Clicker Training at Trials

[SheltieChe]

I have three intact males (two young, one five years old) They have been taught better than to leave me to check out intact bitches. We actually roomed with a bitch my oldest male was being bred to a couple years ago and she was at the agility trial though not competing the whole weekend. I could work my girls in heat here at home on my equipment, let them sit on the table and all, and never get a reaction.
I stand by it. Do what you want outside the ring and mine aren't going to react. Their job is to work regardless. They are taught not to leave to see anything going on outside the ring.
I do think if a person can't keep their dog working in the ring with distractions then they arent ready to trial. They need to still be working at home. A blown run because of a dog leaving is not the fault of anyone outside. It is the fault of the handler for not training their dog well enough to ignore/leave alone whatever is outside the ring.

Bravo! Put the blame where it belongs Wholeheartedly agree!

 

[3Stars]

I have three intact males (two young, one five years old) They have been taught better than to leave me to check out intact bitches. We actually roomed with a bitch my oldest male was being bred to a couple years ago and she was at the agility trial though not competing the whole weekend. I could work my girls in heat here at home on my equipment, let them sit on the table and all, and never get a reaction.
I stand by it. Do what you want outside the ring and mine aren't going to react. Their job is to work regardless. They are taught not to leave to see anything going on outside the ring.
I do think if a person can't keep their dog working in the ring with distractions then they arent ready to trial. They need to still be working at home. A blown run because of a dog leaving is not the fault of anyone outside. It is the fault of the handler for not training their dog well enough to ignore/leave alone whatever is outside the ring.

I agree, it is a matter of proofing, and we now have something to work on - which I wouldn't have realized we had to work on if we had continued working at home without trialing. The problem is, if you limit trials to people who have proofed their dog to every possible situation, you won't have many (if any) people at the trials. If you had asked me last week if my dog would ever leave the ring, I probably would have said "no". I never expected Starr to be so distracted by a female (he too has roomed with intact females), and I never imagined he would notice that a person has one arm. It was an outdoor trial, and we were surrounded by tents, people, food and dogs on two sides with a minimal rope barrier between. It was his second outdoor trial, and the first where people were moving so close to the ring. It was an excellent learning opportunity for him that I never could have replicated. He Q'd in 11 other runs that weekend, so clearly he adapted - something he wouldn't have had the opportunity to do if I kept him at home.

No matter what sport you are in, trialing is as much about teaching and proofing your dog as classes are (which is exactly why k9kreationz is bringing her dog to the trials). Things aren't always going to go perfectly, and there is always the risk of a dog leaving a ring - if not yours, someone else's. To ignore that risk is silly, so why tempt fate by having a reactive dog close to ringside? Especially when the result could be catastrophic for both dogs. Courtesy is such a small, easy thing. It requires minimal effort, shows good sportsmanship, and with a reactive dog it will help protect your dog.

 

[labgirl]

Just check the regs of your trial, the one I am hoping to attend in October with Merlin does not allow training inside or outside of the ring, nor training aids, which I imagine would include a clicker.

 

[romeosangiovese]

Our trials, and also normal training sessions, are held at dog runs, which will always be open to (and filled with) the public so we have almost no control over what goes on around the ring. Agility people will usually keep their dogs away from a ring, but the rest of the public..

At any given time, there will be someone tossing a ball or frisbee near one side of the fence, food all over the place, dogs running and playing close to the fence, sometimes dogs fighting, people shouting, females in heat, non-agility dogs running right up to agility dogs going in for a run, non-agility dogs trying to gatecrash a run, etc. Clickers get drowned out in all that commotion. At one training ground, there is no fence between the course and the rest of the dog run, so when a non-agility dog comes to visit, you just have to work to keep your dog's attention!

Once I even had a trial helper crackle the plastic bottle he was holding and repeatedly thump it on his plastic chair, IN the ring! I gave him the deadliest glare when I put my dog at the start line. These helpers are also southern indian. And alot of dogs (here at least), are reactive towards them (I think it is the skin colour - they just aren't used to that?).

I used to get upset and worried about all these things going on, but saw them as great opportunities to train and proof my dogs (esp during trainings) and then test in a trial. I have had my dogs get distracted before during a trial, by photographers and other dogs usually, and food (in Juliet's case), but then just take it away as something I needed to proof against. I do see it as my responsibility to proof against whatever might likely happen during a trial.

If you were clicker training next to me, my dogs would likely ignore you. I think they would only respond when the click comes from me? If I had a problem I would move further away. I think it's a great idea to work on his issues at a trial! I would totally understand it.

 

[k9kreationz]

Just check the regs of your trial, the one I am hoping to attend in October with Merlin does not allow training inside or outside of the ring, nor training aids, which I imagine would include a clicker.

Good point. I'll read through

I do think if a person can't keep their dog working in the ring with distractions then they arent ready to trial. They need to still be working at home. A blown run because of a dog leaving is not the fault of anyone outside. It is the fault of the handler for not training their dog well enough to ignore/leave alone whatever is outside the ring.

I would agree that the dog isn't ready, but "working on it all at home" really isn't realistic. First of all, you may have intact females or females in heat, but I'm sure most people don't, so they can't proof for that. If Koji was intact, I wouldn't have the slightest clue how to proof for that. Secondly, a lot of people don't have room for equipment, so can't proof for that. And lastly, you can't always proof everything at home. But you can try to do as much as you can at mock trials, at home, anywhere.

Thanks everyone for all the feedback. I'll be sure to read up on the premium/rules to see if there's anything against using a clicker. I know we can't use equipment to train, but I know we all train with toys, games, and yes, even crunching plastic bottles. I'll see if I can find out anything about using clickers (I've heard them being used, but not sure if it's okay).

 

[k9kreationz]

Since I was in the AKC rule book, I did look it up....this is what it says,

Section 15. Training on Show Grounds. No agility
obstacle training is allowed on the show grounds except for
the use of the warm-up jump. No training is allowed on the
trial equipment from 12:00 a.m. the day of the trial, to at least
one (1) hour after the completion of the trial (on the last day
of any set of trials).


So, nothing about non-agility training.

 

[Justicemom]

Someone clicked a clicker today at the trial today. We were away from the ring and Diva stopped and looked in the direction of the click for a second or 2 when she realized I was not responding and nothing was coming she forgot about it. I think that was the first time I have ever heard a clicker at a trial.

 

[HopeShelties]

I think you tookmy post too literally. By at home I meant in a nontrial setting. It could be show n gos, run thrus, at home in the literal sense, at class, in private lessons...
My point is people shouldn't get upset about what their dog does in the ring when that is their training issue. Outside stimulus is part of attending a trial and it has to be expected when entering. Anyone who gets upset about a reaction to what's going on outside is making excuses for the holes in their training.
I used to show at county fairs. It was to be expected that if you were showing your horse had best be able to handle cheering, trainers hitting the rail with hands and whips to ear up client horses, dogs, the sound of tractor pulls (loud), sight and sound of rides, etc. If a horse couldn't handle it, it wasn't ready to be there. We just dealt with it. It was a part of showing.

 

[Toffee's Mom]

interesting, Toffee doesn't care about anybody else clicking, unless it is me... I usually mark with yes, at trial anyhow
but me having a clicker in my hand gets his attention like there is noo tomorrow. In class there are lots of people with other dogs close and clickers anyhow, so he learned that a click only means something if it comes from me... As romeo's mom said, last thing I am worried about is a dog with a clicker!!! Considering my reactive dog, lol.
BUT I tell you the training and proofing I did at trial gave me a better dog at trial than at home, sometimes LOL
It's SO worth it, do it until somebody says you can't is my advice!!!

 

[Justicemom]

I think you tookmy post too literally. By at home I meant in a nontrial setting. It could be show n gos, run thrus, at home in the literal sense, at class, in private lessons...
My point is people shouldn't get upset about what their dog does in the ring when that is their training issue. Outside stimulus is part of attending a trial and it has to be expected when entering. Anyone who gets upset about a reaction to what's going on outside is making excuses for the holes in their training.
I used to show at county fairs. It was to be expected that if you were showing your horse had best be able to handle cheering, trainers hitting the rail with hands and whips to ear up client horses, dogs, the sound of tractor pulls (loud), sight and sound of rides, etc. If a horse couldn't handle it, it wasn't ready to be there. We just dealt with it. It was a part of showing.

This was our distraction from last weekend. Just finished up dumping a load right outside the jumpers ring and yes I did Q with both dogs that day. Diva finished her AXJ.

The clicker didn't bother me. I think Diva looked because she has never been in a class with other dogs being clicked.