# To OB or not to OB?



## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

I feel like I'm slowly heading down the road to starting Competition Obedience training. I'm really intrigued by it, and when it's done right, the dogs have a really good time. 

Part of me thinks Marge is not a good candidate for it. Mostly because I'm terrified of taking her to classes and doing something I don't agree with just because I'm a newbie and the teacher told me to. I'm also terrified of undoing the work that I've done, which has made her SO happy to go to training classes, by stressing her out (especially with having her stand in place as a stranger pets her).

Part of me thinks she IS a good candidate for it. Her attention is great. Without formal training, she has a rough heel (obviously not on cue because I will wait 'til it's perfect to put it on cue) and her only real heeling problems are lagging slightly on the rights and abouts. Her fronts are coming along, as are her finishes. The only exercise in Novice Obedience that we haven't touched on yet is the Stand for Exam and I am going to go VERY slow with that.

I'm not in it for an OTCH. I'd be happy with just a CD. But man, I don't know.. it just seems like a whole different world from agility and rally and I'm scared!


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

Don't know much about OB, other than that I'm not interested in doing it. Just too formal for my style, and probly Kit's too - LOL. Agility is borderline too formal for us, so OB would be a nightmare I bet. 

If there are classes in your area, though, and you feel comfortable with the trainer, then I say go for it. Set yourself some ground rules about what you will and won't do and stick to them whatever the trainer says.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

I wasn't, either - and I'm definitely still not in love with the advanced Open/Utility exercises - but save for the Stand for Exam, the other Novice exercises don't seem so bad. I think I could train them to the level needed for competition with relative ease.

We did Novice Stays last night in my Rally class - she held both of her stays perfectly. She knows the dogs, yes, but I'd say it's a really good start..


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## Trzcina (Aug 9, 2010)

My Lapphund never has enjoyed obedience quite as much as I do... well, she does, but in her own way. One of the Qs for her U-CD involved her breaking off her off-leash heeling to get into a play bow in the middle of the ring and bark at me. I still don't know how we got a 188 that day. 

I'd say go for it. Treat it as a game, just another sport for fun, and really some of my best obedience memories with my Lapphund are the "spectacular NQs." Which, with a Lapphund, usually involve barking and stubbornness followed by very joyful obedience. Don't be too nervous about it. Especially if she's your Novice A dog, the vast majority of the judges and other competitors are very friendly and nice and it's not really a threatening sport at all if you go about it right. Can it be nerve-wracking? Sure. But it's really not so different from any other dog sport, and many of the same people show in several.

So... approach it with a sense of humor and think of it as fun, not stressful, and you should have a start. If you're afraid of how the classes are, ask the trainer if you can attend a few without your dog at first to get a good idea of the methods and make sure it's a method of training you really want to use. It sounds like you need a positive reinforcement approach, and that shouldn't be too difficult to find as many competitive obedience trainers do use clicker training and positive reinforcement and such. Talk about your concerns with the trainer; they're there to help.

Don't be too intimidated. And many dogs seem to have more fun with the Open/Utility exercises than the Novice ones. Though it took me -forever- to teach Emmee (the Lapphund) to retrieve happily. Now you'd never know that it took months to convince her not to spit it out and wilt instantly. She'll pounce now if she's in a playful mood. Which she frequently is.


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

If your biggest concern is class, I don't think that's a good reason to hold you back if you want to do it. Observe the class ahead of time, and be up front with the trainer that if you're not comfortable with something, you're not going to do it. Period. If that means you need to skip stand for exam day, then you skip SFE day. Try to find out the schedule ahead of time so you can introduce it to Marge ahead of time, so her first experience with it isn't at a new and possibly stressful place. That way you can use the class more as a proofing/refining area rather than a place to learning new things. I've found that shaping isn't really a class-situation skill.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

That's an encouraging post  Yes, I refuse to use physical corrections on her (save for MAYBE a tiny jiggle of the leash to get her attention) - reason being, if Marge is not performing correctly, it means one of two things: 1) she doesn't understand, or 2) she's stressed. If she blows me off because there's something interesting on the floor (and that doesn't happen often), that's MY fault for not proofing her enough. So yeah. I know the whole positive/negative thing is hotly contested in obedience, but I'm stickin' to my guns  

I actually spoke to the training director of my club (who I am friendly with) and she told me that my dog would do fine in a Novice class. I'm going to try to go observe one of them this week.

Now, really, the only thing holding me back is the SFE exercise.

And yes, she's my Novice A dog. In Agility, too. She's my first dog ever!



> That way you can use the class more as a proofing/refining area rather than a place to learning new things.


You're right, Raegan, that's what I did with Rally Advanced (taught her almost all the exercises at home), and it makes the class SO much more fun.


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## foxthegoldfish (Apr 15, 2008)

I think it depends on you a lot, I love how formal obedience is 
If you really want to work on it, then go for it, I can understand how hard it can be with a dog like Marge, but you have come so far already Im sure you two can do it if you want


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## petpeeve (Jun 10, 2010)

MissMutt said:


> - and I'm definitely still not in love with the advanced Open/Utility exercises -


What's NOT to love about Open /Utility ? ... what with all of the fun dog toys, that you don't get to play with in Novice ? 






**slap**

Ohhhh yeah  ... NOW I remember 

.... it's the ever-increasing compilation of NQ's.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

Perhaps, petpeeve, perhaps. Or more like I really don't think I'm a good enough trainer to diligently train articles and shtuff like that.. 

Go outs do look fun, though. A lot of fun.


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## petpeeve (Jun 10, 2010)

*To OB or not to OB– that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of the broad jump,
Or to take arms against a sea of articles
And, by scenting, find them. To title, to sleep
No more – and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache and the thousand natural shocks
That an OTCh is heir to – ‘tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished.*

Sorry, ..  feeling kind of goofy this a.m.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

LOL! That's why I gave the thread that name, petpeeve


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## Shaina (Oct 28, 2007)

petpeeve said:


> To OB or not to OB– that is the question:
> Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
> The slings and arrows of the broad jump,
> Or to take arms against a sea of articles
> ...


Okay, this cracked me up, lol


As for the class thing -- same as agility, just make sure you are comfortable with the instructor.

As for the Stand for Exam exercise -- if you think it's going to stress her out that much, just skip it in class. Or, if she's more comfortable in a sit or down, do it in those positions first and practice your stands separately (without the exam) until she gets used to the environment. 

Just break it down and make it fun -- all will be well


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

Strangely enough, she would definitely prefer to stand than to sit or down for an exam.

She did really well with it during the CGC, so maybe it won't be as bad as I thought. I'm definitely going to break it down, though.

Going to check out a class at my club tonight. I'm excited. And even if I don't like it, I may just self train her to the CD title by going to matches and enlisting the help of people more knowledgeable than myself..


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