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| Working Trials; Does anyone compete? | |
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| Topic Started: Feb 28 2008, 05:15 PM (1,201 Views) | |
| RJL | Feb 28 2008, 05:15 PM Post #1 |
Chatterbox
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Does anyone here compete in working trials? Dill and I are going to our first training day next month, with a view to working towards Companion Dog stakes. |
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| RJL | Mar 29 2008, 12:44 AM Post #2 |
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Oh no..........I'm all alone in this thread :err: Last Sunday Dill and I arrived at a muddy field, down a muddy lane, which is apparently the correct way to arrive at a trial. Dill is not a dog who likes to be kept standing around; however, this is apparently something competitors in trials do a lot of. I managed to fill in the time explaining why he is so small and that although he had resorted to making a noise like a hen about to lay an egg (as he does when he is bored) he was not in pain (nor was he actually going to lay an egg!) The first activity we tried was tracking. As we were all complete beginners, it was all kept easy and fun. Dill soon got the hang of snuffling along, hoovering up sausages along the way, while I managed to point to the ground and say 'track'. It is important that the dogs are encouraged to track carefully and not miss any sausages because at competition level, they have to find articles dropped along the track as well as complete the trail. Next we moved to the agility section. The high jump was no problem because Dill has springs for paws. The long jump was a bit of a challenge because nothing we did convinced Dill that running along it was not the correct approach. The scale was daunting (to me) Little Dill is 9 and a half inches at the shoulder and the scale for his height is three feet or solid fence. Dill objected to my request to jump and tried to explain that he couldn't manage such a huge leap by leaping up and barking. In fact, he bounced a good four feet off the ground, in order to demonstrate that clearing 3 feet was just too difficult. Eventually, after a bit of strategic positioning by me and and instructor, he inadvertantly bounced right over the scale :yay: Then we moved to the article search, where Dill faked complete amnesia and looked at me in utter bafflement when I said 'hold' :huh:Although after some gentle persuasion (he remembered what :x: well HOLD meant) he did succeed. He did a superb recall, mostly because the instructor held him while I ran off waving yet more sausage and he came back to me like he was on elastic (there's a thought :ph43r: ) He also got the hang of the sendaway i.e. go to the foot of the magic sausage-tree and scoff :yes: Everyone was so welcoming and friendly and we have been practicing. Last night he did a 'seek' for a leather tassle I'd dropped while we were out walking with my friend and her collie and 2 patterdales. Poor Dill trotted over and dutifully began to search, but just as he got to the tassle, he was ambushed by a flying patterdale who grabbed it from him and ran off - managing to drop in en-route before coming back to a very shocked Dill and rolling on her back in front of him (probably saying cruel things like 'you might look a bit like a terrier - but you are a swotty little anally-retentive pastoral breed :hyper: ') So, that's our experience of working trials. Great fun - another excuse to play outside with your dog and get really messy :yay: and it's still legal :yippee: |
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| sammie204 | Mar 29 2008, 02:38 AM Post #3 |
Total Gas Bag!
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I'm sorry RJL, none of mine do trials but i just had to reply as your post made me :lol: :lol: but well done Dill :yay: |
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| Tafia | Mar 29 2008, 06:11 PM Post #4 |
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Total Gas Bag!
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I've been wondering all week how it went! Sounds like a great deal of fun and like Sammy, your post made me howl with laughter. V. funny. I can imagine that it'll become pretty addictive; now tell me what were the vast majority of breeds and where there any terriers? |
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| RJL | Mar 29 2008, 09:58 PM Post #5 |
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The other complete beginners were 2 labs (working type - not Flabradors), a lab-cross, a GSD and 2 Spanish Water Dogs. The more experienced dogs included GSDs, a lurcher (bit of deerhound, bit of saluki, maybe bit of bedlington & greyhound in there) a large munsterlander, a cocker and a bouvier - so a good mixed bag really. I'd love to train an Irish Terrier in trials - I'm sure many terrorists could do well :) |
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| Tafia | Mar 30 2008, 05:33 PM Post #6 |
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Total Gas Bag!
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That's what I was thinking! I could well imagine Boo would be v. capable of doing something like this, she's a natural search and retrieve and her problem solving skills are pretty subtle. Looking forward to hearing more as your training continues. |
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| roo roo | Apr 17 2008, 11:27 PM Post #7 |
Total Gas Bag!
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its an interesting post this and so funny too. :lol: i enjoyed reading it and look forward to more updates ;) |
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| Linda & Fred | Apr 18 2008, 08:43 AM Post #8 |
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We have started going to trials, but we are not intending to compete. The club I go to doesn't have very convenient dates for me (they only hold them once a month and so if I have something else on that day there can be some long gaps), and Fred can't do the jumps at the moment so we haven't been since November. |
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| RJL | Apr 20 2008, 01:19 PM Post #9 |
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We've just got back from training. We both love it! The people who run it are just so confident and relaxed and their attitide is contagious
:) Dill is jumping more confidently now and I'm learning so much. It's just fantastic! After working Dill, I had a go as the 'criminal' and was aprehended by a Large Munsterlander :ph43r: |
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| Red Rascal | Apr 25 2008, 12:06 AM Post #10 |
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Really funny posts RJL, keep them coming.
:) It all sounds really fun. How do you go about joining a Working Trials club? Don't know if my pup would be any good, but he would love training out doors and getting sausages :D. But is six months too young to start? (Thinking of the agility.) :unsure: |
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| RJL | Apr 25 2008, 12:37 PM Post #11 |
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The Kennel Club has a list of working trials clubs and a few WT clubs have websites too. 6 months is too young for the jumps, but of you spend time now with Rascal, getting him playing with toys and then giving them up on command and doing a bit of outdoor training every day, including sitting on command away from you, you will be laying very good foundations. :devil: Please consider it - I looked into it with Logan, but he was 5 before we found a WT person and time / money really stopped me going into it further, as well as the fact he was 4 when I got him and had never done any training, so we decided by the time he would be ready to compete, the 6 foot scale might just be too much for him. At the time, there was no intermediate level of obstacles. I've found the WT people I've spoken to are so pleased to welcome new people. |
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| TerrierTops | Apr 26 2008, 08:04 AM Post #12 |
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I've been really enjoying lurking on this thread! I wish I had found something like that to do with Flynn too! |
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| RJL | Apr 28 2008, 12:37 PM Post #13 |
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Sunday's training was great! It was raining, which is not Dill's favourite weather. He looked at me like I was mad when I asked him to jump into his travelbox, then folded his ears back and cringed at my feet. I suppose even so-called 'unconditional' love has its limits when it's pouring down and someone asks you to jump into a car that stinks to high Heaven of coconut airfresherner - following a spring clean. Once we arrived, I reversed into a space and Dill started clucking with excitement (or maybe aprehension, as he does tend to call my reversing skills into question) He flew out of the car, towards the jumps, which were being set up, so he had to make do with giving everyone a heeler-headbut, before he was popped back in the car. He complained bitterly for a few minutes, but soon settled down. We still need to keep up the socialisation, as he did have a minor panic when a lovely young GSD lolloped forward to have a closer look and he gave him a warning snap. The shepherd looked mildly puzzled for a second, before going back to being a big happy puppy. Dill needed some quick focussing on flats, sits and stands to give him something else to worry about. He's addicted to work! When I stopped and tried to have a conversation, he showed everyone how well he did 'speak' - which resulted in a swift march back to the car - where he demonstrated the 'sulk'. Once he was quiet again, I fetched him out and he was all happy and brimming with enthusiasm again :hyper: The sendaway went really well- possibly because the marker was a couple of cones on sticks and Dill, being tiny, found he could lie down right under them and get out of the rain :yippee: He really is a clever little pocketweiler! He had less idea with the tracking, or rather, I had no idea, but we were soon put right about how to hold the lead and by the end, he was working quite well. I need to practice this though. Apparently, when dogs get the hang of it, they get really excited :hyper: In Dill's case, this will probably mean he will stand on his hind legs and make a noise like a strangled chicken. I have to buy him a harness, which is proving tricky as I really want a soft leather one, but have you ever tried to find a small harness that befits a dog like Dill? I found some lovely soft leather ones at National Terrier, but they had little diamonds stuck all along the back :yikes: Why does everyone seem to want the Barbie does Bondage look for their dogs - or else the 'we're super outdoor-types - look at our eyecatching nylon weave!' look. I can just see Dill fudgung a recall in some of that stuff 'sorry - couldn't hear you - my collar is too loud!' The jumps, he loved :yippee: He gets so excited and he's managing the scale with just a steep ramp on one side now with confidence. I do have to get him out of the habit of balancing on the very top to admire the view though :rolleyes: At the end of the session, I got to run with the big sleeve and get aprehended by a flying canine - which was so funny. I find being a criminal disturbingly enjoyable :ph43r: |
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| TerrierTops | Apr 30 2008, 11:41 AM Post #14 |
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:lol: :lol: :lol: Love those descriptions! Have you perchance got a video of him working? ... t'would be fun to see!!! By the by ... I am suddenly having trouble with Flynn constantly barking, barking barking when he is outside playing or "working" on agility. It is in the last two weeks reached momumentlally irritating proportions. How do I shut him up? My teacher suggested work faster...I've tried all week and it makes him WORSE. |
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| Tafia | Apr 30 2008, 03:59 PM Post #15 |
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Total Gas Bag!
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RJL your WT posts are a lovely piece of writing, both humorous and interesting. Especially laughed at Dill clucking, speaking, heeler headbut etc - looking forward to the next installment! |
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