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I had the opportunity last weekend to Stuart a Novice A and B obedience. I had a wonderful judge that was very informative on why she docked points here and there. I actually learned quite a bit.
I have always had a bit of nerves when it came to doing this with my dog. I have wanted to do it for some time, but have yet to do it. Pitch has been through many levels of obedience classes, and in class he is a wonderful student. I take him out in the real world, and he forgets his own name.
I think I have enough nerve to get him out and to start seeing what he can do in an obedience ring. My question is, he hasn't had any training courses in about a year, and with a new baby in the home, we haven't done a whole lot of reinforcing a lot of his commands. With a little bit of work, do you think he could be ready in a month for beginner novice obedience? Or am I asking too much for him. Where he needs the work, I feel, is mostly Recall. He will come when baited. I have been working on "Fronts" with him all morning, and even with baiting, he wants to go to a heal position. From what I learned this weekend, I know they dock points for not sitting straight. Are they more lenient in the novice class? Also, I was reading the rules on the AKC site; it isn't really clean on a few things. When calling him, can I use voice and hand signals? Or just one or the other? I think we have the heal on leash down, and off lead too. He does tend to sometimes get a bit close when he heals, hoping to have that corrected with a bit of work.
Any words of encouragement? Do's and Don'ts? Places to get more information besides AKC website, on what is expected? I guess the main thing is to go out and have fun, but just looking for more information to see if we are ready.
-Shannon
I have always had a bit of nerves when it came to doing this with my dog. I have wanted to do it for some time, but have yet to do it. Pitch has been through many levels of obedience classes, and in class he is a wonderful student. I take him out in the real world, and he forgets his own name.
I think I have enough nerve to get him out and to start seeing what he can do in an obedience ring. My question is, he hasn't had any training courses in about a year, and with a new baby in the home, we haven't done a whole lot of reinforcing a lot of his commands. With a little bit of work, do you think he could be ready in a month for beginner novice obedience? Or am I asking too much for him. Where he needs the work, I feel, is mostly Recall. He will come when baited. I have been working on "Fronts" with him all morning, and even with baiting, he wants to go to a heal position. From what I learned this weekend, I know they dock points for not sitting straight. Are they more lenient in the novice class? Also, I was reading the rules on the AKC site; it isn't really clean on a few things. When calling him, can I use voice and hand signals? Or just one or the other? I think we have the heal on leash down, and off lead too. He does tend to sometimes get a bit close when he heals, hoping to have that corrected with a bit of work.
Any words of encouragement? Do's and Don'ts? Places to get more information besides AKC website, on what is expected? I guess the main thing is to go out and have fun, but just looking for more information to see if we are ready.
-Shannon