Free Cute Dog Picture Search! Enter Your Topic Below:

40. Suggestions For Those Who
Exhibit In Open Obedience Classes

Give your dog sufficient training, so you will feel confident when you enter the Obedience ring.

Read the Obedience rule book carefully! Familiarize yourself with show ring procedure. The extra commands, signals, and body gestures you used to train your dog are not permitted in a regular trial. Care­less handling can cause your dog to fail.

Train your dog in unfamiliar surroundings to prepare for the un­expected. Conditions at dog shows are not always ideal.

When you enter the show grounds, keep your dog from sniffing. If she lowers her head, jerk up on the leash to make her pay attention. Sniffing is a major problem of Obedience exhibitors.

The majority of dogs are at their best when they have been left alone prior to competing. Staying by herself even for only a few moments may alert your dog and make her anxious to please.

Exercise your dog and give her a drink of water before your turn comes to enter the ring. If the dog is to do her best work, she must be as comfortable as possible. Groom her for appearances' sake.

Take time to observe the class routine for that day. Judges usually follow the same pattern for each exhibitor. Should you fail to hear a command while your dog is working, you will have some idea of what to expect.

Know your dog's shoulder height. When you enter the ring, glance 94 at the jumps to see if they are the correct height and width. If not, inform a steward or the judge before your dog begins to work.

When in the Obedience ring, walk briskly and move in a straight line. Keep your corners square, and when you do an about-turn, pivot smoothly without fancy footwork. Some handlers take a step back­ward before they turn, which leaves the dog behind.

When the judge calls for a "Fast!" change to a running pace in­stead of just walking faster. In the "Slow!" avoid sauntering or your dog will want to sit down. When it is time for "The Figure 8!" take your position facing the judge. If the judge wants you to go around in a certain direction, he will tell you. If not, select whichever way you please. When doing "The Figure 8!" walk naturally and let your dog change pace.

For the "drop," you be the judge of whether to use voice or a hand signal. If your dog faces a brightly lighted window, and would there­fore have trouble seeing your raised arm, use a verbal command. When there is noise, and lots of distractions, give the command with more than usual authority. If you prefer the signal, train your dog to drop while your fingers are pointing up. A motion toward the floor could be interpreted as the signal to come; but more important, some judges consider an up-and-down motion a double signal and would fail your dog, or give her a penalty.

For the RETRIEVE ON FLAT, keep your voice happy. Your dog may not be reliable on the Retrieve exercise, but she might respond this time because of your cheerful attitude.

When you come to the RETRIEVE OVER HURDLE, decide whether to use the Retrieve or the Jumping command. The "Take it!" will sometimes cause a dog to run around a hurdle, but the "Jump!" or "Hup!" may make her go over, and when she sees the dumbbell on the other side, she will automatically pick it up.

For both the RETRIEVE ON FLAT and the RETRIEVE OVER HURDLE, use a light-colored dumbbell; and when you throw it, give a backhand twist to your wrist. This will keep the dumbbell from rolling. The fact that the dumbbell is light-colored will make it easy for your dog to see.

For the DROP ON RECALL and the Retrieve exercises, stand away from the side of the ring, or from objects in the ring. If there is little space in back of you, your dog may hesitate to go completely around. Give her room to do a good finish.

The BROAD JUMP requires a forceful command with emphasis on the "Hup!" or "JUMP!"—not on the dog's name. Teach your dog a definite Jump command and she will be more reliable when doing the BROAD JUMP in strange surroundings.

During the SIT- and DOWN-STAY exercises, place your armband and leash far enough away that your dog won't be tempted to sniff them. If it is the LONG SIT, have your dog Sitting squarely on both hips. If it is the LONG DOWN, leave her resting comfortably on one hip. Give the Stay command and signal together, but don't use your dog's name. Avoid yelling and when you leave, step out on your right foot from an upright position. Crouching encourages a dog to follow.

In practice, train your dog to lie down at Heel position when you give a signal with your left hand. This looks well in the ring, and if you have an excitable dog to handle, you can keep her under control more easily between exercises. The left hand held close to the floor, with wrist bent, is the signal for lying down at Heel position.

After your dog's performance, if you are pleased with the way she worked, don't be ashamed to show it. If you aren't pleased, let the spectators think you are anyway! Avoid harsh corrections, or publicly shaming your dog. Obedience is a sporting game, not to be taken too seriously.