for heeling, and right foot when you give the stay command, is this a rule or just a training tool? Can you in the recall exercise say your dogs name to get its attention if required? I did obedience many years ago and know the basic commands and have just been training my dogs at home since then.

Currently Im just working with Chase at home, he can heel, sit, stand, drop, stay (from sitting, dropped or standing), recall and return to heel. He hasnt done this under much distraction though, but did pretty well tonight considering there was a bitch at the peak of her season just metres away,he only lost it after she came running to me as well when I called him from his stay. I havent had anyone to do a stand for exam either, although he is a show dog is used to judges going over him, Ive always been right beside him though. Im going to go along to the local obedience club this Thursday and check them out. He needs to work with distractions and other dogs around to make him more solid so I'll probably join.

CAn anyone help with my questions, much appreciated, thank you :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I want to start trialing my Bullmastiff in obedience. He isnt at that stage yet, but thats the goal. I want to know what is involved and what exercises are we required to do. Do they have to do a stand for exam?Yes Is there a rule book or somewhere that explains what you can and cant do.Yes there is if you go on the ANKC site you can download the rule books there You cant talk to your dog can you?No Can you treat them at any time?No lonly once they have left the ring Is it all one long exercise or can we relax between exercises.You relax and can pat them, reward them and razz them up between exercises Do you use the word wait or stay when doing recalls?Personal choice. I use wait for recalls and COP and stay for stays I know you should step off on left foot for heeling, and right foot when you give the stay command, is this a rule or just a training tool? Training tool and another legal command you can use to help your dog get it rightCan you in the recall exercise say your dogs name to get its attention if required?Yes but there must be a distinct pause between the dogs name and the command and the dog cannot move at all on it's name, only once the command is given I did obedience many years ago and know the basic commands and have just been training my dogs at home since then.

Currently Im just working with Chase at home, he can heel, sit, stand, drop, stay (from sitting, dropped or standing), recall and return to heel. He hasnt done this under much distraction though, but did pretty well tonight considering there was a bitch at the peak of her season just metres away,he only lost it after she came running to me as well when I called him from his stay. I havent had anyone to do a stand for exam either, although he is a show dog is used to judges going over him, Ive always been right beside him though.Stand for exam in CCD is at the end of your lead, so not much different really Im going to go along to the local obedience club this Thursday and check them out. He needs to work with distractions and other dogs around to make him more solid so I'll probably join.

CAn anyone help with my questions, much appreciated, thank you :)

Training him to work for longer periods for treats that are in containers etc that are away from you and to work for a few minutes for one treat.

Training with distractions before you trial is quite important. Being around heaps of other dogs and people is very distracting for them.

Training at the club is a good idea, even if you do not go in their class, having everything going on will be good for proofing.

There is now CCD where the majority is on lead. CD is now all off lead

Edited by OSoSwift
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you do a search I think you'll find a thread on this subject. From memory some of the suggestions were to steward for your local club - in the CCD ring. It'll give you a very good idea of what's involved in the first level of Obedience competition. Another good idea is to do a search on You Tube. If you search CCD trials you'll find plenty of video ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi KM another suggestion is if you can get to some trials & watch, even ask questions from other trialers is good. :D

It is daunting at first but if you go to a few is good or even as Ososwift has said about joining a club is great, you can have a lot of support.

Oh another suggestion is if you go to watch a trial take a video cam & tape some of the trialers

The club I am with is great, I have just started trialing, my instructor decided to put me up a class to help us further to get our points, we are at CCD level but I am doing CD work already :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you so much for the replies. OsoSwift your answers were very helpful. Kynan, I'll check that link out, thank you!

GSDog2, I'll check out youtube too, good thinking! Murve, well done on moving up a class! I take it you have paps, I have one too, and they make great little obedience and agility dogs, they are very smart :)

Is CCD and CD exercises the same except one is off lead and one is on? Do you have to do CCD first before you can do CD? And do you think age matters when trialling, ie: is it better to wait until they are more mentally mature. He is 13 months old.

Im more into showing than obedience mainly becasue Bullmastiffs arent your typical obedience dogs but Chase seems to work really well, which makes it more fun for me, so Im quite excited about starting up with him (and thinking of having a crack a agility too when he is older). I think I could only do half hour training classes max with him though(which I think is plenty anyway), he was buggered after 20 minutes the other night,lol. I might take one of my other dogs along aswell and do half a class each.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is CCD and CD exercises the same except one is off lead and one is on? Kind of!! Both have heeling, one is obviously on lead, the other off. Stnad for exam is on lead in CCD and off in CD, the recall in CCD is slightly shorter and they do not have to return to heel. In CD it is longer and they have to do a finish/ return to heel on the command of the judge/

Do you have to do CCD first before you can do CD?No

And do you think age matters when trialling, ie: is it better to wait until they are more mentally mature. He is 13 months old.

Yes I think it does and I think work to a higher level but only enter them when they are more mentally mature. My personal opinion though.

I generally recommend that people do at least theri first trial at CCD level as they generally under estimate how much the atmosphere and ring nerves will affect theirs and their dogs performance. One of my friends did this as her first trial was the first trial she had even seen. She had done club trials but never been to a sanctioned trial. SHe then went into CD no worries and pulled off two passes in one day. The otehr friend did a CCD trial for the same reason then decided she would do CD and it all came apart and the dog is now working through some security issues and will go back into CCD so she has the safety net of the lead. The main difference being the second dog is deaf and had never been on a car trip longer than 40 kms prior to be loaded in a car and travelling 470 to 750kms to a trial. She needs the time to adjust :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi KM yes we do have Pappys, 1 bitch & her 2 boys, Mailka & Dodger are handled by my daughter & I handle Sarge & Orlando (whippy)

Pappys can be very cunning but quick learners :laugh::laugh:

In Cd 1 exercise you have a choice of retrieve on the flat or change of position on command

"Yes I think it does and I think work to a higher level but only enter them when they are more mentally mature". I also agree with Oss on this comment

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I generally recommend that people do at least theri first trial at CCD level as they generally under estimate how much the atmosphere and ring nerves will affect theirs and their dogs performance. One of my friends did this as her first trial was the first trial she had even seen. She had done club trials but never been to a sanctioned trial. SHe then went into CD no worries and pulled off two passes in one day. The otehr friend did a CCD trial for the same reason then decided she would do CD and it all came apart and the dog is now working through some security issues and will go back into CCD so she has the safety net of the lead. The main difference being the second dog is deaf and had never been on a car trip longer than 40 kms prior to be loaded in a car and travelling 470 to 750kms to a trial. She needs the time to adjust :)

Do you have Sweepstakes in WA? The last time I trialled in Qld you had to qualify in CD Sweepstakes before you could nominate your dog to trial in CD (this is not needed to trial in CCD).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope haven't ever heard of CD sweepstakes, you can choose to start in CCD or CD.

You cannot go back to CCD once you have a pass in the CD ring though, but can go back to CCD if you have failed CD trials.

Edited by OSoSwift
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just popping in here to say that you no longer have to do Cd Sweepstakes in Qld. I think it changed at the beginning of 2011.

You can go straight into CD but if you are new to the obedience ring I would suggest you do CCD so as to get both you and your dog more acclimatized to the whole scene before having to removed that lead.

~Gary~

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just popping in here to say that you no longer have to do Cd Sweepstakes in Qld. I think it changed at the beginning of 2011.

You can go straight into CD but if you are new to the obedience ring I would suggest you do CCD so as to get both you and your dog more acclimatized to the whole scene before having to removed that lead.

~Gary~

Ok - thanks for that Gary :) . As I said it's been a couple of years since I've been in the ring.

I worry about groups in the CCD ring due to the level of training of some of the dogs. I've had occasion in the CD ring in groups where a dog stood over my dog (which was on a qually) in a threatening stance. My dog stood but didn't react to the other dog and the judge allowed me to redo the excercise without the other dog in the ring - and he quallied! All of the dogs in CD at that time had to at least pass a Sweepstakes before entering the ring - this won't happen now. To add to that a dog in the CCD ring doesn't require the same level of training ie. all onlead. I know this could have happened in any ring but I've had a number of other triallers warn me against the CCD ring - for the safety of my own dog.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just popping in here to say that you no longer have to do Cd Sweepstakes in Qld. I think it changed at the beginning of 2011.

You can go straight into CD but if you are new to the obedience ring I would suggest you do CCD so as to get both you and your dog more acclimatized to the whole scene before having to removed that lead.

~Gary~

Ok - thanks for that Gary :) . As I said it's been a couple of years since I've been in the ring.

I worry about groups in the CCD ring due to the level of training of some of the dogs. I've had occasion in the CD ring in groups where a dog stood over my dog (which was on a qually) in a threatening stance. My dog stood but didn't react to the other dog and the judge allowed me to redo the excercise without the other dog in the ring - and he quallied! All of the dogs in CD at that time had to at least pass a Sweepstakes before entering the ring - this won't happen now. To add to that a dog in the CCD ring doesn't require the same level of training ie. all onlead. I know this could have happened in any ring but I've had a number of other triallers warn me against the CCD ring - for the safety of my own dog.

I understand where you're coming from, having had 2 experiences just like that with my Dally - one in CCD and one in CD. In the first instance, a GSD stood right over him and Zig leant back further and further until he literally fell over (and onto the neighbouring dog), the judge let us re-do our stays and he won the ring. In Zig's last Novice trial he had a huge male Rotti stand over him (silly goof only wanted to play but it made my heart leap ) but he held his ground, maintained eye contact with me and won the ring. Not something I want to put my youngster through - although it can happen in any ring we'll be skipping CCD. Plus then I'd have to teach her to heel on lead and I can't be bothered :laugh: Agreed, though, that CCD is a great confidence builder for dog and handler if needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hear where youa re coming from regarding doing the group exercises.

I have one in the CD ring and the other in the CCD ring as I didn't want to put them in the position of having to have an unknown (to them) handler take one in for stays if they were both on a Quali and very new to trialing

Having said that Rommi was in season for our last trial so Lewis is one pass away from the CD ring, so she had better get her skates on!

It does go through my head when they are in the stays, and I hope like hell no-one moves. SO far only on dog has gone from a sit to a down.

Last trial the dog next door - a lovely sheltie - was staring at Lewis and sniffing and looked like he really wanted to go over and say hello - I wasn't worried about aggression. Lewis looked at him, leaned slightly away then refused to look at him, I think if Lewis had of been more inviting the little fella would ahve moved!

My concern was that Lewis is a little breedist and really only likes to talk to otehr Whippets. He happily works around any dog, but reserves play for Whippets so if the dog had of come over, he may well have moved to avoid having to talk to him.

That day the lowest score I think was 89 or 90 and the highest was 97 and the dogs all worked very well and no-one looked like choofing off at any point :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You don't realise how frightening stays can be until you do them in the trial ring :laugh:

There are dogs that I would not put my dog next to in stays. If they were next to us, I would withdraw, even on a qually. I have been in a mock trial situation and requested that a particular dog be on the opposite end to mine.

That being said, we haven't had any major issues yet in trials (just things like dogs rolling on their backs, going back to their handler, changing position).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I worry about groups in the CCD ring due to the level of training of some of the dogs. I've had occasion in the CD ring in groups where a dog stood over my dog (which was on a qually) in a threatening stance. My dog stood but didn't react to the other dog and the judge allowed me to redo the excercise without the other dog in the ring - and he quallied! All of the dogs in CD at that time had to at least pass a Sweepstakes before entering the ring - this won't happen now. To add to that a dog in the CCD ring doesn't require the same level of training ie. all onlead. I know this could have happened in any ring but I've had a number of other triallers warn me against the CCD ring - for the safety of my own dog.

I understand where you're coming from, having had 2 experiences just like that with my Dally - one in CCD and one in CD. In the first instance, a GSD stood right over him and Zig leant back further and further until he literally fell over (and onto the neighbouring dog), the judge let us re-do our stays and he won the ring. In Zig's last Novice trial he had a huge male Rotti stand over him (silly goof only wanted to play but it made my heart leap ) but he held his ground, maintained eye contact with me and won the ring. Not something I want to put my youngster through - although it can happen in any ring we'll be skipping CCD. Plus then I'd have to teach her to heel on lead and I can't be bothered :laugh: Agreed, though, that CCD is a great confidence builder for dog and handler if needed.

This is why I don't do stays unless we are on a pass and even then if one of the dogs on either side of her is a known breaker I would withdraw, I don't want my dog to feel uncomfortable in any situation at a trial.

I plan on entering in Novice for my next trial though I know it's not a gurantee to get solid dogs.....I saw 3 dogs get into a fight during stays at a trial on Saturday and this was in the high classes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had that the other week at a trial where my dog was attacked before the trial even started in the morning ( thank god no teeth connected) just more of a scare :eek:

then later that day the same dog went my girlfriends Bermese mountain dog, just missed on connection with teeth, this was just before the 2nd trial started, after our heelwork ,SFE, Recall was done, I realized that same dog was going to be next to us for the Stays.

I was going to scratch the stays when I saw the owner & said dog got in the car & left. We ended up with a very playful Schnauser & Shepherd either side of us. I was relieved :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...