So Scarborough Trials and Team Leon

Leon and I went to four days of Scarborough trials, and I was fairly confident that we would come home with one leg.   I was not even planning to go to all four days, as there were two judges on each of the two days.  Since you need a different judge to pass you each time, the max amount of legs that we could get would be two.   I assumed it would go like this 1)  Scratch Day 1 (first outdoor trial for Leon in five years, and never been to this venue) 2) Figured Day 2 we would get a leg (hahahaha) 3) Figured Day 3 we would probably get a leg, and 4) Figured Day 4 I might go just to keep the practice going.

Um, this is not how it went.   I was in good company, because on each of the four days only 1 team got their leg (and only one team was going to get the leg before the stays commenced).  Leon and I had improved our team skills, but still quite a ways from getting the leg as evidenced by the results.

(Day 1) 5/17/2012 (and I realize how the rest of the days are probably going to go)

• Do not hold chain collar by live ring (first time I was informed by a judge of this, and I have been trialling since 2008.   I have always led him gently by the collar as the rules state, but this was my reason for changing collars as I could not trust my motion memory to not hold the ring)  Good to know, wonder how many points I have lost in the past for that.
• Leon moved in Stand but I lost my train of though and waited too long before realizing judge had said leave when ready.
• Leon on off leash heel, went to put head through gate to see other dog, I forgot my emergency heel command that I could have given. He was with me during the rest.
• Was standing in his stay when I left on recall, barked, and then made for the gate. I should have realized he was going to and been ready with a second come command immediately.

(Day 2) 5/18/2012

• Changed to flat collar so I would not hold by live ring
• Off leash heel, went to same spot so he was not checking out other dog but smell. I did use my emergency heel, but he only came after halt and forward and then was with me the rest of the way.
• Stayed on stay, ran to me, but then thought about it as he came front and started for gate, I grabbed collar.
• We got to the stay portion, he barked three times and then did a stand stay instead of sit stay. Got excused before down.

(Day 3) 5/19/2012

• he thought about going to fence line but did not go to it (on off leash).
• Good figure eight (position wise)
• Missed two auto sits 1st halt on off leash and last sit in figure eight.
• Did a great stand, zero points off.
• Again tried to go for gate on recall.
• Stood in sit stay, barked and then ran to me.

(Day 4) 5/20/2012

• Leon was first off all pretty clearly done with the trials. (However, he was not getting off the hook that easy)
• Very crooked sits and auto sits. Only made a couple.
• Very good stand.
• On off lead heel, either saw or smelled Boris & Robert and walked over to fence and would not come back.
• We were disqualified, but judge asked if we wanted to do recall, and I figured sure why not. Leon hear Boris cry and jumped the fence, and then jumped back in. Well, that was new.

And here is the video to forever burn into my memory my dog jumping over the fence!

Part of the problem being that Robert and Boris were there on the fourth day.   I knew Leon would be distracted and probably not do his off lead heel well.  I also expected that he would try and blow off his recall yet again.   I DID NOT expect that Leon would use his quick thinking brain to figure another alternate route to get out and make it to Robert.  Leon is good like that though (creative thought process to figure out how to do exactly what he wants).

Another thing that Mr Leon figured out during these days was, that instead of barking in the stays to be let up, he could stand and be quiet (that was day 2).  By the way, when we are not in a ring setting, Leon does not bark in stays.   Admittedly, this was worked on for a long time, and has only been the situation for a month before this.  THEN Mr Leon figured, if I am standing in my sit stay, why then I can just walk over to her (that was day 3).

Now at the point I figured out (Day 1) that he was most likely going to blow the recall off everyday, some would figure that I just would not go and not let Leon practice this.  However, I am also practicing my handling skills while in a ring.   So even if we were not going to get a leg (and there was still a possibility we were, Day 2 before the stays was the closest), I knew what I was doing wrong each day, and working on concentrating (when I get nervous) of handling better.   After all, I had already paid for the trials.  

So I know where the holes are now in Leon's training.   On recalls, Leon is usually super happy to come to me.   I think at the trials, he gets nervous.  He is used to being around a lot of people and dogs, that does not make him nervous.  I think it's the difference when you are in a big empty space, and everyone is looking in at you.    He knows, if he goes outside of the ring he will soon find me with him outside of the ring.   He also knows outside the ring are nice people with treats.   We had worked up to a point with as many distractions as we could up to the trial (meaning I fit as much as time would allow before the trial).   However, there were still some on the list.   Some things that might seem like they will never be at a trial (and perhaps they won't) still seem to bite you in the butt if you do not get to them.

Leon and I have been working since March 2012 at this (so it was two months and a third of work).   Other dogs, I have worked with for at least six months to a year before just doing the matches.   Jackie CD, my dog aggressive Doberman, took two years before I even considered that he might be a good candidate for the sport.

Leon is a very even mannered dog.  He can be a brat at times, but he has no behavioral difficulties and is fairly confident.   He likes to have fun, and he likes working with me.    I used to be very sad when I would go to trials without him after his ACL tear, and that is why for five years I was not training him to be a competition dog.   As it is, we will only be able to complete Companion Dog due to his knees (the jump repetitions would be too much).   So I figured he would easily do it, and all this stuff are things we do everyday, just not with the competition rules (only one command et).  It turns out that during those five years, I allowed Leon to learn some very bad habits that are screaming out in the trial ring now!

This is why as a dog trainer, it is so important to work different breeds, temperaments, sizes, ages, physically conditioned, et dogs.   So many trainers if they trial at all, will only do their dog for many years.   I think this is important too, as you can climb up the skill level with a dog you can focus your abilities on.  I have not yet had a dog (that is mine) that has been physically healthy enough to do this (except maybe Boris, but he has three legs and I have not determined this yet).   What can happen though, is a trainer thinks every dog is going to learn as well and by the same training style as the one dog they have been working for seven or more years.   I had assumed that I could get a friendly dog, like my Leon, there much faster due to his open and social personality (and while he creatively tries to get out of things, he really is a dog that likes to please me).   Oops!  Guess we got quite a bit more work to do.

The only way you learn what is and is not true and possible, is to work as many different dogs as you can, and then have an impartial third party judge how that is going for you IMHO.   BTW it does not necessarily have to be obedience, but that is my sport (and also what I train my clients in).

Additional distractions to be added to Leon's training schedule (some of this has been done to an extent, but is still in process or the time couldn't be gotten in to perfect it):

• We will be heeling him around food on the ground.
• Recalling him away from food bowls and treats.
• Not that I am sure Boris and Robert will be at the next trial, but we will be filling in that hole by having Leon recalling a lot away from them (Robert usually let's Leon get away with anything, so Leon loves to run for cover to him).
• Stays being more like open stays (out of sight from Leon for period of time)
• Stays while biking out of sight.
• Stays while Robert is playing with daycare and ball.

Like I said, a lot of this is not going to be found at trial.   However, doing these things increases your dog's ability to not be tempted by lessor distractions.   Also, Leon has a very free lifestyle generally and for the last five years.  We do not have him ignore dogs so we get all his attention all the time.   We do not convince him that we dispense treats at the drop of a button or are their to entertain him with play all the time (though I am not saying that we don't use these things in training).  We do not correct him at every mistep.   I try and balance everything out, and come up with a plan that allows my dog to enjoy as much as life has to offer, but also work well with me as a partner.  It is not always easy to have your cake and eat it too .   It is so worth it though to be able to strike a balance that makes one happy with themselves as a trainer, and also happy with the life their dog is able to lead.

Leon is crate trained, but he is not crated a lot in his life.   He is so attached to us, maybe a bit more so than is optimal, because we enjoy being with him and interacting with him (and all our past and present dogs) all the time.   When you make these decisions on how you want to live and interact with your dogs, there are always pluses and minuses.   The best thing you can do is recognize that, and put in the work to make it be the best for yourself and your teammate.

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