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Obedience Trials


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Marg Jackson used to say that one motivator that you take into the ring is your lead. If your dog plays tug with the lead, then what is to stop you having a bit of a tug as you go in and in CCG playing between excersises.

She obviously doesn't have staffords! There'd be no lead left :D

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I agree with doing something to make the out of sight downstays safer. I've never seen a real fight in the obedience ring, but I have heard a lot of horror stories about dogs getting injured or being intimidated or scared by other dogs that break their stays, and I figure there's got to be some way of making it safer for everyone concerned.

Due to owning a very dog aggressive dog already, I'm really sensitive about the risk of putting my future dogs in situations where I can't protect them from aggressive or frightening advances from other dogs, and really wary about the permanent temperament damage I know that can cause. I don't want to risk my dog getting scared or hurt by another dog when I'm out of the ring and can't intervene.

All I can think of is either putting all downing dogs on a short tie so they can't physically reach the other dogs if they break their stays, or else just making sure that there are plenty of well trained stewards with strict instructions to immediately retrieve dogs if they move away from the spot they were last left (even if they don't seem to be acting aggressively towards the other dogs).

JMO, anyway.

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Dogdude:

The only answer maybe a class system?

Nah, maybe just a few rule modifications. Jump heights should [edited to add NOT] be some kind of high jumping test... they could be lowered to say 2/3 shoulder height or something. A bit more judge training highlighting challenges for different shapes and sizes of dogs would be good too. Judges tend to come from the ranks of top competitors. You tend to see a predominance of certain breeds of dog there and just some exposure to the challenges of trialling other shapes and sizes of dogs should fix that problem.

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or else just making sure that there are plenty of well trained stewards with strict instructions to immediately retrieve dogs if they move away from the spot they were last left (even if they don't seem to be acting aggressively towards the other dogs).

the steward shouldn't move unless instructed by the judge. Eye contact is enough between the steward and the judge. I too have only heard the horror stories and not seen anything nasty personally. I think too that a little extra time sometimes needs to be given to settle the dogs. At the classic we had a judge who didn't allow the dogs to be settled between stays, naturally now everyone is working on that but I feel there should be a settle time of 30 seconds, after all they are independant excercises.

Extra cues are usually always noted by the judge, and everyone else watching :D

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In that case, then IMO we should be training the judges to cue their stewards to immediately remove dogs that move. If the moving dogs are promptly removed from the lineup, I don't care exactly how it's done! :D

But perhaps it's different in Aus, and that already happens? It's just that I've seen dogs removed here when they had broken and they looked like they might be going to interfere with the other dogs, but it wasn't exactly a prompt response by the stewards, and made me wonder exactly what would happen if the offending dog had decided to act aggressively (or if the stationary dog had been fearful). Just sort of worried me.

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In that case, then IMO we should be training the judges to cue their stewards to immediately remove dogs that move. If the moving dogs are promptly removed from the lineup, I don't care exactly how it's done! :D

But perhaps it's different in Aus, and that already happens? It's just that I've seen dogs removed here when they had broken and they looked like they might be going to interfere with the other dogs, but it wasn't exactly a prompt response by the stewards, and made me wonder exactly what would happen if the offending dog had decided to act aggressively (or if the stationary dog had been fearful). Just sort of worried me.

A steward can't "rush" in to get a dog that has broken as they may upset the dogs that are still in position. I have seen plenty of dogs in the out of sight stays break by standing or sitting, but not move of their position.

It is a difficult situation, because removing the dog can be just as distruptive as the dog itself moving.

I don't know that there is an easy answer other than handlers making sure their dogs are stable in the stays before trialling.

A dog that shows aggressive tendancies shouldn't be trialled unless it is stable, and if did act aggressively in the ring should be banned.

Having said this, I never trialled my last BC (best heeler I have had) as he was dog aggressive. He wouldn't have broken his stay, but if another dog had come up to him he would have gone for it.

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A trial is supposed to be a showcase for a dog that fits into society

I wouldnt necessarily agree on this and have never thought about it in this way.

I dont think we should be adding exercises that involve everyday life. I like the exercises as they are because they involve training a dog for varied behaviours.

I agree with the jumps height comments. I think they should be lower as it is not a jumping competition rather than the dog negotiating the obstacle.

I think that a dog having to qualify at club level before it trialled would be an excellent idea an may stop some of the problems of people entering before they are ready.

And i think it would be a good idea for any dog that moved in the stays to be removed immediately by a steward before it had the chance to disrupt or be aggressive to another dog. I can clearly remember the times having to leave my dog next to a known aggressor desperately hoping the dog wouldnt get up.

The dogs should be conditioned to have people moving around them in the stays so it wouldnt be a problem.

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And i think it would be a good idea for any dog that moved in the stays to be removed immediately by a steward before it had the chance to disrupt or be aggressive to another dog. I can clearly remember the times having to leave my dog next to a known aggressor desperately hoping the dog wouldnt get up

I watched a judge collect and remove a dog last night, then restarted the stays because he caused total mayhem, lovely dog though nice character just not solid on stays, needs a lot of work. :rofl: was only in CCD.

So I was chatting with people and we all came to the conclusion that the steward can't move before instructed by the judge, we went through a few scenarios from jumpy stewards to reactive dog and still you must be instructed by the judge.

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I love the changes they did make this year.

Like mentioned earlier, rally-O would be a great addition. Maybe now it is an official AKC sport it will open the door for something in future.

UK system sounds great.

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