COMPETITIVE OBEDIENCE TRAINING (Part 3) by Sandy Wadhams
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obedienceuk
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06 Jul 2026 19:00
Perry qualified to work ticket at 2½ years, so I thought, here I am a TICKET HANDLER, isn't this great! Well I can tell you that Perry soon brought me down to size, and then the years of bitter disappointment began. We went to every Ticket Show and Open throughout the country every week for six years, and never in that time won a first prize! Why not? Lack of respect from the dog and no self discipline from the handler. At the time, of cou•se, I didn't realize why. I just kept slogging away, becoming more and more upset. It's very hard to see the light, especially when you travel on your own for hundreds of miles. You can imagine how I would feel, having blown it yet again and have a lonely drive back home from somewhere like Scotland. Oh yes, I learned how to lose.
One year at Littlebourne Ch Show, I well remember waiting with Perry to work Ticket by the ring, I was talking to Derek Martin who had that wonder-ful dog OB CH BOSS OF THORNY-
MOOR. All of a sudden, Perry dived at Boss. I was so furious that I picked him up and shook him! "Number 56" the steward called. Gosh that's me, no time for a warm up, and Perry just told off. Into the ring we went, and Perry worked a blinder. He was a dream. His eyes never left me; butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. We came out losing 1 point - the leader! Need-less to say that by the time scent came, I'd lost that authority over him and he managed to mess about and lose the Ticket.
Perry was extremely well trained and schooled, BUT, he was the BOSS, not me. I never disciplined him so con-sequently, he always took over when I wasn't in control. He knew he would just be cuddled, whatever he did. He was never put in his place. Why didn't I see that at Littlebourne that day. I'm a firm believer in PLAY training, so the dog WANTS to, and ENJOYS working for you. Always SHOW the dog exactly what you want from him and TEACH him carefully and methodically. He must, however, understand that you mean what you say. Apart from playing with a puppy, I teach him to go down on command. This can be taught in a fun way, playing tug of war with his toy and then when he's really pulling, simply let go, and say "down", gently pushing him down. This is so easy to teach at this stage and of course you will have a nice backward down from the stand, which will pay dividends later for DC. Once he's doing this as a game without the aids (ie, hands and voice), when he is just scampering around on his own indoors - say his name (to obtain his attention) and then the COMMAND (not request) to go down. If he's not sure, calmly and quietly walk over to him, repeat the commands and apply the aid and PRAISE him when he's correct. From here the dog will gradually go down on command without any help from the handler. Repeat the above process, showing him first, and then letting him loose and give him the command. If you have handled him with authority, will obey. If not, quietly go up, reprimand him, again show him what you want and then praise him for being correct. He will soon learn. The test of your authority will come when you place the dog in a testing
Perry qualified to work ticket at 2½ years, so I thought, here I am a TICKET HANDLER, isn't this great! Well I can tell you that Perry soon brought me down to size, and then the years of bitter disappointment began. We went to every Ticket Show and Open throughout the country every week for six years, and never in that time won a first prize! Why not? Lack of respect from the dog and no self discipline from the handler. At the time, of cou•se, I didn't realize why. I just kept slogging away, becoming more and more upset. It's very hard to see the light, especially when you travel on your own for hundreds of miles. You can imagine how I would feel, having blown it yet again and have a lonely drive back home from somewhere like Scotland. Oh yes, I learned how to lose.
One year at Littlebourne Ch Show, I well remember waiting with Perry to work Ticket by the ring, I was talking to Derek Martin who had that wonder-ful dog OB CH BOSS OF THORNY-
MOOR. All of a sudden, Perry dived at Boss. I was so furious that I picked him up and shook him! "Number 56" the steward called. Gosh that's me, no time for a warm up, and Perry just told off. Into the ring we went, and Perry worked a blinder. He was a dream. His eyes never left me; butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. We came out losing 1 point - the leader! Need-less to say that by the time scent came, I'd lost that authority over him and he managed to mess about and lose the Ticket.
Perry was extremely well trained and schooled, BUT, he was the BOSS, not me. I never disciplined him so con-sequently, he always took over when I wasn't in control. He knew he would just be cuddled, whatever he did. He was never put in his place. Why didn't I see that at Littlebourne that day. I'm a firm believer in PLAY training, so the dog WANTS to, and ENJOYS working for you. Always SHOW the dog exactly what you want from him and TEACH him carefully and methodically. He must, however, understand that you mean what you say. Apart from playing with a puppy, I teach him to go down on command. This can be taught in a fun way, playing tug of war with his toy and then when he's really pulling, simply let go, and say "down", gently pushing him down. This is so easy to teach at this stage and of course you will have a nice backward down from the stand, which will pay dividends later for DC. Once he's doing this as a game without the aids (ie, hands and voice), when he is just scampering around on his own indoors - say his name (to obtain his attention) and then the COMMAND (not request) to go down. If he's not sure, calmly and quietly walk over to him, repeat the commands and apply the aid and PRAISE him when he's correct. From here the dog will gradually go down on command without any help from the handler. Repeat the above process, showing him first, and then letting him loose and give him the command. If you have handled him with authority, he will obey. If not, quietly go up, reprimand him, again show him what you want and then praise him for being correct. He will soon learn. The test of your authority will come when you place the dog in a testing situation ie, loose in a field or running with other dogs. I usually put a pup with my older trained dogs for this This way, the pup will soon learn who the pack leader is - ME! Because I have this rapport with my dogs and their respect, they have only been happy to obey me. After all, we call our sport Competitive OBEDIENCE do we not?
Perry would never go down on command, especially in SA's - straight through the box until he "hit" a wall. Sometimes he would bring the box back with him. Well, everyone laughed at him and he loved that.
So teach your pup to go down on command, because he is then submitting to YOU. If he will go down in any situation, then YOU will be in CONTROL when you work him.
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Part 4
We now have our bond with our dog and also his respect. Next step is to teach the basic exercises with the use of our TRAINING AIDS. What do I mean by the basic exercises? Novice recall, retrieve and stays. The heelwork at this stage is still a game, precision on this exercise coming much later. To teach the basics, the training aids must be applied correctly.
Training aids are often taken for granted. Some handlers apply them naturally, some don't, and some THINK they are applying them, when in fact they are not. Awareness of the dogs sensitivity is often completely overlooked and this coupled with the incorrect use of the aids, or lack of the aids, spells disaster. Only from sound basic training can the more advanced exercises be performed correctly and confidently. The training aids are:
Use of voice, tone, volume and expression
Use of hands and the lead - lightness without force PLEASE - no jerking or yanking around
Use of play toys
Use of consistent commands (often not given at all) Handlers Deportment
Applying these aids at the RIGHT TIME and the RIGHT DEGREE and then PRAISING when correct.
Some dogs are bold, strong and outgoing - they need firm handling. Some are timid and introvert - they need more time, more play and lots of patience. Some appear to be timid and quiet - you know the type - roll their eyes and cower - when all along they are time bombs, highly intelligent and fast, just putting on a front to get their own way! Some are willing and eager to please - ideal. Some are thick. Some are capable but dominant and don't want to work. There are many types of characters and whatever
the type, the handler must know which aids to apply and to what degree, and when to apply them. Above all else the aids should be applied POSITIVELY. In other words, when teaching your dog don't ASK him, TELL him, by applying the AIDS POSITIVELY then PRAISING when correct.
Perry was quiet and anxious looking as a pup, but really responded to playing. So he was trained that way. What a pity I didn't have his respect. He would not go down on command. He was a superb sendaway dog - couldn't ever stop him though! I will remember one year at Lichfield Championship Show in the Open C Class, the judge John Wigglesworth had two large cones for the sendaway. His instructions - dog anywhere through the cones. Off went Perry like a bullet, shot through the cones, ignored the command to drop, through the next ring and the next and finally stopped at the hedge. I never understood why I didn't get full points John! After all, through Perry went - BUT what about CONTROL!
When Perry was about six years old, I took him on a Sheepdog Training course. These courses were run once a year by the Ministry of Agriculture and as we have a few acres and some sheep, along I went. The class was made up of eight shepherds and their dogs. Dog leads were bits of baling twine and one dog was secured to a tree with a towing rope, enough to secure an elephant let alone a Collie! His owner couldn't control him at all!
The instructor was a shepherd and a competitor from 'One man and his dog', took each dog separately. Perry had to wait his turn. The other shepherds thought he was so good, laying down quietly watching. I'm thinking to myself wait until he gets out there! As I didn't have a shepherds crook I had taken the kitchen broom minus the head for my crook. When Perry's turn came they released six fresh sheep. The instructors dog, a super bitch, was actually controlling the sheep from afar. The instructor asked me if I could send Perry out to run in behind the sheep. "Oh yes" say I confidently. "Send him away then girl" he says. Off goes Perry like a rocket and came in behind the sheep. "Drop him" shouts the instructor. "Down" yells I - on came Perry. "Throw your stick at him girl" he says as the sheep and Perry approach. So I threw my stick - it caught Perry and broke in half, and on he came. We all dived for cover. Needless to say, I never stopped him, although I spent time dropping him as a separate exercise.
The instructor was very kind and invited me to his farm up in the Cotswolds for private lessons. Every ten minutes, fresh sheep were brought out for Perry - but he never listened to me and I never contained that energy and power. It was too late. When I saw the instructor's bitch sent three fields away to bring in 500 sheep, all on a few whistle commands, quietly and calmly given, I began to realise what a lot I had to learn, and the lack of control I had over Perry.