tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113601946852996568.post4168990418059291543..comments2023-05-07T04:59:51.600-07:00Comments on Willard Unleashed: MORE ABOUT THE SHRINKING SPORT OF COMPETITION OBEDIENCEWillard Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11939227410560442023noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113601946852996568.post-2930614860008118462012-03-15T20:57:52.217-07:002012-03-15T20:57:52.217-07:00I'm one of those new to obedience. I found yo...I'm one of those new to obedience. I found your book very inspirational and motivating! My Novice A dog just earned his CD in a three trial weekend a few weeks ago. He has also earned some Rally titles in the APDT venue. I'll share my impressions. The first is, I love obedience because rally was WAY too easy. In our first trial weekend ever, we lost a total of two points across four trials... and we were NOT spectacular. Where do I go from there? I continue to pay $25 for someone to give us a smiley face sticker? Like the other 15 dogs who also got perfect scores? Who cares? Where's the challenge? In our obedience debut, we earned a 195.5, a 190, and a 178. I feel those scores were justly deserved. It gives me a lot of skills to improve as I prepare for open. I would much rather have that appropriately scored 178 over the APDT rally 210 any day. I want my attention to detail and precision recognized. That's one of the things that has me hooked on obedience. I think the difficulty finding instructors is a huge hurdle. I trained by myself out of books up until this point. It took me two years to get ready to compete!! If I hadn't been really interested, I could see that hobby easily fizzling out. At the trial, I met some folks in my area and now drive 90 minutes one way each week for class. I don't think most people looking into obedience for the first time are willing to make that type of commitment. What I am doing to promote the sport is talking to everyone I know who has a dog. My sister, friends, coworkers, facebook friends, anyone! I've invited people to trials, sent videos of us competing, recommended books, invited them to training sessions and to classes, and set up challenges with them. I've gotten one who's seriously interested and wants to trial with me so we've set up a training time table and goals. Maybe that's one thing we can do is mentor newbies. Take someone who is somewhat interested and get them to their first trial.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01608812362631220549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113601946852996568.post-35625995011972816342012-02-29T21:01:49.405-08:002012-02-29T21:01:49.405-08:00Hi, Willard. Thanks for high-lighting my comments...Hi, Willard. Thanks for high-lighting my comments. (Yes, I am the vertebrate museum curator at Washington State University. No, I am not retired. Love my job, but also love my hobbies. Need many more hours in a day.) <br /><br />Here are some interesting numbers from the AKC stats for 2008. (I picked that year because the printout was handy. The numbers and percentages are similar for other years in the 2000s.)<br /><br />Of dogs that finished a CD, about 34% completed a CDX. Of dogs that finish a CDX, about 44% finish a UD. Of dogs that finish a CD, about 15% will eventually get a UD. <br /><br />Of dogs that finish a Novice Agility (NA) title, about 75% go on to get an Open Agility (OA title). Of OA dogs, about 75% go on to complete an Excellent Agility (AX) title. Of dogs that complete an NA, over half eventually get an AX. <br /><br />In agility, most entrants pay two entry fees per day to do both standard and jumpers. Many pay for 3 classes/day if FAST or T2B (time to beat) class is offered. After they get the Excellent titles, they continue to enter trial after trial, 2 or 3 events per day, to get those MXs, MXJs, MACHs, and multiple MACHs. When their dog is too old for his normal jump height, they start over in Preferred. That's a whole lot of entry fees and we haven't even considered the huge amount of equipment needed to practice or the cost of renting time in a facility with equipment. <br /><br />The point being, I don't think entry fees are what's keeping most people out of obedience, or causing them to drop out after a CD. <br /><br />I started out to write a long comment about what I would do to change the structure of obedience to try to make it more popular, but realized I'd be typing all night. I have to go to work tomorrow. I'll do the Willard thing and write my thoughts in parts on my blog over the next few weeks.Kelly Cassidyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14319779062745996727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113601946852996568.post-40843848035756655962012-02-29T14:44:01.331-08:002012-02-29T14:44:01.331-08:00I also have used Rally as a confidence builder and...I also have used Rally as a confidence builder and for ring experience. When we go into the ring, I actually prefer to keep verbal encouragement and gesticulating to a minimum (since I have a border collie who is sent over the edge by too much excitement). The unpredictability of the Rally course also makes it more interesting than long heeling patterns. I think that one of the major appealing factors of Rally is it allows you to work at connecting with your dog and the changing courses keep it interesting. <br /><br />As far as agility versus obedience... agility is also just more exciting to watch for most people! When I tell people I compete with my dog in obedience, I generally just get a blank stare. If I add, "And we've dabbled in agility," there is instant recognition and excitement. <br /><br />Obedience runs tend to be somewhat dry, and I don't think there is enough emphasis on making the ring FUN for your dog. I get a lot of compliments about how much my dog appears to be enjoying himself in the ring... that should be the norm! As a rule, agility dogs generally look thrilled to be out there running a course; obedience dogs, not so much.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10689043201878425239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113601946852996568.post-54770635223334547012012-02-28T20:37:42.930-08:002012-02-28T20:37:42.930-08:00I'm totally in agreement about rally! As an ob...I'm totally in agreement about rally! As an obedience junkie I cringe when I see most rally handlers in action. However, my worried sheltie is much happier in rally than the utility ring. That's because the pressure is on ME, not on him. So we enter rally every now and then. It's a confidence builder for him while we work through the kinks in his utility performance. But I don't consider it much of a victory when we qualify, unlike regular obedience.<br />I'm looking forward to reading your third book, but will miss your regular posts to the blog. Please don't slow down so much that you stop! I've found precious few obedience blogs that are worth reading as much as yours.mokrasouthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05136612585278915104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113601946852996568.post-52410711199968890122012-02-28T11:24:53.218-08:002012-02-28T11:24:53.218-08:00She hit it on the head with that "Instant Gra...She hit it on the head with that "Instant Gratification" comment. An agility run may be only 30 second long, but what a 30 seconds it is! Never the same course twice, never the same order of obstacles, always something to laugh and/or cry about in each run. Each run the outcome of the hours (years?) of training obstacles,patterns, scenarios, big picture, small picture. And it is all accomplished "on the run" It IS instantly gratifying and represents as much teamwork as an Obedience run does. However neither the training nor the actual trials even slightly resemble (Obedience) monotony. Lastly, the previous comment about lack of great trainers is spot on and is my biggest Obedience concern personally.goldstarlaurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10379628486215445570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113601946852996568.post-19783584320867307272012-02-28T10:16:56.211-08:002012-02-28T10:16:56.211-08:00Willard I have to add that perhaps another factor ...Willard I have to add that perhaps another factor that contributes to few people entering or staying in obedience is that there are so few good teachers of obedience. As in all dog sports the foundation work is critical and I sadly see many people not learning how to make the learning of obedience fun for the dog. Then without knowing how to train with toys or the proper use of positive reinforcement these same people try to "make" their dogs heel only to have ongoing problems with heeling and soon dogs that have no focus or interest in teaming up with their handler. Compare this to agility where there are classes and lessons on almost every street corner. AND the focus is usually on "fun" and using toys and treats to reward this "fun." Yes I put quotes around "fun" since clearly many dogs are not having fun even in agility and one only has to see how competitive this sport has become to see that agility too has changed and one wonders how many dog/handler teams are having "fun" and enjoying the special rewards that come from the journey of training and working with our dogs.Cyndehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15084825749504680720noreply@blogger.com