obedience issue

[selzer]

I have one leg on Babs and am hoping to enter her in the Classic if I can get in.

Anyhow, I had her out last night, and her heeling is awesome with good stop sitting, etc.

I originally trained her to come to my hands where the treat was to sit in front of me. Then shortly before her first trial, I tried to train her to do it with my hands at my side. She started going for my hands, and well I finally got her to come and sit in front but she scrinches to my front, like I have beaten her with a stick.

Well, I figured it out. I must be so nervous about getting her to come front with my hands down that she is picking up on that. If I SMILE like an idiot, she trots right in and sits front.

So my dog is telling me to smile.

This is not happening with heeling. My only other concern really is the stand for exam. Do I enter three shows just because we might screw one up?

[AgileGSD]

If possible I usually try to enter extra days - "insurance legs"

I usually enter obedience unless I am pretty certain that my dog is going to qualify though. Obviously, dogs are dogs and you never know what might happen. Babs obviously Q'd once - was she having these problems then? I have had a crazy thought of entering my boy dog in Open there but I doubt I will. I'll probably be doing the youngest in breed and Rally, so I don't know that it'd be a good first show to show him in Open.

[selzer]

Babs is pretty good. We took first place on her first leg in August. But I have not shown or taken her to classes since then.

I want to enter Joy in Rally Novice. She is still pulling away, but we are working with her. If I can get her to heel just a little better, she will be fine. I just don't know where the time went. I had MONTHS to prepare for this. She would have been READY in August if she did not go into heat in July. She was even heeling with a lose lead then. Since then she has lost her mind completely. I am wondering if I should just wait until March/April when there is a show in Jefferson.

[AgileGSD]

Originally Posted by selzer

Babs is pretty good. We took first place on her first leg in August. But I have not shown or taken her to classes since then.

Sounds like you have a pretty good chance of Qing then

Originally Posted by selzer

I want to enter Joy in Rally Novice. She is still pulling away, but we are working with her. If I can get her to heel just a little better, she will be fine. I just don't know where the time went. I had MONTHS to prepare for this. She would have been READY in August if she did not go into heat in July. She was even heeling with a lose lead then. Since then she has lost her mind completely. I am wondering if I should just wait until March/April when there is a show in Jefferson.

I know I can't believe it's already time for this show! I need two legs on my youngest, so am sort of in the same spot. Do I enter 2 or 3 days? She's pretty good. I only entered her one day at Canfield and she would have gotten first place if she hadn't laid down on one of the fronts (silly pup!). But I was putting a title on a friend's dog and he just needed one leg, so I entered him one day at Cleveland. And I'm pretty certain the judge NQ'd us because he didn't like what I was wearing

[selzer]

Ok, I have been NQ'd for missing a sign twice.
And I have been NQ'd for my dog sniffing the entire time around the ring.
I have even been NQ'd for dropping my leash, not once but twice while in the ring.

But I have never considered what I was wearing was a factor.

Was it political, religious, rival football team, biker duds (showing your tattoos)???? Tell us why what you were wearing was an issue?

[AgileGSD]

Originally Posted by selzer

Ok, I have been NQ'd for missing a sign twice.
And I have been NQ'd for my dog sniffing the entire time around the ring.
I have even been NQ'd for dropping my leash, not once but twice while in the ring.

But I have never considered what I was wearing was a factor.

Was it political, religious, rival football team, biker duds (showing your tattoos)???? Tell us why what you were wearing was an issue?

LOL Not nearly that interesting!

It was the IX a couple years ago. I was showing in breed and Rally Novice. I had two dogs entered in breed, including the one I was showing in Rally. My friend missed Rally the day before with her male special because of conflicts. I knew we were cutting it very close. So I ran from our ring (one of the farthest breed rings) all the way to the Rally ring. I was in my show clothes - this time a white suit with a tank top under it. I was pretty warm from running and my suit jacket was full of liver crumbs, so I decided to take the jacket off. We were up within a couple of dogs. So I'm at the start line, good boy dog at my side watching me and instead of the normal greeting I get...

"What do you think it's summer or something? Is it HOT in here?" I said I had come from conformation and had taken off my suit jacket and then he said sort of shook his head and said "Are you ready?". Then we were NQ'd for skipping a sign that I know we did...

What I was wearing was not inappropriate. It probably looked strange to have someone in white pants and a tank top in the ring in December. But nothing was falling out or being revealed.

I posted about this on another dog group I'm on and was surprised that several people had similar experiences with cranky Rally judges. Like me, no proof that they had been judged unfairly because of their attire but it sure seemed that way.

[selzer]

LOL, I think I met you at Canfield one year, and I did not remember anything shocking so that was just a real surprise.

Now, there is a biker lady to does dobermans, and has a pretty good crop of tattoos that always has me a bit scared. I think the judges might just qualify her BECAUSE of her attire. LOL.

Good story though.

I have been NQd four times so far in Rally. And three of them were the same judge. Now I am going to have to rethink my show wardrobe. Things that make you go hmmmm.

[AgileGSD]

Originally Posted by selzer

LOL, I think I met you at Canfield one year, and I did not remember anything shocking so that was just a real surprise.

Now, there is a biker lady to does dobermans, and has a pretty good crop of tattoos that always has me a bit scared. I think the judges might just qualify her BECAUSE of her attire. LOL.

Good story though.

I have been NQd four times so far in Rally. And three of them were the same judge. Now I am going to have to rethink my show wardrobe. Things that make you go hmmmm.

LOL we probably have crossed paths!

I was rather surprised by this judge's comments about my clothes, considering I have shown in breed exactly the way I was dressed there (suit pants or skirt and tank top).

I know exactly the Dobe lady you're talking about!

[selzer]

It's - a - small - world - after - all.....

She is like something right out of Jim Croce -- Roller Derby Queen, Bad Bad Leroy Brown, You don't mess around with Jim, LOL! But she is probably a really nice person.

A judge is not there to judge your clothes, they are there to judge your dog. I think that maybe they were being particularly cranky toward the show people and judges.

Of course that is no excuse.

From what I understand, they put the conformation judges up in hotels, and are really careful about them. While obedience and rally judges are often left short handed, and not provided with much accomadations, etc.

I suppose judging in breed has a lot more qualifications, etc., but just throwing out a possible theory.

[AgileGSD]

Originally Posted by selzer

It's - a - small - world - after - all.....

She is like something right out of Jim Croce -- Roller Derby Queen, Bad Bad Leroy Brown, You don't mess around with Jim, LOL! But she is probably a really nice person.

She seems nice but I've never talked to her.

Originally Posted by selzer

A judge is not there to judge your clothes, they are there to judge your dog. I think that maybe they were being particularly cranky toward the show people and judges.

Of course that is no excuse.

From what I understand, they put the conformation judges up in hotels, and are really careful about them. While obedience and rally judges are often left short handed, and not provided with much accomadations, etc.

I suppose judging in breed has a lot more qualifications, etc., but just throwing out a possible theory.

I think he was just being a cranky old man

Definitely breed judging is considered more prestigious all around. Willard Bailey offers comparisons of some of his local shows obedience vs. conformation accommodations in Remembering To Breathe. Although I will say, our local shows aren't too bad. New Castle seems ok, gets a bit crowded in the building but otherwise not bad. Canfield has a decent enough set up for Rally, although it is far removed from the rest of the show there are bathrooms and lots of crating space. It's real rough when it rains though but so is breed judging. Their obedience is in a building - they are probably the best off of everyone in bad weather!