Training for Obedience Dog Shows

[Bantamlover23]

greyhorse I just looked at your website and I love the corgi shirts there are so cute. I think corgis are a great breed.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

Thank you. We take a vendor booth to dog shows, as well (up in my region). Been associated with the 'dog world' since I was 13 ! (Got our first CD title when I was 16 with my Belgian Sheepdog.)

Met a wonderful 'corgi' lady in the 70's and fell in love with hers. They are smart and like to run the household !

Love those corgis!

 

[Bantamlover23]

That is very true about them liking to run the household. One I have a job and my own place I would love to get another one. I have also found a lady in my area where I really like her dogs and was thinking about getting one.

http://www.thecorgilady.com/

 

[()relics]

as you already know I'm sure, obiedience training takes place from day one and is reinforced every time you do anything or say anything to your dog. I mostly work with bird dogs but also trained 2 blue heelers for agility competitions and a couple of ankle biters...but the principles are the same. I train dogs to react/respond to hand signals....This, I have found, forces the dog to look at you and react......instead of listening for a verbal command...Sit=index finger pointing up...down=index finger pointed straight down...here=index finger pointing up then swings down to point at the ground....stay=open hand palm facing the dog...heel=open hand thumb tucked in facing the dog...I use NO verbal commands with these hand signals...there are verbal commands but they are used only when I'm behind the dog....they are on point....or they are out of my sight....hunting dogs cast to the left or right by raising the left/right arm and moving slightly in that direction.....You say" My dog won't pay attention to my hand signals."....They probably won't at first...DO NOT start yelling at them...they will learn that you will repeat your commands if they play stupid....start in the house...start small...they won't look at you? Put some peanut butter on your finger...I bet they won't take their eyes off you...soon they learn the hand signals because they can't help it...start with the sit signal...let them lick a little PB off your finger to reaquire their attention.....The day you go to the show, I tell the owners that I train for, put the PB on your little finger and keep it tucked in...the dog knows it is there...good luck

 

[greyhorsewoman]

Willow ~~ DOWN

STAY !!

Happy Corgi !

 

[Widget]

I've always used just praise when training. A low key 'Good Boy' seemed to do the trick. Anything more and my collie would get too wired and off the wall. Even now at almost ten years old I have to be careful with the reward. Took him six attempts before he earned his CD. Recalls were his downfall. He loved to run out of the ring and find the nearest female to make 'friends' with whether they were interested or not. Yet he would do a sit stay for 10 minutes without moving a paw.
This weekend we are trying for out third leg for a Rally Advanced title. Would have had it in early March but for once the jump was a broad jump. We haven't worked that type of jump in five years. Needless to say he decided to walk over it instead of jumping. I guess he was telling me he wasn't ready to retire. At least he has stopped running out of the ring. Of course now that I said that he will try that trick on Saturday.
It is too bad though that so many people want the blue ribbon and get really ticked off when they don't. I couldn't care less. I'm there to have fun with my dog. At the end of the day if he qualifies he still will get the RA at the end of his registered name just like the dog that comes in first. And we will probably have more fun too.

 

[Bantamlover23]

Quote:
HAHA my corgi does that same upside down laying down when she is asleep. She also likes to kick her back feet out when she is in our dining room which laminate hardwood.

 

[Bantamlover23]

()relics :

as you already know I'm sure, obiedience training takes place from day one and is reinforced every time you do anything or say anything to your dog. I mostly work with bird dogs but also trained 2 blue heelers for agility competitions and a couple of ankle biters...but the principles are the same. I train dogs to react/respond to hand signals....This, I have found, forces the dog to look at you and react......instead of listening for a verbal command...Sit=index finger pointing up...down=index finger pointed straight down...here=index finger pointing up then swings down to point at the ground....stay=open hand palm facing the dog...heel=open hand thumb tucked in facing the dog...I use NO verbal commands with these hand signals...there are verbal commands but they are used only when I'm behind the dog....they are on point....or they are out of my sight....hunting dogs cast to the left or right by raising the left/right arm and moving slightly in that direction.....You say" My dog won't pay attention to my hand signals."....They probably won't at first...DO NOT start yelling at them...they will learn that you will repeat your commands if they play stupid....start in the house...start small...they won't look at you? Put some peanut butter on your finger...I bet they won't take their eyes off you...soon they learn the hand signals because they can't help it...start with the sit signal...let them lick a little PB off your finger to reaquire their attention.....The day you go to the show, I tell the owners that I train for, put the PB on your little finger and keep it tucked in...the dog knows it is there...good luck

I really like your method of training. I have been working with hand signals but some of them I do a little differently.​

 

[greyhorsewoman]

She also likes to kick her back feet out when she is in our dining room which laminate hardwood.

Yes, this is a favorite corgi position. Willow will actually 'drag' herself across the carpet in that position !​