# Waaay over threshold at trial



## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

I took Denali to an agility trial today. Not to compete, but so she could get used to the atmosphere. In class she is a spastic monster when we come in but settles down as soon as we get into things. At the AKC trial? Holy good grief!! She would NOT settle down. The first 45 minutes she wouldn't listen even for treats. It was in an arena, so there was horse smell everywhere, as well as dozens of dogs. She was whining a lot, jumping, and PULLING. I have never had an issue with her pulling yet here I sit with sore fingers. She was pawing and digging in the dirt, whining at every dog that went by, leaping around, nose to the dirt like a hound trying to drag me around, and would not sit still. I was trying to give her things to do but she was super distracted by far too many things.

She was also intently staring at every dog running the course and I could tell she REALLY wanted a turn. That part was good! She'd whine and do a play bow and then look at me and whine more before turning her attention back to the other dog. It was the only time she was focused was when watching the other dogs run.

We were there about 2 and 1/2 hours. Not once did she relax and sit still. It took until the last half hour to get her to listen to me without touching her, and even then it wasn't consistent and she was still misbehaving. I tried to walk her around but she was pulling and lunging at everything. I understand it must have smelled fantastic in there to her, but I need to have control.

I'm taking her to a NADAC trial at the same place next weekend to help her work on this. It should be much less crowded. What can I do to help her stay calm?


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## Zarya (Jan 30, 2011)

Exercise her heavily before you go. I know that is easier said than done with Sibes but it definitely helps take the edge off. I would also show up early as it is less of a shock to the senses to walk into a room of 5 dogs and their people rather than showing up later and walking into a room of 50 dogs and their people plus spectators. Taking her crate along if possible is also a good idea, if you have a car which it will fit into, an even better idea as if she becomes too much of a distraction you can always crate her until she settles down.

Also possibly consider that it may be best to not bring her to these events right now if the suggestions you get do not help. I know it is considered rude by many to bring dogs who act like you describes to events they are not competiting in as it can be distracting for the dogs who are competiting. Personally I would not do it, at least I would not bring them in right near the arena but wait for the outdoor trials and set up a bit away in a shady spot where they can observe all they want without becoming a distraction. 

Maybe for the time being opting for small conformation matches or obedience trials where the atomsphere isn't as intense? Or even taking an additional training class with your trainer or another that is closer to full capacity which will give you the ability to work on building her focus?


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

I'll definitely try exercising her first. This one started at 8am so it didn't even cross my mind to get up even earlier! The one next weekend starts in the afternoon so I'll be able to do a good bike ride in the morning.

If she is still a handful next weekend I won't try again at a competition. This time she wasn't a distraction and though she whined a fair bit it was quieter than the dogs barking all around. She was alert and excited when watching dogs run, but standing pretty still. She watched most of them. I was more worried about her constant fidgeting and pulling between runs and her obsessiveness about smelling all the things. She always wants to greet other dogs, and not all of them would be happy to have her fuzzy face in their butts. We never say hi unless I ask first, and it's really really hard for her to just sit and watch dogs walk by.

I'll ask my instructor if I can sit in on other classes if she still can't handle the trial.

Thanks for the suggestions!


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## petpeeve (Jun 10, 2010)

Sibe said:


> I'm taking her to a NADAC trial at the same place next weekend to help her work on this. It should be much less crowded. What can I do to help her stay calm?


Ensure that you have focus 'right off of the tailgate'. If you don't have that as a foundation you'll have a difficult time.

Next, .. move forward towards venue, retaining focus.

Treat it similar to loose leash walking: if the dog pulls or loses focus .. retreat / step backward, regain focus >> advance .. and so on.

IMHO there's not much sense in frustrating your dog for 2 1/2 hours.
If you find that after a few attempts you can't get past a certain point without losing focus, this indicates that the dog has reached it's threshold. At least now you know where it is, so work on _that_ a bit. .. not much point in going too much further so perhaps call it a day and end on a positive note. 


Last but not least .. always be fair and courteous to other competitors who've actually paid to run their dogs. Establish a good reputation / create a good first impression, for yourself and for your dog.


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## Dwippet (Jan 31, 2011)

These are good suggestions for helping her learn some self control. You were really smart to anticipate the need to teach her this by checking out a trial without entering first. I have a friend who successfully taught her rescue mini-aussie self control by putting her in her crate or the car BEFORE she lost her mind. They would return to the public space when calm was regained, and return to the crate/car as necessary. 

As for the horse smell/muffins one of my friends taught agility classe in an indoor arena in the winter. Her philisophy is that you just had to learn to be more interesting to your dog than horse pucky (it is funny if you substitute the colliquloism) So we spent some classes where the aim was to do what it took (food, tug games, kill the towel, chase games, etc) to meaningfully reward our dogs for paying more attention to US than the enviorment.

Have you considered Rescue Remedy for you both, now that you have a history at that site?


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Thank you both. I actually do have Rescue Remedy, I used it when I fostered and domesticated feral cats. Great suggestion, I'll have to try it.


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## LynnI (Mar 27, 2010)

I have a little bit of a different take on what she did (of course without being there  and what I would do about it.

To me it doesn't sound like she went too the far end of up thresold but she was certainly excited and keen, I would rather see that then a dog that is freaked out or fearful by the enviroment. Kinda like Disney World for dogs, lots to see and smell especially when she already has a taste of agility.

I try not to take young/novice dogs to indoor trials for their first couple times, except for very young puppies. I would also allow her to sniff as much as possible without asking anything of her, except not to pull me. And of course not rushing up to other dogs from either end. I also don't ask for any focus from them, if they offer it I click/reward but don't ask unless I know that they can give me focus or a behaviour.
Outdoor trials are easier just because we can keep them back further from the excitement and then move forward as they calm down and relax.

But having said all that, it really doesn't sound like she was really bad, especially if there were barking dogs and those wonderful horse smells that so many dogs love when they are not exposed it regularly. It is good that you are concerned and want to get better responses but on the other hand don't panic or worry about it too much. She sounded like an excited puppy that really was not doing bad for a first time


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

That's actually a good way of looking at it, though I think she was over threshold because I could not get her attention at all for quite a while. She was an excited puppy for sure. I was proud of her for not being freaked out because though she loves other dogs I was wondering how she would do with the people as she is typically skittish with strangers. She allowed several people to pet her without complaint (because she was so excited and distracted) but ultimately that was a good thing. I was letting her sniff around, but she was being a total hound about it, nose to the dirt and dragging me. If I tried to keep up she'd go faster and faster, so excited! 

I should have thought to click/reward when I did get her attention, I'll definitely do that this Friday.

Outdoor would be not so nice this time of year. The high yesterday was -1 (F) and the windchill was at -24 or below most of the day. Outdoor trials just can't happen in the winter here, but once I'm back in San Diego I'm sure everything will be outside.

Overall she wasn't bad except for the pulling. I have zero tolerance for that and was getting too frustrated to handle it anymore. 

New plan:
Rescue Remedy
Exercise
Bring a crate (and Kong toy and things to chew)
Approach much more slowly
Click/reward for attention


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## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

How old is she? Do you train agility at different places? 

When Lars was younger, he would flip out at dogs doing agility. So, I took him to as many different drop in classes at different places as I could. I was probably doing 2 or 3 classes and facilities a week. I would bring his crate and cover it...I would bring him out and doodle outside the ring or practice attention next to the ring. When he would get too spun up, back in the covered crate he went until he settled down again and could think clearly. I would also let him look at the agility but then make him look back at me...look at the agility...then look back at me and heavily reward the attention back to me. It took most of last year to get him to be able to think and not flip out at dogs in the ring on "his" equipment...how dare there be other dogs on the equipment. 

Once he was able to contain himself in classes both inside and outside...I went to AKC agility B matches. Luckily Lars has had a lot of trial experience with rally and he knew close quarters with dogs all around. So I know he can handle himself well with dogs all over the place. When he could do matches and keep his head clear...then we did and entered trials. 

I would agree that trials probably wouldn't be the best place to get her used to the environment. Maybe try to baby step it to that sort of high energy place. I would have never tried to bring Lars to a trial when he was flipping out over agility...I would have gotten a lot of evil glares over my roaring rottweiler straining up in the air on his back legs.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

She will be a year old in a few days, we only practice at one site.

She actually did fantastically at the NADAC trial. Only a handful of dogs there. I was very proud of her. Lots and lots of treats. I had her close to where the dogs exit the ring for a while and as they came out I would tell her to watch me and leave the other dog and would pump treats into her. She got to where as soon as a dog was done she would turn to me and sit and wait for treats!

Apparently in March there is a "fun day" or something at the same place where the dogs get to go and run courses, much like a trial only without being judged.


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