Hunting Retriever turned Obdedience Dog?

[Brian McMillan]

Hi all;

Bosco and I are entering our first ever obedience trial this weekend. Even in training he is some what less than enthusiastic about obedience work. Put a retrieve on the line and he's the most obedient dog ever. He is probably going to be severely disappointed when we load up, get to the trial site and he sees all the dogs and trucks. He's going to be thinking Hunt Test and I'm not sure he'll overcome the shock when we walk up to the Ring instead of the line. Where's the field, the gunnners, the birds? It will be a wonder if I get any work out of him at all.

Anyone out there who has done both trialing and obedience? Any stories, tips, any advice on what to expect?

Brian

[Prue Winkfield]

Hi Brian - personally, I did it the other way around - obedience first and then once 'found' retrieving never went back! However, one of our Lab owning triallers from Queensland does obedience with her labs using the clicker method and apparently the dogs love it and she does really well. So if your pouch shows his distaste at the weekend perhaps you should try clicker training Prue

[Kirsty Blair]

Hi Brian,

The biggest problem I have with obedience trialling my retriever is that he stops and "marks" the fall of a dumbell thrown in the neighbouring rings! This doesn't lead to good heelwork scores, I'm afraid.

I have to group myself in with Prue and say that whilst I started out in the obedience rings, once my dog and I found retrieving trials there's been little interest in boring ol' obedience

Kirsty

[Wayne Parkinson]

Hi Brian.

I once took my old RTCH bitch into the OB ring at the lab club champ show. I was on the committee so felt I had to go.
The one thing I did was leave her sitting on the bench for a while and just grabbed her before going into the ring.
She was that glad to see me we went into the ring had finished the exercises and got out before she realised how boring the whole thing was.
That was about 14 years ago. It may have got even more boring by now

Wayne P.

[Lisa-Maree Price]

Hi Paul, do obedience with both of my two Labs and they like it. I do positive training. How old is your dog ? One of my Labs liked the obedience ring first up. The other is just about 2 and is just starting to enjoy it now.

After they have finished in the ring I give them a little game of retrieve. This reinforces the positive for the dog as well. I use clicker training as well and it seems to work well. But you will have to learn how to apply it properly first.

I started obedience first. And actually I have the opposite trouble to you. They are obedient in the ring but creep forward in the retrieving.

Good luck.

Lisa-maree Price

[Teresa Parkinson]

Wayne, you forgot to give Brian one minor detail!

If I remember correctly, Cindy had a very 'odd' way of responding when she worked well. I don't think it had anything to do with clicker training either.....but it sure as hell raised a few eyebrows! Perhaps you'd care to share your little training tip?

Teresap

PS - somehow, I don't think I'm going to have tea cooked for me tonight!

[Gareth Tawton]

Brian,

I ran my older dog now 11 in a few obediance trials early on. I thought it a good way to instill obediance when all the other dogs were around and inturn this would help his line work at a real trial. I achieved my goals early but later in trial life he was know for being "on the edge" at the line.
He was quite good in the obediance ring 6 wins from 6 trials but I don't know who found it more boring me or him. Hence I have never been back Good luck I hope you don't get bored easliy

Gareth

[Wayne Parkinson]

OK
When she did a great run she would get excited when the lead went back on and she would jump up and start grinding on my leg.
It was quite a sight at the retrieving demo at the Melbourne royal show with a packed crowd.
I should point out that Graeme owned her first.

I think she was 9 years old that year when she finished the National in retrieving.
Won veteran bitch at the lab club champ show (her only champ show)and highest scoring dog in trial at the lab club champ show ob.

I remember Steve Hall saying something about trophy hunting.

Wayne P.

[Kirsty Blair]

Must be one hell of a leg you have, Wayne, if the prospect of some lovin' with it got your bitch to win all those trophies. he he

Kirsty

[Brian McMillan]

Thank you Teresa for getting Wayne to tell the rest of the story. That's the funniest thing I read online in sometime! And to think that he tried to shift the blame to Graeme; what else are brothers for? !If Bosco pulls something like that, it will be the end of our obedience trialing for sure.

Brian

[Joanne Hagan]

I've just discovered retreiving (sent my first trial entries off yesterday - woohoo!), but have done obedience first and am still doing it. I actually quite enjoy my obedience, that being said, novice is just boring as!! All my dogs are now up into Open - much more fun for them and me, they get to run jump AND retrieve - they love it : ) Biggest tip - smile, and just treat it as a fun day out with you and your dog. Hey, it's nothing compared to the showring (yep, do that too, currently wondering why, why, why )
I am laughing at the comment about the dog marking dumbells thrown in the next ring - one of my dogs when younger, didn't mark it, he just took off, jumped the ring rope and went and retrieved it - he was very proud of himself

Joanne

[Brian McMillan]

Today's the big today; our ring time is scheduled for around 2:30 pm. (USA time) We will be the last dog in our class to run. I told Bosco this morning that I wasn't sure how he was gonna do, but at least he'll look good doing it. He such a Handsome Lad!

Brian

[Kirsty Blair]

Good luck Brian and Bosco!

[Brian McMillan]

The deed is done; the results are in. I must say I was surprised about the whole event. I found myself sort of liking it. Don't get me wrong, field work is still way more fun and will remain the focus of our training, but obedience has it's charm. Comparing obedience to to field trials is like comparing soccer to football (rugby, if you will) Most red blooded Americans think soccer is boring, including yours trully. In soccer you don't have that many goals scored, so the exitment lies in the anticpation of waiting for a score. In rugby the gratification is more constant in that there are many scores throughtout the game. (Not to mention more violence). I once asked a German friend what it is about soccer that people like. She simply replied it's the "spannung". (tension) This is what I experineced at the obedience trial during the sits and downs. Bosco was in his down with the other dogs, time is running out, dogs are popping up all over the place;the tension builds. three minutes seems like a lifetime. Please Bosco, just a little longer; Lord, help him stay down. The time runs out, Bosco is still down. He not only qualifies, but takes second place in overall points to boot.

Was this as exiting as a triple with a diversion? No, but it wasn't bad, either.

Brian

[Kirsty Blair]

Congratulations, Brian

You should be a sports writer, you have all the necessary qualities - the rhetoric, suspense and results. Well done again!

Kirsty