# Nygel hitting the Ring next Weekend



## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

I've entered Nyg in (4) obedience trials (Novice) next weekend in Gravenhurst, Ontario. He has been working GREAT & I was sure that he was ready but I'm now a bit hesitant! He's been doing all kinds of things over the past few days that indicate we're NOT ready!!! He's been leaving on his "Wait" command, gotten very slow on the recall exercise & can just lag terribly when he doesn't feel like working! When he's on, he's ON big time but when he's not, he's NOT!!! I just hope that he'll be on next weekend because I know that he knows it all and can get points in the high 190s if he really wants to. I haven't had the opportunity to do any sanction matches with him but I've been working him out of his element - today we hit town for our training with lots of distractions & he did ok. I just hope that the obedience ring brings on the same positive vibes that the conformation ring does! 

I just want to get Novice out of the way (I think Nyg finds it boring) & then we're almost ready for Open!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

You probably made the #1 error of showing dogs in obedience....letting the dog see you write the check and mail it in. As soon as they see you slip the entry into the envelope, they promptly forget everything they ever knew!!


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Good luck!
Im sure you will both do just fine!


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

Avoid AT ALL COSTS doing any open exercises in the week or so before your novice debut! They just love to throw in that drop on recall when you don't want them to!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

ahhh, amen to that Mighty Casey's Mom!
My Tito's latest is he responds to the judge's commands on the heel off leash, such as "right turn", "left turn", "fast", "about turn", etc. 
Now this would be fine, except he doesn't wait for ME to respond to the command. The judge at the last show told me she got the feeling she was talking to the dog, not to me. 
And I've also noticed a lot of judges calling for a REALLY late drop now on the drop on recall, which causes a lot of dogs to either anticipate the drop, or to come skidding in without dropping because the drop was called so late.
Why is it we love this sport????


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## JDandBigAm (Aug 25, 2008)

Your dog is way too smart! Have the judge say, "R" turn, "L" turn etc...instead of "right turn", "left turn"...


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## LOVEisGOLDEN (Jan 4, 2008)

Layla is completely bored with novice. she too is listening to the calls & anticipating commands. Last night at class I had the instructor call & I just heeled without listening. I had to pop Layla several times after Carol called slow...

this coming weekend is her 3rd time in the ring & she WILL come home with her CD & RN titles. she is so ready for open it is crazy!

Good Luck out there! I'm sure he'll do fine, they always seem to behave better in the ring anyway!


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## Augie's Mom (Sep 28, 2007)

Good Luck! Nygel make your mommy proud!


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## goldengirls550 (Jun 12, 2008)

Good luck and have fun. I've got a trial this weekend as well and we're hoping to be in the ribbons!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Good luck to everyone showing this weekend! I just love it when people get new titles, I get so excited for them! 
Novice is sooooo boring, both for dogs and owners. I teach open/utility at the same time, so the poor dog doesn't think his whole life is RT, LT, fast, slow, halt, RT, LT, fast, slow, halt.....


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

goldengirls550 said:


> Good luck and have fun. I've got a trial this weekend as well and we're hoping to be in the ribbons!


Good Luck!!! I'll be thinking of you!


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

...had a double class last evening with Nyg and the same old, same old problem - recall! When I leave him with the "Wait" command, and I leave, he was following?????? He's NEVER done this except for the last week??????? As well, he's coming in on the recall at a turtle's pace. To an observer, you'd think I beat him. I train with LOTS of encouragement & no harsh or physical corrections. Last night, we tried making the recall fun & he'd barrel in just like normal but when we "switched" to a more formal recall, he wouldn't "Wait" & vvvveeerrrry slow recall, no sit & BAD finish. This is a boy who can be AMAZING! 

As well, last evening after class, my instructor put us through a "mock up" trial and it was embarrassing. Nyg who heels on & off lead like my 3rd leg, was lagging terribly, did his "stand exercise" like he was scared to death and a really bad (failure in the ring) recall exercise.

I'm wondering if I'm overtraining? Any suggestions?


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Gwen,
He feels your nervousness. He doesn't know what's up, but he knows you're not quite yourself. He sounds EXACTLY like my boy, very sensitive and "soft". He's concerned that he might not meet your expectations, and he doesn't know what they are so he moves slowly, lags, etc. That's why he's fine on the "fun and games" but lags and moves slow on the formal recall. 
Do you have a flexi and a prong or choke collar? I'd put him back on it, give him the COME command, and a quick pop on the collar with the flexi leash all the way out. As soon as he gets up and starts coming to you, lots and lots of praise. YES, GOOD BOY! So he knows he made the right choice. 
Have you been working a drop on recall? You often see dogs do this when they've first started the drop, they aren't sure what's coming so they move very slowly until they figure it out.
Relax! (I know, easy for me to say, but I have to work at that, too!). Be CONFIDENT. When you leave him, stride confidently away. Picture him in your mind SITTING and STAYING as you're walking away. 
Between now and the show, EVERY time he comes in tell him SIT on the front, even though you can't do it in the show. It will build his confidence. Then in the show he will come in and think, oh right, I should sit now! Don't always do the finish, or he will anticipate it. When you do the finish, DON'T look back over your shoulder to see if he's doing it, just move your hand slightly forward to get him where you want him (did that make sense?). If he knows you're looking for him (same is true on heeling), he WILL lag. 
Be real aware of your shoulder position. When you heel, is your left shoulder slightly tipped back? That will make just about any dog lag. Try tipping it slightly forward of your chest. That often helps.
Another thing, when you heel a dog (my trainer yells at me for this all the time), be sure to give his name, slight pause, the command heel, then start your forward motion (of course, this all happens quickly) in order to give him a second to process the thought "HEEL" before you take that first step. I'm often guilty of running together "Titoheel" and being in motion before the poor dog has had a chance to figure out what the heck is going on! Now I concentrate on Tito...very brief pause...HEEL....very brief pause...forward step....
Most of all, RELAX RELAX RELAX! It's JUST a dog show! What's the worst that can happen???? You won't lose your home, or your health, or your dog. Take a deep breath. Have fun!!
P.S. I'm so nervous before the shows I have a hard time taking my own advice, so I know just where you're coming from! He'll be fine!
Don't train him at all the day before the show. At that point, it is what it is. Let it be.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Nygel can do no wrong in my eyes, lol. Since I am only working on Tally's last CD leg, I have no advice but rather thank you's for the thread. i am learning alot from it. Best of luck to Nygel this weekend.


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

*Good News, Great News Story!!!!!*

Well, we just got home from our Gravenhurst trials! We got 2 legs toward our CD (in other words, we disqualified from 2 trials) but I'm soooo proud of him.

The first trial went just fine and we scored a 189 1/2 - the recall was a bit slow and there was a bit of lagging on the heel off lead but I was very happy.

The second trial was running @ the same time as the first and an adjacent ring so we virtually ran from the one trial to the other. Nyg started out just great and then it came time for the "heel off lead" exercise. He bolted from the ring:doh: in a way that I just couldn't understand and RAN??????? Nyg was stopped & comforted by fellow competitors. The judge told me to bring him back in & we'd complete the exercises even though I knew we were disqualified. The heel off lead & the recall went GREAT! Then came the long sits & downs...... Nyg was beside a 3 year old Manchester who immediately got up on both exercises & started running around the ring. Not only did the Manchester run but he was going up to the other dogs and sniffing & nudging - Nygel ignored him - then the Manchester jumped on Nyg, then off & finally jumped right over Nyg! HE STAYED!!!!!!!!! The only other dog that was remaining at the end of both exercises was a Border Collie at the other end of the ring who hadn't been disturbed by the Manchester. At the end of the exercises, the judge asked for a round of applause for the way the (2) remaining dogs remained. He also congratulated me privately and said that if he could, he would "ignored' the way that Nyg left the ring. He also said, "By the way, do you know why he left the ring?" "Well, that Manchester was running around in the other ring like a crazy dog & came through the barrier right @ Nyg." Nygel was scared - was I upset? No, I was so proud of him for his willingness to come back in the ring, finish & then behave so magnificantly in the sit/down exercises.

Next day, Nyg did his first trial & did "ok" with a 178 with MAJOR deductions for lagging & slow recall/no sit/no finish. But he qualified. A repeat of the previous day happened in the long sit/stay exercises & Nyg took the brunt of the Manchester's  and stayed! This time, the Manchester was immediately disqualifed (when he was caught) and told to leave the ring! The judge again complimented us on our dogs staying throughout that commotion! Not a great score but qualifying & I was soooo proud of Nyg for his behaviour.

Again, we ran to the next trial and all went ok until the last exercise - the recall. The judge, who was standing beside Nyg, put his arm up & out for the signal to call your dog. Nyg saw the arm & FROZE, he wouldn't move. The judge told me to call him again the same way & again, Nyg FROZE. It wasn't until I clapped my hands & lowered my body did Nyg come bounding!!!!! We've worked with the command "Call your dog" over & over again to make sure that Nyg only came on my command but never with arm signals like this judge did. After the trial, the judge came over to me, complimented me on what a nice working dog Nyg is and told me that I had a perfect score on the figure 8 and suggested that I move the leash to my right hand as I had done on the figure 8. 

All in all, a good weekend with 2 legs, lots of learning, good fellow competitors & I'm SOOOOO Proud of Nyg!!!!!!


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Way to go Gwen and Nygel. He sounds like he did great and that Mancehester sounds like he was a pain in the butt to everyone. Give that boy lots og hugs and kisses.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

yahoooooo way to go!!! You should be very proud of him, and of yourself!


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## Ronna (Mar 24, 2007)

It sounds like it was a great weekend for you and Nygel. I imagine you learned a great deal while you were there. I would be proud of his accomplishments and I am sure he will improve for your next meet.

Congratulations to you and Nygel!

Ronna
Dallie & Karlie


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## Goldilocks (Jun 3, 2007)

After all that it sounds like Nyg deserves a big treat tonight! Congratulations on your accomplishments this weekend.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Go, Nygel! Also, I love the good sportsmanship implicit in your story bc the Manchester could inspire some serious wrath.


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