# did ya ever wonder



## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

I remember talking to an agility judge about Q rates, and the average for Excellent B was usually targeted to be around 25%, and even lower in other classes. So 75% of the people running usually NQ... For some reason that always relaxes me? Well, off to a trial.


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

Oh yeah, good luck at your show!!!
_(how rude of me not to say anything before _


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

good luck on your show, too!!!!


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

Both of you have a great time, that, after all is what it's all about! I am off to an obedience demonstration, not so nerve racking as an actual show.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I did not pass out in the ring, although I felt dizzy. The judge told me to BREATHE a couple of times.
I did not pee in my pants.
We did qualify!! He now has 2 utility legs!
I hugged the judge. Probably not the correct thing to do!!!


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

That's why I would never get involved. I'm not competitive, but I also get embarrassed easily. My dogs would never embarrass me, but I know I would embarrass myself.


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## Mighty Casey and Samson's Mom (Jul 16, 2008)

OMG, I would definitely hug the judge if I ever qualify in utility!!
Good LUCK! (Suck on mints if you are nervous--they help to hid the adrenalin on your breath so that your dog doesn't pick up on your nerves!!)


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## MaddieMagoo (Aug 14, 2007)

I think I get nervous because I know the worst my dog can do. And we just have some connection problems, that's all. And sometimes we click...so who knows! I also get nervous because I want to do well...but I know that the other worst thing that could happen is not qualify..haha.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

I think my years of horse showing has helped me here. I do remember the first time I ever stepped up to the start line in agility, and sure enough I had butterflies. In the horses I saw that as a good sign, I hate to be over confident. 

This summer I gave Belle a few weeks off after a long run of weekly trials. When we went back for our first trial after the break, I did get a little nervous, but what was "funny" Belle did too! She had a different expression on her face, and she was holding her ears funny. She ran great! We got a Q, and it settled us both back in. My trainer even commented on how she was over jumping again. Hey we just needed our groove back. 

Nerves can be your friend or enemy. Last weekend at the trial with Teddi, I had runs I have never had with Belle that is for sure (zoom!) but that was the worst that was going to happen and we still had a blast. That was our goal to have fun and we both did. I set more than realistic goals, then my nerves keep in check.


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## fuzzbuzz (Aug 3, 2008)

hotel4dogs said:


> I did not pass out in the ring, although I felt dizzy. The judge told me to BREATHE a couple of times.
> I did not pee in my pants.
> We did qualify!! He now has 2 utility legs!
> I hugged the judge. Probably not the correct thing to do!!!


Congrat's on your 2nd Utility leg!!! And for not wetting your pants


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I know it's an NQ if the dog "fouls the ring", but what about the handler??:doh:



fuzzbuzz said:


> Congrat's on your 2nd Utility leg!!! And for not wetting your pants


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Congrats on the leg! And I think fouling the ring would fall into the category of "don't make the judge think" :

I think once you're used to competing in Utility with Tito, working on that OTCH or something, it'll get better. After being in the agility ring hundreds of times with Dusty, there's really no point to me getting worked up over agility. It took a while to adjust to running Boo since there was a lot of pressure (worrying about his brain's tendency to disappear, feeling like everyone was watching to see what my baby dog was like, etc). I'm still not as relaxed with him as I was with Dusty, since Dusty is super reliable, easy to handle, calm outside the ring, etc and Boo is the complete opposite. But the only time my nerves were really a problem was the time I didn't get to walk the course. I can handle only walking once or twice, but if I haven't been out on the course at all I get pretty discombobulated.


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## Mighty Casey and Samson's Mom (Jul 16, 2008)

_"I know it's an NQ if the dog "fouls the ring", but what about the handler??:doh:"_

Quick, somebody check the rule book!!


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I think I get nervous because I know my dogs are capable of great things, and I also know they're capable of completely blowing it. It's the hope that they go out there and knock everyone's socks off that gets me so nervous. When I compete with my girl Annabel, I'm not nearly as nervous, because I know she is not competitive and we're just hoping to qualify. With Conner we are working on our UDX/OTCH, and the better our run is going, the more nervous I get. Once we bust an exercise, I completely relax. With my Lhasa Apso, Colby, nerves are two-fold: I know he can go out there and really blow everyone away (he just got his CDX over the summer and has 4 HITs), but he can also go out there and act a comlete fool (I don't care to count how many times he's gotten the zoomies in open. He likes to take the high jump and just keep on running). You'd think that the more experience you have, the better it would get, but I think that the expectations just get higher, making it worse. I think the worst will be when I first bring out the new puppy (years down the road).

Jodie
AJ's Maiden By the Sea CDX RE (Annabel)
Mud E Paws UD RE (Conner)
Sunfire's Flying Head Over Heels (Flip)



Jodie


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## hawtee (Nov 1, 2006)

Let's see ring nerves:
Agility..ran after a bird, pooed in the ring, fell down, went after some food, ran out to play in the pool, said hi to the judge and corner workers, went to find dad, had zoomies..nope no more ring nerves here over that, what can happen has happened
Rally: went after the toy, zoomies played agility on the jumps, look bird..nope no ring nerves here anymore
obedience: poo'd in the ring, ran after a ballon, grabbed a bitefull of ice cream from the kid leaning in the ring during off leash, did a 5 minute stand stay, played with the dumbell. Definate nerves, I find in our area Obedience is way to quite, you can hear a pin drop. I am just not used to all that silence..but when she makes a mistake I relax and say to heck with it..


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I love reading these! Makes me feel much less alone out there!
And Jodie, you bring up a very interesting point. When I really don't think he's ready for the ring, I'm not all that nervous. I just consider it a fun match. When I think he *should* be able to do it, I'm nervous as heck!


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## goldengirls550 (Jun 12, 2008)

I get nervous because I see potential. Seeing the potential is a both a blessing and a curse. I see what Lay is capable of doing and I tend to freak out because of the hundreds of ways she can screw it up! I have learned to basically live in the moment with my dogs. It is truly a privilege for me to simply be in a ring with Goldens that love me enough to do all of the crazy things I ask of them.  I have found, after this summer, that the more I am in a ring (consistently, like several weekends a month), the more I relax. Aubrie and I are mostly in sync now when it comes to Rally (we better be, we are 2/10 for our RAE!) and Layla and I are getting better every weekend!


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