# New to this but intrigued.



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Jessizlegend said:


> Hey all. I’m brand new here. I’m looking at getting a golden pup and potentially getting into obedience or agility. A friend of mine mentioned rally and since watching some trials online, I’m super intrigued. I Would definitely be getting into puppy classes and basic obedience classes......
> basically, is this something I could do, or am I way out of my league by having this as an aspiration? I live in central Florida if this helps. If I can do this, I would love to connect with others to bounce ideas off of or commiserate with.


Welcome Jessi, you are the ideal person to get started with competition. I think you will love it. Basically agility started out as a dog sport put together by horse people, you will find it to be just like show jumping only you're running with the dog and he's following your direction. And if you can be more specific about central Florida - pm me if you'd like - I have just the people to help you get connected. You can absolutely train with on line help but it will be SO much more fun working in person with good people and much easier to learn too. You sound like this should be something you excel at.


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## xRoan (Jul 7, 2021)

I second this.

As for OB/Rally, train OB first. I learned the hard way that Rally can get you into some pretty poor habits with hand positioning, repeating commands, etc that isn’t tolerated in the OB ring. Most people that I know will finish OB championships first and then start all the way down at Rally Novice.


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## Jessizlegend (6 mo ago)

nolefan said:


> Welcome Jessi, you are the ideal person to get started with competition. I think you will love it. Basically agility started out as a dog sport put together by horse people, you will find it to be just like show jumping only you're running with the dog and he's following your direction. And if you can be more specific about central Florida - pm me if you'd like - I have just the people to help you get connected. You can absolutely train with on line help but it will be SO much more fun working in person with good people and much easier to learn too. You sound like this should be something you excel at.


I remember in my 4-H days I wanted to do agility with my dog…she took jumps better than some of my horses that I jumped, but it wasn’t offered in our state 4-H program yet and showing horses for aqua youth titles left the dog stuff to be cost-prohibitive at the time.

I’m located in the Kissimmee area but would love to meet people and more about obedience and dog sports before jumping right in, that way I know what I’m looking for in a golden puppy before investing in one.


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## Aly2015 (Jan 26, 2021)

Obedience, rally and agility are things you can definitely do! I think it helps a ton to be connected with a group or club who competes in the area you have interest in. They can give helpful advice, show you the ropes and be a source of encouragement.
I think of Rally as being more lighthearted and easy going than obedience. You are allowed to talk to your dog, give multiple commands and use hand motions (still no treats or baiting). I agree that it can teach your dog some poor habits if you want to compete in obedience, but I also think that depends on your approach. 
I don’t know much about agility, mainly because I don’t have a group close to me that competes in it so I’ve found it harder to get connected. I’m not sure my boys have the energy for it anyways lol. 
Goldens retrievers are biddable, intelligent and love to do things with their owners, so I think getting into one of those areas is a great idea with any golden puppy


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Jessizlegend said:


> basically, is this something I could do, or am I way out of my league by having this as an aspiration? I live in central Florida if this helps. If I can do this, I would love to connect with others to bounce ideas off of or commiserate with.


Anybody can do competition obedience and rally. If it's not there in the dogs to begin with, the right methods and handling can cultivate wonders. Many non-obedience dogs compete at super high levels - all credit due to their handlers who work their butts off to train their dogs. Golden retrievers are a lot easier.... 

I am not up to date on my Florida geography here - must nudge both @Prism Goldens and @K9-Design who may have contacts on ideal places to train a new pup so you aren't wasting too much time or training the wrong things the wrong way, etc. 

Can you train alone - yes. But it's mixed results if you are new to AKC obedience. Part of the deal is training things right the first time.... and so you need active feedback. You can get this in classes - if they are taught by people who are actively competing with their own dogs.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Welcome to GRF! You can absolutely train Rally and Obedience without going to classes, but classes definitely help. Agility would be hard to do without classes because of the space and equipment required.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Megora said:


> Anybody can do competition obedience and rally. If it's not there in the dogs to begin with, the right methods and handling can cultivate wonders. Many non-obedience dogs compete at super high levels - all credit due to their handlers who work their butts off to train their dogs. Golden retrievers are a lot easier....
> 
> I am not up to date on my Florida geography here - must nudge both @Prism Goldens and @K9-Design who may have contacts on ideal places to train a new pup so you aren't wasting too much time or training the wrong things the wrong way, etc.
> 
> Can you train alone - yes. But it's mixed results if you are new to AKC obedience. Part of the deal is training things right the first time.... and so you need active feedback. You can get this in classes - if they are taught by people who are actively competing with their own dogs.


Agree- you absolutely CAN do this yourself, however, train Ob first- Rally is good for getting bad habits!
I'm in Ocala.
It's very hard to get into MADTA classes but reach out to them now- because you WILL need to have someone help you at some point on the nuance that can cost you Q's.
Welome!
edit : order an AKC obedience rule book. Read the novice section many times. Also read the judges section so you know what they are looking at!


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## Jessizlegend (6 mo ago)

Prism Goldens said:


> I'm in Ocala.
> It's very hard to get into MADTA classes but reach out to them now- because you WILL need to have someone help you at some point on the nuance that can cost you Q's.
> Welome!


It looks like MADTA is a bit too far for me to commute for a series of classes, but I did find the Orlando Dog Training Club that appears to offer AKC competition prep classes. Would this be somewhat equivalent? It’s only an hour from me in Kissimmee (without traffic) instead of 3.





Home | ODTC







www.orlandodogtrainingclub.com





There also appears to be an AKC-type training club which is also about an hour away





IPOC Dog Training Class Schedule - Group Classes in Agility, Rally, Scent Work, Tricks, Obedience, Conformation


IPOC Dog Training Class Schedule, Trials, Seminars in Agility, Rally, Scent Work, Tricks, Obedience, Conformation in Lakeland, FL, USA



www.ipoclakeland.org





Would I have to be in these classes full-time? Or would it be a case of learning skills in a class series, honing them at home, then moving on to another class? I have a 2.5 acre yard and frequently meet with friends to walk in different parks and areas so I imagine I could work on generalizing and proofing in a variety of locations to help socialize my pup to different surfaces, scenarios, and distractions.

I SO appreciate all your help with this. I admit I was a bit intimidated to reach out on the forums (I’m a lurker) because it’s scary being the new kid.
Jessi


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Classes run usually weekly - one time a week- and ODTC is wonderful, I do their trials. 
I am not familiar w IPOC, but it looks like they focus on tricks, etc (I could be wrong)- I do the Lakeland trial too, so they must have an AKC club there somewhere.


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## Jessizlegend (6 mo ago)

Prism Goldens said:


> Classes run usually weekly - one time a week- and ODTC is wonderful, I do their trials.
> I am not familiar w IPOC, but it looks like they focus on tricks, etc (I could be wrong)- I do the Lakeland trial too, so they must have an AKC club there somewhere.


The Lakeland trials appear to be run by IPOC which is why it seemed like an option. IPOC has a ton of membership requirements that I’m not sure I can fulfill so I think ODTC will be my best bet. Thank you so much for your help!


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Just got time to look @ their site- so- it looks like in order to have a competition class (which will be your novice A Companion Dog - CD) you have to take Basic OB and Adv Basic first- and to get into Basic Ob your dog has to be over 6 mo. of age. That's pretty typical of clubs' class scheduling- it's disruptive to have a 3 mo old in with 6 mo olds..
there is nothing more fun than partnering w your dog in this way and I'd encourage you to take a pup class then enter Basic Ob class (these are usually 6-8 wk one a week classes) and get ready to trial! Classes usually cost around $70-80 or so for the full 6-8 wks. DK when pup will be born but MFGRC is supporting entry @ the Lakeland shows in February, and it appears they too have obedience so if not before I will meet you then!

Lakeland Winter Haven Kennel Club – Lakeland, Florida this is the club we're supporting entry in.


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## Jessizlegend (6 mo ago)

Ahh yes. I forgot about this club in my search. I won’t likely have a pup by then (not looking to add to the family until early 2023 because we have extended travel plans in November) so I’ll likely just come and spectate if that is possible. That way I can get a feel for how things look at Trials. I look forward to meeting you in Lakeland!


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Both ODTC and IPOC are GREAT clubs and have a long-standing reputation in the competitive obedience community. 
There are also a few people I can think of near-ish you that are good instructors for private lessons.
Obedience is one of the few sports that doesn't require a lot of help or equipment or time, so you're lucky you've chosen it! 
Best of luck.


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## Jessizlegend (6 mo ago)

K9-Design said:


> Both ODTC and IPOC are GREAT clubs and have a long-standing reputation in the competitive obedience community.
> There are also a few people I can think of near-ish you that are good instructors for private lessons.
> Obedience is one of the few sports that doesn't require a lot of help or equipment or time, so you're lucky you've chosen it!
> Best of luck.


I would love referrals if you have any! I’m open to all sorts of help.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

K9-Design said:


> There are also a few people I can think of near-ish you that are good instructors for private lessons.


Private lessons are the best way to jumpstart a new puppy and jump ahead in the game.


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## PalouseDogs (Aug 14, 2013)

I do three dog "sports": OB, hunt training, and agility. OB is, by far, the easiest and least expensive to get into. I have taken very few formal classes because I don't live close enough to a facility that offers competition classes. When I started, books were my primary source of information and I still like books for certain things more than other media. Nowadays, there are many, many excellent on-line sources of information.

With a big yard, you will be able to set up and leave up equipment, which makes training every day a whole lot easier. You should have short training sessions nearly every day. Classes are great for getting a dog used to working around other dogs and for in-person instruction on what to be doing. A couple of things, however: your dog won't get very far if most of your training is once a week in class. You have to train three to seven days a week. You need to find, if possible, instructors that have, at a minimum, achieved the title you are aiming for. Preferably, you want someone who's gotten at least one level above. Ideally, find someone who's put at least a couple of UDs and/or a UDX or OTCH on a dog, although bear in mind that the best dog trainers aren't always the best people trainers.

If weekly classes are too difficult to get to, private or semi-private instructions once or twice/month can be a great option, if you find a good private instructor. An experienced pair of eyes can keep you from going too far down a path of bad habits or bad timing.

If you want to do Rally, _teach a high-level competition HEEL first!!!!! _ Heeling looks deceptively easy but a good competition heel is one of the hardest things to teach. Almost all Rally beginners focus on the signs and forget that 80% of the course is between the signs. Most of the people that do best in Rally have already done well in competitive obedience. It's not just that you get in the habit of talking too much to your dog in Rally; is that most beginners have never taught their dog a good heel.

Good luck! Goldens are a great breed to start with in OB. If you are serious, try to find a puppy with parents and grandparents with fairly high-level titles in OB, Agility, or hunt. No guarantees, but it will improve your odds. There is a lot of crossover between OB, agility, and field-line dogs.


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## Jessizlegend (6 mo ago)

PalouseDogs said:


> I do three dog "sports": OB, hunt training, and agility. OB is, by far, the easiest and least expensive to get into. I have taken very few formal classes because I don't live close enough to a facility that offers competition classes. When I started, books were my primary source of information and I still like books for certain things more than other media. Nowadays, there are many, many excellent on-line sources of information.
> 
> With a big yard, you will be able to set up and leave up equipment, which makes training every day a whole lot easier. You should have short training sessions nearly every day. Classes are great for getting a dog used to working around other dogs and for in-person instruction on what to be doing. A couple of things, however: your dog won't get very far if most of your training is once a week in class. You have to train three to seven days a week. You need to find, if possible, instructors that have, at a minimum, achieved the title you are aiming for. Preferably, you want someone who's gotten at least one level above. Ideally, find someone who's put at least a couple of UDs and/or a UDX or OTCH on a dog, although bear in mind that the best dog trainers aren't always the best people trainers.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for the valuable advice. I had hoped to approach training like I approach training with my grey or with my greyhound fosters when we have them. My work schedule is fairly well established so a routine is pretty easy. I get home from work mid-afternoon, let them out for zoomies, then we come in and work on manners/tricks for 15-20 minutes. Then I go back to my office to study (getting a second degree so part time student) and a couple hours later we do some more manners and obedience/tricks training before dinner. Then they eat while I eat and we chill for a bit, then have some more training time before bedtime potty. Greyhounds tend to have extremely short attention spans (unless chasing squirrels) so even 15 minutes at a time is a push some days.

i assume it’s like when I showed horses, my twice a month lessons weren’t going to cut it…they lessons trained me on how to work with/train my companion.


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