Competitive Obedience Q's

[Giselle]

Has anybody had any experience with competitive obedience? I read most of AKC's info on competitive ob., but I'm still wondering if it's the right sport for Ivy and me. She's been a breeze to train so far and, best of all, she's super handler-attentive and loves to please. Because of this, I'd love to get her into a higher level of obedience, but I've been hearing from others that AKC's competitive ob. can be a bit..."stuffy". Any opinions??

[.sarah]

I prefer the atmosphere of rally to obedience, though eventually I'm going to compete in obedience. My dogs just aren't ready yet. Rally is much more relaxed, you can talk to your dogs as much as you want. In my opinion, rally is a good stepping stone to move onto obedience. Nova has her Rally Novice title and will be moving onto advanced later this year but I still don't think she's ready for obedience. Obedience is much more structured and there's less room for error, from what I've read and seen.

Isn't Ivy a mixed breed? How will you compete in AKC events?

[Giselle]

Yeah, I'm still wondering if I should go through with the ILP. People have been telling me Ivy looks completely purebred, and since shes not being used for conformation/JR's, I figured it wouldn't hurt anybody if I applied for an ILP as a Doberman. I still like the idea of competitive ob., but I haven't found any recent information on AMBOR yet. So, at the moment, it's either AKC or UKC. I think UKC allows mixed breeds, too..

[Flatcoatluver]

I think Ivy looks pure and she will probally get approved for the ILP. AKC is pretty easy going when it comes to appling for a ILP. I do Rally, I am in a advanced class where everyone there has done competive Obed. They all tell me not to get into it, knowing my personality. I like things were dogs really enjoy themselfs, and since you can't really talk to your dog, it wouldn't be good for me.

[applesmom]

At the time that I was involved in AKC Obedience competition, venues such as Rally O and Agility weren't available.

Even though AKC Obedience competition is more structured, my dogs and I both enjoyed it. If the dogs hadn't enjoyed it I wouldn't have done it. The whole idea is for it to be fun for owner and dog.

If you go into it with the right motives and for the sheer pleasure of working with a happy and enthusiastic dog it can be a fun and rewarding experience.

[agilityk9trainer]

I've competed in both AKC obedience, Rally and agility. Personally, I prefer Rally, however many people really love obedience. It depends on your personality and your dog's personality. Dogs who love to think and love detail will love obedience. Dogs who love action prefer Rally. Dogs who REALLY love action prefer agility.

I usually let my dogs choose their sport. I've never owned a dog who loved obedience. I have one dog that really does love Rally. The other has burned out on it, but I will finish out his RAE since he's only two QQs away. Both prefer agility over everything. However, if I had a dog that very much enjoyed the thinking and detail of obedience, I would show in that venue very seriously.

Don't let the "stuffy" reputation of obedience put you off. You can have just as much fun in obedience as the other sports if it's a good fit for you and your dog. And the utility level exercises are so impressive!!!

[mike001]

I have always done obedience with my dogs and I just love it. The novice is real easy, the novice B is fairly easy also. Utility gets a bit tougher but is so much fun, especially scent discrimination. Tracking is out of this world and lots of fun also and the dogs love it, plus you never know when it might come in handy.
If you make it fun, the dogs love obedience also. I would give it a try, you can always quit if you don't enjoy it. Socializing with the other dog trainers is a bonus also. Might not be for everyone but I love it. Gives you lots of socializing and a great workout.

[Giselle]

Thanks guys! I really feel like Ivy will love obedience once we find the right trainer. She's very much a thinking dog, and it's nice because if she doesn't understand the command she'll look up to me for guidance. I have a feeling that if I find the right trainer to help me shape her, we'll learn and love obedience :)

After speaking with some other AKC competitors, I've decided that it's just not right for Ivy to get her ILP. We'll be looking into UKC for ob. and USDAA/NADAC for agility. Btw, if anybody has experience with UKC ob., please speak up!

[agilityk9trainer]

Keep in mind that the AKC is looking at allowing mixed breeds to compete in the performance events. This may come to pass in the near future. I'm hoping so. I, personally, don't see any problems with ILPing your dog. The idea is that if your dog is a rescue, you really don't know the parentage. So, feel free to ILP. However, if you DO know your dog's parents and know for sure it's a mix, then there are some ethical issues getting the ILP.